We've been talking lately about how to speed up your writing business. One reason people move slowly toward their goals is the fear of being out of control.

It doesn't take long once your writing business gets into full gear that you make a startling shift. You go from wondering how you'll ever land a writing gig to wondering how you’ll ever get all of those gigs done. (That is, if you've learned a good system to get paid to write - wink, wink!)

If you're like me, it doesn't take much more than one all-nighter to realize how bad it is to have too much work because the business got out of control. The next logical step when you feel like you’re going too fast is to slam on the brakes.

But you can prevent that resulting and inevitable standstill by preparing ahead of time. If you know you have a team of writers who can help you provide excellent service to your writing clients, you can move forward with a lot more confidence because you know you can get the job done. On time.

Last time we looked at designing your writing team. There are millions of people on the planet who can write, but not everyone is going to be a good match for your team. As you get started, you really only need one or two writers that you can trust to help you get the job done. Eventually you might decide to expand, which greatly increases your business's capacity.

So now that you know what you're looking for in a writer, the next step is to know where to look.

The good thing is that writers are constantly looking for work. So it's not like you have to pay a pilot to write your message in the sky, all you have to do is go where writers go. Chances are you'll find writers the same places you go looking for work.

Here's a list of places I have found great writers – some not so great ones, too, but all it takes is a few gems to build a powerful team.

- Guru.com
- Elance.com
- WAHM.com (go to the Moms Who Write board)
- Craigslist.org
- Backpage.com
- Kijiji.com
- Local networking events

A couple of tips on looking for writers for your team:

Be specific.
Now is your chance to explain exactly the qualifications and characteristics of your ideal writing partner. Do you want someone who submits work that’s already been edited within an inch of its life? Is timeliness important? What about originality? Will your writing partner receive credit, or will it be a ghostwriting gig? Will your partner have contact with your client? Does your accountant prefer for you to work with somebody in the US? Do you want to be able to pay by PayPal, or some other way?

Lay your cards on the table. You want to start this writing partnership with good communication. The best way to do that is to be very explicit in your expectations.

Think long-term.
Don't focus on one particular project, but rather on finding a writer you can work with long-term. It's also best to go looking before you actually need somebody. You're a lot more likely to stick to your standards if you're not in panic mode with a deadline looming. It takes time to interview a writing partner and to review writing samples.

Even if you don't have work for your writing partner right away, it's bound to happen sooner or later. If your team is in place, it's like you're creating space for additional work to flow into your business.

Once you find a couple of writing partners, you'll be ready to go. Next time we'll talk about how to work with your partners.