The Value Of Zoom Networking With Other Freelance Writers

Other Writers Are Just A Video Call Away. Why Not Reach Out?

Freelance writing can be a solitary and isolating endeavor.

Physically removed from coworkers, the water cooler, and sometimes other human company, it’s easy to become socially isolated while making a living writing from home over the internet.

Compound that sense of isolation with the income instability, long hours, and extreme competitiveness of the freelance writing market and the mental health picture that emerges is, unsurprisingly, often not a pretty one. As more workers join the gig economy, this can be expected to become a more prominent issue; and deservedly so.

The above is partially why I think that it’s vital for freelance writers to make an effort to connect with other writers.

While one-to-many online fora to talk shop certainly exist (my top two recommendations are The Freelance Content Marketing Writer on Facebook and /r/freelancewriters on Reddit), there’s something just all the more humanizing about one-on-one interactions, whether over the phone or by Zoom.

Freelance writing can sometimes force one to adopt something of a mercenary mindset.

After all, time, in this business, equals money. We’re typically looking to get in front of other companies rather than other writers (for some, the latter is synonymous with ‘the competition’).

So what’s the return on investment from speaking to other writers?

If this is how you’re approaching networking with other writers, then I’m here to tell you that you’re being shortsighted.

Some of the Zoom calls I had with other writers last year were among the most professionally enriching uses of my time. But let’s get to specifics. Talking to other freelance writers can:

Relieve the sense of loneliness: There’s something comforting and helpful about knowing that there are other freelance writers out there working through the same set of challenges that you are. The most striking aspect of talking to freelance writers in other countries, for me, has been the extent to which we share the same set of aspirations and frustrations with the current writing marketplace. You’re not alone. If you don’t have a real life peer community, a virtual one is better than nothing.

Exchanging notes: Writer-to-writer meetups can be great fora for simply trading notes on the industry and discussing client acquisition, pricing, and other pragmatic considerations related to working as a freelance writer. For this to feel like an equitable swapping of information it’s obviously best if those talking are at relatively similar stages of their careers.

Mentorship: The pool of freelance writers out there is pretty vast. There are many more experienced writers who are happy to share some of their experience and tips with relative rookies. Yes, this flies in the face of my previous point. But think of them as different kinds of meeting. If your experience and that of your interlocutor are starkly asymmetrical, it might be worth flagging that before scheduling a meeting. Likewise be prepared for the possibility that some may try to abuse the meeting to try relentlessly pry information out of you (more about that later).

Finding referral partners: The mindset that all other freelance writers represent competition isn’t a realistic one. Freelance writing isn’t a zero sum game. I would argue that it’s in all writers’ self-interest to have a strong partner network to refer work out to. If you can make clients’ lives easier by pointing them in good directions, they’re likely to remember you favorably. With other writers, this could morph into a reciprocal relationship.

In order to have a URL to direct other freelance writers to, I set up a dedicated Calendly slot for what I call peer to peer networking opportunities.

I recommend setting a couple of simple ground rules to mitigate against the possibility that there are people who will likely try to abuse your time by using the session as a one-way street for their benefit:

Naturally, whenever you’re meeting strangers from the internet, it’s prudent to be a little bit careful about the information that you choose to share. If you’re usually anonymous online — such as on Reddit — then you may want to think carefully before dropping clues to your real-world identity.

Networking with other writers — whether in real life or on Zoom — is far from a waste of time. To the contrary. Just as most writers need to be regularly networking with potential clients, knowing and meeting other writers is a great way to build up a referral network, meet people doing the same thing as you, and trade notes on what’s going on in the industry.

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