How Do I Know If It’s Selling or Not?

There are some writing sites where you can purchase a writer’s story, and the site owner gets a cut, and so does the writer.
Well, I put one of my previously sold stories up at the site, but I am getting very suspicious of the site owner/editor just because of some things that I will keep to myself for now.

Maxisms

Last week, I told you Max (age 4) said he was pregnant. The other night, he crawled up on our bed, lay down, and started rubbing his stomach and moaning. I looked at him and noticed his face was quickly turning red. I knew he was pretending something and asked, “What are you doing?”

When Someone Steals Your Work

Every week, I get emails from writers who have discovered their work published illegally online. Some of the copyright crooks ignorantly don’t realize they can’t publish someone else’s work online (meaning some people think the entire Internet is the public domain). However, in my opinion, most people know they can’t put someone else’s work on their website, but do it anyway, hoping they won’t get caught, not really caring, and/or deciding they’ll just remove it if anyone ever complains. However, it doesn’t work that way.

Letters To The Editor For March 15th

This Week:


  • Should Ghostwriters Charge Hourly Rate Or Flat Fee?
  • Writer Receives $500 For Unauthorized Use Of Her Work
  • Thanks!

I Didn’t Sell All Rights!

Occasionally I freelance for the local newspapers and, per my contract, I retain the rights to the story. However, I’ve found my stories on “research” sites.
Can I approach these sites for unauthorized use of my work (it’s the “research” part that’s throwing me off)? Until I started freelancing full-time last year I was pretty lax on rights, but now that it’s my sole livelihood, I’m trying to be more vigilant. Any light you can shed on the topic would be
appreciated.

Write What You Live By Kristina Seleshanko

Yes, we all know the old adage to “write what you know,” but sometimes it’s tough to apply in our hum-drum lives. If your day consists of sitting at a desk, with quick trips to the kitchen for Chai tea (as mine does, and yours might, also), there may not seem very many things in your life that editors would be willing to pay for. Still, my career is all about writing what I live.

Whispers And Warnings For March 15th

This Week:

Max is Pregnant

After weeks of feeling the baby move in my tummy, Max (age 4) has announced he’s pregnant, too. His baby is a “grill” (that’s how he pronounces girl) and if you put your hand on his tummy, he pushes it way out and says his baby just kicked you.