When I first embarked on my solopreneur journey as a freelance journalist and content marketing specialist, I foolishly thought I wouldn’t get lonely or uninspired. I thought, I’m an introvert at heart, I like being alone, it’s not a huge deal, and I can inspire myself by listening to podcasts and reading books about freelancing.
But lo! I did indeed get lonely, and feelings of inadequacy soon followed. Imposter syndrome often rears its head, but like Anne Lammott recommends, I turned the dial down on those squeaky voices and instead reminded myself I’m successful and skilled at what I do, and so what if someone else I saw on social is securing higher-paying gigs or winning more awards?
I then realized something else: Networking is vital for me as a solopreneur. It allows me to learn from others, stave off loneliness and the associated melancholy, and offers me the opportunity to be part of a wider community. I began by networking more on LinkedIn and even Twitter, joining a few Facebook Groups/Pages, as well. This approach helped me learn the frustrating challenges other writers faced, whether that was administrative (“I haven’t gotten paid yet from this magazine!”) or technical (“I’m open to recommendations for high-quality voice recorders for my interviews”). I wasn’t alone here. But still, online is still detached from reality in many ways, and this networking didn’t feel sticky enough, if that makes sense.
Recently, I began booking coffee dates with a few longread journalists I admire. These Toronto journos have written poignant and enthralling feature stories that inspire me as a writer, so much so I want to learn their approach to taking on these massive and investigative stories. That’s an area of journalism I haven’t delved into as much as shorter work, but I’d like to see if longread journalism is the right fit for me.
I wouldn’t be able to glean that kind of detail with a few back-and-forth emails over LinkedIn. Being engaged and present in the moment of an in-person meeting felt more appropriate for this kind of discussion.
I hope to learn from them, too, which editors they tend to pitch to and why, and how they sort through the administrative headaches that sadly make up a big portion of our work.
Networking can be awkward or some folks, but I’d recommend swallowing that salty pill and finding the right mentors that can inspire you. It’ll be well worth the effort.