Hello, friends! I’m finally, fully, officially back from my Write Now sabbatical. I thank you all from the bottom of my heart for your patience and support. There have been a lot of new developments in my life and career.

For one, I’ve been running around like crazy trying to attend as many podcasting conferences and conventions as I can. I’ve spoken for panels at PodCon in Seattle, PodFest in Orlando, and DC Podfest in Washington, DC. I’ve even spoken at YouTube Headquarters in Los Angeles about podcasting. Oh! And I’ll be speaking at PodX this May in Nashville, if you want to come hang out. 🙂

Besides working on finishing season one of my sci-fi audio drama, Girl in Space, one major event has been keeping me extra busy these past few months. It feels weird to say this, but I currently have not one, but three agents!

Apparently, Girl in Space has caught the eye of a few well-known production studios, so now I’m balancing contracts and counteroffers for a Girl in Space television show. (I KNOWWWWW.) It’s hard for me not to think of this sudden attention as being unearned or some kind of fluke. I have trouble acknowledging all of the hard work I’ve put into my work and my business. And while I’m still figuring out how I feel about this unexpected development, I can definitely share with you what I did to get here.

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Getting “Out There”

Some of the most frequent questions I get asked are, “How do I get my name out there?” and “How do I get noticed?” Now that I’m actually being noticed, I believe there really are only two things I’ve actively done to achieve this — networking and publishing.

There are so many ways to both network and publish in seemingly small and insignificant ways. I mentioned before how many conventions I go to and the panels I speak on. But we live in an era where it’s extremely easy to disseminate information, creating a body of work that we add to little by little every day. You don’t need to literally publish a book to exist in the writing community. Active networking and publishing can be as simple as tweeting about something you like, or posting on Facebook to congratulate another creator’s recent achievements.

I know you’re thinking there’s got to be more to it than that… but there really isn’t. Having a big audience doesn’t correlate to your relevance. I used to think I wouldn’t be visible in the writing community until my name was printed in all-caps letters on a hardcover book. Maybe you’ve felt the same way. But you’ve always been visible and you’ve always mattered! And the things you say matter. It’s because of this body of work I’ve built, one post or speaking gig at a time, that I’ve gotten where I am right now.

Moving Forward

It’s difficult not to anchor our identities to the things we think matter most. For me, it was books. I had decided that, until I had written a book, I wouldn’t allow myself to feel like I could be heard, or even that I mattered. But now I realize it’s the seemingly small and insignificant daily interactions with people and sharing my work and myself with the world that allowed me to be recognized as a writer.

I also believe writers need to constantly meet cool new people to keep themselves tethered to reality. It’s easy to get caught up in our own work and thought processes. But putting yourself “out there” in different ways is how we gain traction and visibility as writers.

I know firsthand how easy it is to feel resentful of others’ success when you’re working so hard on your craft and you still don’t feel like you’re being seen or heard. That’s why it’s so important to make those tiny daily networking and publishing opportunities a priority. Putting yourself out there sounds dangerous, and in some ways it is. Being invisible feels safe — no one can judge you or criticize your work if they can’t see it! But it’s actually detrimental to your career and development as a writer.

Networking and publishing is so much more than shaking hands and printing books. It’s about deciding that you do matter, and that your work is worth sharing, every day.

What Do You Think?

So what does moving forward mean for you? What will it mean for you to “put yourself out there” as a writer? What’s the next step in your writing journey? How are you going to network and publish in new ways? Let me know in the comments below, or contact me to send an email. As always, I’d love to hear from you!

Support The Podcast

Consider sharing my message or supporting my work! There are tons of different ways to get involved:

• Subscribe to my show on Apple Podcasts, iTunes, or the app of your choice!
• Become a patron on Patreon!
• Tell a fellow writer, friend, or relative about the Write Now podcast.

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Thanks for listening!