We've all heard the expression "necessity is the mother of invention," and as the days before Christmas begin to dwindle down, this mother needed to think of an invention that would bring in some extra money for holiday presents. …
In August '08, an internet scam hit very close to home and I was almost conned. It started when I went looking for a job on Cleveland.com. There, I came across a posting... …
I'm a sucker for a free gift with purchase. In fact, I wait to buy my favorite Lancome or Estee Lauder beauty products until it's bonus time. And I usually stock up on things like socks when the buy-one-get-one-free (BOGO) specials come along. For freelance writers, this proven marketing tactic is a great way to get new clients - or revitalize an existing client relationship that's gone cold. …
Books are my business. In the last seven to eight years, I've helped make people's books come alive with manuscript editing, project managing books to print, graphic design and layout, and sometimes ghostwriting. So when a fellow member of an association - a friend - came to me to ask me to ghostwrite a manuscript, I didn't turn him down. …
Knute Rockne, head coach for Notre Dame's "Fighting Irish" team brought his team to national prominence and wasn't afraid of his critics. "If I flop, let'em pan me" he once said. It takes confidence to make that statement. …
Travel articles can be written without leaving your backyard. In July, my oldest son informed me that a business acquaintance was leading trail riders and a wagon on a two-week trek starting from our hometown. …
I'm a lot of fun on a school field trip (embarrassing is the word my children would choose). It's not enough for me to visit Philadelphia and listen to the standard speech by the National Park Service employee. I ask weird questions. Who named the Liberty Bell? What did the men who wrote the Constitution eat for lunch? Did they order takeout or did they brown bag it? Did somebody from Philadelphia really invent the Philly cheesesteak? For decades I've waited but no one created a magazine "niche-y" enough for the tiny shards of knowledge I've gathered. …
Psst...what if I told you that you could run a successful freelance writing business by charging freelance writers next to nothing and then selling their hard work for much more? Would it seem unethical to you? If so, you may be in the minority among some writers. …
I know of no other profession where members accept work assignments without finding out when they get paid. Paid on acceptance or paid on publication used to do the trick, but no more. The world of writing has gotten more complicated. …
"I once had an impromptu book signing in a hospital waiting room and sold 18 books." said author Nancy Robinson Masters. …
"It's not what you know but who you know" has never been truer when interviewing celebrities. Interviewing celebrities gives you more than just the ability to name-drop at parties. It also lends credibility and interest to your articles and springboards your writing career to better-paying assignments. You don't have to live in Hollywood to gain access to celebrities. These tips will help you get rolling. …
Sometimes we study a market and look for article ideas to fit the style, voice and editorial calendar. The most prolific and successful writers find ideas everywhere, then pitch them to suitable markets. We can also start with experience and leave the writing and selling until later. I can't always get a magazine assignment before an event has come and gone. And getting expenses paid is not that likely for a freelancer. So what do you do? Find something interesting and just do it. …
Do you believe that getting published is only about finding a good idea, pitching it to the right market and writing the article? While this will certainly help, there are other factors that come into play before a manuscript is accepted for publication. Understanding these allows you to reap rich dividends. …
The big day finally arrived when the book I've been writing is finished. It's been re-read and edited a half dozen times. Now it's time to submit. …
Complacency is rarely an option for a freelance writer. Magazines fold, smaller book publishers get swallowed up by larger publishing houses and websites run short of cash. Therefore, even with nearly 50 published non-fiction books and plenty of web content to my credit, I still find that it never hurts to pick up additional small writing assignments and, more importantly, make new contacts. With that in mind, every few months I peruse the freelance assignments on the job postings boards. Ironically, while the names and faces in the publishing business change very often, the tone and general approach of the freelance writing job sites remains the same. …
One of my favorite parts of magazines is the section that gives me an essay. I will even, on occasion, clip the really good ones for my folder and toss the magazine. A particularly charming one was in a recent AARP Bulletin. The writer recalls his childhood habit of eavesdropping on the adults in his life and learning much about how the real world works. Funny, I used to do the same thing. I learned many a great life lesson with my ear to the door, and that essay brought it all back to me. Clever, that writer. …
Most of us using the internet know the ins and outs of getting scammed. I've used desktop computers since they first became available and the internet since its birthing days with bulletin boards. So I'm very aware. Unfortunately for me, I just got caught in my first - and hopefully last - snare. It will probably cost me $50 after visiting a site for at-home freelance writers. …
