Let's face it: as a writer competing with millions of blogs, in a very crowded niche, the last thing you want to do is stand out in a bad way! And, many of us are too close to the problem to be truly objective... …
Every author needs an audience, and there's no reason why you can't start building one right now in your own backyard. What follows are five easy steps to get you started... …
You've seen them lining the shelves in the kids' section of your local library. Perhaps your own children read them. Simple books that teach, explain, examine, and enthusiastically describe the world to children one simple subject at a time are everywhere. Luckily for us, someone needs to write them... …
We have all been there. We have poured over websites for writers, submission directories like Writers Market, and WritersWeekly.com to find that next freelance opportunity. There are many magazines to write for, both online and off, especially now that the Internet has blossomed and bloomed, but the trouble comes in when writers try to find actual paying work... …
A couple years after creating my garden service, I spent a long, dormant winter crafting and conniving an effective means of training my clientele to eventually take over my job one day. What better way to insert my opinion and unsolicited advice than a complimentary newsletter? It was brimming with the most basic, practical information... …
Is it worth the effort spending two hours covering an event, two hours on the road driving, and time to write the piece? Yes, if you can write more than one article from the experience. Most periodicals want something fresh, so if you take the same theme but approach it from a different angle, you're golden... …
A friend/colleague/stranger announces they have written something. A song, a story, an article for the school newspaper. And, not only have they accomplished this feat of scribtacular virtuosity, but...they want to know what you think of it. Cue the dramatic horns of horror... …
Reverse sticker shock hit me at the rise of freelance blogging. Were online publishers serious about offering just $10 - 20 per article? …
Unless you’ve been living under a rock since 2006, then you probably already have a Twitter…
Ernest Hemingway said that it is in the editing process that most writers break down. Hemingway was ruthless in editing his own work. One biographer I read said Hemingway edited everything he wrote up to thirty times. I have taught freshman composition for many years. I tell my students that good writing is rewriting, refining, and finding those little demon typos and errors that can damage the quality of what is written. Don't be discouraged or surprised if your POD publisher encourages you to hire an editor.…
We have all heard that there is a potential book within each one of us, just waiting to be written. But, what about the book that you have ALREADY written? That book could be hiding in your hard drive, ready to be copied and pasted into a folder of its own.…
What encompasses more than half the battle of getting a book published? Obtaining a reputable agent. Some would argue those are kind odds about the reality of the game. I'm here to impart that it is a game, of the shell variety, a three-way chess match in which the unaware writer is the pawn...…
The summer morning started with a frenzy of packing paper goods, dashing to the ATM for…
Starting a freelance writing career can be challenging. Creative careers often attract individuals fueled by passion, without the business acumen to sustain their efforts. Learning how to attract and retain clients, while remaining fulfilled by your work, is a delicate balance that can be achieved by avoiding these common beginner mistakes... …
Trawling through the web for websites that give you the opportunity to earn money writing about culture-related issues can be like trying to find a word in a manuscript...amongst a hundred pages. …
A few weeks ago a writer friend suggested that I check out one of her favorite publications. On the surface it looked promising. The journal presented itself as a socially conscious, humanitarian outfit. However, the writers' guidelines told a different story... …
Has someone recently told you it's okay to grab, alter, and republish someone else's material from Pinterest or another website? If so, you should be very wary of that individual's ethics and so-called expertise... …
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... …
Your byline is important, not just in its frequency of appearance, but also in how it affects your income. Some writers operating writing businesses use a name other than their own if they pen web copy or advertising, for example. But for some types of writing, such as periodicals and books, your name is your brand identity... …
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... …
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... …
Having just completed another very successful "book signing" in a large venue setting, I would like to offer some pointers for authors that have had limited or no success in selling their books at the various library or local artist sponsored book signing events.…
If I make it, will they come? It's a question a lot of writers have when they're working toward establishing an online presence. …
I used to think that Print-on-Demand (POD) publishers sold their services only to desperate writers not good enough to win a contract with a traditional publisher. I learned differently when I explored the publishing world more closely. …
One way to increase income is to write and sell more. But, how do you overcome inertia? Consider what excites you... …
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... …
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? …
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... …
There is a way to effectively market yourself as a writer for free, and promote your services to thousands of people, all with only a few minutes work per day. Of course, I'm talking about comment marketing. …
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... …
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... …
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... …
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... …
