Published on March 1, 2006
Mrs. Hoy,
I’m sure you get many notes of thanks, so here’s just another. I’ve gotten your e-newsletter for years now. I was a writer for a trade magazine in what seems like a previous life. Writing fell off the face of MY planet for over four years and I tucked away the newsletters I received in a nice electronic folder for “someday”.
Finally I’ve picked up some of my old stories and have started seriously reviewing available markets and getting legitimate (and illegitimate) ideas down on paper. “Freelance” is a scary beast with sharp teeth to me, but it would be completely unapproachable without information from WritersWeekly. It gives me the courage I need to go slay the dragon… or at least wave my sword around and get the dragon riled up enough to hopefully provide some flaming rejection letters!
Sincerely,
Toby Linzmeier
Writer/Farmer
Published on March 1, 2006
Angela Hoy’s recent article, Red Flag Phrases To Avoid In Freelance Help Wanted Ads, made me think of another – those ubiquitous ads for “grant writers.” Of course, we know they mean “grant proposal writers,” as the grant writer is the one with the money to give… but who’s quibbling?
Published on March 1, 2006
I enjoyed reading your excerpts from the world’s worst book proposals and it brings up again for me the question of why writers who write badly think they write well. As I’ve participated in writer’s conferences and workshops, I’ve encountered a number of people who fit this category, and it boggles my mind how people can write for years and produce any number of book-length manuscripts without a clue as to their lack of ability. Agents, editors and self-publishing services such as yours must be constantly inundated with queries from people like this. What gives?
Published on March 1, 2006
I began freelance writing as a temporary measure, to help Husband support our five young children. I had noticed that whenever I wrote an irate Letter to the Editor at the Chicago Tribune, it was always published. (In those days, it took little to rev me to irate status.) I realized that if I added a few hundred words, and called it a “guest editorial,” there might be the possibility of a check arriving at some point.
Published on February 22, 2006
Before we knew it, I had three humongous piles of bread dough on the table. We had to remove all but one shelf in the oven because the dough was rising so high. It was actually fun…albeit a bit scary (how big will it grow?!).
Published on February 22, 2006
worst book proposals and query letters
This week, we’re 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!
Published on February 22, 2006
This Week:
- Cheeseball Bottom Feeders
- Convicted Felons Need Not Apply
- Red Flag Phrases To Avoid In Freelance Help Wanted Ads
- Cash in on Newsletter Writing
Published on February 22, 2006
Blogging for profit might be the newest chapter in the book of business models for writers, but phrases like “very part time basis”, “exposure”, and “split the ad revenue” tell the same old story. They are sugar-coated ways of saying “come work for free.”
Published on February 22, 2006
Some say that the three most important aspects of starting a retail business are location…location…location. By the same token, a successful author might adhere to the same concept with, marketing…marketing…marketing!
Published on February 15, 2006
We recently taught Max (age 4) how to use the TIVO controller so he can now rewind and replay his favorite parts of Blues Clues over and over again. However, today, I kept hearing the same dialogue from the television in the other room. I investigated and discovered that Max was watching an eHarmony.com dating service commercial over…and over…and over again (sigh…).
