So, what makes a good article lead? Think of your article or query lead as the front porch, hotel lobby or gateway to your article. It must attract, captivate and keep the reader. Don’t write such a boring lead that your readers (and the editor) never make it past the second paragraph.
Like many freelancers, I’ve seen my income drop sharply in the last couple of years. However, last summer I developed an effective recovery strategy to increase my article sales. My strategy is a variant of the tried and true technique of building on success by approaching an editor with a new article proposal after she has accepted one of your manuscripts for publication.
I realized last night that I no longer have to crawl up on the counter to put the serving dishes away! Now, I can call Ali to put them up there for me! She’s the tallest one in the family, even taller than her older brother, Zach. And, he is NOT happy about that, let me tell you!
No letters this week. Sent your letters to angela (at) writersweekly.com.
One overlooked area of science fiction and fantasy writing is novels and stories set in role-playing game worlds. While they don’t get much critical attention, some of these novels have reached bestseller lists, and their writers have gone on to publish original works.
In December 2002, I decided to become a freelance writer. I came to the profession with no formal education in writing, and I had no contacts in the writing industry. I believed that I could be a good writer because, at the age of seven, I wrote my life story. And, I have continued writing ever since. I am also an avid reader. The fact that I am a married middle-aged mother with two young children did not deter me.
We’re having one of those weeks. Max has been very ill. Frank has started coughing again (he’s been sick for a couple of weeks now), and I’m coming down with my third bug since Christmas. This morning it was 9 below zero, his morning it was 9 below zero. Frank missed the bus, Percy (the dog) threw up on the carpet, and then van wouldn’t start…
~Frozen Nose Hairs~
For many years, “nose-hair-sticking-together-cold” has been a term I use for the kind of weather you are describing. You step outside the house, encased in your state-of-the-art thermal protection, take a breath and ZINGO…
~Oh My!~~
I hope I don’t offend you by saying this, but . . . oh my Gosh! Last week’s article looks like it was written by me
All kinds of scams are committed everyday. We read in the newspaper and see on television about people of all ages being taken advantage of by dishonest persons. But I never thought I’d be a victim of a well-known New York agent. I hope you haven’t experienced what I did several years ago. I still get a sick feeling whenever I read about the people I put my trust in.
Even though I lived there, I’m embarrassed to admit that I failed to see the obvious. It was only after a friend asked me when I was going to write about the tornado that the light bulb nearly blinded me. I got busy, conducted over 70 interviews, tracked down photographs, and ultimately self-published a 130-page book titled Manti Tornado Stories. Copies sold right out of my hands!
