Published on June 3, 2015
diversify your writing income

As a writer, you have special skills – and a passion for language, too! Oh, how teachers would love you in their classrooms, inspiring their pupils to write, and guiding them with your expertise!
So how about sharing your specialist knowledge and infectious enthusiasm with the youngsters in your local schools, and building up your earnings as you go?
Published on June 3, 2015
author scams

I just received a call from a company called (name removed) and they say they want to promote my book. What do you know about this company?
Published on June 3, 2015
Do you write for children? I know a market that could pay you for years…
Published on May 27, 2015

People near the Florida coast joke about how their friends and relatives want to visit them for vacation because we all live in paradise. I think all our friends and loved ones should just MOVE here…
Published on May 27, 2015
legal

I am currently starting a third novel, and was wondering if legally if I could mention (fictional) characters from other works by name. Would I be able to mention (a very famous cartoon character) that my main character idolizes or would I need written permission from the companies that own those characters?
Published on May 27, 2015
worst book proposals and query letters
Angela,
Never apologize for publishing your “More World’s Worst Book Proposals And Query Letters!” only six weeks apart. I absolutely love them. They invariably evoke a few laugh-out-loud chuckles.
Jacquie McTaggart
Published on May 27, 2015
writing tips

You tell yourself, “Someday, I’m going to write my memoirs” but “Someday” never comes. Perhaps this short narrative telling you how I have cluttered my children’s homes with hundreds of pages of my memoirs will help you get started…
Published on May 27, 2015

The freelance road is an exciting, albeit rocky one. To achieve the goal of publication, you have to be dogged, polite, tough skinned and tenacious. I always wanted to write, but was an environmental scientist in my day-to-day career. So, how did a biologist end up with several freelance writing gigs, enough to keep me busy during my retirement days?
Published on May 20, 2015
On Friday, Richard’s dad is driving in from Texas for the Rush concert this weekend in Tampa. The tickets were a birthday present we got him. On Saturday, our librarian friend, Scott, and his wife, Kelly, are arriving as well. Scott will be attending the concert with the guys (along with our neighbor, Tim). Kelly and I will NOT…because I’m not a big fan of tinnitus…
Published on May 20, 2015
worst book proposals and query letters

It’s only been about six weeks since the last one but we’ve been getting lots of queries and book proposals lately. So, today I’m going to share another installment of our popular column, World’s Worst Book Proposals and Query Letters. Featured are real quotes from query letters and book proposals submitted to us over the past few weeks.