What should I send? That's the question so many writers ponder when asked to "send clips" or "writing samples." At first it seems as if the answer should be quite simple, a few of your best samples that fit the topic. But then you stop and wonder what else they may be looking for...…
People using the Internet to hire a writer often feel reluctant paying a stranger in a remote location for work, but you should not have to submit something on spec that you cannot possibly sell elsewhere. What's a writer to do? …
Document conversion, rewriting and reformatting documents to make them suitable for different media, can be a useful source of income for freelancers.…
I've always identified myself as a writer. Only recently have I come to admit that I'm also a blogger. I blog about writing, about the love of literature, about all things literary. But the truth is, I blog to sell books... …
As freelancers, we all appreciate how valuable our time is. The less time we spend chasing work, the more time we can actually spend writing. Like most freelancers, I peruse the Internet in search of projects on a regular basis. Over the years I've secured a variety of assignments for a number of different publications through this means... …
Whether it's a phone call, email or letter, eventually negative feedback from interview sources comes to every published writer. It may feel satisfying to whip off a caustic reply reeking of sarcasm, but this type of response won't improve the source's attitude about you or your publisher. Here's how you should respond to negative feedback to pacify irate sources, defend your work and present yourself and the publisher in the best light. …
Thanks to the Internet, anyone can claim to be a writing teacher and post a website full of pages, promises and long-winded verbiage on how much they can help writers. But what is so often lacking is a little thing called "credibility," as in experience and education.…
Okay, I don't think anyone names their dog, cat, hamster or whatever Fido or Fifi anymore, but maybe that title caught your eye because you love writing about animals, as I do. We currently own a fifteen-year-old Springer Spaniel, and have owned several cats and other dogs. We also deal on a regular basis with local wildlife, which includes white tailed deer, possums, crows, foxes, rabbits, and the occasional black bear. And don't even get me started on my new found love of hummingbirds. Many of my encounters with these animals serve as fodder for my eager pen... …
Advertorials provide information about products or services but are written in the style of an objective magazine or newspaper article. Advertorials provide readers with descriptions of new products and technology, overviews of new developments in a certain industry or assessments of the impact of government programs and new regulations on their business. These can be just as journalistic as any other article... …
Like many freelance journalists, I began my working life trapped in an office job I detested. The gray cubicle walls that surrounded me for eight hours a day Monday through Friday were not only claustrophobia-inducing but creativity-squelching. I always knew I wanted to be a writer, but had no idea where to begin. My cubicle days became numbered when I came across a course in magazine writing offered by George Brown College in Toronto... …
"Someone broke into my car." "She's late again." "Why would anyone say that to a friend?" Frustration surrounds us whether we are in preschool, tenth grade, or an adult out in the world. But did you know that your emotions can be channeled to write articles that sell? Unpleasant real life situations can be created into pieces that actually benefit others... …
Having a salesman call on a customer can cost hundreds of dollars in expenses. A long-distance phone sales call can be costly, too. But a prospect can be reached for about fifty cents through an ad in a trade magazine. In today's business marketplace where businesses need to stay lean to stay competitive, effective business-to-business advertising is a must... …
Writers should consider paneling for profit. No, I'm not advocating a side job doing home improvements. Writers tend to be primed for discussion panels. …
Death stops everything. And I don't mean just in the person who's died. It stops normal activity for however long it takes for those involved to recover. It's especially hard on the creative mind because, like it or not, for those of us who count on imagination to survive, there's often a high price to pay - like no productivity for months... …
When a fellow writer first encouraged me to apply for a grant from our state sponsored arts council to fund a trip to a writer's conference, I thought she was nuts. But when she told me that she'd used artist grant funds to finance two different trips to out-of-state conferences already, I started paying attention, and asking questions... …
Did you know that the number of people studying English worldwide is estimated at around one billion, and that this number is projected to grow considerably? What does this mean to you as a writer? The market for writers of educational materials is growing, too, and your writing can be a part of that growth. …
Nobody sets out to fail but, for the freelancer, there are some key elements that will deliver the best possible service and happy customers... …
