I’m a high anxiety type of person and nothing makes me more anxious than something that is beyond my control – namely health issues.
Two weeks ago, I was literally freaking out. I can’t think of a more accurate term. I was too upset to write about it then, but I can write about it now.
This article may be printed/redistributed freely as long as the entire article and bio are included.
While some authors are very happy to let their publisher or an online bookstore do all their fulfillment, there are some entrepreneurs (like me) who insist on doing everything themselves. If you plan to do your own book fulfillment, there are some problems you will likely experience at one time or another from customers who are either malicious…or just downright not so bright….
Dear Angela,
After writing four features in a row for an international women’s glossy, and about to get started on my fifth, I got up the nerve to ask for more money using quotes I plucked from Melanie Bowden’s article, Always, Always, Always Ask for More Money, which appeared on WritersWeekly.com on November 17, 2004. And guess what? They said yes. Just like that.
Thanks, again, for all the advice and support and courage your website offers us freelancers.
Best,
K.
Buying presents is always a challenge for me, especially when it comes to finding the right birthday present. There’s the tried and true-flowers, gift certificates, perfume-but I had a particularly difficult time finding the right gift for my Mom’s birthday this year. She turned 75, and I wanted to do something different for her. When I asked her what she’d like to have, she responded, “Don’t worry about my birthday. I have everything I need.” That is true, and she is able, thankfully, to still provide for herself. Yet, I still felt that it was important to give her something special. Since my husband, boys and I live some distance away from where she is, and the kids are in school when her birthday rolls around, I knew I wouldn’t be able to make it to her home for the day. What could I do for her?
Then the idea hit me. Earlier in the year my Mother made a beautiful bridal shower gift for my oldest niece, her oldest granddaughter. She collected family recipes and put together a book that contained the recipes as well as photos of her and her granddaughter in the kitchen, plus stories that related to each recipe.
Dumb question. I recently submitted an article to a magazine, and it was accepted. At least, they offered the measly sum of $15 via PayPal upon publication (date unspecified). Do I 1) send them a bill? 2) monitor their online mag for publication? 3) wait around and monitor my Paypal account since I gave them my Paypal email address? What is proper etiquette in this instance?
Max has been nursing a cold and I was terrified Mason would catch it. After our ordeal with Mason’s hospitalization when he was 12 days old, I was absolutely thrilled when, at his 2-month checkup last week, the doctor said these 6 magic words, “You have a perfectly healthy baby!”
This article is for all those deadbeat editors and publishers out there who owe writers money. Here’s my advice on how you should or should not react when the press contacts you about your deadbeat status.
This Week:
The real secret to success at anything, whether it be riding a bicycle, getting a part in the school play, getting your novel published or conquering the world, is persistence. The act of persisting means keeping on no matter what tries to stop you or who tells you to give up.
Dear Ms. Hoy:
I would like to know what you think of writing for Chicken Soup for the Soul, A Cup of Comfort series, etc. Is writing for them worth my time and effort?
