Published on September 2, 2015
A long, long time ago, I was an aspiring freelance writer and a mother of three. I was also in a very unhappy marriage (which is described in my book, The Emergency Divorce Handbook for Women). And, at that time, I was working full-time in the aerospace industry as an accountant. I’d work all day, come home to care for the children, help them with their homework, feed them, play with them, bathe them, put them to bed, read to them, tuck them in, and, then, stay up until the wee hours of the morning, trying to make a better life for my babies. I typed research papers for college students. I did accounting and other office work for two entrepreneurs in town …
Published on September 1, 2015
Hello. Was wondering, if I did not win the contest, can I submit my story to a magazine or other publishing company?
Published on September 1, 2015
legal
Could you, not your publisher, get sued for your book? What about fair use? How many ways can an author get sued???
Published on September 1, 2015
Last weekend was our future son-in-law’s bachelor party in Key West. Of course, Tropical Storm Erika wanted to attend…and not in a fun way.
Published on August 25, 2015
Your new design inspired me to write you WITHOUT asking you a specific question or seeking help of some kind! I’m always grateful that you perform such substantial work for so many writers, including me! …
Published on August 25, 2015
writing career advice
As writers, we notice copy. We notice it everywhere. Sometimes, we notice it because it appeals to and inspires us. But most of the time, as professionals with a great appreciation for the effective written word, we notice it because it’s mediocre, or just plain bad. However, in these moments when you find yourself rewriting poorly worded copy in your head
Published on August 25, 2015
For years, I allowed hosting responsibilities for family birthdays, holidays, and other special occasions to sidetrack me from writing. As a mother of 3, and piano teacher to 25, the needs of my family and regular paycheck always came first, and my writing? Dead last …
Published on August 25, 2015
book marketing
In 2002, my book was published by (a traditional publisher). It’s a book on creative writing for teachers. I don’t think the publisher could afford marketing and I did not have time with my job at a museum. Any ideas for how to promote?
Published on August 25, 2015
This week, for the first time in a long time, I revised our writer’s guidelines. For some reason, we’ve been getting an increasing number of queries that aren’t in any way whatsoever related to writing or publishing. Over just the past weekend alone, I received queries about pets, retirement living, home building, and stocks. Now, I do realize that some publications have titles that may be subtle or even confusing to potential readers and writers …
Published on August 25, 2015
For the past week, we’ve been staying at our daughter’s house. The AC guys installed a brand new unit, but the house wouldn’t get below 80 during the day and it was very humid inside. I suspected something was wrong with the unit or installation. I texted the technician that night and he called me right away, which was nice. He said they’d had a problem with the intake attachment. Sure enough, the next morning they found it had …
