I’m a self-employed writer and I’m a terrible boss to myself. It’s an act of God that I somehow never miss a deadline, because I definitely value quality over efficiency in my home office. Why can’t I ask myself for both? …
Rates are an often overlooked part of the four “Ps” of marketing – Product (or service),…
It is an exaggerated understatement to say a writer abroad without internet has a problem. But, although conventional means of acquiring internet access may not be an option, there is always a workaround.…
We were often told not to eavesdrop as children. As a writer though, eavesdropping is the quintessence of good fiction. It gives us a bird’s eye view of other people’s voices and their melodramas. We hear their inflections, their accents if they are from a different country, and get the chance to obtain information about their life. This adds another layer to our characters as we begin to build their profile. It also makes our fiction more relatable; fiction editors are more prone to publish and readers are more inclined to read.…
So you’ve written your book. My sincere congratulations and kudos. It’s not easy, and takes a…
If you've been on the fence about writing a book, go for it. You'll be glad you did. Landing a publishing contract is another story, but, the bottom line is that if you never try, you'll never know. You don't want to be sitting in the 'ole retirement home at 90 thinking what might have been. You're capable of doing more than you think. All it takes is some organization, both in your thinking and your productivity, and a story that your audience is interested in learning more about. Command of your language du jour is rather helpful, too.…
The dark water racing under the bridge contrasted sharply with the yellow and orange leaves riding atop the ripples. Balding maple trees shadowed the riverbank while the remains of a cornfield rustled violently in the cold wind. Standing on the cobblestones by his trusty wooden cart, he shivered. It was going to be a bad winter but they were well prepared. Suddenly, a strong gust brought the sound of maniacal laughter. He stepped quickly to the back of the cart, and threw back the burlap cover...…
Take one look through your LinkedIn connections and their profiles and it becomes increasingly clear how bad some people are in the English language. Someone should help these folks and straighten out their grammar and their, they're, there's. What I've figured out through some inquisition and experimentation, is that most business people would gladly pay to have us professional writers rewrite their profiles and even ghostwrite their published posts for them.…
Fortunately, I found BookLocker, who published NLD From the Inside Out in both POD and ebook formats, with a generous royalty rate. Angela and Richard and their whole team provided excellent customer service: helping me navigate all the pitfalls of a novice author, and even went to bat for me when Amazon.com started causing problems for publishers…
People watching is an essential part of being a writer and lesson in human nature. How this is done is by seeing people’s bad and good habits, distinctive temperaments, tastes, and appearances, and deepest longings and fears. It involves watching people to get an insight into the beauty and rhythm of the community around us.…
Your child has written a book and a number of friends who have read it have remarked that it is great, and should be published. Your child then tells you he or she has decided to become an author, and wants to have the book published. You quickly respond “okay,” and then, realizing what you said, you ask yourself a number of questions: Can my child actually publish a book?…
The millennial generation has famously been dubbed as the “Selfie” generation. While some have contested this…
I used to love flying kites with my kids when they were little. Just yesterday, as I tackled a challenging writing assignment (is there any other kind?), I experienced the exact same feelings of kite-flying. My mind flashed back ten years to playing at the park. First came the weak, failed attempts of trying to get it airborne; the running and throwing, the frustration, the phrases of “this sucks!” or even worse “this will never work.” Then unexpectedly, gloriously, the kids and I got to see the kite finally catch the right combination of wind current and momentum and take off, with no more effort required on my part. I hung on and watched the kids’ cute SpongeBob kite appear to literally dance on air. Then came the inevitable and sad ending. Whether caused by me reeling the kite in because it was time to go or by the wind calling it quits, SpongeBob would crash to the ground with an abrupt thud.…
As life brings me more trials, I’ll “digest” them and turn them into spiritual articles and essays for others just trying to get through the day on this difficult path we call life. God willing. I encourage you to try your hand at writing for God. Examine your life. Read the Bible--or whatever religious guide to which you aspire. Pray about it. I’m sure He will assist you.…
Writing isn’t for wimps, or for those who are sensitive or thin skinned. It’s for writers who believe in themselves and their work, and realize that rejection is part of the business. Even with a thick skin, rejection hurts. Writers labor over their creations, and rewrite, trying to find that perfect word. Our manuscripts are like our babies. We send them out into the world, only to be rejected. Anyone who puts pen to paper knows the sting of rejection. It goes with the territory.…
