Letters To The Editor For June 13th
- We’re Raising Our Freelance Rates!
- Dog Germs and Lessons Learned
- Trying to Set an Example!
- From the 1st Place Winner of the Spring 24-Hour Short Story Contest
Write Through The Crisis: Finish The Novel First By Alice J. Wisler
“I think most artists create out of despair. The very nature of creation is not a performing glory on the outside, it’s a painful, difficult search within.” -Louise Nevelson
It’s been said to us many times. After hearing that you write for publication, there’s that coworker, relative or friend who will say with such ease, “Oh, yes, I would like to write, too. Everyone tells me I’m great at it. But I’m just busy with so many things now.”
Confused About Rights…
Hi Angie,
I was looking at the ad from Blue Mountain Arts, Inc. in your latest issue .I have always considered greeting cards as a potential place to sell, but need some clarification. This statement, “Buys exclusive rights for all greeting cards. If a work is used only in an anthology, the writer keeps the copyright.” is the one that confuses me. If they buy my idea, does that mean that I can’t sell it anywhere else or just to another card company?
Thanks,
Sandy
Marketing My P.O.D. Book, The Second Great Depression – 3000 Copies Sold! By Warren Brussee
Print on demand (POD) books rarely appear in bookstores, so sales usually must come through websites. But how do you get people to notice your book among the other millions of books listed on Amazon.com?
Dog Germs and Lessons Learned
I was working in the living room one day last week when I heard a “pop” and a howl from Mason. I instinctively KNEW what had happened! I flew into Ali’s room and found Mason on the floor, a puddle of drool on the floor in front of him, and Ali’s plugged-in cell phone charger cord lying about six feet away from him. Ali was supposed to be babysitting, but she left him alone in her room. And, I’ve told her a thousand times to never, ever, EVER leave the end of a live cord on the floor…
We’re Raising Our Freelance Rates! By Angela Hoy
I have a confession to make. A couple of weeks ago, I looked up the rate of inflation over the past few years. I discovered that inflation has risen 20% since 2000. While we hadn’t raised our prices at booklocker.com during all that time, we also hadn’t raised the rates we pay freelance writers at WritersWeekly.com. I was mortified and embarrassed. Why hasn’t anybody complained during all these years? We made an immediate decision.
At WritersWeekly.com, we are raising our rates 20% for features and 33% for success stories…
Literary Pubs Usually Equal Crappy Pay
Angela,
Loved your comment to the reader complaining about literary publications saying they cannot afford to pay since they don’t carry ads. These publications get my goat. Even as nonprofits, they are required to operate in the black. They are required to have a budget, and they function as a business with all the expenses and issues of the for-profit publication down the street. The for-profit would go under if it could not pay the bills. Why not the journals?
So You Really Want a Traditional Publisher? By Judi Daly
Years ago, I’m not even sure how long it was, I decided to write a book. Trail Training for the Horse and Rider was born. By the time I was finished, I knew I had something worthwhile. Not only was it a great book, but there were no other major titles on the subject in the market.
Literary Agent Inquiry
Dear Angela,
A new subscriber to your weekly. You had a similar request for info about paying to have work critiqued. I tried that URL and couldn’t access it, so again the question is…I’ve had one dealing with the Literary Agency Group (LAG) in New York; I paid them to critique a stage play and now they seem to be looking for more money to help get this stageplay ready. Sound kosher?
Many thanks,
Charlie Gourlis
People Need People: The Power of Networking By Kate Wicker
You’ve all heard the old adage before: “It’s not what you know but who you know.” I never put too much stock into that expression. First, the fact that it uses “who” and not “whom” has always bothered the grammar zealot in me. Then there’s the whole idea that no matter how much talent or knowledge you possess, if you don’t have an “in,” you’re not going anywhere. I am a big believer in the value of hard work and I doubt too many people would argue that having talent – whether it’s in writing or throwing fastballs – won’t hurt. That said, I’ve personally scored several writing assignments through the power of networking.