What you said – sometimes queries work wonders whereas two months from now phone calls work. It's in us to some extent, too. If I had picked up the phone two weeks ago, I'd have struck out miserably because I had been wrung out. No way I could've convinced anyone of anything!

John, I bet you'd wow them in person. 🙂 But you're right – client meetings aren't for everyone. Some of us are too busy for it, some of us too shy.

Cheryl, you're so right – the key IS consistency.

Eileen, do you think your method works for you because of your specialty or because you're consistent?

Anne, I reserve Facebook for friends only. I have to have one place where I can let my hair down. 🙂

Anyway – I've done a bit of several ideas mentioned. Online. Face to face. Phone. Some gigs have been purely due to being online. Others have been a combo. I once got a several month blogging job from Twitter (I wish I could get some more that way! Just haven't seen anything go by.) and another indirectly from attending BlogHer.

I don't mind the face to face schmoozing. I kind of like it, but I am MUCH more comfortable if I know at least one person there.

In fact, my schedule's looking thinner than I'd like so I'm trying to find the right combo of marketing to bolster my work roster. I hope it works soon.

It's much too overwhelming to follow all the advice you hear, to use every marketing tool — whether online or face-to-face. The best thing has to be to choose what works best for your circumstances and personality. The key is to do them well — and consistently. Wish I could say I follow this advice! ;>)

Oh, I enjoy the occasional client f2f – one bought me lunch yesterday and a couple of times I've been flown places I hadn't been before to meet someone (their nickel not mine.)

Twitter was made for me!

Now if I could just really understand facebook 😉

But you're right. What works for some doesn't work across the board. I think Peter's book resonated with me because what he does (except for calls) is what I've done and have had work for me.

Devon, you're right. I have to know the person doling out the advice has a great track record (which Peter does). Bossy books – I like that!

Krista, same here. Everyone told me I had to live in a metro area to get work. Well, it helped, but the majority of my clients are on the opposite coast or far enough away that plane fare would be required. Like you, I have international clients (reverse – I work with Canadians!).

CFD Trade, great point. Writers are often a shy bunch (I'm an exception, trust me). I don't think forcing someone to perform marketing acts that are unnatural is going to help at all. So who markets for you?

See Wendy? Not everyone can stand social networking. Are you behind the curve? No. You just do it differently. Vive le difference!

I am not a schmoozer. I can't fathom going to a Chamber of Commerce meeting and chatting people up on the hopes of getting some work. But that works really well for some other local writers I know.

Then again, like Krista, I work with mostly out-of-towners that pay much better than local places pay.