You can breathe a huge sigh of relief when you book so much work that you're going to be busy for the next couple of months. This allows you to turn off your marketing machine instead to focus solely on client delivery.…
What if I told you there was a great way to attract more readers to your blogs, books, status updates or other writings? What if I told you there was a way that goes beyond great SEO, or in-store book signings? What if I told you attracting more readers is as simple as coming up with a catchy title for your work?…
For those of us whose books are listed on the infinite Amazon platform, working with a ‘900-pound gorilla’ has not always been easy. Small press publishers and authors alike have occasionally had to listen to the temper tantrums of that engorged beast as it flexed its muscles (searching for more bananas, no doubt). As the owner of RK books, I have experienced things that can only be described as ‘Amazon issues’ with one of our titles.…
There are lots of self-published authors out there who have no idea how to write a good book review request! I have read numerous posts and articles from authors claiming they know how to write the best book review requests. The thing is...they are usually wrong. So, I am here today with a few tips for sending in review requests that will hopefully give you more acceptances and fewer rejections.…
Dealing with a heavy editor is not only frustrating but it's a process that can definitely hurt you as a writer as well. Writers already have to deal with insecurities the industry fills us with. We will read a book, a short story, a feature. We may feel down because another writer has written something at a level we believe we will never reach. We will hear about a six-figure author and disappointment will knock on our door, especially when we are dealing with a cash flow issue.…
Let me save you a little time on your freelance road trip and bring you closer to a profitable writing career by sharing the common wisdom that didn't work for me — and what eventually did.…
When writing for a livable income, it can sometimes feel like you're navigating through harsh and unforgiving waters. On the left, you have the sharp, jagged rocks, and in every other direction, you have enormous waves crashing over your deck, calling you to the bottom. One wrong move and your salary will be feeding the sharks and man-eating squid. Argh! What does a writer do to fight back when his sword has fallen off the ship? Luckily, Ol' Captain Matt Gallus has read enough books to know a thing or two about killing the problem with your bare hands. I'll show you how!…
I had no idea that, when I crafted these family heirloom books, I would soon be earning a decent return for my time and a stream of cash flow for doing something I love to do anyway. It all started when my mom shared her new biography with her neighbor in Florida.…
When it comes to popular human interest topics, pets will always rank high on the list. Their eccentricities, shenanigans, aggravating and heartwarming ways make for many great stories. So, why not write them up, share them with others, and make some money at the same time?…
Do you pen feminist pieces, and need to find a place to sell them? Have you…
Handing over all rights, including copyright, of your work to another entity goes against the grain for many writers. Others, however, don't bat an eyelid. You can always write more, right? So, in which situations does it make sense?…
My hands trembled over the keyboard when I started to write my first entertainment article. Despite my wealth of experience, I was nervous. Entertainment writing is a different animal, I thought. It wasn't until I fully lost myself in the craft that I came to this comforting realization - writing is writing and good entertainment writing is still writing.…
For many, the phrase "freelance writing" conjures up images of famous magazines on a newsstand. Often the best-paid work, however, comes from companies that aren't in the publishing business at all. They're commissioning articles as part of their content strategy, to either connect with their customers or improve their website's search traffic.…
In a previous article, I wrote about Metasearch as being one fantastic engine for finding hidden writing jobs on the web. Well, Metasearch is dead. God bless the departed king. God save the new monarchs. The most meritorious successors, it seems to me, are the following...…
I have been freelancing for over 20 years and I can best describe my love affair with writing as feast or famine. Freelancing provides me with the opportunities to explore the subjects I am most passionate about: women's and family matters, education issues and the arts. The pay is steady and a nice supplement to my income as a part-time teacher.…
We are living in the age of the Internet and writers can now work wherever they want to work, writing for a magazine in California while enjoying a cup of hot chocolate in Vienna. However, having access to a laptop and an Internet connection is not always enough and, sometimes, even talent is inadequate. What if you really were in Vienna with that hot chocolate in your hand, but you could not write a single English word? Exactly, you wouldn't write for a publication in California. Or would you?…
I hurled the newspaper aside, appalled by the writer's shoddy treatment of her subject, humiliated by her failure to proofread and, even more, profoundly disappointed. I'd trusted this fellow word-slinger, and she let me down...…
I dropped out of school, went back several times, and after a series of jobs and "careers," which resulted in an extensive collection of hairnets and nametags, I finally got serious about being a writer, and figured out the first obstacle to working at home full time: money.…
