Our holiday was incredibly grand and we sure didn’t like seeing it end! We had friends, family, games, snow, too much Christmas candy and much, much more! As I write this, I can still hear the Christmas wreath outside, tapping against the window in the wind. I need to remember to ask Frank to take those down. While he’s at it, he’ll also take down the outside lights. I’m ashamed to admit those are still up, too!
I’m noticing a disturbing trend. At least once a week now, I’m contacted by an author who is seeking a self-publisher that actively markets their book for them…for free.
Hi Angela,
I just want to drop you a note about an article I read. It is by Melissa Mayntz, and about writing resolutions, which I am keeping a copy for future reference. I thought it was great and I’m going to use it to remind myself who I am and what I do! Just a thank you and kudos to the author.
Sincerely,
Ang Dee
As a writer, I am constantly barraged by Internet advice on how to market your book. Unfortunately, most of the suggestions are geared to non-fiction. Many also urge me to “research the market” to find the perfect subject.
I dismiss – and delete – these ideas as NA: not applicable. They hold no interest for me. Nor would they be of any value.
A local publication owes me $325 and change for several stories of mine it published in October and November (originally scheduled for September, but they cancelled that issue). Over the past six weeks I’ve received probably a half-dozen promises that payment was forthcoming (“at the end of the week”, “next week”, “overnight by Friday”, etc.). Finally, after much frustrated follow-up, I received an e-mail from the publisher saying that advertising has been slow (which I knew), he is owed a lot of money by advertisers, he hasn’t taken payment himself in three months and he hopes things will be better after the new year.
I’m sympathetic, but this doesn’t change the fact that I’m owed money for work I did at his request more than three months ago – and a portion of what I’m owed is even repayment for an expense I incurred at his request.
Do you have any tips for squeezing blood out of a turnip, as it were? What is my recourse? Is there any binding way for me to make sure that when money does come in to him, he pays me before he pays expenses for a next issue?
One not-so-ordinary day, I opened my email to find a request that I write an abbreviated cookbook proposal for a book packager. The book packager planned to use the proposal to attract a publisher; if the cookbook was a go, I was promised the job of writing it.
I had not pitched this idea, nor had I ever worked for this company. I wasn’t even clear on what a book packager did.
What was so extraordinary was that the company found me – online.
Our holiday guests have departed (sniff) and we are officially “on vacation” for the rest of the week, recovering from the mayhem.
Please be careful on New Year’s Eve, everybody!
Angela
BOOK PROPOSALS THAT WORKED! Real Book Proposals That Landed $10K – $100K Publishing Contracts – Want to read real book proposals that landed these contracts? Simon and Schuster – $100,000; Berkeley Books – $25,000; Osborne-McGraw-Hill – $19,500; Random House $15,000; and many more! See a complete list here: https://www.writersweekly.com/books/3332.html
QUERY LETTERS THAT WORKED! Real Queries That Landed $2K+ Writing Assignments – Want to read real query letters that landed these contracts? Woman’s Day – $2,800; Redbook – $3,500; Ladies Home Journal – $3,000; DiscoveryHealth.com – $2,000; Lifetime Magazine – $3,000; Life Extension Magazine – $6,480; Natural Remedies – $11,300; and many more! See: https://www.writersweekly.com/books/1409.html
Is This a Scam?
In all likelihood, the situation the writer presented is a scam. Many people posting items for sale on the internet are being contacted by people allegedly located in foreign countries. The scam has 5 main stages:
1. The seller is contacted by someone from another country. This person offers to buy a large number of items.
2. After several email communiques, the buyer states he will send a check to cover the purchase.
3. The check arrives, but is for far more than the purchase cost. There is also a letter advising the seller to deposit the check in seller’s bank account. The seller is to keep the enough money in the account to cover the purchase cost plus 10% service fee. Seller is then to withdraw the overpayment and send it to some third person. This third person will use the money to arrange and pay for shipping.
4. If the seller follows these instructions, seller will receive notice in about three weeks from his bank that the check bounced.
5. Seller is then obligated to pay the his bank back.
Scott
Many writers are stressed at the end of the year, not because of holiday parties, last-minute shopping, or a second batch of cookies, but because it’s time to plan next year’s writing progress with the dreaded New Year’s resolutions. Instead of getting stumped on the same “write more, write better” goal, these 31 writing-related resolutions – one for every day of January – offer ideas every writer can embrace for a productive and profitable new year.
I turned on the television one day to find a famous journalist contemplating his retirement. “What will you do with your time now?” asked the interviewer. “Well,” he answered. “if you look in Writer’s Market, there are hundreds of trade magazines. I’m going to start at A and work my way through to Z.”
