Re: Resources for Marketing for Technical Writing Opportunities?

[Anthony Davey <ant -at- ant-davey -dot- com>]

Sara-Sue,

Being in a similar boat, the 'other' ways I have tried to find work are 
three:

Hit the Yellow Pages. Go to PR Agencies (then maybe design and creative 
later) and talk to the senior director who does the hiring and firing. 
Ask if they use freelance talent and then explain that you are calling 
because you are a technical specialist, able to turn jargon into plain 
English/really interesting copy.  I have found that, unless they are 
technical specialists, agencies are more than happy to know about the 
existence of a copywriter that is experienced at understanding and 
handling technical details that their usual team of 'creatives' don't 
have a clue about.  

Include some of the big advertising agencies in your search; find out 
who the creative directors are on the big accounts, such as the big 
computer companies, the engineering companies, etc, that trade on their 
brand names.  Annecdotal evidence from my sister suggests that these 
guys haven't a clue about the technical detail either.

Part Two: Find business directories and target the local companies with 
a turnover of between, say, $2m and $20m, then just hit the phone and 
speak to whoever handles marketing.  These may be the expanding 
companies, those who are considering doing some marketing, or upgrading 
a brochure, or similar.  These guys can be interested in a freelance, 
without the overheads of a full-blown agency with nice offices.  This is 
a numbers game, but with free local calls (oh the joys of North America) 
this will only cost you time.

These guys will want to see something as colatteral, the cheapest being 
a do-it-yourself Web site, but a good brochure can be produced 
reasonably cheaply, if you do the design and copywriting yourself.

Part Three:  This is networking, but NOT with other writers.  Find other 
freelancers: a photographer, graphic designer and Web techie.  Not only 
can they help you produce your marketing materials at cost, or less, but 
they can provide your clients with the support services you can't 
provide, and vice-versa.

Hope this is the kind of stuff you are looking for.
Regards & good fortune,
Ant

sclarke -at- nucleus -dot- com wrote: