Most authors these days can call themselves entrepreneurs. There's a lot that goes into the business of writing besides storytelling. If you're looking to make writing a regular thing, especially when it comes to building and maintaining your writin...
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What the heck are writing credits?
Writing credits, or publication credits, are the creative works you have composed and shared through publications or online platforms. These can be in the form of short stories, essays or poems. You can also count guest blog posts and freelance writing as credits.
How do I get writing credits?
In the past, it took a great deal of effort and perseverance to get a piece accepted into a publication. All that has changed. Now, a determined writer focused on improving their craft can share their work through a number of outlets, publications and platforms. In this chapter, we share some tried and tested methods for building your writing cred.
Let's talk details
🔸 Freelancing - Why not try your hand at freelance writing. If you feel confident about your skills, freelance writing can be a great method for establishing writing credits. This can be made easier if you have experience or knowledge on a particular topic. Search How to Become a Freelance Writer to learn more.
🔸 Showcasing - Did you know that you can create an online writing portfolio to showcase your work? Whether you're in the freelance game or just starting your writing journey, editors and content creators can check out your talent through a portfolio website. There are website builders that specialize in portfolios for writers. And, yes, you can count Wattpad as one of them. Search 10 Great Portfolio Websites for Freelance Writers to learn more (and make sure you click the link to online portfolio examples to see what others are doing).
🔸 Blogging - Agents love bloggers. If your blog is a big part of your author platform, talk about it. And if you have many readers, brag about them. But keep in mind that anyone can publish a blog. You'll have to decide if your blog is worth mentioning.
If you happen to write a successful blog, you might think about doing a guest blog post on a relevant blog that you follow. It's best to establish a rapport with the blogger beforehand. Then touch base with them and ask if they would be interested having you post about a topic that is of mutual interest. Search The Power of Guest Blogging to learn more.
🔸 Self-Publishing - Perhaps you're not so new to the writing game. Perhaps you've published a book on your own, or your work has been featured in an anthology. This definitely counts as a writing credit. But just as with blogs, anyone can publish a book these days. So consider the following when you're writing that query letter to an agent:
Has the book sold well? Are the reviews positive? Did it earn an award or accolade?
To put it bluntly, if you mention that your book is self-published, agents may presume your writing isn't strong enough or suitable for mainstream publication. So be prepared to prove them wrong.
Need more convincing?
👉 Building a small (1 to 3) pool of writing credits before querying a literary agent often gets your foot in the door. Writers who boast publications of shorter works tend to have an easier time sparking an agent's interest for longer pieces.
👉 Being published shows agents that you can manage submission deadlines and guidelines, and helps establish you as someone who is savvy about smaller markets.
👉 Gaining writing credits is emotionally rewarding. Acceptance letters from literary magazines go a long way toward keeping you motivated. Remember: a short piece can be written in less than a week, whereas a novel can take years. Keep your dream alive by producing and publishing smaller works.
And, of course, the most obvious benefit to writing smaller works and sharing them with a wider audience is to build up your writing chops.
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The following is a short list of platforms and publications that accept pieces from writers looking to build their credentials: Wattpad, Radish, Tapas, Medium, The New Yorker, Cincinnati Review, Literary Orphans, Boulevard Magazine.
For a more in-depth online search, try this phrase 'Magazines and websites that want your work'.
