When It’s Okay to Write About Personal (Tough) Stuff, and When It’s NOT! By Ann Hauprich
My fingers trembled as I hammered out a first-person story on a manual typewriter at my…
Published on January 21, 2016
My fingers trembled as I hammered out a first-person story on a manual typewriter at my…
Published on January 14, 2016
In today's high-tech and uber-connected society, times have sure changed. You are now more likely to find details on a breaking news story on Twitter well before one of the major networks breaks it. Digital media has taken over newspapers and magazines, and long gone are the days of only the select few authors hand-picked by publishers getting book deals. Nowadays, just about anybody can self-publish in digital and/or print format.…
Published on January 7, 2016
As a corporate blogger, I am always on the hunt for new ways to find potential clients. Have you heard about PRWeb? It's a highly visible press release service that allows companies to publish their news releases to the web.…
Published on December 31, 2015
The agencies we work for tell clients we want to hear their ideas, even though these ideas are often (bleep). But, let's remember two things. First, the client probably feels like their idea is amazing and they're likely proud of it. Second, they're the ones paying the invoice. Hurting their feelings means hurting the project and your reputation. …
Published on December 23, 2015
Writing essays for publications that publish strictly according to specific themes or theme lists can be…
Published on December 17, 2015
LinkedIn is a great resource for potential writing client contacts. However, it often goes untapped.…
Published on December 9, 2015
The next-best thing to getting cash for your writing is receiving something you otherwise would have paid for. In addition to cash, I have been paid with food, massages, auto maintenance and much more. I am a mystery shopper.…
Published on December 4, 2015
An intense love for writing can certainly breed openness to receiving ideas. Inspiration often comes out of nowhere-music, dreams, and maybe even from people-watching. The influx of ideas could be so great at times that honing in on just one may be a problem. In fact, I'd been guilty of pushing a story idea away, putting one off as if it weren't as "worthy" as the rest of them. The problem is, sometimes that shelved idea could be the one that may start it all.…
Published on November 27, 2015
Writing from personal perspectives can be a powerful way to connect to an audience that is familiar with your story. Since writing creative nonfiction is a combination of journalistic skills and storytelling abilities, there are vast opportunities to publish your work. This involves personal memoirs, cultural criticism, documentaries, poems and literary journals.…
Published on November 10, 2015
The conference was less than 12 weeks away, which left less than a month for the actual authoring.…
Published on November 5, 2015
I’m on the recliner in my family room, crouched over my laptop, taking advantage of those…
Published on October 29, 2015
Writer overboard, writer overboard! Which scalawag turned him into a fish? It wasn't anyone in the crew, you say? Then who the devil thought the poor lad made a better anchor than a sailor? Ah, the compass points to the three biggest obstacles of writing income, also known as the three devils of writing. They are the most terrifying monsters to haunt the seven seas of writing and stop many a talented writer from earning the income he deserves.…
Published on October 21, 2015
Many writers need planning to be easy, expedient, and effective, or else it just won’t get done. Microplanning is the solution ...…
Published on October 15, 2015
Six months after our initial conversation, I finally got a "complimentary" copy of the book in my hands, and couldn't wait to curl up with it and a good cup of herbal tea. When I opened the book and started to skim through it, my heart sank. Though the stories were interesting, diverse and truly moving, what captured my attention was not the quality of the essays, but the shabby presentation. …
Published on October 8, 2015
It's important to take steps to protect yourself and your loved ones from stalking and harassment. There have been documented cases of stalkers who have showed up on writers' doorsteps, called them at work, and even physically assaulted them. …
Published on September 30, 2015
When training was complete, the editors bragged about how much money I could make. I would have to be available for weekly meetings with the editors where we would discuss upcoming articles. My writing would have to stay above par ...…
Published on September 23, 2015
A couple of days ago I published my 100th erotica story and, this month, I received my biggest check yet - for a little over $10,000! ...…
Published on September 16, 2015
I devised a plan to supply my services to lessen these bloggers' loads while maintaining their sanity. As an “idea person” with endless energy (not to mention a few “Top Blogging” honors for my creativity), I decided to pitch a few fellow bloggers and small business owners to help them generate ideas and keep them on track by formulating Editorial Calendars ...…
Published on September 9, 2015
When you think of writing gigs, crowdfunding campaigns probably don’t come to mind. However, the crowdfunding scene is a market largely untapped by writers. If you can break into it, you can make a nice profit, and help others at the same time ...…
Published on September 1, 2015
Could you, not your publisher, get sued for your book? What about fair use? How many ways can an author get sued???…
Published on August 25, 2015
As writers, we notice copy. We notice it everywhere. Sometimes, we notice it because it appeals to and inspires us. But most of the time, as professionals with a great appreciation for the effective written word, we notice it because it's mediocre, or just plain bad. However, in these moments when you find yourself rewriting poorly worded copy in your head…
Published on August 18, 2015
Most writers have business cards to pass out to interested readers and writers, but what about business postcards? A writer is in business, after all, not only to let others know about their latest book but to sell it as well. Investing your money in postcards becomes valuable the minute you hand one to a potential reader ...…
Published on August 12, 2015
With these eight strategies you can boost your freelance career by utilizing the most effective websites and online services to become more accessible, more marketable, more widely read and with a greater chance of landing new clients to generate more money than ever before!…
Published on August 5, 2015
Every good writer should be a good salesman as well. Argh!…
Published on July 29, 2015
As a freelance writer, you may have given up on traditional budgeting advice. Personally, I've been supporting myself as a freelance writer and editor since 1998. I've written 23 books and countless articles, blog posts, and website copy. I don't have difficulty finding work, and yet, I often have had difficulty paying my bills.…
Published on July 22, 2015
"We'll have a check for you tomorrow," the editor told me. The next day, I returned to the newspaper's office only to find the office completely vacated. …
Published on July 15, 2015
If you're not writing blogs or working in social media, you're missing out. Is that blunt enough for you?…
Published on July 8, 2015
Here are eight ways to imagine markets for your writing...and fatten your bank account too.…
Published on July 1, 2015
It happened again today. Inside the pile of mail I hauled to my kitchen to sort, I received an unsolicited book from an author who hoped I'd review it for my 250-plus newspaper and magazine clients...…
Published on June 24, 2015
There are two types of people in this world: Those who can edit and those who can't... …
Published on June 3, 2015
As a writer, you have special skills - and a passion for language, too! Oh, how teachers would love you in their classrooms, inspiring their pupils to write, and guiding them with your expertise! So how about sharing your specialist knowledge and infectious enthusiasm with the youngsters in your local schools, and building up your earnings as you go? …
Published on May 27, 2015
You tell yourself, "Someday, I'm going to write my memoirs" but "Someday" never comes. Perhaps this short narrative telling you how I have cluttered my children's homes with hundreds of pages of my memoirs will help you get started... …
Published on May 20, 2015
In 2006, I was spending my weekend sitting in a cubicle with four elderly women arguing about the proper step-by-step process every representative should be trained...…