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Deadline: Thursday, February 22nd

mediabistroThis month’s Industry Influencer spotlight is shining on mediabistro. Mediabistro is the go-to resource for those seeking jobs in the creative industry, those who want to take courses to better market themselves, and so much more! We’re thrilled and thankful for their taking the time to chat with us! Mediabistro graciously offered to give away one open spot in their June Social Media Marketing Boot Camp session to a lucky Writer’s Relief reader! To enter to win this coveted spot, leave a comment below by May 20 explaining why you deserve to win/what you’d do with the knowledge you’ll learn. (This isn’t a formal college entry essay contest, so be yourself!) This contest is now closed. Congratulations to our winner, Denise! Thank you to all who participated.

Let’s start simple. In one sentence, what is mediabistro and why should it be on every writer’s radar?

Mediabistro is an online site to guide you through every step of your media career from getting the job, to learning new skills to keep or move on to the next job, to always being up-to-date on changes in the industry. With our job board, classes and conferences, networking parties, and exclusive editorial content, we make sure to arm you with all you need no matter what part of media you are in.

Mediabistro is a big place; give us a map of the neighborhood and tell us where all the creative writers are hanging out.

Our map is endless. Courses are taught both in New York and online, so that wherever you live, you have access to the top industry professionals who are here to teach you the skills you need now. Our conferences take place in New York, San Francisco, and San Jose, as well as internationally in Berlin, London, Munich, and Singapore. But if you just want to learn from the comfort of your couch, our online community is thousands strong.

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We know you’ve got some amazing classes for creative writers right now. Can you give us the highlights? 

We run about 35 online and 10 in-person classes a month, in addition to our online conferences and events. In the next two months alone, we have classes on memoir writing, YA novel writing, personal essay, op-ed, children’s book writing, novel writing, and chick lit. All of our instructors are actively working in the field they teach, so they are bringing their experience and knowledge as an author, editor, or agent to give you insider information while you receive weekly feedback on assignments to complete your manuscript or article. We’ll also have a 2-day self-publishing online event this fall, in addition to our ever-popular Social Media Marketing Boot Camp, where writers can develop a cohesive social media strategy for LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and other platforms to promote their work.

We’ve been talking a lot about the importance of social media when it comes to writers who want to promote themselves. Can you give our social (media) butterflies an overview of your offerings on using the Web for promo and marketing?

In addition to Social Media Marketing, we also offer classes on SEO writing, Twitter Marketing, Blogging, Creating Your Own Website, and so much more. Our SEO classes will show you how to make your work search engine-friendly, so that you get maximum exposure for what you are putting on the Web. Remember, self-promotion is key, but you need to be sure people are seeing it! Twitter Marketing takes students through the process of maximizing their personal brand through having a greater Twitter presence, creating a keyword-rich bio, optimizing followers, and using tools to manage a tweet schedule. Every author needs a blog, where they can showcase their writing, promote their work, and build an online audience. Our Blogging class will show you how to design, promote, and maintain a blog that will be up and running in four weeks. And of course every author needs a website—one of the most important pieces of promotion and brand awareness. Create Your Own Website will show you how to create a website using WordPress without having to know advanced coding skills.

You’re hosting a number of online conferences for writers. What do they entail? (And how do they make up for not offering attendees any of those awkward cocktail hour sessions spent holding tiny hot dogs and business cards in one hand and “conference wine” in the other?)

Our online conferences feature speakers at the top companies, providing access to case studies and insight you can’t get anywhere else. Our Social Media Marketing Boot Camp, which will help you develop a social author platform, has featured speakers from Coca-Cola, The Food Network, Microsoft, Whole Foods, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, and many more who discuss how to extend your reach through social media.

Our Self-Publishing Finishing School included the editor of Galleycat, the founder of Smashwords, the director of Kirkus Editorial, Colleen Hoover, author of Slammed, and author Guy Kawasaki.

In addition to hearing from these speakers, attendees are placed into small groups, where they are working on projects and getting extensive feedback. In Social Media Marketing Boot Camp, students are working on each social media platform to improve their presence and reach, while in the self-publishing class they work on completing and posting an e-book with knowledge of how to price, market, and publicize it.

So no awkward cocktail sessions, no terrible food, and no stale wine. Just great conversation, feedback, and progress. With BYOB strongly encouraged!

Find out more about mediabistro! Of course, don’t forget to leave a comment explaining how you’d benefit from their June Social Media Marketing Boot Camp session.

This contest is now closed.

17 Comments

  1. Mo

    mediabistro offers classes for creative writers!? no freaking way! i know what i’m doing this summer.

    Reply
  2. Kyle

    I love mediabistro, but I don’t have a clue how to tweet or Facebook right. Show me how 🙂

    Reply
  3. Barb

    I really need this course badly. Due to my lack of funds, this would be the only way that I could ever take a course like this. My background is in creative writing, but I never pursued it because I lacked confidence. I had a medical scare and it truly made me think about my life and what I wanted to do. I decided that I would write my novel and try to get it published no matter what. I’m over half way finished now and I’m starting to prepare myself for the possibility of publication. Since I am social media newbie, this course would help me tremendously.