I've written quite a few business and company profiles in my seven years of experience as a freelance writer and journalist. This means I've had to interview many CEOs, executives and owners of small- and medium-sized businesses. Although the question list varies according to the specific style of the magazine and the unique qualities of the business and business owner, there is definitely a core set of questions that I tend to slip in during each interview... …
In case you had not noticed, America is getting older. And while that might cause alarm for some people, for freelance writers, it is time to dance a jig. Why? Because with the so-called "graying of America," the opportunity to write for health markets has "exploded, and reached an all time high." And it will continue to grow and grow and grow... …
The American Society of Journalists and Authors holds an annual writers conference each spring in New York City. One of the three days always intrigues me. It's the day in which they have what is called the Personal Pitch. This is an opportunity for writers to meet face to face with editors, publishers and agents and pitch ideas for books, blogs, articles or whatever they have to sell. Pitches need to be concise as this is almost akin to speed dating, except we need not determine that we both love walks on the beach... …
An editor or client will likely ask for your fee someday. It's a heady moment, but keep your wits about you. You don't want to mess this up, especially if the project will take awhile, or represents a stepping stone to more work. …
If you're like me, I try to include sidebar options in my queries to improve my chances of having my query accepted by editors... …
Before I launched my freelance copywriting business, I spent three full months planning my escape from corporate America. (Four months if you count the month I spent over-thinking whether I should quit my day job . . . or not.) I read Peter Bowerman's book, The Well-Fed Writer, cover-to-cover. Twice. I built a website and created an online portfolio. I converted my rarely-used formal living room into an office. And I planned my business implementation strategy. These early efforts paid off. Within 90 days of starting my business, I had replaced my full time income... …
Guidebooks, restaurant reviews, advice for backpacking and luxury vacations alike...to most people, this is what springs to mind under the travel writing umbrella. And, of course, the notorious narratives by Paul Theroux, Bruce Chatwin, and other famous travel authors. Educational travel writing, however, is a niche that fewer people are familiar with... …
No wonder I had not received any response. The story was indeed being written, only it was not being written by me. …
After I've sold three or more articles to an editor, I will sometimes telephone an editor to find out why she has turned down my latest query. Sometimes when I finish the phone call I've made a sale. The tactics I use to accomplish this depend on why the editor rejected my query. Sometimes the editor tells me that she does want an article on a subject but prefer it be slanted differently. We discuss the slant she prefers. Sometimes when we hang up I rewrite my query giving her the slant she prefers. When I do this I usually end up with an assignment. …
Almost every profession has one or more professional societies dedicated to the career and specialized knowledge interests of its members. Many of these organizations publish magazines dedicated to these interests. These magazines often pay freelance writers and do not require them to be members of the organization... …
When you're writing a news release for a client, you should be thinking like the reporter who will eventually read and use the information. What will help him or her write the story? If you make the writer's job easier, there's a better chance your message will make it into publication... …
There is a disturbing trend on some content sites that could leave writers, and the site owners, open to accusations of plagiarism. It is the act of rewriting and paraphrasing stories that appear on genuine news websites, such as Fox News, where working journalists have gathered the facts and presented them as a news story... …
There is a tried and true maxim in the SCUBA diving community: "Plan your dive, and dive your plan." This sage piece of advice is also applicable to our community of authors... …
Not too long ago I was given the opportunity to participate in a random act of culture at a nearby mall. I counted myself and a few friends among dozens of singers who gathered at the appointed hour at Crossgates Mall in Guilderland, New York, stood up when the music began, and belted out the Hallelujah Chorus. People stopped eating their burritos and pot stickers to stare and some even smiled and took pictures. I loaned my modest alto to the effort and our whole group was rewarded with thunderous applause at the last hallelujah. It was quite satisfying. Since then I've tried to apply that "random" mentality to my writing... …
When you publish a book and want to bring attention to it, it's a good idea to get some reviews and create some buzz. Traditionally, writers, publishers, and publicists target mainstream media. But, sometimes it pays to go right to the source... …
Most people I've interviewed for newspaper and magazine articles enjoy speaking with me. They're passionate about the topic, desire publicity or simply like chatting. Others aren't like that... …
