Working as a freelance writer can be a lonely job. You spend hours of the day alone, just you and your keyboard. Sometimes it seems as though you are the only person on the face of the earth. I've been known to head to the mall and walk around just to be with other living, breathing human beings - and I HATE the mall!
But working solo doesn't have to be a way of life. There are many ways to network with other writers, and the more connected you are with them the bigger your freelancer support system will be. I have found that staying connected through social media has been most helpful.
When I joined LinkedIn, I immediately joined a number of freelance writer forums. There I have connected with some amazing individuals. We have shared tips, tricks of the trade, celebrated each others' ups and commiserated with the downs. As the town I live in does not have a large network of freelancers, or any writing groups for that matter, I find these exchanges and the camaraderie I get in these forum discussions to be vital to my well-being as a writer.
Being a freelancer is a career I have chosen and I've never been sorry. Learning to network and communicate with other writers has enhanced that career and has introduced me to opportunities that I would never have had otherwise. Reaching out to other writers was difficult for me initially; what if I was bothering them? Would they even want to talk to me? They seemed such a tight-knit group. But they welcomed me with open arms and now I do the same with new writers in the group. Do not be afraid to make these connections. You will be so grateful that you decided to join a very supportive family unit.
But working solo doesn't have to be a way of life. There are many ways to network with other writers, and the more connected you are with them the bigger your freelancer support system will be. I have found that staying connected through social media has been most helpful.
When I joined LinkedIn, I immediately joined a number of freelance writer forums. There I have connected with some amazing individuals. We have shared tips, tricks of the trade, celebrated each others' ups and commiserated with the downs. As the town I live in does not have a large network of freelancers, or any writing groups for that matter, I find these exchanges and the camaraderie I get in these forum discussions to be vital to my well-being as a writer.
Being a freelancer is a career I have chosen and I've never been sorry. Learning to network and communicate with other writers has enhanced that career and has introduced me to opportunities that I would never have had otherwise. Reaching out to other writers was difficult for me initially; what if I was bothering them? Would they even want to talk to me? They seemed such a tight-knit group. But they welcomed me with open arms and now I do the same with new writers in the group. Do not be afraid to make these connections. You will be so grateful that you decided to join a very supportive family unit.
