PWA’s 2023 “ Get A Gig ”
Cash Writing Challenge

***Official Guidelines***

Basic Timeline & Eligibility:  

1. The challenge is open to all current PWA members (no registration required, and past challenge winners are welcome to enter again).
2. The Get A Gig challenge officially begins April 1^st.
3. Your activity period ends July 31^st.
4. When the activity period is over, write an essay based on your experiences.
5. Send your essay to pwamonthly@awaionline.com by 9 am (Eastern) on Tuesday, August 15^th to be considered for prizes.
6. Winners will be announced via press release and in our News & Notes e-letter.

What can you win?

This year, PWA will be awarding two $500 prize packages, for a total of $1,000 up for grabs in this challenge.

Winners will have their essays published on the PWA site for the community to enjoy, and be featured as a “Member Spotlight” interview. Further, each winner can expect to see their success announced in our News & Notes e-letter as well as in news items and press releases that may appear on the AWAI main site and elsewhere. In terms of the cash portion of the prize, winners can expect their funds to arrive via paper check for our US members and via PayPal for international members.

The challenge theme & how it works:    

The “Get A Gig” Cash Writing Challenge is a chance for YOU to earn something extra for landing brand-new clients… and PWA’s going to help you win.

Here’s how it works…

You can find fresh clients, new gigs, and even new jobs in many different ways. So many ways, in fact, that PWA members sometimes tell me they feel overwhelmed before they begin — too many choices!

One way to beat the overwhelm and get results? Join a short-term group challenge. You focus your energy for a short time, have the group on your side for accountability and support, and have the chance to see real change in your career.

So, our 2023 group challenge theme is centered on landing you a new project, new client, or new job.

It follows a “Learn, Do, Review, Report” model.

First, you’ll learn about an approach to getting writing jobs that’s working right now.

• One approach is based on “warm prospecting” and gives you the potential to earn fast paychecks as a writer from people you already know
• Another approach shows you how to combine prospecting methods to land fresh work AND put an end to the feast-or-famine cycle for good
• And our last approach shows you how to successfully land full-time writing work with some of the world’s top employers — even if your writing career is just getting started

You’ll have access to sample client-getting messages, checklists, and make-this-work tips for each approach. Plus, as they’re presented to you, the working writer currently championing each approach will be joining us for a dedicated conversation to help you understand how to make their approach work for you.

The next step? Pick the approach that you feel is the best for your personal situation, and put it to the test!

In this “Do” phase of the process, you won’t be alone. Through our LinkedIn community, you’ll be able to connect with other writers trying the same approach to swap tips and encouragement or even find an accountability partner. I’ll also be standing by to answer questions, point you toward relevant PWA resources, and cheer you on.

The “Do” phase officially ends on July 31^st. Of course, that doesn’t mean you need to stop trying things out… you’re welcome to keep going on your own, especially if you’ve found an approach that’s working for you! However, for our challenge, it’s time to hit pause and review your experiences with your approach of choice so far, reflecting on where things went well and where there’s room for adjustments.

Your reflections, experiences, and insights will form the basis of your Get A Gig challenge essay — the “Review” and “Report” phase.

What I’m looking for in your winning essay…

The essay is my favorite part. This is where you have a chance to share how you put the client-getting method you chose to the test in your own writing business, and what happened next.

Your essay (2,000 words MAX) should cover:

• What it was like to test out each client-getting approach
• What actually happened — and please do submit an essay even if things don’t go well, or you don’t land a client inside our limited contest period —testing & trying is part of the writers’ journey!
• What you perceive as the strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities of the experience
• Any shifts in your ongoing business you’ll make as a result of this challenge
• Any tips or takeaways for other writers who may be in a similar place in their careers

Send your summary to me as a document file (.doc or .docx) attachment at pwamonthly@awaionline.com by 9 am (Eastern) on Tuesday, August 15^th. Use “Get A Gig Challenge” as your subject line. Be sure to include your full name and contact information in your email.

All final report essays received on time, in the correct format, will be eligible for challenge awards.

Questions? Reach out to me, PWA Director Jen Adams, directly at pwamonthly@awaionline.com for the fastest answer to your question. You can also post questions in the LinkedIn community throughout the challenge period.