Get Known Before the Book Deal

Get Known Now! Nine Things to Clarify About Your Platform (Part Two)

By Christina Katz

Last month, I talked about how we need to strive, in our online communications, to save readers time so they can learn all they need to know about us as they go clicking by.
 
What are you hoping others will notice about you? Try to convey your credibility, authority on your topic, and how much others already trust you. In my book, Get Known Before the Book Deal, Use Your Personal Strengths to Grow Your Author Platform (Writer's Digest 2008), I outline what every writer needs to clearly communicate who you are and what you do.
 
Last month we covered name, identity, and tagline. Here's more copy you need to craft so you can communicate quickly and precisely:
 
Your mission
Why do you do what you do? How are you passionate about your topic? How does your passion for your topic set you apart from others? And please, no baloney. If I encounter you online, and I sense baloney, I will steer clear. Be sincere and communicate sincerely why you do what you do in a few sentences. Inquiring minds will appreciate the insight into what makes you tick that your mission provides.
 
Your e-mail signature
I bet you send out thousands of e-mails a year. Therefore, if you are not including your basic information: Name, identity, tagline, and contact information at the bottom of every e-mail you send, then you are likely missing a huge opportunity to become more known. And did you know that by adding the suffix http:// to your URLs, you create live links for recipients of your e-mails. I can't think of a faster, easier way to quench my curiosity about someone, than by scrolling down to the bottom of an e-mail and clicking on a link I find there.
 
Your short bio
Ultimately, when you have a book published, you are going to need three bios: long, short, and super-short. But in the interim, why not just work on the short, one-paragraph bio. Here's what to include: your name, your identity, your latest and best publication credits, and any professional credentials you have in your field. For example if you teach, speak, train, coach, consult, or counsel in your area of expertise, it's worth mentioning. If you have a degree in your field or have won any significant awards or accolades, you can mention them but don't digress from using your bio to back up your credibility and authority in your field or on your subject.
 
Your headshot
Until you have an online presence or book coming out, you can probably get away with having a friend or family member snap a photo of you with a digital camera. But make sure it's a clear, flattering, uncluttered shot from just below the shoulders with plenty of space around the other three sides. Try to avoid the shots where we can tell at a glance that someone else has been cut out of the shot. And then, when it matters, spring for a professional shot. Or trade for one, if you'd rather. But be sure that the quality of the photo is nothing short of professional. Otherwise the traditional media won't touch it.
 
Your testimonials
After you teach or speak or perform any other professional service, collect feedback on how well you did. At the end of your feedback form, ask for quotes that you can use for publicity purposes. If the document is being exchanged electronically, ask for acknowledgment of your right to distribute the quote in all media. And then use it!
 
Your URL
Be sure to reserve the URL for your name. And then later, when you have a book coming out, you will likely want to reserve the name of the title. Typically, you'll spend less than twenty bucks to hold onto a URL until you need it. But don't feel like you should go URL crazy and grab every remotely associated name. Just keep it simple for the best results from search engines.
 
Remember, all of this copywriting really needs to be completed before you create your online presence. Never underestimate how much heavy lifting your words can do for you. Write them, share them, and see for yourself.
 
 
Christina Katz is the author of Get Known Before the Book Deal, Use Your Personal Strengths to Build an Author Platform and Writer Mama, How to Raise a Writing Career Alongside Your Kids (both for Writer's Digest Books). A platform development coach and consultant, she teaches

writing career development, hosts the Northwest Author Series, and is the publisher of several e-zines including Writers on the Rise. Christina blogs at The Writer Mama Riffs and Get Known Before the Book Deal, and speaks at MFA programs, literary events, and conferences around the country.

Get Known Now! Nine Things to Clarify About Your Platform (Part One)

By Christina Katz

Like most professionals, I spend quite a bit of time online these days. Perhaps this explains why I have less spare time than ever. The more time we spend spreading our "real" life out into our online life, the more important it becomes for writers to communicate concisely and precisely who we are and what we are all about.
 
