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Whether you're a freelance corporate media writer or an aspiring film industry screenwriter, marketing is vital to success. For most, that's a difficult chore-easy to procrastinate. After all, if we enjoyed selling, we'd be a salesperson, not a writer. Yet we've gotta do it. So here are a few suggestions.
Know your market. Read industry trade publications. Look for stories, ads or other information representing target markets for your services or scripts. You'll also gain valuable insight into trends. Professionals stay informed on their industry.
Use the Internet. It's all there-at your fingertips. Sites such as this one offer information that's free for the taking. Bookmark the sites you find most useful. Check them out every week or so.
Using all research tools at your disposal, identify leads. Just as sales reps look for leads, so should you. Keep notes on information you unearth through publications and on the Internet. Make a log of such information.
Keep your writing credits, awards and resume up to date. When you need them-you don't want to spend time getting them up to date. Besides, you may have already forgotten about a contest placement or other pertinent achievement. The last thing you want to do is hastily update such information when the door is open to opportunity. You want to be ready to stride right through that open door.
Network. Industry events, festivals and conferences offer opportunities to meet with decision makers. Prepare and memorize a "30-second" commercial that states what you do and your goals. When you get in front of a valuable contact, you don't want to be searching for words. Worse yet, on your way home you don't want to be thinking "Why didn't I say__________?"
Keep records of all correspondence, significant phone calls, contest entries, submissions and other efforts to market your script.
If you think selling yourself and your work is an agent's job-guess again. You don't want to let a good opportunity slip by justbecause your agent's not by your side ready to speak on your behalf.
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