Writing.Com 101

Gaining Exposure For Your Items

One of the most popular questions from authors on Writing.Com is:
         How do I gain exposure for my items and myself on Writing.Com?

There are many ways members of Writing.Com gain exposure, but the following six (6) tips are among the most popular:

Tip #1: Connect with Readers through Our Newsletters!
Every week Writing.Com emails over 140,000 copies of its 13 various newsletters. Each week, our newsletter editors ask for questions, feedback and suggested items from their readers. Get exposure by responding to Writing.Com newsletter editors through the Write Into This Newsletter! form at the bottom of each newsletter.

Subscribe to newsletters that cover your favorite genres. Submit items of interest along with either interesting comments or questions pertaining to the genre, writing style or topic chosen by that editor that week. In most cases, you will find your userlink, your comment or question, and a response in that editor's next newsletter (usually) four weeks later. If you're lucky, your item suggestion will be one of the few Editor's Picks linked in the newsletter, and if your item's title and brief description are engaging, readers of that newsletter may check out your portfolio!

Newsletter issues are also featured throughout the week in the Writing.Com Support notes in the Newsfeed, where you can comment on a question asked by the editor. If you have Writing.Com Support as a Favorite or Fan (the userlink shows a hand icon or the bullhorn icon instead of the plus icon), these notes will appear in your Personal Newsfeed as they are available. Checking out others who participate in the same newsletter(s) you do may lead you to other members with similar interests. Previous issues of the site newsletters can be found in the Newsletter Archive linked from Community/Newsletters in the left navigation menu.

Tip #2: Review, Review, Review!
Being read, rated, and reviewed is very important to writers, so when it comes to garnering eyeballs for your own work, you'll want to read "Seeking Reviews"  to learn about the many options available at Writing.Com. Read, rate, and review other authors on the site and you'll be surprised how many more views your items get. When you review another author's item, invite that author to your own portfolio and request a reciprocal review. Most of our authors will be willing to check out your portfolio in return, since you were so kind as to take a look and send a thorough review first. Remember that responding politely to reviews you receive is important and helps to keep people interested in continuing to visit and review your portfolio.

Tip #3: Participate and Communicate!
One of the easiest ways to gain exposure and meet other Writing.Com members is to participate in our Message Forums. In the left navigation menu, click on Browse By Type and go to our Forums listing, which features hundreds of Forums on a wide variety of topics. Just as with reviewing, posting good content to other members' Forums and being involved within the community adds to your exposure. Be sure to set your signature (see Manage Signature(s) at My Account/Account Settings, under Additional Account Settings) to highlight items of interest within your own portfolio.

For new members, "Noticing Newbies"  and "Writing.Com General Discussion"  are two great places to stop in and say "Hello." These are also the best spots for other members to meet and welcome our newest arrivals. Don't be shy; engage new readers by telling a little about yourself, your portfolio and your writing style.

Tip #4: Plug Yourself In!
There are many In & Outs and Message Forums that are geared toward giving Writing.Com authors exposure. Most of these are run by members who are authors themselves, and receive significant traffic. Writing.Com itself provides "The Shameless "Plug" Page"  which is linked in the left navigation menu as Community/The Plug Page. Be shameless and promote, promote, promote!

Tip #5: Win Exposure With Contests!
There are many contests run by Writing.Com members, as well as by Writing.Com. Participating in contests not only gives you the opportunity to win Gift Points, but also provides a free stage for you to flaunt your writing to others who are entering or judging that contest. To get started, visit "Writing Contests @ Writing.Com"  (Community/Contests in the left navigation menu). You may find additional contests with the Contest Subtype from within the Forum item listings, and by using "contest" in the search bar for the Survey item listings. Favorite and enter the contests that interest you. Directions for entering are given on each individual contest page. Contests are easy to enter, have a wide variety of entry requirements and provide great exposure (and enjoyment) whether you win or not!

Tip #6: Get BidClicking!
Now take the Gift Points you just won in those contests and earned through reviewing and use them to sponsor your items with the Writing.Com BidClick System. We recommend using the Genre and Item Type sponsorships. Popular genres like Romance/Love, Action/Adventure and Fantasy can be sponsored for under 25 Gift Points (1/4 of a penny) per click!

If you want instant exposure to all of our visitors, you can bid a higher Gift Point price for the Sponsored Items listing. This listing is featured on the right-hand side of every page and is seen by every visitor to Writing.Com. We've seen items gain over 100 ratings in less than 24 hours when sponsored there! For even more information on this, read "BidClick System: Sponsored Items, Links & Genres" .1

Recommended Reading

1. Seeking Reviews
2. BidClick System: Sponsored Items, Links & Genres
3. Writing.Com Newsletters
4. The Shameless "Plug" Page 
5. Writing Contests @ Writing.Com 
6. Newsfeed
7. My Favorites and Fans
8. Using Message Forums

Footnotes
1  Updated by northernwrites; written by The StoryMaster