Published on August 2, 2006
Freelancers get ripped off every day. Sites like WritersWeekly.com are filled with stories and warnings about people who simply don’t pay for writing or editing or graphic design work. Sometimes the check just never arrives, but quite often these crooks are more creative and more sinister. Some have honed their skills over many years, and if you were to look into their backgrounds, you’d probably be entertained for weeks just reading about their various scams and deceptions: You’ll find a mechanics’ lien on the family station wagon; cell phones listed because land lines were cut off for non-payment; and frequent relocations in an attempt to keep ahead of creditors. Their entire lives are designed around dodging bill collectors.
Published on August 2, 2006
I am a produced screenwriter (Lost Junction) and have just recently completed a novel (fiction) that I was thinking of self-publishing (after going through the headache of getting a screenplay made into a movie for five years, not sure I want to start over with the tradional publishing venue!)
My question is – does this give me any kind of advantage in self-publishing?
Published on August 2, 2006
How many of us are fortunate enough to transform our (safe) compulsions/obsessions into the start of a passionate vocation?
Published on July 26, 2006
We’ve been to Bar Harbor, on a day-trip to our land, out to a great lunch with author Mark LaFlamme (The Pink Room) and his wife, and to an endless array of restaurants. We’ve been shopping, the women have been cooking together, and the men have been fixing things around the house.
Published on July 26, 2006
Every quarter, we host the WritersWeekly.com 24-Hour Short Story Contest. The first thing you should know is we don’t make a profit on the contest. After charging a $5 entry fee for the contest to the maximum number of contestants (500) and then paying the judges (by the hour), the winners ($300, $250 and $200) and also royalties to authors of books that are chosen as prizes for other contestants, we actually lose money on each contest. But, it is a good publicity tool and lots of fun so we keep it going, year after year.
The best part of the contest is that I get to read lots of great stories!
The worst part of the contest is dealing with disqualified or just plain grumpy contestants.
Published on July 26, 2006
Regarding the question about copywriting courses posted last week:
Hi, Ang.
I’m a senior copywriter at a very large international nonprofit organization. I’ve won a lot of awards; so suffice it to say that I know the business.
With that in mind, I would caution your readers to be VERY leery of signing up for any of those courses unless you find one that charges $200 to $300 instead of the usual exorbitant fees (and, even better, one that’s offered by a local college).
For one thing, getting freelance copywriting projects (not to mention earning a living as a freelance copywriter) is a lot harder than it sounds. No matter how good you are, you have to market yourself incessantly until you’ve acquired steady clients (and even then, you have to keep doing it, as you’ll lose clients from time to time).
So, if you shell out $1,500 – $2,000, you’d better not do it on a maxed-out credit card or expect to recoup that money in a few months. Unless you’re a truly gifted copywriter AND an outstanding marketer, it just won’t happen.
Carol
—
Angela,
Thanks for affirming my gut reaction–that ‘get-rich-quick’ doesn’t come cheap or easy no matter how much I’d like it to.
J.
Published on July 26, 2006
Journalists take serious risks when they report from a war zone. I’ve borne rather nominal scars in my freelance journalistic efforts within Israel, and I’ve learned quite a bit from them. I’m taking time out from my daily life to jot down some thoughts, and to distract myself from the noise of military aircraft overhead.
Published on July 26, 2006
A magazine owes numerous writers thousands of dollars (yep, me included).
I want to warn other freelancers to avoid this firm, but I was told that if I complained, I could be sued for “tortuous influences” (i.e., driving away their business). But if i give you info (or, well, anyone), I can’t stay anonymous. Do i really have to bite my tongue? Is there anyway I can warn writers under an assumed name, or is that impossible? It seems so unfair to the people they are scamming.
Published on July 26, 2006
If you have seen the movie, Last Holiday, with Queen Latifah, then you know how the main character, Georgia Byrd, makes a book of where she wants to be someday in her life. In her scrapbook titled Possibilities, Georgia includes pictures of a future cooking career and of a future husband. She likes a fellow store worker, so his picture goes into the cutout of a groom on the wedding page with her as the bride. She does several things in order for her dreams to come true. Trying to crack the current fiction market is a realistic dream for many of us and can be accomplished if we make our own book of possibilities.
Published on July 19, 2006
Richard’s dad and step-mom are here for a 9-day stay. We’ll be entertaining them during the day on most days and we’ll be working nights to stay caught up. We have lots of fun, touristy activities planned.
