by Linda Gilden @LindaGilden
Someone on this blog a week or so ago referred to “conference season.” Yes, that’s what we call it after Christmas when the conferences crank up again to help you with your writing. You always know it is coming so as writers you can start collecting change and what I call laundry money so you will be ready to join in all the writer fun. (“Laundry money” is what falls out of pockets when I wash the clothes and since I do the laundry, I put all my laundry money in a special place to use on something I would really like to do for myself. It is usually writing related but at least I have this little “Me fund” to do something I would otherwise not get to do.)
We recently turned the calendar over from 2024 to 2025. What are the goals you have for your writing in 2025? Are they ambitious or are you happily stuck in a place where you can just continue as you are?
I would like to suggest that you take a time out right now and think through exactly what you’d like to do for the coming year. If you have been writing articles for a few years with no change in your movement or added accomplishments to your writing career, it’s time to make a move to take your writing to the next level. Here are a few suggestions to get started on your journey.
7 Ideas for Writing Articles that Help with Marketing
- 1. If you are writing a novel, take time to make a list of all the problems characters face in your book. Pick one of these so you can begin to build your platform and create a name for yourself as an expert in that field.
- 2. Think about things you would like to write about. You may have a list somewhere of things you would like to write about. Perhaps you can start with a cute childhood story of your own. Or maybe you got into trouble one day and it took a while to find a solution to your problem.
- 3. Look around you. There are so many wonderful lessons in nature. Pick one of those to write about. There are many magazines that connect with nature.
- 4. Pull out your calendar. Many days are designated such as cupcake day, peanut butter day, wild bird day and lots more. Concentrate on the special day and write an article about that. If it’s cupcake day, make cupcakes with your children when they get home from school and deliver some to the neighborhood friends with a “Happy Cupcake Day” note.
- 5. Start with an issue that is in your book. Research what it means and write an article about that. Or concentrate on the main character in you book and study his or her personality. Discuss the traits of the personality and make sure your character fits the behavior of his true personality.
- 6. Remember, you are writing these with a purpose and that is to interest people in your book and want to buy it. So don’t lose sight of your why you are doing this. If you can, write a mission statement about your article writing and make sure you stick to your commitment.
- 7. You should always have a goal to attend at least one writer’s conference during the year. We need people who understand us and the best way to find your “peeps” is at a conference where they gather. You can find excellent teaching, publishers who can look at your work and tell you immediately if it is a good match for their publishing house, and people to network with. You may even find someone who could become a coauthor someday.
Additional Info about Writing Conferences
If you have never been to a conference before, I would like to personally invite you to the Carolina Christian Writers Conference in Greer, South Carolina. It’s not a huge conference so it is a good place to start. We typically have about 150 people and that gives you a great start as you learn to maneuver at a conference. Sometime there is a little bit of a learning curve when it comes to meeting with publishers, agents, and professional writers and the small size can give you some practice at that. There are so many fun things that go on, including learning, worship, professional speakers, and so much more. Carolina CWC will be held at Burnsville Baptist Church in their beautiful facility March 7-8. We also have a special day for Pastors and ministry leaders on Thursday, March 6. This day is open to all who are in leadership in their churches. We will have plenty of time for you to meet with our faculty that day. Lunch is included and the hours are 10:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. $50 covers the whole day for Pastors and ministry leaders. For the weekend conference, the early bird price ends on Valentine’s Day and is $145. It will go up on the fifteenth of February. All of the information is on our website at www.carolinacwc.com. Don’t miss the fun!
There are a lot of wonderful Christian writers conferences. I do my best to attend one or two more every year. This year I will be at Asheville CWC at the Cove in Black Mountain, NC, Blue Lake CWC in Alabama, Blue Ridge CWC, at Ridgecrest near Black Mountain, Write to Publish at Wheaton College, Florida Christian CWC at Lake Yale, FL and hopefully a few others. There are all sizes and most offer a different faculty. So check their websites to make sure you get what you are looking for. If you have questions, check their websites or email me.
Bottom Line for Marketing by Writing Articles
Don’t forget—articles are one of the best ways to build your platform, have readers become familiar with your name, and interest readers in your book. Don’t hesitate to use articles to introduce your book to readers. So what are you waiting for? Get busy today and start your first article as a selling tool for YOUR book.
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