A year ago I purchased a new digital camera. I needed it - not because I'm a travel writer and travel writers need pictures to go along with the stories but because someone or something hacked into my website and destroyed it. I needed pictures of me so my computer guru could build another site. He did a fabulous job so I put the camera away to collect dust. …
While prices may be rising, my paychecks haven't, so I decided to approach an editor I've worked with in the past about the possibility of taking on more assignments. A few days later, I received an e-mail saying that she didn't have anything at the moment but that a fellow editor was looking for somebody to write a piece on how couples struggling with infertility can cope with negative feelings stirred by images of "happy families everywhere." …
When I first caught the writing bug in the Spring of 2006 I had no idea where to begin. Slow days at work were filled googling "writing tips" and "freelance writing" for information and inspiration. All this Internet research lead me to a variety of websites, often with conflicting advice: write what you know vs. write what you like to read; writers must be readers vs. writers must be writers. I was confused, to say the least. But as the vast, intricately linked world of the Internet would have it, just when I decided I was wasting my time, I stumbled upon a Yahoo group for writers that would change everything. …
For most of my adult life, I've felt pulled in two career directions: renewable energy and freelance writing. Though my 9-to-5 job took me into the renewable energy world, I never gave up on my other passion. I sent pitches and articles all over town. On the good days, I received personal rejection notes. These, at least, were better than the generic "this isn't quite right for us" or - even more prevalent - "no response" responses. …
When I first caught the writing bug in the Spring of 2006 I had no idea where to begin. Slow days at work were filled googling "writing tips" and "freelance writing" for information and inspiration. All this Internet research led me to varied websites, often with conflicting advice: write what you know vs. write what you like to read; writers must be readers vs. writers must be writers. I was confused to say the least. But as the vast, intricately linked world of the Internet would have it, just when I decided I was wasting my time, I stumbled upon a Yahoo group for writers that would change everything. …
Picture books rank among the hardest manuscripts to sell, and they can cost $100,000 or more to produce - an expense dwarfing that of the average paperback. Still, I wanted to sell mine. …
Since I try to get most of my work done during the school day, I tend to feel pressure to stay at my desk the entire time. Last spring I hit a dry spell. I kept sending out queries and checking in with my contacts, but nothing materialized. Anxious to make some sales before school let out for the summer, I remained fixed at my computer each day. By day's end I'd be drained and irritable, but nothing was turning into cash. …
If you are a writer, you know it's hard work. It takes patience, persistence, lots of time, an appreciation of the process, it's harder than it appears...and that's the easy part. What does a writer do after you've written something? …
I moved from Seattle to Orlando and, as soon as I settled here, I began writing for a regional publisher, Central Florida Lifestyle, which puts out 12 magazines. I also answered a call for a writer from the Natural Resources News Service (NRNS). …
Like most people, I love making New Year's resolutions. Each December, I take stock of the year gone by and plan ahead, meticulously making lists for each area of my life. At the end of the 2007, my career as a fledgling freelance writer was starting to take shape. The queries were flying out fast and thick and the acceptances were coming in slowly. 2008, I decided, was going to be my first big year for writing. …
In 2004, I wrote The Second Great Depression. No major publisher or book agent was interested, despite my having published two earlier books with a major publisher. The reason they gave was that I was not an economist and I was predicting something radical. So I investigated POD publishing, choosing BookLocker because of their positive reputation and because they were selective in what they published. …
Have you seen me? I'm the lady standing at the magazine rack picking up each puzzle publication and opening it to the masthead page. If I find my name there, I may laugh aloud. If the publication doesn't list contributors, I may turn to the back and thumb through the solutions looking for my work- and I can usually find it. …
Writing for a variety of publications can bring you different kinds of visibility. After Hurricane Katrina destroyed 80 percent of New Orleans, my partner Brenda and I ended up adopting one of the many abandoned cats roaming the streets. This particular mackerel tabby had been following National Guard troops around for weeks, evidently eating whatever M.R.E.s they'd give him. …
I knew I'd be a writer after Mom made a huge fuss about a short story I wrote when I was ten. By 13, classmates wrote in my junior high yearbook: "U will B a grate riter." I'd penned stories, poems, a novel and won a couple of writing contests by 16. At 19, I quit. …
