Every day I keep my writing career strong by logging in to social media. I often use Facebook Messenger to communicate with other writers, but chats alone are not enough.

Your Profile

Just as a website must make a writer or author stand out as an authority, so must a social media profile. For example, my social media profiles state that I am a freelance writer, author, newsletter publisher, book reviewer and editor. My Twitter/X profile notes I’m a disabled writer. An editor contacted me on there when looking for disabled writers to submit to an anthology. Include your link as well as hashtags with keywords specific to your specialty, such as #SEO or #Excel.

Group Chats

Personal group chats created on social media sites contain a selection of people with like interests, only drilled down more specific. I belong to many group chats; one for a publisher of my books, one for an anthology I am submitting to, and one for writers seeking calls for submissions. These were all created by the respective editors who added me. A group chat in a social media message center can help you stay more on top of a discussion. It’s usually more detailed, more instant, and a reference point. Being in a group chat can help you stay informed of new calls for submissions if members share such information. If you don’t belong to one, why not get together with other writers you know online to see if there’s interest in creating one.

Groups

Many online groups share submission calls. Many Facebook group pages share submission or pitch calls. Writers who may find such opportunities take the time to post info and links about them. Try entering “writing opportunities” in the search bar for the groups feature to find them.

Here are just a few of those groups where you can find submission calls:

Call for paying submissions
https://www.facebook.com/groups/294742160951311/

Open Submission Calls for Horror/Paranormal/Mystery/SciFi Writers
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1510396739186469/

Open Submission Calls for Short Story Writers
https://www.facebook.com/groups/630538913722930/

Anthology Submissions
https://www.facebook.com/groups/anthologysubmissions/

Editor Accounts

There are many editors on sites like X, LinkedIn, Instagram and Bluesky putting out calls for subs. Editors often share their call for specific types of work through their social media accounts. This was how I found one on Twitter/X, and sold the type of essay they were looking for. She later amended the post to include the link to my essay after it was published. You can follow editors or paying markets like @WomenWhoSubmit or @paidwritingopps to stay appraised of these posts. Find markets you like and invariably you’ll find editors with social media account where they post requests.

Search for Hashtags

Many social media sites have a search function. If you seek paying opportunities for writers or calls for submissions, use the search function and enter the hashtag before your search term. Editors, agents and publishers often use hashtags with keywords when posting their calls for writers or submissions. Put this tool to use the next time you use the search on social media to find writing opportunities. You can try to find any posts with hashtags such as “pitch,” “call for submissions” and “WritingCommunity.” I have found many calls for submissions this way.

Social media offers many opportunities and value for working writers. Through group pages and editor accounts, writers can find calls for submissions and perhaps a new writing gig. Peruse writing-related pages on social media to find ones which work for you.

BIO: Dawn Colclasure is a writer living in Oregon. She writes poetry, essays, articles, short stories and book reviews. She is the author and co-author of several books, among them Parenting Pauses: Life as a Deaf Parent and Burning the Midnight Oil: How we Survive as Writing Parents. Her work has appeared in magazines, newspapers, websites and anthologies. She publishes the free monthly SPARREW newsletter for self-publishers, authors, readers, reviewers, editors and writers. https://dawnsbooks.com/  https://www.dmcwriter.com/. Twitter/X @dawnwilson325, Instagram at dawn10325, Facebook https://www.facebook.com/authordawncolclasure/, BlueSky @dmcwriter.bsky.social, and on Amazon’s Author Central  https://www.amazon.com/author/dawncolclasure