WHY I KEPT WRITING FOR MY LOWEST PAYING CLIENT – Elizabeth Pagel-Hogan

When I launched my freelance writing career over two years ago, I had no clients and my only clips were from content mills. I needed to start somewhere so I contacted the editors of local newsletters. Finally, one editor gave me an assignment profiling a records storage company in 700 words for $75. The pay was pretty low for the time I’d need to invest, but I said yes. I did my best work, researching the company, asking questions, getting photos, etc. The editor loved the piece and ran it with almost no changes…

WHISPERS AND WARNINGS FOR DECEMBER 18TH

Links to the stories below can be found here:
https://forums.writersweekly.com/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=9341
I’m Your Lawyer, Mr. Grinch
“Thank you, (Mr. Grinch), for visiting our offices to explore the possibility of a defamation claim regarding statements recently made about you…”
After latest shooting, murder manual author calls for book to be taken ‘immediately’ out of print
“It was an accessory in the arsenal of Karl Pierson, the student who opened fire last week inside a Colorado high school, leaving one girl in a coma before taking his own life. ‘The Anarchist Cookbook,’ which Pierson read before his rampage, isn’t a guide to culinary revolution. It’s the original how-to of homicide and mass murder – and sales are still raging, with distribution from the likes of Amazon and Barnes & Noble, even as the work is linked to terrorist acts around the world.” It has sold more than 200 million copies.
fishbat, Leader in Online Marketing Companies, Comments on YouTube’s Increasing Copyright Claims
“fishbat, a leader in online marketing companies, responds to an article published by Kotaku on December 13th, which reports that YouTube’s new copyright claims might cripple professional YouTubers.”
Lawsuit Challenges ‘Happy Birthday To You’ Copyright Claim By Warner/Chappell, Music Giant
“While it is has a place in the Guinness Book of World Records as the “most recognized” song of all time, ‘Happy Birthday To You’ – the full title of the song best known as simply, ‘Happy Birthday’ – is probably the most bootlegged song of all time as well.”
Links to the stories above can be found here:
https://forums.writersweekly.com/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=9341

CHRISTMAS TREE UP, CHRISTMAS TREE DOWN!

We were finally able to round everybody up to go get the Christmas tree. Grampa picked out the perfect one and we raced home to decorate it. I cooked honey baked ham (with Justin’s honey coating recipe), cheesy mashed potatoes, and fried okra while the children had fun hanging lights and ornaments. Just before bedtime, I filled up the tree stand to the rim with water.
The next morning, I walked in the living room and, right in front of me, it came crashing down…

WORLD’S WORST QUERY LETTERS

Today, I’m going to share snippets from some of the worst query letters we’ve received over the past couple of months. Yes, we can learn from others’ mistakes! Featured below are real quotes from query letters submitted to WritersWeekly.com…

WE LOVE OUR READERS!! :)

Thanks for WritersWeekly.com – it’s still the best, most-informative ezine for writers!
Michael

MY P.O.D. PUBLISHER WENT OUT OF BUSINESS. WHAT DO I DO???

I had a book published by (a small P.O.D. publisher) in the US and it has been on sale since Oct. 2011, I have received no royalties, no answers to my emails, and now all emails are sent back. The editing was disgraceful (no errors fixed, etc.) and they took a lot longer than my contract stated to publish it. I have seen no advertising as was promised. In fact, they did not adhere to any of their contract. I have cancelled my contract, but they are still selling it on Amazon and other similar sites. I really don’t know what to do about it. I’m completely at my wit’s end.

WRITING INSTRUCTORS ARE NOT ALWAYS CORRECT! – BURTON H. WOLFE

Usually, the moral of a story is told at the end. I will tell you the moral of this one at the beginning: If you believe in your own ability to write for pay and your sense of where to send you work, listen to your inner self and let no one, no matter how experienced and successful in publishing, dissuade you from what you believe will work…

WHISPERS AND WARNINGS FOR DECEMBER 11TH

Links to the stories below can be found here:
https://forums.writersweekly.com/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=9339
Spanish publisher pulls sexist ‘joke’ book
“A Spanish ‘joke’ book derided as sexist has been pulled from the shelves amid threats of a lawsuit from a women’s group.”
Tom Cruise’s $50 Million Lawsuit: Magazine Publisher Wants Him to Pay Their Legal Fees
“Lawyers for Bauer Publishing are asking Magistrate Judge Jacqueline Chooljian to order Cruise to pay $35,000 in legal fees associated with his attempt to tie the company to alleged anti-Semitism in his lawsuit…”
Creative Revenge P*rn Charges Filed In California
“The Attorney General of California announced today that her office is seeking criminal charges against the operator of a “revenge p*rn” website…”
Former interns battling to change the culture of US work
“Lucy Bickerton sued a company that she interned with – and won.”
Links to the stories above can be found here:
https://forums.writersweekly.com/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=9339