    Reply
  4. Jim

    Anytime I hear or read something that offers an escape from the old-dog-new-tricks cliche I am all ears and eyes.

    Reply
  5. Lisa Tynan

    I finally switched careers and am a marketing writer for an on-line company–woo-hoo! But…I know more about writing than I do about social media, so for that area I’m in “fake it till you make it” mode, which is fun but also a tad stressful. This course would really juice up my skill set so I can keep doing what I love at my current job and maybe branch out to get clients of my own someday! Thanks!!

    Reply
  6. Amy

    The book is written; it’s been edited. At my age, there’s not much time left to market it, so I need help.

    Reply
  7. Sherry

    This is the course I’ve been looking for! I opened various social media accounts several years ago, but have no clue how to use them, especially for marketing my soon-to-be bestseller. 😉 I’m a disciplined student, and I guarantee the skills I gain, should you so generously choose me, would be put to good use!

    Reply
  8. Deb

    I am semi-retired now and have writen several books. (Non published—yet) Am having the first one edited and hope to publish it soon. This course would be a great booster for me.

    Reply
  9. Laura

    I dream in prose and speak in rhyme, but when it comes to marketing myself I have a difficult time. (:

    Reply
  10. Irene Cornwell

    The hour glass of time is quickly closing for me. I have tried to fit into writing classes but am defeated by the computer world. I believe it could become my sunny side of the street for a few years.

    Reply
  11. Chris Crabtree

    Deserve? How about desire? I want to open my head to new ideas and let them monkey with the wiring.

    Reply
  12. Tom Bentley

    I am trying (with marginal success) to allocate the right amount of time to my social media efforts, on Twitter, Google+ and LinkedIn. And by “efforts,” I mean being an actual human being there by sharing good stuff, and not just trying to peddle my bookish wares. I often fall down the rabbit hole of social media—so many fascinating stories and links and then whoops—it’s 4pm and I’ve done a half-hour of work all day. So I hope the class would help with those issues.

    As for deserving the class, let’s see, hmm… Well, I make great sandwiches, and I will make them for the MediaBistro staff on demand.

    Reply
  13. Denise Miller

    My first book was published earlier this year and I’m vigorously working on the second. One thing I have learned is, the writing is cupcakes compared to the marketing. My publisher has not offered any help in any regard so I find myself alone in a sea of other authors working just as hard to get their works noticed. It is a daunting task and I am lost in space, lost at sea, lost, lost, lost. I desperately need a lighthouse to show me the way before I drown in this media tsunami!

    Reply
  14. Nick Jacobs

    As an out of work PR guy, I could really use the boot camp to be sure my Social media chops are in good shape, and thus make myself more attractive to potential employers as well as do a better job of marketing myself.

    Reply
  15. Nancy Scott Hanway

    My novel is about a 15-year-old girl who discovers that she comes from a long line of female criminals. But I’m not a teenager: I can’t navigate social media effortlessly, and I can’t steal my place in the spotlight! I would love to take this course, and I would use my knowledge to promote my own work, and to help other writers like me learn how to create their own platforms.

    Reply
  16. Angela

    I book-marked the page; need to investigate further!

    Reply
  17. "C.C."

    After being laid off of my office job over 4 years ago, I’ve felt like a feather in the wind ever since, floating on the whims of ever-changing economic flurries that have landed me anywhere but behind the desk of a new full-time job. Flowing with the tide of circumstances, I’ve had to make some significant living adjustments, which surprisingly, have turned out to be a 2-way blessing. I’m now my Mother’s in-home Caregiver ~ I have bridged her needs as she has bridged mine ~ … (and I must say, [in my “humble-ated” opinion], that only Heaven Above could have orchestrated such a thing!)

    During this transition, I’ve been afforded the time to contemplate, reconsider, and experiment with what has tugged at my subconscious mind for a long time – the idea that becoming a professional Writer might actually BE my true calling. Writing is something I did a lot as a child, achieved A’s at in High School, and on which colleagues complimented me thereafter, … but manifest into a career? Nahhhhh… what are the chances?! You have to be exceptionally brilliant to get published, don’t you?

    Well,… what have I got to lose NOW, right?! (lol)

    If I could learn the ropes of the business while I’ve actually got some “down-time” to do so (no restrictions of a 9-5 job, that is), I could kill 3 birds (ok,… let’s use mosquitoes instead…I like birds too much).. with one stone:

    1) Earn Income again
    2) Work From Home
    … and…
    (most importantly)
    3) Continue Caring for my Mother

    With several (comical, and morally/ethically educational) Children’s Stories in the works, I would be very grateful for the opportunity to not only begin a new profession as a published Writer/Author, but for the chance to help grow the conscience of children while entertaining them at the same time, and would consider it a privilege to be awarded the financial help to do so.

    Reply

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