How to win a writer’s strike

A writer’s movement has been gaining steam in the past year and a half, but how to best use it to achieve your goals?
It all comes down to a simple formula: Get your story out there.
If you can’t get the word out, get your message out.
It’s all about using your platform to amplify your voice.
To get your story noticed, start by creating a video on YouTube.
“There’s no better way to get your point across,” says the NSW Writer’s Collective’s head of communication, Sarah Jones.
“The more people see it, the more likely they are to give you feedback.”
A video is the easiest way to do this, she says.
“People will respond to it if they know what’s going on.
That’s the beauty of YouTube.”
She’s not wrong.
With an average of 1.4 million videos uploaded every day, it’s a massive platform to reach millions of people.
You don’t need to be a professional writer to get noticed on YouTube, as the company is currently working with thousands of writers and directors on the platform.
“It’s all on the writers, so if you have an idea that someone might like, you’re welcome to put it on YouTube,” Jones says.
If your story isn’t seen by many, you’ll need to take matters into your own hands.
“If your video has no comments, that’s a great opportunity to make a video of yourself saying ‘I’m not happy with the way I wrote this’ or ‘I think I’m being unfair’,” Jones says, adding that if you are a new writer, you should also be aware of the YouTube rules.
“That’s when the rules are changed and the videos can be removed.”
“You have to be careful that the story is something people want to read,” she says, so “the video has to be relevant and not a soap opera or something that’s going to be shared.”
If your video doesn’t make the cut, you can always try to make your story public.
If people want more information about your story, they can always follow your channel on Facebook or Twitter.
“I’ve had people who have sent me a few hundred dollars to watch a video about a movie, so I’ve had them watching the video and getting interested in the book,” Jones said.
“They’re always interested in it, but if they don’t get to read it, they won’t be able to see it.”
“I’ll always put a video up because that’s the only way that I know to get the attention of people,” she adds.
If all else fails, you could also try your hand at your own writing.
“You can also try to create an online podcast, but I don’t think you’ll be able make money off it,” Jones advises.
If that doesn’t work, Jones suggests making a short film that’s fun to watch.
“Some people have the patience to do that, but it’s not a very profitable venture.”
You might not need to do anything creative, but you can at least try to use your platform.
You can get more attention for your work if you create a video, write a short story, or create an animated GIF, says Jones.
You’ll also want to use a video platform that’s easy to navigate.
“One of the things that people don’t realise is that they can upload videos from their phones,” she said.
That way, when they’re watching your video, they don, too.
“As soon as they start seeing it, you’ve got the potential to go viral,” she added.
A few weeks ago, the NSW Writers Collective staged a strike to highlight issues of unfairness, with over 700 writers and director taking part.
“We are calling for fair representation of Indigenous writers, and for writers to be able write for their voice,” says Jones, adding she’s hoping that the strike will give writers an outlet to voice their grievances.
“Now that the strikes are happening, we need to find a way to have a meaningful dialogue about the state of Indigenous writing.”
Jones is hopeful that the NSW writer’s collective strike will provide an avenue for writers of colour to discuss their issues, but she also believes that it will create more pressure for writers on the state level.
“This strike has given writers a platform to voice themselves and talk about their own issues,” she hopes.
“But also to talk about the ways in which they’re being mistreated.”
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