If you strive, in all of your online communications, to save folks time, then they can learn all they need to know about you as they go clicking by. You might even gain someone's respect, admiration or strike up a conversation, by keeping what you need to get across short and to the point.
 
But if you your communications online are muddled, scattered (a little bit of info here and another little bit way over there with no links in between), and poorly composed, then you will repel folks rather than attract them. I can't tell you how many times I have become curious about someone online and then tried to follow their trail of links to learn a bit more...only to end up clicking and clicking and clicking without learning any of the key pieces of information I'm looking for.
 
In my book, Get Known Before the Book Deal, Use Your Personal Strengths to Grow Your Author Platform (Writer's Digest 2008), I outline what every writer needs to clarify in order to make smart choices about what to communicate and how.
 
Your Name
Let's say, because it's such a popular name, that you name is Jennifer. This means that you have one of the most common names around (It's true, I can vouch that the most popular name of moms who take my classes is indeed Jennifer.) Are you going to go by Jennifer, Jen, Jenny, Jenni, or something else? You might think this is a minor consideration but not according to search engines like Google, who will find you a lot faster and more accurately if you pick one name as your "writer name," make it as original as possible (use a middle initial if necessary), and stick with it over time.
 
Your Identity
Remember that song by The Who: "Who are you? Who? Who? Who? Who?" I always think of that while I'm clicking links trying to figure out who the heck somebody is. And guess what? If I can't figure it out in just a few clicks, then I don't care anymore! What these mystery folks really need is an identity that they can spread around the Internet making it easy for someone like me to figure out quickly who they are and what they are all about.
 
Now some people like to substitute the word "branding" for identity, but I'm not partial to the former. Are you a writer or a pharmaceutical company? Are you a writer or a can of soda? Are you a writer...you get the idea. Be who YOU are and spread the word in a professional manner. This takes more thought than you might expect because it's part of the story that precedes you, goes with you, and lingers behind you, everywhere you go. For more on this topic, start reading on page 175 and don't stop until you figure out your Otherwise Known As.
 
Your Tagline
My tagline is: Make the most of what you have...to author! A tagline's job is to communicate in one short line what you offer. As you can see, my tagline is even a play on the word "offer." Instead of the common phrase, "Make the most of what you have to offer," I use author instead. The substitution is intended to get your attention and spark your thinking about what you might author. Does it work?
 
[Continued next month...]

 

   
Christina Katz is the author of Get Known Before the Book Deal, Use Your Personal Strengths to Build an Author Platform and Writer Mama, How to Raise a Writing Career Alongside Your Kids (both for Writer's Digest Books). A platform development coach and consultant, she teaches writing career development, hosts the Northwest Author Series, and is the publisher of several e-zines including Writers on the Rise. Christina blogs at The Writer Mama Riffs and Get Known Before the Book Deal, and speaks at MFA programs, literary events, and conferences around the country.

Get Known Now! Offer Services & Support Your Bottom Line

By Christina Katz

Nobody said becoming a writer was going to make you rich. Sure, some writers earn the equivalent of a part-time income. Others even earn a full-time income. And a select few earn over six figures.
 
But not everyone is cut out to make a living from writing. A lot more people are cut out to make a living by combining professional pursuits that include writing.

For example, I teach, write and speak. I don't only make my living from writing. I'm too restless to do one kind of thing all day. I'd rather juggle a few things (but not too many) than just do one thing. How about you?
 
Often services like coaching, consulting, counseling, and training earn a better hourly rate than writing. So, if you think you might like to offer these types of services to leverage your expertise and supplement your writing income, it might be a good idea for your bottom line.
 
But here's the thing that I've already hinted at. If you try to do too many more things in addition to writing, you probably won't do any one of them well enough to see the kind of professional progress you'd like to see. So, when it comes to coaching, consulting, counseling, or training consider the traits of people who do each well, and make your best match.
 
