The ASMP Guide to New Markets in Photography by Susan Carr

Author:Susan Carr
Format: epub
Publisher: Allworth Press / Skyhorse Publishing, Inc. (Perseus)
Published: 2012-04-12T04:00:00+00:00

A WORD ABOUT WRITING (AND HOW TO OVERCOME YOUR FEAR OF DOING IT)

By now, you’ve probably gotten the basic idea that good, user-centric writing is important. Yes, visuals are important, too; great work is the cost of entry, and curating the work to adhere to your brand strategy as outlined by your version of The Formula is equally critical. If your budget allows, you can certainly hire a copywriter to write your bio, your about page, and any other copy you choose. Writers are more than happy to take your money!

Beware of handing over the job too quickly, though—there’s a real benefit to becoming a better writer even if you’re an image-maker. After all, you’re going to encounter all kinds of garden-variety experiences where writing is necessary, and where good writing will help set you apart: in social media and your emails, to name a couple. Tone is another aspect of branding. You may be able to hire a copywriter for the website, but if the level of language sophistication is wildly divergent from your own, you may have problems when it comes to social media use, email, face-to-face networking and interactions. People should recognize your tone from place to place the same way they recognize your style across your photographic work. Are you chic and sophisticated? Homey and accessible? Humorous? Serious? Most of us are a combination of these things, but whatever your mix is, keeping it close to your authentic voice is helpful. (That thing about lies and remembering, remember?)

But let’s say you’re just petrified to write. And you can’t afford a writer to impersonate you on Facebook. Like anything foreign, the best way to acquire a new skill (or improve on an existing one) is to practice—preferably in low-stress situations. If you only ever use the phone to communicate with friends and family, try emailing them for a change. Keep a journal—online or analog—and commit to writing a certain number of words or pages per day. There is a great free online resource called 750words.com that can keep you motivated to write daily. Or if you have an accountability partner or mastermind group, you can commit to a certain word count “publicly” with them, and receive gentle support. Some very famous authors, when they were just starting out, had a practice of literally typing out passages from their favorite works, to get a feel for tone, rhythm, structure, and flow.

One of the best ways to improve your writing skills is to take a class, either in-person or online. In addition to the built-in accountability created by weekly assignments and the guidance of the teacher, you learn a great deal from your fellow classmates. (It’s also comforting to note that each of us struggles with some aspect of writing.)

Trust me—if I can overcome my fear of the camera to practice taking better pictures, you can pick up a pen or open a word processor and ratchet up your writing skills!

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