At 17, I wanted to write, but knew intuitively that a writer needs life experience.
When friends pursued journalism or English degrees, I studied forestry — something I know nothing about, though I’d always wanted to.
Getting good grades was easy – it was the forestry jobs that proved elusive. So, since I’d earned tuition money working as a nurse’s aide and was interested in health, I next went to nursing school.
About two months ago, when there was still snow on the ground, I lovingly set out my pots and my dirt and my seeds. Max helped me gently lay each tiny seed in each pot, and gently cover it with soil. We bought a special spray bottle so we could mist them gently, each day, giving them their nurishment. Once the seedlings emerged from the soil, reaching for the grow light Matt and Frank installed for me in the mudroom, Max and I fed them organic fertilizer. And, they grew. Oh how they grew! Each day, they were taller and more proud. Some reached for the grow light while others reached for the winter sunlight streaming through the window.
So, your book is finally being published! Congratulations! If you’re like the rest of us, you envision yourself walking into your local bookstore and seeing your book on the shelves. You start to plan book signings and appearances. And you dream about how big your first royalty check will be! But, if your traditional publisher is a small one…or even a new, unestablished POD publisher, how long will it last, and how much money and time could you lose?
“I think most artists create out of despair. The very nature of creation is not a performing glory on the outside, it’s a painful, difficult search within.” -Louise Nevelson
It’s been said to us many times. After hearing that you write for publication, there’s that coworker, relative or friend who will say with such ease, “Oh, yes, I would like to write, too. Everyone tells me I’m great at it. But I’m just busy with so many things now.”
Hi Angie,
I was looking at the ad from Blue Mountain Arts, Inc. in your latest issue .I have always considered greeting cards as a potential place to sell, but need some clarification. This statement, “Buys exclusive rights for all greeting cards. If a work is used only in an anthology, the writer keeps the copyright.” is the one that confuses me. If they buy my idea, does that mean that I can’t sell it anywhere else or just to another card company?
Thanks,
Sandy
Print on demand (POD) books rarely appear in bookstores, so sales usually must come through websites. But how do you get people to notice your book among the other millions of books listed on Amazon.com?
I was working in the living room one day last week when I heard a “pop” and a howl from Mason. I instinctively KNEW what had happened! I flew into Ali’s room and found Mason on the floor, a puddle of drool on the floor in front of him, and Ali’s plugged-in cell phone charger cord lying about six feet away from him. Ali was supposed to be babysitting, but she left him alone in her room. And, I’ve told her a thousand times to never, ever, EVER leave the end of a live cord on the floor…
I have a confession to make. A couple of weeks ago, I looked up the rate of inflation over the past few years. I discovered that inflation has risen 20% since 2000. While we hadn’t raised our prices at booklocker.com during all that time, we also hadn’t raised the rates we pay freelance writers at WritersWeekly.com. I was mortified and embarrassed. Why hasn’t anybody complained during all these years? We made an immediate decision.
At WritersWeekly.com, we are raising our rates 20% for features and 33% for success stories…
Angela,
Loved your comment to the reader complaining about literary publications saying they cannot afford to pay since they don’t carry ads. These publications get my goat. Even as nonprofits, they are required to operate in the black. They are required to have a budget, and they function as a business with all the expenses and issues of the for-profit publication down the street. The for-profit would go under if it could not pay the bills. Why not the journals?