Let's say your expertise is that you've started and run several small businesses. Well, this is definitely the kind of expertise that could be leveraged into a consulting service. Who are your potential clients? You'll have to ask some specific questions to find your niche. What phase of starting a business are you best at? What comes the most easily to you? Where do you have the richest vein of insights? This would be the place to find your niche. Then you could determine how to target market the folks who need these insights right at the time when they need them. Next thing you know, you're doing a few consultations on spec, building yourself a website, and growing a consulting branch of your platform. Like every branch of your platform, your consultancy will grow slowly and steadily and gain momentum as you produce satisfied clients.
 
The process is really the same with coaching, counseling, and training. Get clear about what you offer, who it's for, when they need it, why you are someone they should trust, where you will work, and how you connect with your clients, and you are ready to start drafting your promotional materials.
 
If you really want to get off to a good start as a coach, consultant, counselor or trainer, I suggest you run your credentials through the one-pager exercise in section three of Get Known Before the Book Deal. The one-pager format works just as well helping you evaluate your credentials as a service provider, as it does in helping you evaluate your credentials as a writer.
 
Best of luck launching a service that will support and compliment your writing career!

   
Christina Katz is the author of Get Known Before the Book Deal, Use Your Personal Strengths to Build an Author Platform and Writer Mama, How to Raise a Writing Career Alongside Your Kids (both for Writer's Digest Books). A platform development coach and consultant, she teaches

writing career development, hosts the Northwest Author Series, and is the publisher of several e-zines including Writers on the Rise. Christina blogs at The Writer Mama Riffs and Get Known Before the Book Deal, and speaks at MFA programs, literary events, and conferences around the country.

Get Known Now! Article Writing Isn't Dead

 

By Christina Katz

With new magazines and newspapers shutting down each day, you might wonder, what's the point of learning article writing? With all of the layoffs in the industry, you might think soon there won't be any publications left to write for. And if you read enough blogs, you might even wonder, is old-fashioned journalism dead?
 
But here's the thing: writers still need to learn article-writing basics in order to write nonfiction well enough to get their words published. As long as people have the ability to communicate with each other through the written form, journalism skills will be in demand. And those who have them will get published and paid more often than those who don't. So don't worry so much about whether your words will be published in print or online. You'll still need skills no matter where your words are published.
 
And as far as blogging to become a better writer goes, I'm not convinced. In fact, I'm beginning to wonder if the opposite is true. But I digress. I've been writing articles for over ten years and I've learned a thing or two on the topic that I'd like to share with anyone thinking about article writing as a platform-building strategy.
 
First of all, writers who know how to write for a target market know how to write for a specific audience. As an author, this is a skill you are going to need to cultivate and will use often. Furthermore, the ability to match your message to your audience comes in handy if you speak or consult with a variety of audiences.
 
Secondly, who says you are a good writer? Your blog readers? That's probably not going to be credible enough for most agents and publishers. When you write for publication, you go through the editing process and by the time you are done, your writing is likely a whole lot sharper and cleaner than it would have been without an editor. This kind of in-the-trenches experience will come in handy when you go through similar paces with your book drafts.
 
Third, if you regularly work with editors, this proves that you can actually cooperate with another human being to get a job done. It also means you have basic business skills and you likely treat your writing as a business. You have no idea how important this is to publishers who have seen far too many perfectly good book ideas bite the dust somewhere along the deadline process because a writer cracked under the pressure.
 
Are you beginning to see why taking shorter-form journalism assignments, hitting the deadlines, and seeing your words in print is great practice for the marathon of book writing?
 
Good. Because it takes writing skills to write a good book that readers want to not only read but also recommend to others to read. The idea that anyone can write a book is true, in the most general sense. But not everyone can write a good book, a readable book, the kind of book that meets readers' needs and compels them to tell others about the book.
 
So when someone tries to tell you that article writing is dead. Don't fall for it. Not even for one second. And then work on your article-writing skills. I've outlined a crash-course to help you learn quickly in chapter 23 of Get Known Before the Book Deal or check out my step-by-step approach in Writer Mama.
 
