Seven Ways to Connect with New Authors without Social Media

It’s a tale as old as Twitter. Social media’s promise of a direct connection with hundreds of writers waiting to hire me seemed like an ideal marketing strategy for a newly minted (and introverted) editor.

But, in keeping with the too-good-to-be-true genre, what I got was a distraction. The busy-work of posting and the comfortable numbness of scrolling simultaneously led me toward a terrifyingly “slow, then all at once” loss of motivation to do my actual work, while masking the meagre flow of clients. If the bird hadn’t gone bust at that moment, I might still be there. Instead, it was the incentive I needed to delete the apps.

Then reality hit me — how few writers I’d connected with in days (maybe months?) of total time invested — cue dark night of the soul. But as my scroll-induced apathy wore off, my focus shifted. I didn’t need (or want) hundreds of writers! I needed enough. 

So, in true introvert fashion, I began at home, then focused on strategies that maximized the quality of connection over quantity:

1. Start at home.

Home is where inquiries land. Make the door easy to find and the chairs comfortable. I rebuilt my website with a clear path for writers to hire me, developed templates for my inquiry and onboarding processes, and created a system to track their progress from draft to publication.

2. Build your list.

Your inquiry’s email is a valuable gift. With it, you can communicate directly, ungoverned by an algorithm. Use it to learn your writer’s biggest problem and show how you can help them solve it. My Short Story Dispatch is devoted to this research and is a natural channel for inquiries to become clients.

3. Join a writers’ group.

To take your research further — hang out with writers. I joined a local writing group as a new editor and began practising my skills at their weekly meeting. They loved it, and once I opened the doors to my business, many of them were the first ones through and have kept coming back. 

4. Join a professional association.

Don’t forget other editors! Your membership shows accountability, gives you access to resources and professional development, and leads to referrals in both directions. Being an ambassador for Editors Canada has helped me find a network without “networking.”

5. Be a hub.

Create a community around you by sharing knowledge and time, and in return you’ll have a pool of potential clients, cheerleaders and promoters. My community, The Short Story Writers of the Earth, is built on write-ins, a critique group, a story club and an accountability group. Here, my writers’ submissions succeed, and I forge deep connections with new and continuing clients.

6. Get in front of bigger lists

Shannon, my industry BFF and the owner of Flash Fiction Magazine, gave me a game-changing tip: Grow your list by collaborating with folks with bigger lists. And I did, starting with his. I trade my knowledge and hours for face time with writers who trust him, and by association, me. They often join my list and hub, and eventually my client base. 

7. Teach

Editors know what writers want to know, and teaching gives a large group of writers a sample of working with you. I began teaching on my blog and dispatch, then at conferences, and now for people with big lists.  

Conclusion

I’m not going to lie — these to-dos are infinitely more work than spending hours one-quarter participating-in, three-quarters-distracted-by social media, even if the time they take is equivalent. But the hours I put in now pay my bills, all while broadening the knowledge and resources I have to give and nurturing long-lasting client and colleague relationships.

And, heck! If you can wield these strategies while taking advantage of the promise of social media, even better. 

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