Articles

Rock Your Book Talk! Do’s, Don’ts And Tips By Susan Sundwall

Published on April 22, 2015

Rock Your Book Talk! Do’s, Don’ts And Tips By Susan Sundwall

These days writers must sell themselves, it's a given. We've got to look for and latch onto any opportunity to self promote. Book talks are an excellent way to do it. Senior citizen groups, local service clubs, libraries, schools, and writers groups all have a frequent need for speakers and we must serve - if we want to sell, that is. Of course the first step is informing everyone by phone call, letter or email of your availability to speak. Then, as the dates pile up, you'll need a plan... …

From Vacation To PAYcation: Writing and Selling Your Travel STORIES By Eric D. Goodman

Published on April 15, 2015

From Vacation To PAYcation: Writing and Selling Your Travel STORIES By Eric D. Goodman

If you're like me, you love to write in part because you love to explore. One of the few things I enjoy as much as exploring new territory in my fiction and nonfiction writing is exploring new places in the world. I love to travel almost as much as I love to write. Years ago, I decided to combine these two passions.…

13 Mistakes To Avoid While Writing Your Bio By Devyani Borade

Published on April 2, 2015

13 Mistakes To Avoid While Writing Your Bio By Devyani Borade

Biographies are invaluable to a writer. A strong bio makes a strong impression and is a powerful tool to advertise and sell the writer's writing skills. A good bio can lead to repeat business with editors whose attention is captured, a loyal readership whose interest is retained and new clientele whose imagination is piqued, which is great for your business and credentials. And writing a good bio should be a piece of cake for a wordsmith. Yet writers often stumble at this important task. …

How Do I Get Magazine Editors To Respond To Me?! By Logan G. Harbaugh

Published on March 18, 2015

How Do I Get Magazine Editors To Respond To Me?! By Logan G. Harbaugh

As writers, many of us feel the same things as we try to get the attention of the editors we believe would be a perfect fit for our submissions. As someone who's been doing this for more than 20 years, and has also worked as an editor on occasion, I'd like to offer a little perspective... …

A Writer’s Revenge: A Dish Best Served Cold By David Wilkening

Published on March 11, 2015

As an underpaid adjunct English-Journalism professor, I always looked desperately for concrete examples to enlighten my students why good grammar was not just a theory in principle but actually paid off. Little did I know then that I would need to heed my own advice. Not only did my own suggestions help me avoid cheats but I also got some revenge (a mild dish served sort of like a cold turkey sandwich)... …

How To Turn Life-Changing Events Into A Niche By Teresa Bitler

Published on March 4, 2015

Niche never crossed my mind in the ICU waiting room. At the time, I could barely understand what had happened. Old people had strokes, not 49-year-old, otherwise healthy men, and certainly not my husband. Whatever had just happened, I told myself, it was a temporary thing. He would heal and we would go on with our lives. Unfortunately, that's not what happened... …

Tax Tips For Freelance Writers By William Pepe

Published on February 26, 2015

In my 40-plus year career as an income tax preparer, all too often I would find that clients who were trying to earn money as self-employed, or as freelancers, but were not successful did not realize that they could deduct their expenses (losses) against their other income... …

5 Digital Products That You Can Create And Sell By Reginald Gates

Published on January 21, 2015

You're dragging along as a writer and you're doing pretty well. You're making a comfortable living from your skills - and working hard for every cent. But, wouldn't it be nice to start earning some passive income? Wouldn't it be great to create something with the skills that you already possess (writing) that will keep on generating income month after month? Maybe you're not at the point in your career where you're able to just write up a full-length book. That's okay because there are some low-or-no-cost digital products that you can make right now, and sell on Amazon, your blog, your website, or wherever else... …

Are You Too Hard on Yourself? By Katherine Swarts

Published on January 14, 2015

Writers are dealt a tough hand. We see little early correlation between effort, talent, and profit; we slave over details until our eyes water, just to expose ourselves to criticism. Small wonder that Googling "writers as masochists" returned more than 3 million results. But, are you more of a masochist than necessary? Are you criticizing yourself more than the critics, demanding more of yourself than any editor would? …

Make Money Publishing Your Own Subscription-based Newsletter! By Lori Parr

Published on November 25, 2014

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... …

Spin Coverage Of One Event Into Numerous Articles! By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant

Published on November 19, 2014

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... …

How To Give A Writing Critique…Without Losing Friends! By Cortney Matz

Published on November 12, 2014

How To Give A Writing Critique…Without Losing Friends! By Cortney Matz

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... …

How To Edit Your Book Before You Submit To A Publisher By Rickey E. Pittman, Bard of the South

Published on October 22, 2014

How To Edit Your Book Before You Submit To A Publisher By Rickey E. Pittman, Bard of the South

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.…

How To Compile Your Existing Articles Into A Book! By Christine Laws

Published on October 15, 2014

How To Compile Your Existing Articles Into A Book! By Christine Laws

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.…

Why I Fired My Agent, And Turned To Self-Publishing By Anonymous

Published on October 8, 2014

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...…

6 Ways To Kill Your Freelance Writing Career Before It Begins By Shanon Lee

Published on September 24, 2014

6 Ways To Kill Your Freelance Writing Career Before It Begins By Shanon Lee

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... …

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... …

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