Happy article writing!

 

   
Christina Katz is the author of Get Known Before the Book Deal, Use Your Personal Strengths to Build an Author Platform and Writer Mama, How to Raise a Writing Career Alongside Your Kids (both for Writer's Digest Books). A platform development coach and consultant, she teaches

writing career development, hosts the Northwest Author Series, and is the publisher of several e-zines including Writers on the Rise. Christina blogs at The Writer Mama Riffs and Get Known Before the Book Deal, and speaks at MFA programs, literary events, and conferences around the country.

Get Known Now! You Wanna Start Something?

By Christina Katz

I certainly hope so.
 
Of the thirty-eight chapters in Get Known, one of the most popular as indicated by feedback and questions has clearly been chapter twenty-two, where I discuss steps for starting up a local event.
 
The local event I started, The Northwest Author Series, is a natural extension of what I do to help writers make the most of what they have to offer. At the NAS, we all learn something about professional writing from the best examples I can find.
 
But your event doesn't have to be literary; it can be any kind of experience you can dream up, as long as it's in alignment with the unique services that you offer.
 
In Wilsonville, where I live, I have struck up a partnership with some local organizations that support my work here. How about in your hometown? So long as where you live is not an impediment to what you plan to offer, why not to carve out a presence close to home?
 
Here's some tips that have come up in response to questions I've been asked since Get Known came out:
 
Should you affiliate with others, and if so, with how many others? The less well known you are, the more important it is to affiliate with others. And, even if you are well known, if you are not well known locally, that's another reason to look for local affiliations. So if you are not at all known in your area for the topic your event will promote, then look to affiliate with one or two other organizations that can offer you free publicity and possibly even provide help with the mechanics of planning and promoting your event.
 
Somebody has to steer the ship: No matter how many other individuals or organizations you team up with, somebody has to be in charge of your event or nothing will get done (or it won't get done when it needs to get done). So, if you are planning to be in charge, and you want to make the final call on what's what and who's who, decide that in the beginning and stick to your guns. If that's a deal-breaker for some of your partners, you'll want to partner with the folks who don't mind letting you run the show. Conversely, if you are more collaborative and you want to solicit more input and help in your event, partner with like-minded folks.
 
Consider how to reach your niche audience: If you live in a small town of less than 20,000 people, like me, there's a strong chance you will be inviting people from elsewhere to come on over and enjoy your event. The best way to find your peeps is to advertise in all of the usual media outlets as well as through specific associations or news lists that reach your audience regionally. For example, for the Northwest Author series, we advertise through the local and regional media as well as writing associations like Willamette Writers. As a result, audience members come from as far as an hour away because they can't find anything locally like what we offer.
 
Let it grow: Ideally, you will create a local event that grows into something bigger and better over time. The key is to start somewhere with whatever you've got and grow it from there. If you try to do too much right out of the gate and you don't have enough help and resources, nobody is going to enjoy your event, especially you. Instead, start small and grow the event in accordance with the audience's wants and needs rather than try to start with a bang...and possibly fall flat. Grow your event over time in accordance with audience direction and your event is sure to be a hit!
 
 
Christina Katz is the author of Get Known Before the Book Deal, Use Your Personal Strengths to Build an Author Platform and Writer Mama, How to Raise a Writing Career Alongside Your Kids (both for Writer's Digest Books). A platform development coach and consultant, she teaches writing career development, hosts the Northwest Author Series, and is the publisher of several e-zines including Writers on the Rise. Christina blogs at The Writer Mama Riffs and Get Known Before the Book Deal, and speaks at MFA programs, literary events, and conferences around the country.

Get Known Now: Ease Into the Spotlight

 

By Christina Katz

I've already established that I'm not going to let any writer off the platform-hook due to shyness or introversion.
 
Sorry, folks. If you want to become an author, you are going to need to stretch yourself beyond your comfort zones.
 
