A little over two years ago, I resolved to really get into this writing thing, but I was still a virtual unknown. My biggest problem was I could barely use the Internet. I couldn’t even conduct an easy search. (How I ever managed forums I’ll never know!) How could I market myself i

‘Marketing’ my friends all said; I had no idea what they were talking about. Besides, I’m not the kind of person to get up in front of a crowd and start spouting my mouth off, nor do I enjoy ‘tooting my own horn’. And anyway, I didn’t have anything to sell; I didn’t have a book published. What was I going to promote?

So I procrastinated, did nothing, just waited for editors to come to me. Ha! As if that would ever happen.

But I wanted to write, I wanted to get published, and wanted editors to call me.

I joined a writers’ egroup and I lurked. I read what they had to say, melded into the background, and learned. I began to see the same names time after time. I started to trust the knowledge of those more active members, and I was learning a lot of new information about writing.

I joined more online groups, and was actively involved in a few forums for writers. Over time, writers began to ask me questions. I was getting private emails from writers on the forums; I was being seen as a mentor, someone to trust. But why?

I didn’t understand it at first, until I analysed what I’d been doing. What I discovered amazed me; just as I had come to trust those more experienced writers in the egroups I’d joined, other writers were connecting with me – because I was ‘visible’.

I was still rather shy about ‘coming out’ – I’d rather write than anything else, and I sure as heck didn’t want to market myself; going to the dentist was more fun.

A little over two years ago, I resolved to really get into this writing thing, but I was still a virtual unknown. My biggest problem was I could barely use the Internet. I couldn’t even conduct an easy search. (How I ever managed forums I’ll never know!) How could I market myself if

So I procrastinated, did nothing, just waited for editors to come to me. Ha! As if that would ever happen.

But I wanted to write, I wanted to get published, and wanted editors to call me.

I joined a writers’ egroup and I lurked. I read what they had to say, melded into the background, and learned. I began to see the same names time after time. I started to trust the knowledge of those more active members, and I was learning a lot of new information about writing.

I joined more online groups, and was actively involved in a few forums for writers. Over time, writers began to ask me questions. I was getting private emails from writers on the forums; I was being seen as a mentor, someone to trust. But why?

I didn’t understand it at first, until I analysed what I’d been doing. What I discovered amazed me; just as I had come to trust those more experienced writers in the egroups I’d joined, other writers were connecting with me – because I was ‘visible’.

I was still rather shy about ‘coming out’ – I’d rather write than anything else, and I sure as heck didn’t want to market myself; going to the dentist was more fun.

A little over two years ago, I resolved to really get into this writing thing, but I was still a virtual unknown. My biggest problem was I could barely use the Internet. I couldn’t even conduct an easy search. (How I ever managed forums I’ll never know!) How could I market myself i

I joined more online groups, and was actively involved in a few forums for writers. Over time, writers began to ask me questions. I was getting private emails from writers on the forums; I was being seen as a mentor, someone to trust. But why?

I didn’t understand it at first, until I analysed what I’d been doing. What I discovered amazed me; just as I had come to trust those more experienced writers in the egroups I’d joined, other writers were connecting with me – because I was ‘visible’.

I was still rather shy about ‘coming out’ – I’d rather write than anything else, and I sure as heck didn’t want to market myself; going to the dentist was more fun.

A little over two years ago, I resolved to really get into this writing thing, but I was still a virtual unknown. My biggest problem was I could barely use the Internet. I couldn’t even conduct an easy search. (How I ever managed forums I’ll never know!) How could I market myself i

I didn’t understand it at first, until I analysed what I’d been doing. What I discovered amazed me; just as I had come to trust those more experienced writers in the egroups I’d joined, other writers were connecting with me – because I was ‘visible’.

I was still rather shy about ‘coming out’ – I’d rather write than anything else, and I sure as heck didn’t want to market myself; going to the dentist was more fun.

A little over two years ago, I resolved to really get into this writing thing, but I was still a virtual unknown. My biggest problem was I could barely use the Internet. I couldn’t even conduct an easy search. (How I ever managed forums I’ll never know!) How could I market myself i

A little over two years ago, I resolved to really get into this writing thing, but I was still a virtual unknown. My biggest problem was I could barely use the Internet. I couldn’t even conduct an easy search. (How I ever managed forums I’ll never know!) How could I market myself if I couldn’t get around? So, I spent many months learning as much as I possibly could about using the net.

And still, those same names I’d seen a year or so earlier were popping up all over the net.

I was told I needed a website. Boy, was that a challenge! Eventually, I built a website; it was small, very ordinary (extremely hard work!) but functional. Then I added a few freebies for writers to my website. I searched the internet for great links and helpful ebooks. I subscribed to some really good (and really bad) ezines for writers. I was still learning, and growing as a writer. But I still wasn’t happy.

Then, out of the blue, an opportunity arose to have my website reviewed by the editor of a large writer’s ezine. I did something I would never have done before; I grabbed it with both hands.

In less than a week, I had 350 hits on my site. Word got around – I had freebies! Within three months I’d had one thousand hits. I couldn’t believe it.

I was beginning to see the advantages of marketing myself.

One of my short stories was accepted for publication. A link back to my site lifted my profile again. I was beginning to get my work published – bit by bit – and very slowly.

I looked for marketing opportunities. What’s more, I took them! And they were working.

February 2003, I decided to write full-time; many people told me it was impossible – it would never happen. March 2003 I contacted the editor of a website for women; I secured