If you want writing jobs, this article is for you. This article is all about helping you build your career for the long term. If you want 2014 to be your best year yet, keep reading. We’re going to help you make 2014 the year where you focus on your writing and really build your client base. This will make you more profitable of course but it will also reduce stress and help you relax in your role as a freelance writer.

There are a lot of ways to expand your career. Sometimes though the obvious doesn’t work because you are in a rut and need to take a new approach to freshen things up. There is no better time for this than the spring! It’s time to get started and really take charge of your writing.

We are going to try some out of the box thinking here. The tried and true methods work but sometimes we need something different to alleviate boredom or just because we want it. So here are some great ways to expand your writing career. No cold calling required!

Join a writing group

Online writing groups have come a long way since the old Usenet days! Now you can find them in all of your favorite locations and many of them are great places to hear about potential writing jobs. I highly recommend the writing groups on LinkedIn. Not only is the quality of the group members generally very high but potential clients are aware of these groups and frequently target them when looking for freelance writers.

There is more to writing groups than just client hunting. Writing can be a lonely profession due to its solitary nature. Most writers like this aspect of it but that doesn’t mean we don’t need to meet new people and exchange ideas with them. This helps keep our writing fresh and helps us connect with our readers.

The most important aspect of writing groups, in terms of expanding your writing career this year, is their ability to give you new ideas and help you look at things in a new way. Pay attention to what your fellow group members are saying. They may have noticed a trend that you missed or give you some insight into a new approach to projects and even clients. The little things can make a huge difference in opening up new opportunities for you.

Write an E-book

E-books have changed a lot in just the last year. Shorter E-books are popular as are niche topic E-books. If you are tired of writing non-fiction and have had an idea for a short story kicking around in your head, write it and publish it as an E-book. It doesn’t have to be book length as long as it’s a good story. Remember that J.K. Rowling was rejected several times for Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone because the publishers thought it was too long for a children’s book! If the story is good, no one cares about the length.

Non-fiction E-books of just a few thousand words are very popular and again, length doesn’t matter as long as the content is good. So pick something that you are great at and write an E-book. Of course you will want to promote it heavily after publication. Beyond that, you are now a published author in addition to being a writer. That adds heft to your writing resume and clients love it. The single act of creating an E-book can have astounding effect on your writing career and expand it in ways that you never imagined. It is also one of the best samples you could possibly have as far as potential clients are concerned. Include mention of it in your marketing materials and you will drastically improve the interest in your services.

Start a niche blog

Everyone has a hobby; something that they would do for free and would give just about anything to be paid to do. Sorry, napping will not work here! Are you a passionate cook? Start a cooking blog and Pinterest account. This can be a fun and relaxing way to develop an audience and expand your writing opportunities. Update it frequently; daily if possible. Be sure and promote it. Not only will clients see another side of your writing but you will also alter the way you have been thinking about and creating your articles.

It’s easy for a writer, especially a freelance writer that writes the same type of articles over and over, to get into a rut. You use the same words, expression and industry jargon until it is almost meaningless to you. Switching gears to something that you enjoy doing will often liven up all of your writing. The key here is that it has to be fun and something you really enjoy.

This does not have to be time consuming unless you want it to be. Once you set up the blog an entry shouldn’t take much time to create. Include pictures, links or whatever suits you. Make it fun, entertaining and informative. Your readers will love it, you will be more relaxed and your writing will improve. You will also find yourself ready to take on guest blogging gigs, pitch to hobby magazines and newsletters and depending on your niche, trade journals.

Promote yourself through social media

Social media is hot right now. Those who have been around the block a few times know that this will not last. It will eventually morph into something else down the line. For now, however, it’s not going away and it’s vital to your success as a freelance writer.

Sign up for a Klout account to track your progress. It’s free and easy to use. You can find it at Klout.com.

Once you have your account, start building your social media presence. Link your LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook accounts so you only have to post to one and have it on all three platforms. Be sure to fully fill out your LinkedIn account to get the most out of that site and create a Facebook page for your writing. Then every time you publish something with your byline promote it. If you publish an E-book; promote it. Promote everything you write and build an audience with your personal brand. For freelance writers, social media is the fastest and most efficient way to reach a large number of potential clients immediately.

By the way, many companies look at your Klout score because it tells them your Internet influence. The more people you influence; they more your writing is worth.

Try to find one new client a week

The operative word here is ‘try’ and it was chosen with care. You don’t have to succeed you just have to try. Like most things in life, the more often you do something the easier it gets. This is true in client hunting as well. I’ve written many articles here on how to find clients so pull one of those and choose whatever you feel the most comfortable with. Just give it a shot once a week and then forget about it until you start getting results. Keep at it and you will find it gets easier; your approach gets smoother and that means you will start getting the results from potential clients that you want. It all starts with the attempt. Until you try to find a new client you will be stuck in the same old rut of wondering how to get your writing career off the ground.

It should be obvious that adding a new client each week will expand your writing career. What might not be obvious is that every client is also a link to numerous potential clients. Word of mouth is still very important and you can always offer a discount for a referral that uses your services. It’s really cheap marketing in the long run but it’s extremely effective and it certainly is easier than any other form.

If you are doing the same things over and over and not getting anywhere with your writing career then it’s time to do something different. Thinking outside the box and ignoring conventional wisdom, even for a brief period of time, will allow your brain to recharge and give you a fresh perspective on how to move forward. Make 2014 your best year by trying something different with your writing career and pushing yourself a bit more to accomplish your goals. You will be glad you did.

Happy Writing!