But I hope I've also established that it's possible to grow your visibility step-by-step over time until you look back one day and you are amazed at how far you've come.
 
The bottom line is even though we are living in the Information Age when the multiple benefits of e-everything are constantly being touted, you are STILL going to have to come out from behind your computer and become more visible all by your very own self.
 
So don't wait until your publication date to get on top of this. Why not start easing in front of people now instead? Then, by the time you have a book to promote, you will feel comfortable when everybody's eyeballs are focused on you.
 
Here's how to talk yourself into getting up and out in front of people, even when it's the last thing you want to do:
 
Show Up
Can you be a reader, speaker or performer of some kind? I was just reminiscing with my husband about my first theater performance at the age of thirty-two. I'm sure I was terrible by all critical standards but the experience was fun, memorable, and really made me stretch. Ever auditioned for a local play? What about arranging a free reading tied into a scheduled date or event where you live? Panels are pretty easy. You just show up, say who you are and offer insights when asked. Ever tried a local poetry slam or Karaoke night? Have fun making your first appearances. We can all stand practice in not taking ourselves too seriously.
 
Focus Elsewhere
The trick of successful public appearances when you are apt to feel self-conscious is to get your mind off yourself, while still letting your authenticity shine through. Easier said than done? Not necessarily. If you can forget yourself and focus on your audience and your service mission, you will become caught up in what you are doing and forget to be self-conscious. Create a checklist that factors you out and keeps the focus on your mission and your audience needs. Follow this plan and you likely won't even notice that you had to get up in front of people.
 
Produce Yourself
Remember that there is no one kind of author to fit all audiences. Television and radio of days gone by homogenized what audiences could see and hear. Well, guess what? TV and radio are still around, but now we have YouTube and podcasting offering more variety and audience participation than ever. So, don't compare yourself to famous folks on TV and radio. What would happen if you created your own show to suit your audience? Have fun thinking about what kind of host or guest you would be on your own show.
 
These are just a few ideas for getting yourself out of the house and into the public eye. I'm sure you can think of even more ways to coax yourself out of your shell. I'd love to hear what's worked for you.
 

Christina Katz is the author of Get Known Before the Book Deal, Use Your Personal Strengths to Build an Author Platform and Writer Mama, How to Raise a Writing Career Alongside Your Kids (both for Writer's Digest Books). A platform development coach and consultant, she teaches writing career development, hosts the Northwest Author Series, and is the publisher of several e-zines including Writers on the Rise. Christina blogs at The Writer Mama Riffs and Get Known Before the Book Deal, and speaks at MFA programs, literary events, and conferences around the country.

Get Known Now! The Joy of Teaching!

The Joy of Teaching
By Christina Katz

One of the greatest joys in my life over the past eight years has been teaching writers. For me, teaching and writing are inextricably connected and they are both organic, creative processes that can't be and shouldn't be rushed.

What I have done as a teacher is simple: I've learned for myself and then taught what I've learned to others. Sure, I've offered options and expanded on my own limited ideas. But ultimately, all I've done is try and share my success with others in an orderly, structured way.

I am not special. Anyone can do this. In fact, I teach others how to write about what they know in my writing classes. And now, beginning May 6th, I'll be teaching writers how to share what they've learned as teachers. I love that we are becoming a society of creators and I truly cannot wait to help writers expand their professionalism through teaching.

The combination of the writing and teaching have essentially given me the career that I enjoy today, which is the same career I have been enjoying steadily for the past eight years. Here are a few ways to identify a body of material you might teach on:

Just Got the Hang of It: Often the best teachers don't have the most years of experience in the topic they teach. Maybe this is because after a while anyone can become bored of just about any topic. So don't go that way. Choose something fresh for you instead. And then dive into your experience as a source of teaching material.

Muscle Memory: What do you know how to do so well that's it's become habitual? You might take this topic for granted but don't underestimate how your mastery can be tapped for teaching material.

