I’m not sure how to explain the appeal of searching for documents and details about one’s ancestors, but it seems undeniable that the pull is there. I’ve fallen into the “hobby” of family history research, myself (starting with a first visit to the National Archives during a trip to Washington when I was a teenager), and I’m certainly not alone.
Unfortunately, we had to take a surprise trip to the emergency room last Thursday night. No, it wasn’t for one of the children. It was me.
I’m knee deep in email this week so I’m once again sharing snippets of some of the worst book proposals we’ve ever received. We hope you get a giggle from them like we did. Yes, these are real!
This Week:
Do editors need manners? Do they need to use basic writing skills in their correspondence with lowly writers? Does anyone care if they don’t? I think the answer to all three questions is: Yes.
As a freelancer, I am used to editors and publications stating that they will pay flat fees for a certain word count or pay so much per word, but I have come across a situation that is new to me and my circle of writing friends.
A local business with international contacts is looking for freelance writers. This business does quite a bit of work with government and commercial contracts and the freelance work is for a company publication which will go out to employees and retirees. I have submitted a resume and clips to them and now the department which solicits bids needs to contact me. At this point I will be asked to submit bids regarding the articles possibly based on word length or even number of sources.
How should I approach this as I am unfamiliar with what would be a good market rate and what if they want a bid based on something other than word length or type of article?
Gifford’s opened for the season last weekend and we were very excited. The opening of Gifford’s is a sign that Spring is imminent. We asked Max (age 4) is he remembered what Gifford’s was. His response was a puzzled look.
We received a huge response to our article two weeks ago about the writer who received $500 for the unauthorized use of her work, and an even bigger response to last week’s article, When Someone Steals Your Work. What all authors need to know is that there are not just companies and websites that steal from writers. There is also a growing problem of writers stealing from other writers…
This Week:
If you’re like me, the, “How much would you charge me for this article/project” question brings a clammy coating to your skin and you could swear the temperature in your office just dropped by at least a few degrees. There are several ways to calculate costs. Take into consideration how much research and time will be involved in the completion of the task. Work from there to discover the best way to bill your clients in order to remain fair to them while also remaining true to yourself and your financial needs.
