We’re stuck at home and sick of Zoom. How do we tell the world we are open for business as commercial or freelance writers or editors?

We start at home and work out from there. Meaning, we start with who knows us, who lives near us, and who understands where we come from.

This is an election year. People need copy for websites, social media, speeches, and advertisements. Start with your local school board, mayoral, or town council candidates. Let them know you are a hometown person, and you like what you see. Offer your services. Offer to write something for them, then after that, offer to write for pay. Do a remarkable job for them, and the campaign manager will remember you for other candidates. . . maybe in this, the same election cycle.

There’s a lot of virtual learning out there. Offer your school district, schools, or teachers to write whatever they need, of course, knowing the platform from which they will teach. If the district isn’t interested, contact homeschooling and online entities. You can discuss potions ranging from writing curriculum to tutoring students in writing and English. With all these hybrid and virtual educational configurations going on, families with working parents need tutors in the worst way.

Begin with your neighborhood and work out from there. When people know who you are, they trust more readily. And more readily spread the word. “She lives right down the street.” “She worked for ABC company on the other side of the bank on St. Andrews Road.” For some reason, being able to put flesh and blood to a contract hire matters. Less likely that you are a scam or poor performer because, frankly, you have to continue living in that town.

Same goes for your creative writing, too. A local coffee shop in our tiny town sells dozens of my novels, and what’s the first thing someone said when they told someone I could write their coming out speech? “She’s our local author. She writes those mysteries in the coffee shop.”