Published on May 4, 2005
Seeing my name in print gives me a boost to keep writing and to keep pitching. On a whim, several months ago, I Googled my own name along with the words “Rome” and “Italy” to see if anything I had written was still online. I lived in Rome for two years and most of my published work has come from that experience. When two unsold entries popped up in two different publications, I was shocked, then furious. My work had been stolen!
Published on May 4, 2005
A literary agent wants to represent a children’s picture book that I have written. However, I am required to get it professionally edited at my expense plus have an illustrator draw up some sample pictures, also at my expense. They will provide me with an acceptable list of editors and illustrators. From there, the agency will try and place my work with a publisher.
Something doesn’t sound right here. It’s my understanding that a reputable agent shouldn’t charge a reading fee but what about a professional edit and sample illustrations?
Published on May 4, 2005
When do you know for sure that you have made it as a freelance writer? Is it that burst of incredulous joy when you land your first assignment? When you hold your first book in your hand and smell that crisp new-book smell? Maybe it is the first time you answer the question “What do you do?” by saying “I am a writer.”
Published on April 27, 2005
Growing up, my brother, Darin, had the worst allergies of anyone I knew. He was allergic to everything, from the annual Christmas tree (we had to stop buying real ones), to our pet pony (we had to sell him). Thankfully, I never had allergies as a kid. However, it’s getting impossible to blame my annual spring sneezing and wheezing on colds these days…since there are no other symptoms. Richard, too, gets all stuffy around this time of year, though he didn’t as a child. Unfortunately, it looks like Max has inherited our allergies, though quite early, at the age of three.
Published on April 27, 2005
Angela,
I used your letter! I had previously sent numerous e-mails to a publisher dragging his feet for payment that was promised in February. After I sent your letter, two hours later I had a sweet reply with a “sorry” on top! And a week later…behold, the check appeared.
Thank you so much!
Sincerely,
Janene
Published on April 27, 2005
I’d held onto the brief guidelines for Landscape Magazine for months with the intention of dreaming of
Published on April 27, 2005
I recently ran into a distressful writing situation and, while I feel I handled it the best way possible, I would welcome your thoughts. Perhaps this experience may help someone else.
I have “ghostwritten” several articles for a number of business clients. While there is always a level of “challenge” in writing these–mostly because of “executive egos”—I’ve been able to help several clients successfully place their stories in a variety of publications.
The last project I worked on, however, was a nightmare. One “co-author” (executive) would say use example X; the other “co-author” (executive) would say not to use example X. One said the story was “dry”; when I re-wrote it to be more “lively” the other “hated” the new version. I was getting caught in some kind of political crossfire; nonetheless I tried to maintain a respectful and responsive tone at all times.
After several frantic rewrites I called my “assignment editor” and told him what was happening. I emphasized that, while I appreciated how seriously the executives were taking the project, I needed to know exactly how the story was to be written.
Published on April 27, 2005
In Bleak House, Charles Dickens coined the phrase “telescopic philanthropy.” It stands for the phenomenon of failing to see what occurs in your own back yard before setting your sights on more exotic locales. As a writer, I suffered from it and neglected my local markets for too long.
Published on April 20, 2005
Late last week, we were starting to wonder if we’d ever get home. Between the heater leaking gobs of coolant all over the passenger side carpet, steam filling up the cab, being stranded on a highway median, getting towed, getting repaired, and then having the RV break down again the very next day, it was quite an adventure!
You can read about last week’s adventures in detail and see photos at: https://www.wirelesstrips.com
Hugs to all!
Angela
~Do You Remember… Doo Bee Doo…~
My next class, How to Remember, Write and Publish Your Life Story, starts on May 2nd! Classes are a LOT of fun and we have a ball sharing our childhood memories while using the course memory triggers to record our memories in chronological order. The class is easy and FUN, only costs $40, and runs for six weeks. To read more or to sign up today, see: https://writersweekly.com/wwu/courses/memories.html
Published on April 20, 2005
I was contacted this week by a writer who was stuck in between an editor and her interview subject.
She wrote an article, on spec, for a magazine. The editor sent a friendly note back, rejecting the article because its focus was too local. The magazine has a statewide readership.
The writer graciously thanked the editor for his time and asked him to contact her if he ever needed her services. He agreed.
The writer then reported to her interview subject (one of her instructors) that the article was rejected and why. The interview subject got very upset and demanded the writer contact the editor for more information about the “real reason” the article was rejected.
