Articles

DO THEY WANT MY BOOK TO FAIL?! When Traditional Publishers Treat New Authors Like (Bleep) By Anonymous

Published on August 20, 2014

As I look back, I am stunned that the ignorant inquiries I made to my traditional publisher and literary agent did not create waves of guffaws and rollicking cackles. Upon the release of my first book by a traditional publisher, during a conference call, I queried the publisher and her henchmen about their promotional plans. Would there be some sort of tour maybe? A round of book signings in a few large cities perhaps? A few flights and hotel stays, at the publisher's expense, of course, in the pursuit of boosting book sales? Silly me. The nerve! A publisher spending money promoting a new author's book? Ha... …

Writing Without Your Office By Melissa Mayntz

Published on August 6, 2014

Writing Without Your Office By Melissa Mayntz

Every writer has certain tools they rely on daily, from reference books to cached webpages, to stacks of notes, to file templates. When those tools are unavailable, productivity can plummet, and with it, a writer's income, unless you take careful steps for the time you must spend away from your office. Whether you are traveling for business or pleasure, for just a few days, or a longer trip, it is possible to keep working no matter how far away your office is... …

The Rule of 5 for Writers By William Ballard

Published on July 23, 2014

I learned the concept of the Rule of 5 at a seminar, "The Rule of 5 for Leadership," by John Maxwell. Since then, I've heard the Rule of 5 for just about everything. The Rule of 5 is a list of the five key things that you must do every day in your business, in your writing, or whatever goal you may be pursuing... …

Nautical Notes: Boating Magazines That Welcome Freelancers Aboard By Cyndi Perkins

Published on June 18, 2014

Nautical Notes: Boating Magazines That Welcome Freelancers Aboard By Cyndi Perkins

Story opportunities are as densely packed as the crab traps that blanket Florida Bay. For the nautically minded writer, opportunities abound wherever mariners are enjoying their boats - or not enjoying their boats, i.e.: treating stinky waste-holding tanks, fixing balky engines or extricating the entangled lines of those pesky crab traps from propellers... …

Getting and Giving a Second Chance By Christine Laws

Published on June 4, 2014

A friend had recommended me to a curriculum publisher. Could I revise workbooks for fifth-grade science? I said that I would give it a try, and soon a big box appeared on my porch. I eagerly delved into the materials: course samples, manuals on how to design curriculum, workbooks to revise, and the fifth-grade science textbook. The cover art featured a wise-looking owl. Was I wise enough to rewrite ten science workbooks? …

Price Yourself Into New Business By Amy Lorenzo

Published on May 28, 2014

A price sheet - a list of specific projects and their costs - is a handy tool for any writer. Creating one prepares you to give "back of the napkin" estimates. And, any experienced freelancer knows that when a prospect calls about a 400-word blog article, you can often win the business by providing an immediate answer when she asks "What's it going to cost?" That's great when reacting to inquiries, but did you know that a price sheet can be highly effective for proactive marketing? Here's how... …

Are You Stuck? Two Very Simple Steps For Getting That Book WRITTEN! By Mike Martin

Published on May 14, 2014

Congratulations on making the decision to write your book. But if you are like me, you really don't know where to begin. I remember getting frustrated, a little angry, and then just plain stuck. If that's happened to you, then here are two simple first steps that you should consider to get unstuck and get your book written... …

Authors Who Have Been Scammed by Publishers By Anonymous

Published on May 7, 2014

The number of scammed victims is the best kept secret in self-publishing. In writing groups, large and small, fellow authors sit with dark secrets and, like the elderly woman down the street who hasn't told anyone she sent all her savings to a fake online preacher, you won't know who they are. Protecting their fear of being labeled gullible, and subjected to pitying glances, they help unscrupulous self-publishing companies to flourish... …

6 Steps To Self-Publishing Success By James Palmer

Published on April 30, 2014

6 Steps To Self-Publishing Success By James Palmer

Everyone wants to know the "secret sauce," the precise steps they must take to become a successful self-published author. While there are no hard and fast rules that will work equally for everyone, here are six basic commandments for self-publishing success... …

Where to Find the Best Article Ideas! By Burton H. Wolfe

Published on April 23, 2014

One of the frequent topics popping up in magazines devoted to writers and writing is how and where to get ideas for stories, be they fiction or non-fiction. That should not be a problem for anyone who intends to be or is writing for publication. It is for many writers because they are looking into the skies for the big literary bomb to be exploded in hype they can peddle to the highest paying markets. That is a mistake... …

