My first connection with the Internet came in 1993. Together with a fellow reporter, I devised a definition for the World Wide Web for inclusion in a newspaper story. Little did I know then what a major role the Web would play in my life. …
Wouldn't it be great if the corner convenience store sold roadmaps? Not the kind for planning vacations, but the kind that tells you how to go from a wannabe to a successful published writer in a few short years? I didn't have that luxury …
I am a 27 year-old woman who has always enjoyed the buzz of print journalism. My freelance writing career started two-and-a-half years ago with a chatty e-mail to a former colleague, an editor of two trade magazines. I asked how her recent wedding went. We swapped gossip about our colleagues at the trade publishing company where I had once worked as an assistant editor on a transportation magazine. I mentioned I had just started a part-time job at an organic farm and environmental education center in California and was considering freelancing. She wished me luck. …
I have an article that refused to die. You know the type I mean - the writing that every member of your family loves unreservedly, he piece that your friends said proved you were (funny, clever, wise, sophisticated, intelligent - insert your word of choice)... …
We all have a story we want to tell. Maybe we have lost a parent or a loved one and realize we can…
From the day I decided to freelance, I knew that a column was the best option for me, that I would thrive on having a goal each month; I am the Queen of Goals. No kidding! …
I spring from a long line of farm wives. Pie baking rather than language or communication served as the measure of a woman's worth in my family. When I felt the tug to do something less domestic, less traditional, support and encouragement evaporated. …
In putting my photographs out into the world, I found that writing went hand-in-hand with it. I had to define who I was and what my art meant. I had to instruct others on how to achieve similar results. Quite frankly, I was thrilled. My dream job would combine writing and photography. I wanted to talk to people about having their picture taken and find out what was important to them. What ensued allowed me to pursue writing and photography as their own entities, sometimes allowing them to combine. …
Eight years ago I left university armed with a degree in politics, a handful of short stories and very little else. I knew I wanted to be a writer but I had nothing to write about. So I decided to forget about writing for a while and went traveling instead. …
Eight years ago I left university armed with a degree in politics, a handful of short…
I've been freelancing for eight years, following retirement at age 65. It was difficult getting started even though I had accumulated some clips through involvement with the PTA and entering a couple of contests. I had also served as editor for a community newsletter, and edited a book on Arizona pioneers. …
I’ve been freelancing for eight years, following retirement at age 65. It was difficult getting started…
I was a busy technology/telecom freelance writer during the dot-com boom. When it went bust, so did many of my newspaper, magazine and corporate clients. …
I was a busy technology/telecom freelance writer during the dot-com boom. When it went bust, so…
I wanted to share with you the art of "following the dream" of writing. I've just published my first novel called, Jacob's Dream - The Vision. It is a tale about a man who answers his dream and finds his ultimate purpose. And, the process of following my own vision to write this story taught me a very important secret of successful writing. …
I wanted to share with you the art of “following the dream” of writing. I’ve just…
Long ago, if anyone had told me I'd be doing what I'm doing today, I'd have laughed really hard. I still have to pinch myself as I roll out of bed and meander to the computer in my PJs to work. Writing is the best job in the world because it gives you the freedom to be your own boss, make your own decisions and enjoy the successes. But, it didn't happen all at once. It took a lot of goal setting, work, perseverance and dreaming big! …
Long ago, if anyone had told me I’d be doing what I’m doing today, I’d have…
In the past few months I've gotten writing assignments that I didn't have to grovel for! This to me is the true sign of success -- but it hasn't always been that way. The reason people are now calling me or emailing me is because I reached out to them first. …
In the past few months I’ve gotten writing assignments that I didn’t have to grovel for!…
Most of my writing is concentrated on poetry for children's magazines. Several months ago I found myself in what appeared to be a no-win situation. The children's magazine market was shrinking, rates were dropping, and many more of the publications were insisting upon buying all rights. I needed to find a way to get as much bang for my buck with each poem as possible. But, how was I supposed to do that? …
Most of my writing is concentrated on poetry for children's magazines. Several months ago I found myself in what appeared to be a no-win situation. The children's magazine market was shrinking, rates were dropping, and many more of the publications were insisting upon buying all rights. I needed to find a way to get as much bang for my buck with each poem as possible. But, how was I supposed to do that? The answer was sitting in my inbox. I receive a monthly educational ezine geared towards those who teach pre-k thru sixth grade. I'm not a teacher, but I subscribe to the newsletter to shed light on new activities to do with my three small children. As soon as I looked through my current issue, I thought of a possible solution to my problem. …
There's a myth that if you self-publish, traditional print publishers won't have anything to do with you. I am living, breathing proof that you can self-publish and translate that into a traditional print publishing contract. …
This Saturday, August 16th, a family movie titled, Miracle Dogs, will premiere on Animal Planet. The movie is "inspired" by my children's book, Annie Loses Her Leg But Finds Her Way and stars my dogs and book characters, Max and Annie as well as Kate Jackson, Rue McClanahan, Stacy Keach, and other human beings. You might ask if making a movie based on your book was exciting, fun, and most of all, profitable. The answers are yes, yes, and NO (at least not yet). …
Though I've dreamed of being a writer since I began penning my first verses around the age of 14, it's been bad luck that's enabled me to begin my career as a freelancer. I recently took a flying leap of faith into a full time freelance career, though the circumstances that led up to my decision to do so were a little extraordinary. …
I'm a homeschooling mom of four kids. The oldest two are now attending a public high school where my husband teaches upper level mathematics. I've been writing reviews, articles on parenting, and helpful how-tos for about 14 years now. Most of that time, I've had to juggle managing the home, the homeschooling, and life in general with my writing, I long ago discovered that writing for 30 minutes each day produced quite a lot of work. …
It's probably no surprise that the question of whether a writer should write for free in order to acquire clips is the subject of intense - and often heated - debate in the freelance writing community. …
Like so many other things in my life, I came by a writing career the hard way. …
From my window in Brooklyn, I can see Manhattan's shiny, silver Financial District over the rooftops and through the trees. When I worked as an Assistant Editor at a national women's magazine, I hardly ever looked out my windows-I missed the sunny part of the day anyway. But when my magazine folded and I found myself with a bit of severance pay, I decided to open the curtains. …
I have to confess that when I come across a situation that I don't know how to handle, my first instinct is to run to the bookshop or the library to find a book on the subject. My husband jokingly claims that I don't take a 'pill for every ill' but read a 'book for every situation'. And if there isn't one...well there is a market staring you straight in the face. …
When I began my freelance writing career, I was sure that my first article was my ticket to the big time. I sent it off to a women's magazine. …
Attending my first Christian writers' conference five years ago, I heard all sorts of rules: Always send an SASE. Write what you know. Study several issues of a magazine before querying. Query the little publications first. Write for free to get clips. Nurture your contacts. Anyone willing to work hard can be a writer. …
I am a part time small business owner and a part time freelance writer. If I had to choose between the two, I'd choose the later, but that's not quite an option. Yet. I've been seriously putting my ink scratches to paper for almost a year now and have been amazed at my own success. My aim was supplementary income, but being paid to write can be addictive and enormously satisfying. …
