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Networking 1. Join many different organizations related to writing, journalism, public relations, etc., especially those with local meetings (attend them), and keep your membership for at least a year until you determine if it's useful or not. If you can't afford membership dues, at least attend occasional meetings as a guest. Volunteer your time at the meetings and be willing to be an officer when the time comes. [Society of Professional Journalists: www.spj.org or www.spj.org/cleveland; National Writer's Union: www.nwu.org; American Society of Journalists & Authors: www.asja.org; Press Club of Cleveland: www.pressclubcleveland.com] 2. Go to writer's conferences where there are editors. Present your business card and ask if you can follow up with them with queries. Don't waylay them in person with a detailed description of your article idea -- they will not remember it or where it came from, and other writers will resent you taking up all of the editor's time. 3. Attend presentations at conferences given by editors. Take detailed notes to refer to when crafting a query, because they will tell you exactly what they want to receive from writers and how. Often they will give direct hints of story ideas they want to receive or people they want you to interview. Follow up and ask to write those stories. 4. Adopt multiple mentors...good choices can be people who speak at writer's conferences. 5. Ask fellow attendees at meetings and conferences what they have found to be successful and useful. 6. Participate in writer's discussion groups online. Some possibilities are:
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