Show Off Your Expertise and Get Published!

C'mon! There's a topic you know inside and out. There's a topic you own. The trouble is, nobody's going to know that unless you show off your expertise.

You can show the world what you know and raise your perceived value, however, by getting published. It's not as easy as many hope, but it's not as hard as others think, either. Assuming you know your topic well, here are a few basics to getting published:

Read. The best writers read constantly. Read what others have written about your topic. Have the publications missed out on a particular aspect of your topic? This is a need you can fill.

Research the market. Take a look at what publications have may be open to your topic. An excellent source for this is Writer's Market, which is published annually. It contains tons of consumer and trade magazines, as well as book publishers. Don't forget small pubs, either. Newslink.org links to most weekly and daily newspapers in the U.S. (you'll have to dig on each paper's site to find the editors' contact names, though).

Query. A query letter is basically a sales letter for your proposed article. Typically, you will write the query before beginning to write the article. Be sure to check next Wednesday's post when we'll discuss the query letter in depth.

Start small. While it's been said that only a fool writes for free, the reality is that you may have to write a piece or two for no compensation. Contact one of your local weekly newspapers and accept the editor's suggestions (and they will make suggestions - trust me!). If they like your topic and style (and you're really lucky), you might work your way into having a regular column - which you should then put on your resume.

Build on your success. Make tons of copies when your article is printed. These copies are referred to as "clips" in the publishing world. The better your clips, the better your chances of being published in larger (and potentially higher paying) publications.

JACKPOT! Include your new clips in your portfolio. Include a few clips when submitting your resumes. This raises your perceived value and shows your thinking and researching skills, as well as your written communication skills (something all employers desire).

IN A NUTSHELL: Show the world your expertise by reading, researching the market, querying publications and building on your success.