Keep Growing – As a Writer

This is a response to an email I received a few days ago from a young woman looking to launch her writing career into higher orbit.

Dear C,

I am very honored that you would consider me for advice.

I’ll tell you how I’ve been able to get a measure of success.

1. I make a point to present myself the way I want my readers to see me, whether it be in email, in my blog design, or in the way I write. I check spelling, grammar, capitalization, and go over my work again and again, because the better you present yourself the more people will come back to read you.

2. There are several sites you can join that drive traffic to your website. Afrigator, Blogcatalog, Kenyanunlimited and so on.

3. Whenever you send your work to other blogs and online magazines always request them to print a short bio of you at the bottom with a linkback to your website. Try sending your work to www.kenyaimagine.com, www.thesop.org, www.poetrysoup.com, www.authorme.com, these are just a few but I am sure you can find many more that will be happy to publish you, kenyan and international. Of course they might not pay you at first but soon enough you will get some offers.

4. Look out for readings and poetry events and find a way to attend them. Wasanii and Numetro Junction have regular poetry events. Kwani has two monthly readings at Club Soundd and Lavington Kengeles. Write to organisers, send em your work and tell em you wanna read. Join writer’s groups, the Amka Women’s Space meets at the Goethe Institut, I believe. There are more of these and it should not be too hard to find them.

5. Use social networking sites to further your writing career. Do not spam, I have been guilty of that, but do not be afraid to share your love for words with people on facebook, twitter, whatever that comes up next.

6. Read. Keep yourself informed. Move out of your comfort zone. Mix your poetry with prose. Mix your fiction with social analysis editorials. Keep growing. You should be alright.

7. And most importantly, look at your writing career as a professional career, even if it is a side career. When you look at your work with respect you make sure you present it in the best way possible, which can’t be said of all hobbies. When people send me badly written, unedited scripts, all I can see is that they do not care for or respect the writing profession. When you find yourself going into a writing rut, doing the same thing, the same way, even if it did not work last time, it is time to relearn the skills of your profession.

8. Have FUN. Yes, it is a serious job, your writing, but if you do not enjoy it, you lose your creativity. Look out for fun exercises to spark your creativity. Share it with someone who matters. Enjoy it.

I hope that I did not sound too preachy. And I hope that you will reach to the heights you aspire to.

Yours truly,

J