Be Specific: You want your teaching topic to be specific enough to make the most of your unique expertise without being so specific that your class becomes esoteric to the masses. Think this is an easy balance? Nah. You might find that you find your niche as you teach. So give your topic your best guess and then get started. You'll learn as you go.

Or Generalize: If you already have very specific experience or expertise, you might find that it makes more sense to generalize it to appeal to the audience right in front of you. Consider whether your audience is international (this will lead to a more specific teaching topic) or more localized (this will lead to a more generalized topic) so as to appeal to the people who will show up.

When Stumped, Just Ask: With years of teaching and writing under my belt, I have gotten pretty good at identifying what topics are of interest to my audiences, writers and writer mamas. However, at the outset you will benefit from working with someone who has the experience that can help you make important decisions about what to include and what not to include in your classes. Feel free to check out my upcoming class, Turn Your Specialty Into Course Curriculum.

Teaching offers something that writing will never be able to offer. Teaching offers an alchemical process among a group of people in real time. I love the context of my teaching experience as much as I enjoy developing curriculum.

If you are going to take the time and energy to teach, make it a process that grows your mind as much as it grows your students' minds. And you will always prosper.

Christina Katz is the author of Get Known Before the Book Deal, Use Your Personal Strengths to Build an Author Platform and Writer Mama, How to Raise a Writing Career Alongside Your Kids (both for Writer's Digest Books). A platform development coach and consultant, she teaches writing career development, hosts the Northwest Author Series, and is the publisher of several e-zines including Writers on the Rise. Christina blogs at The Writer Mama Riffs and Get Known Before the Book Deal, and speaks at MFA programs, literary events, and conferences around the country.

Get Known Now: Is it time to volunteer?

By Christina Katz

My philosophy on volunteering is not approved by the church, the state or any other official organizations. I'm practical, so it goes like this: if not much is happening in your writing career and you wish something was happening, then maybe it's time to volunteer.

Here's why. Volunteering is a simple, effective way to get...

• Out of the house and into the mix where things are happening.

• Better known. Because let's face it, you remember the folks you meet in person better than the folks you meet in cyberspace.

• Into action. By volunteering you can make a contribution and become familiar with how good that feels.

• Rich in experience. It's experience that makes us rich, not just money. Experience also teaches us what we are good at and where we can stand improvement.

• Paid. Sometimes volunteer opportunities actually pay.

• In the proximity of influential others. In Get Known, I tell a story of how volunteering made all the difference for award-winning young adult author Susan Fletcher's career.

• To learn detachment. If you can suit up and show up and pitch in without getting sucked into an organization's politics, you win! If you can't, better not volunteer.

• Inspired. When you rub up against other folks who are united in the spirit of making good things happen, you will become energized by your participation. Yes!

So what do you think? Is it time to volunteer? If so, simply contact your local writing organization. Most have lots of things going on and can always use more able bodies. You'll notice, once you begin to volunteer, that good things start to happen in your writing career. And who wouldn't want that?

Christina Katz is the author of Get Known Before the Book Deal, Use Your Personal Strengths to Build an Author Platform and Writer Mama, How to Raise a Writing Career Alongside Your Kids (both for Writer's Digest Books). A platform development coach and consultant, she teaches writing career development, hosts the Northwest Author Series, and is the publisher of several e-zines including Writers on the Rise. Christina blogs at The Writer Mama Riffs and Get Known Before the Book Deal, and speaks at MFA programs, literary events, and conferences around the country.

Get Known Now: Hate Networking? Connect Instead?

By Christina Katz

I was an extremely shy child. My recovery came by letting go of the urge to run and hide (usually behind my mother's leg) and simply learning to stand still. It's truly amazing what you can accomplish by being present in the moment and just seeing what happens. For one thing, you'll eventually establish rapport with others, which is one of the meanings of networking, and the key to connecting.

