- Networking events: I met so many interesting people at the last networking event I attended that the event paid for itself at least ten times over. Two of the women I talked to turned into ideas for profiles and listening to a panel of female entrepreneurs sparked an idea for a feature on a certain aspect of entrepreneurship. Ask questions and listen more than you talk to find interesting stories.
- Holidays: Go beyond the obvious. Everyone does holiday gift round-ups in December, but perhaps you can explore your community's Swedish heritage for St. Lucia Day. Or find unusual ways to celebrate the Fourth of July. Just be sure to pitch your idea far enough in advance.
- New book releases: Read up on book deals at Publishers Weekly. Or browse the upcoming releases on Amazon.com. You can also do a keyword search and sort according to publication date. If the author is local, then maybe you can write a profile. Or perhaps s/he'd make a good source for an article on a related topic.
- Alumni newsletters: Skim through your class notes or alumni magazine to find fresh stories about alums (most of which haven't appeared in the major media yet). Maybe someone is launching a business or doing ground-breaking research in his/her field. There's bound to be another publication that will be interested.
- Events in your own life: Whether you're getting married, moving to a new city, or learning to knit, your life is full of fresh material to write about. You can get a ton of mileage out of personal experiences, but you don't have to reveal too many personal details unless you're writing a confessional or essay.
OK, readers. Anything I'm missing? Leave a comment and let me know!
11 comments:
You know, it's funny; I definitely find coming up with fresh angles and story ideas to be challenge. Just recently though, I decided to take the same approach to story ideas as I did with writing poetry: to always keep my ears open to the world around me. Now I'm getting as excited over story pitches as I used to over a poem formulating in my head! Thanks for the tips, Susan.
Glad I could help, Amanda!
Did a search "Getting people to read your blog" and your blog came up! I'm so glad it did. I wasn't aware that a blog for writers was out there! I'm new to blogging... VERY NEW... and love to write and plan to go thru your site with a fine tooth comb and learn all that I can! Thanks soo much!
@Bronxgirl: thanks for stopping by! Hope you find it helpful.
Even though I am not a freelancer or writer I still enjoy reading your blog. #5 - Events in your own life: really stood out in my opinion because as you say "you can get a ton of mileage out of personal experiences". I got a kick out of "but you don't have to reveal too many personal details unless you're writing a confessional or essay" - also in #5. It reminded me of a post you wrote at brazencareerist.com (about three months ago I think) and I commented and signed off as Mark W. (still do)while adding my last name had twelve letters in it. You responded with something like it would be easy to find dirt on a last name like that if googled. I don't remember the specifics but I still laugh when I think about it. Keep up the good work Susan.
@Mark: I remember that! My blogging tends to be more personal and use more first person than my articles. But I think/hope I've still managed to avoid giving TMI.
I've been reading your blog for a while, but I'm just now joining in the discussion! I love your idea for checking Publishers Weekly to find authors to profile. It was something I had never thought of before but will definitely do in the future. I also get ideas from my local newspaper and cable television shows that pertain to the topics I write about ... channels like the Food Network, DIY or the Travel Channel. Of course, I always make sure that if I use ideas from these sources it is not in a competing market. Keep up the good work and thanks for all the helpful tips!
Super ideas, Susan! I have one that may not hit everyone's radar screen - I read press releases. Every now and then there's a gem of an idea in there. I allowed a PR person to schedule a brief interview with one of her clients. That turned into my current article, which I'm writing for a market I've been trying to break into for some time now.
Hi,
Another great article! Thanks for the tips! I do have a question, however. With regard to starting your own website, what if you don't have much to put on it? Is it acceptable to put your blog entries on it? Last year I won Writer's Digest (Honorable Mention) should I put something like that on it?
Also, in another piece you mention how to get your blog read and you say to make sure people know about it. I failed to send the link. I would like very much if you would take a look and let me know what you think. Thanks!
Ann
motheroftheyearreject.blogspot.com
Hi Susan,
Your reply included an acronym that I didn't get initially - TMI. I just found out about a website that gives you suggestions for the meaning of an acronym when you input the acronym - http://www.acronymfinder.com/ . So I came back to this post and read my comment and your response over again and wouldn't you know it I figured it out without needing the website! However I've included it here for your information.
Mark
@Mark: you raise an important point about jargon and colloqualisms. That sometimes it's best to say what you mean instead of trying to be cute. Point taken!
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