7 Ways to Quickly Write Books (That Don’t Suck) By James Palmer

Published on April 16, 2014

7 Ways to Quickly Write Books (That Don’t Suck) By James Palmer

In these days of indie publishing, the more books you have out there, the more money you can make. But, how can you write faster? Can you really write books quickly that don't suck? By following the strategies below, you can churn out multiple novels a year and get them out to your readers. Here's how... …

FLEEING UNFAIRFIELD: An Allegory Exposing Unfair Pay for Writing Services Fleeing Unfairfield By Christine Laws

Published on April 9, 2014

How can we fix the glaring inconsistency of expecting writers to work for free while everybody else receives payment? Well, editors can either pay the writers or writers can move on to publications that do pay. Sometimes, editors do not seem to understand the unfairness of this policy or, at other times, writers sell themselves short. I wrote the following allegory to expose the issue, and to encourage fairness for the work that writers do... …

The Right Way to Find Freelance Jobs on Craigslist By Keith Guinchard

Published on April 2, 2014

Craigslist, often vilified, if treated with respect, can make you money. In a double-barreled approach, a freelancer can post ads soliciting business or respond to ads seeking freelancers. The cost - only the time spent managing your account. …

What To Do And Not Do To Make More Money When The Work Dries Up By David Geer

Published on March 20, 2014

What To Do And Not Do To Make More Money When The Work Dries Up By David Geer

One of the most devastating times for writers is when things seem to be going along smoothly and then the work dries up. As I close in on 14-years of full-time freelancing, I find that now and then, work can suddenly dry up for me just as it does for any writer. Whether the work and specifically whether the high-paying kind of work that I enjoy returns and how soon depends on how I respond to these lulls... …

See Bad Writing Online? Offer to Fix It! By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

Published on March 12, 2014

See bad writing online? Offer to fix it. That's how I've won numerous web content writing jobs from companies. Finding the work is easy. Anytime you're online, take note of sites lacking content or whose content could use improvement. Most of these are the sites of small business owners who likely made the sites themselves with the help of a tech savvy friend... …

Save Your Writing Career (And Your Sanity!) By Knowing When To Quit! By Akil Wingate

Published on March 5, 2014

Save Your Writing Career (And Your Sanity!) By Knowing When To Quit! By Akil Wingate

Sometimes we writers get hitched to the wagon and steed on a blazing trail headed to nowhere fast. That blazing trail for our purposes may be the pipe dream magazine of a bitter editor. It might be a newspaper making due at just the middle ground with no path to better real estate. It may be the dead end online portal for pulp entertainment and sports write ups that don't really get you the Pulitzer you dream of. Whatever it is, eventually you have to have a heart to heart with yourself about your ambitions as a writer. When is it time to move on to greater adventures? That, my friends, is the million dollar question... …

My Websites Were Earnings Thousands Per Month, Until…By Steve Gillman

Published on February 12, 2014

My Websites Were Earnings Thousands Per Month, Until…By Steve Gillman

After I started publishing content online, I got emails from visitors telling me how much they liked my websites. I smiled, sometimes responded, and hit "delete." Later, subscribers to my email newsletters sent complimentary comments as well. I smiled, sometimes responded, and hit "delete." It was almost two years, after I started putting websites and e-books together, before I realized I should save these testimonials. I then added the appropriate language to the "terms of use" pages on my sites, allowing me to use a few lines from any email received, and I set up files to sort the e-mails worth saving. From that point on, I carefully saved hundreds of testimonials, and even used a few once in a while.…

How My Novel Became A Movie! By Dvora Waysman

Published on January 15, 2014

How My Novel Became A Movie! By Dvora Waysman

Possibly the most exciting thing to have happened to me in my long life is knowing that my historical novel, The Pomegranate Pendant, was to be made into a movie. Despite having written 13 books, I never expected one of them to be shown on the silver screen... …

HOW TO MAKE MONEY GUEST BLOGGING – Gloria Surban

Published on December 27, 2013

HOW TO MAKE MONEY GUEST BLOGGING – Gloria Surban

Building a strong portfolio, networking with other writers, and reaching potential clients are the usual tasks that freelance writers continually focus on. Accomplishing these used to mean hours of unpaid work, especially for budding writers. Fortunately, it's now possible to earn money early on in your writing career, or when you're in-between clients, through guest blogging... …

1 … 14 15 16 17 18 … 35