Ben Stroup

The life of a professional writer is often very different from some of the romantic ideas people outside the business have about those of us who write sentences and paragraphs for a living. Here are 10 things professional writers do in addition to writing:

1. Sell your services. Sorry. There is no way around this one.
2. Research the industries you serve. You have to keep a perspective on the big picture.
3. Build relationships with editors. These people are the gateways to accelerating your work and are often under-appreciated.
4. Invest in social media. If people can’t find you online, you don’t exist.
5. Make phone calls. Great writing is often sparked during interpersonal communication.
6. Meet people in person. If you want someone to ask you to write for them, they have to trust you. Presentation matters.
7. Understand accounting. A professional writer is a business. Find a CPA to handle the nuts and bolts, but learn enough to know how to operate a business.
8. Learn about and leverage technology. This makes it easy for your clients and prospects to work with you.
9. Protect your health. There is only one of you. And you won’t do your best work if you’re always tired and never take a break.
10. Create referral networks. You won’t exist if you try to do it all on your own. Be sure you’re feeding your partners and not just expecting them to feed you.

What surprised you the most about this list? Why?

Ben Stroup is a content activist in a post-paragraph world. He is chief broker of opportunity at Ben Stroup Enterprises. Connect with Ben via email, Twitter, and Google+. Subscribe via email to learn how to use content to move people to action.