Or maybe you would prefer to have something to do rather than trying to NOT do something as a way of opening yourself up to the possibility of connecting with others. If so, here are a few habits to help your transition from shy and uncomfortable to present and relaxed:

• Be the first one to stick out your hand. Introduce yourself first rather than waiting for the other person to stick his hand out first.
• Catch the name. Practice active listening. When someone is introduced to you, look him in the eyes and repeat his name back. I'm terrible with names so I have to repeat the name several times so it will sink in.
• When you can't remember a name, fess up. Don't put yourself through the self-torture of "I should remember." You don't. So just ask. No biggie.
• Find something to like about the other person right away. When you find something offer a sincere compliment. Don't be like one of my doctors, who says my hair looks nice every time I see him even when it's not true. If you can't find something to like this time, just wait. You'll notice something to sincerely remark on eventually.
• Strike up a conversation. How about that weather today? is usually a safe bet but don't limit yourself. What's going on right around you? You can talk about anything if you keep the spin positive.
• Kids are a great, universal topic. You don't have any? That's okay. Do you have some nephews or nieces? Maybe you teach or volunteer? You can always ask the other person if he has kids. People love to talk about their kids and it usually brings a smile.
• Mention a strong feeling you're having. When I was pitching my book at my first writer's conference, I didn't hesitate to say that I was nervous. It was true! There was no point in pretending that I wasn't.  Some people dislike talking about feelings, but I think kicking things off with how you are feeling can be a great icebreaker.
• Decide not to take anything personally. This is tricky but it's really for people who tend to imagine little insults and injuries that would roll right off the back of a person who is comfortable mingling. Catch yourself thinking, I can't believe so-and-so is ignoring me AGAIN, and turn it into There's so-and-so, I think I'll just say a quick hello.

What's the difference between networking and connecting? Truthfully, this strategy is a bit about tricking ourselves into doing something we might not otherwise be eager to do. Networking implies focusing on a large interconnected group of people. Connecting implies interacting with just one person at a time.

Try these icebreakers the next time you are hoping to meet new people. You'll make a few new acquaintances every time you venture out, and those will add up gradually over time until you have an extended and growing group of friends.

Christina Katz is the author of Get Known Before the Book Deal, Use Your Personal Strengths to Build an Author Platform and Writer Mama, How to Raise a Writing Career Alongside Your Kids (both for Writer's Digest Books). A platform development coach and consultant, she teaches writing career development, hosts the Northwest Author Series, and is the publisher of several e-zines including Writers on the Rise. Christina blogs at The Writer Mama Riffs and Get Known Before the Book Deal, and speaks at MFA programs, literary events, and conferences around the country.

Get Known Now: Be a Joiner

By Christina Katz

Ever been called a "joiner"?

Well, good for you, because writers who are willing to connect and mix with other writers tend to be happier and more productive than writers who isolate themselves or resist networking with peers. Joiners also have an easier time becoming known.

Have you taken a few hours to think about which associations might make the most sense for you to join? Here are ten good reasons why you should make time to identify at least three associations you can join:

Memberships...

...are typically inexpensive.

...grant you access to like-minded others.

...augment your professional status.

... allow you to interact with members of your audience.

...help you keep up with the latest industry trends.

...earn you a reduced rate for continuing education.

...sometimes offer additional benefits like insurance or legal assistance.

...serve as a  newswire for professional achievements.

...can act as networking hubs.

...provide opportunities to give back to your professional community.

Next year, assess how valuable your association was for your career. Remember, you get back what you put in. So don't sit back and expect an association to do for you. Associations can only give back, what you invest.

Christina Katz is the author of Get Known Before the Book Deal, Use Your Personal Strengths to Build an Author Platform and Writer Mama, How to Raise a Writing Career Alongside Your Kids (both for Writer's Digest Books). A platform development coach and consultant, she teaches writing career development, hosts the Northwest Author Series, and is the publisher of several e-zines including Writers on the Rise. Christina blogs at The Writer Mama Riffs and Get Known Before the Book Deal, and speaks at MFA programs, literary events, and conferences around the country.