7 Proven Ways to Find Your First Client by Lori Appling

In past issues of The Golden Thread, we've featured success stories from students who have tried everything from mailing their own direct-mail packages … to students who jumpstarted their careers by finding a mentor or coach.

There is no one right or wrong way to sell yourself to an editor or client – but learning from those who have gone before you and applying their techniques to your client search is a great place to start. Take these seven for instance…

For Beverly Huttinger, it was as easy as sending in an assignment in to the AWAI Masters Program. Beverly's assignment was so good it was selected to test online and in the mail against a long-standing control for an overseas investment and retirement newsletter.

Monica Day reports that she's had some success with online websites such as creativemoonlighter.com. There's a great discussion right now about this site and a few others on the AWAI forum at www.awaionline.com/forum under "Self-Marketing." You should check it out.

Peter Fogel and Krista Jones both chose to take AWAI up on our call to challenge our existing control. Both submitted a headline and lead to us first and both have written several additional pieces for us since.

Cathy Cairns and Beth Erickson drafted sales letters to sell their services and mailed them to prospective clients. Beth was inspired after attending one of the AWAI bootcamps, but Cathy had already received seven assignments from Nightingale-Conant before she attended a bootcamp last year. Beth also credits her success to her copywriting coach, John LaBine.

Kammy Thurman used her resourcefulness and sent a cover letter and resume to a client that wasn't even advertising a writer's position. She expressed her interest to write for them – and, it turns out they did, in fact, need a writer.

And just last week, I told you about Peter Dobbs, who met his first client at a local Chamber of Commerce meeting. That's something to keep in mind for those of you who live in small towns and want to start writing locally.

Something else to consider: Find a mentor or get a coach. AWAI has a list of programs to fit every need, whether it's help with your writing or just help finding clients. The best way to determine which program is right for you is to send an email to Denise (memberservices@awaionline.com) and tell her what you're looking for.

Denise is an amazing coach, and she can point you in the right direction. We just added several new coaches to our Board who have a lot to offer in terms of helping you get your career off the ground or bringing you up to the level where you want to be.

And don't forget to check some of the other topics on the AWAI forum. I went through it today and found pages of tips I can use as well as some I'll be sending to you in future issues of The Golden Thread.

All these techniques are great – and we know they've worked for one (if not more) students in the past. Hopefully, they'll work for you too.

[Lori has not only watched AWAI copywriting students land their first client but she's also been witness to the Travel Writing students that got their first article published. She'll be at the Travel Writing workshop in Paris this year to help any and all students reach their goal of making money through travel http://www.thetravelwriterslife.com/.]