Online Opportunities
Have you ever stopped to consider who writes all of the websites, adverts, blogs etc on the internet? For a budding writer, the internet is a rich source of information, jobs and marketing opportunities.
Internet for Opportunities
Someone has to write all of the stuff we read on the internet, and this presents a wealth of opportunities for writers. It isn't necessary to complete a copywriting course, but it would be helpful. Each site has its own style and requirements, so if you want to write for websites, you will need to learn to emulate the style. Most sites also want regular pieces, which means they are a source of constant work.
So how do you find the opportunities? Well, they are sometimes advertised on routine Job sites, or Craig's List, but the best resource I have come across is Brian Scott's online writing jobs: https://online-writing-jobs.com/
if you sign up, you will receive a regular newsletter filled with job opportunities.
A similar service is provided by https://www.freelancewriting.com/jobs/
As you build up a portfolio of published works, it can help you move forward with your writing.
Internet for marketing
Publicity is vital for selling your published work. When submitting your work, many agents and publishers now ask for details of your online profiles, to establish whether or not you already have an audience, or could develop one. It helps to prove that you are a marketable commodity, so it's vital to have an online presence. You can see my previous blog about marketing your work here: https://penrose-enterprise.wixsite.com/writelink/single-post/2015/09/11/Marketing-your-work
Internet for Publishing
Print journals and magazines are waning, but there is a plethora of e-journals, e-zines etc looking for your work. Some sites, like Ad Hoc fiction allow you the opporunity to test your writing skills with a weekly competition.
if you want to self publish, there are a range of platforms offering options, Amazon is probably the biggest. Be wary of scams though!
Curated sites which allow you to sell your work: These offer opporunities to sell your work on line, subject to the editors being satisfied with the quality of your work. I have used this site https://www.cutalongstory.com/ for my stories, but to date have not sold anything through the site.
Internet for Research
It is so much easier to find information now that we have the internet, but there is also an awful lot of trash to sift through!
As a chartered librarian, I have extensive experience training people to use the internet effectively for research. In 2016, I wrote a series of more detailed Blog Posts on the topic: https://penrose-enterprise.wixsite.com/writelink/single-post/2016/04/21/Research-skills-for-writers-Evaluating-information
in a nutshell, you need to consider:
Author - is the person who write the site an authority on the subject? What are their credentials? Is the site hosted by a reputable company?
Corroborate - check your information from at least 3 other reputable sites, to verify that it is accurate. Also see whether your sources are citing others, which indicates that they have done their own checks.
Currency - not all websites are updated regularly. The internet has been around for a while now, and many sites may carry very old information. Check when the information was written, before using it.
The internet provides such a wealth of resource for a writer - be sure to make full use of it!