The color green used to mean only one thing and that was jealousy, either as the green-eyed monster or green with envy. Today, however, green has a whole new positive meaning. Green now describes anything that is environmentally friendly. It is a realm that took off a long time ago and left me standing at the airport in my niche of travel writing. …
Many writers - including myself - have big dreams. We want to top the bestseller lists and see our novels made into major movies. We yearn for bylines in "the big time", hoping to see our articles teased on the cover of our favorite magazines. We dream of the day that we can earn our living through our words, something I have achieved after many years as a writer. …
Success is a relative term. I would rather be writing for magazines and my ultimate dream, writing best-selling novels. That's the truth, but here's the reality. I like to eat - not just once in a while - every day. Until my novel is finished, published and on the best-seller list, I must work to support my sushi habit. …
Thirty two years ago, I packed my two babies into the car, drove to a local small town newspaper office and handed over an envelope addressed to the editor. It was a day that changed my life and the lives of my family. It was the day I became a writer. …
Recently I attended a networking event for women entrepreneurs. Now, I'm not an entrepreneur in the traditional sense. I'm not looking for venture capital and I don't need a manufacturer who can produce purses or kitchen gadgets inexpensively. But something told me that it would be a worthwhile event. …
I've never really thought of myself as controversial. As a parenting/health writer, I typically cover fairly straightforward and benign topics like how to sneak veggies into meatloaf or ways to squeeze fitness into everyday life. I have a blog as well, but its audience mostly consists of people (moms!) who happen to agree or at least relate to most of the things I write about (like mothering, homeschooling, and faith). Really, the most explosive topic I tend take on is my baby's blowout diapers. But recently, something unexpected happened to my idyllic writing life. …
When competing with other writers against a call for submissions deadline, I wondered what was the best strategy. Submit early to get in the queue so by the end I'm an old favorite, or submit close to the deadline so my manuscript is fresh in their minds? …
We need success stories! Yes, we're a paying market! See our guidelines at: https://writersweekly.com/misc/guidelines.php …
In December 2007, I read an article in WritersWeekly in which C. Hope Clark talked about book contests that welcome self-published authors. Having just published a women's health book about coping with infertility, I immediately began visiting the websites for the various awards. At that moment, I had no idea how valuable that one article, and my reaction to it, would turn out to be. …
For years, I dreamed of becoming a writer. The hope that somehow, someday, I'd break into the business led to thousands of dollars spent on classes, market listings and books, hoping that I would find the secret to others' success. …
As an active freelance writer, I make it a point to google my name on a regular basis to ensure that my work is not appearing on websites that are not authorized to use it. On one such occasion, I came across a classified ad that was selling copies of my children…
Once you begin selling your writing, you have more than just clips, you have reprints that you can resell many times, and for many years! …
When I'm not writing, my husband Paul and I job-share: he does all the work and I take half the salary. But please don't tell the taxman! (Only joking). As a bonus, I also get to enjoy the perks... …
I dreamt of being a writer since I was a kid in junior high school. I was really into Agatha Christie at the time and fantasized about my best-selling mystery novel being featured in The Washington Post's Book World. I even had a pen name picked out, Angie Gold. Eventually real life kicked in. The dream faded, but I kept writing... …
As a single mother, I was desperate to make some extra money. I tried working a second job, but after I paid child care for my two young children, I pretty much broke even for my time and trouble. Plus, I missed my kids. All of the work-at-home jobs I found turned out to be scams and I truly didn't know what to do. …
Do you remember how, in the old cartoons, Bugs Bunny could fly? That's how I jumped into freelancing - ready for immediate lift-off, blithely unaware that I was "supposed" to struggle and starve for my craft. …
The ability to write a newsworthy story, create interesting leads, edit numerous pages of text, hunt down experts for interviews, or find an eye-catching headline can be challenging for most freelancers. Now add that to a visual impairment and then you have something even more daunting... …
When I published my first book, Making Soap In Your Own Kitchen, I was brand new to book marketing. Heck, I wrote the book to teach myself how to write and publish a book! …
At 7 a.m. on the morning of May 14, 2001 I kissed my kids goodbye and my husband of 16 years drove me to my second job. That was the last time I would ever see him... …