I belong to a very active writer's association that oversees and sponsors a number of writing groups and workshops in the area. My involvement in the local group has been limited in recent months, only attending meetings when a guest speaker visits to discuss a topic of specific interest to me. This may sound a bit selfish, but I prefer to avoid a handful of pompous, published blowhards whenever possible. Recently I discovered a little secret about a pair of these folks that could send both of them rushing off to therapy, but no names or associations will be mentioned. …
Animal magazines target pet owners and animal businesses and cover a wide spectrum of animals and topics. These range from common pets such as dogs (Bark, Dog Fancy, etc.) and cats (Cat Fancy, I Love Cats, etc.), to fish (Aquarium Fish International, Tropical Fish Hobbyist), to less usual pets (Reptiles, Miniature Donkey Journal) to quite large animals (The Horse, Equus, etc.). Some magazines note in their guidelines they are not pet magazines but are intended for people breeding and selling animals. …
Having successful book signings in today's market is a difficult task for the POD author, but not an impossible one. …
Grant writing can be a lucrative side business for freelancers seeking to supplement their income. Be forewarned, though: this isn't just a matter of slapping together a few words about how great a particular agency is. Today's donors are an especially savvy lot, with many demanding more measures of accountability than mere feel-good anecdotes. …
As writers, we naturally check a market's writer's guidelines before submitting material. And they usually answer all our questions regarding content, story length, and (ahem) payment. But not every publication is so kind as to share its guidelines on its website, or even for the asking. Even when it does, you may need more information to fine-tune a query or decide between one market and another. It could even be a new venue, without a stack of back issues or archives to read as market research. Writers are members of the media. Why not check the publication's media kit? …
You don't have to defy death to write adventure stories. Here are a few suggestions to get you in - I mean out - the door and on your way. …
"I just sent your Press Release out to over 500 Editors by email a couple of minutes ago. Within three minutes of doing so, I have been getting requests for review copies every minute since." Wouldn't any Author LOVE to hear those words? And those words from a BIG Publisher? Yes! Any Author would. And I did, just last week. …
I recently wrote about the merits of a three-minute pitch, and I can't stress enough how important a tool this is in your armoury of selling methods. You may never be invited to be a guest speaker at any major event, but few organisers of such would refuse you a three-minute slot. The rules are simple. …
Do you want your writing career to flourish? Then follow the money. This may sound shocking to the purists out there that believe writing is solely a creative expression. Yes; writing should fill you with joy and fulfillment. Yet I know we all believe in being rewarded for hard work and commitment.... …
Down time, we all have it, whether it's a lull between major projects or the quiet before a creative storm. The next time that eerie silence stalls your productivity, turn your energies in a new direction and get ready for the winds of creativity to start blowing. While selling your original craft ideas won't land you in a monetary windfall, with a small investment of time you can punch out a project with the potential for a nifty little return. …
So you've decided to write a travel guidebook! Perhaps you are a travel writer with a sheaf of articles about your trip to Australia and you feel you have a good enough angle to support a full book. Perhaps you're a travel editor who is fed up with the books coming across your desk since you feel none of them have really brought the reality of the place home. Or you could be an outdoor editor who notices there are more and more inquiries about mountain biking in your area but there is no guidebook on the subject. Of course you may not be a writer at all... …
Even though the calendar says its spring, I'm sitting here at my keyboard next to a window watching the snow come down…
Public speaking - book talks - author readings. If you're lucky, you'll get the chance to showcase your writing in a public forum. What a thrill and boost to the ego it is to stand in front of a group of people who are hanging on your every word; people who spend their free time immersing themselves in your thoughts, ideas and expressions. …
Writers know that nothing can match the thrill of seeing your words printed and bound between the pages of a national glossy, or better yet, perched on a bookshelf in a full-color wrapper. Unfortunately, for many of us, those experiences - and the resulting financial rewards - are few and far between... …
Frustrated because you aren't receiving your share of web writing work from sites like Craigslist.org, Getafreelancer.com and others? Try making some modifications to how you sell yourself. Your assignments could improve substantially if you follow the tips below... …
Whether your home is a showplace or you're simply the king of DIY (do-it-yourself), an interest in decor, gardening or home repair can net you assignments from the lucrative "shelter" market... …
