Published on April 9, 2014
writing scams
How can we fix the glaring inconsistency of expecting writers to work for free while everybody else receives payment? Well, editors can either pay the writers or writers can move on to publications that do pay. Sometimes, editors do not seem to understand the unfairness of this policy or, at other times, writers sell themselves short. I wrote the following allegory to expose the issue, and to encourage fairness for the work that writers do…
Published on April 9, 2014
What is your view of publications that charge a fee just to submit work through their online submission portals? I notice many of the literary journals are now charging around $3 to submit, justifying that it’s what it would cost for postage, administrative fees, and to help pay writers, like this quip from a lit journal:
“We charge a $3 submission fee, which is the postage that would be needed for a submission. This helps keep us in business…”
Published on April 9, 2014
Most author advice suggests getting out in the world and getting up in front of your book’s real-live audience. I am not going to contradict this advice because I know the benefits of public speaking, making appearances, and teaching workshops at conferences first-hand. If you are a first-time author you need to get out there, get seen, and mingle with your audience, period…
Published on April 2, 2014
I was kind of hoping one of our adult children would eventually buy a boat. Turns out my patience paid off…
Published on April 2, 2014
self-publishing
Uh oh! You’ve been invited to speak at a conference in four weeks and they’re going to sell your print book to attendees. What do you do?! Most POD publishers don’t offer a rush or expedited print publishing service but a few do. Who gives the best deal? And, more importantly, will you get your books on time?!
Published on April 2, 2014
I used four BETA readers for my new novel, choosing two writers and two book club members. All are voracious readers and know me, and they don’t pull punches. From all of them I got different, but equally insightful comments. I paid them with thanks in person and sent Thank You notes after the revise expressing my gratitude for the individual’s unique contribution. Each also will be mentioned in the Acknowledgements. I am wary of paying BETA readers, and would not use one unless recommended by a trusted writer friend.
Sarah Bates
https://www.sarahbatesauthor.com
TWITTER: @Bateswriter
Published on April 2, 2014
writing tips
Craigslist, often vilified, if treated with respect, can make you money. In a double-barreled approach, a freelancer can post ads soliciting business or respond to ads seeking freelancers. The cost – only the time spent managing your account.
Published on March 26, 2014
No, I did NOT run a 5K. Our son, Frank (age 21), did. Mason and I went with him and we had a wonderful time! I’ve never been to one and I somehow envisioned a couple hundred runners racing down a few downtown streets. I pictured myself sitting at the finish line to get Frank’s picture as he broke through a yellow ribbon. I was SO wrong…
Published on March 26, 2014
self-publishing
Tempted to sign up with one of those P.O.D. publishers that are claiming to be FREE? You’ll first need design experience so you can layout a professional book interior, and create a professional cover.
In addition, if you really want to get your book published for “free”, in some cases you can forget about having an ISBN (which online and brick and mortar bookstores as well as libraries require), forget about being distributed by Ingram, the world’s largest book distributor, which distributes book listings to online and physical bookstores across the globe, and forget about a lot of other things as well, including a print proof to check before your book goes to market…
Published on March 26, 2014
As always, I LOVE reading WritersWeekly each week! Thank you for being such a strong voice and source of support for writers. This week’s Masonism was so cute — and VERY true!
Dawn
