Articles

THE HIDDEN PERILS OF WORK MADE FOR HIRE (WMFH) CONTRACTS By Melanie Votaw

Published on August 8, 2007

I was thrilled when my publisher asked me to write a coffee table book about hummingbirds. As an avid bird watcher who had traveled to South America to see and photograph hummingbirds, it was an opportunity to write about one of my passions. The caveat? A "work made for hire" contract. Of course, this type of contract is not unusual for coffee table books, which tend to sell fewer copies than the average title. I wanted very much to write the book, and they would pay me extra for some of my photos. So, I signed the contract. That was in 2002... …

Paying Vice Markets By David Berlin

Published on August 1, 2007

Craps, Baffert's Gin, Santa Damiana cigars, exotic destinations like Montreal, Morocco, Costa Rica, St. Kitt. Micro-micro small batch beers and Watanabe-tailored suits. Cigarette boats. All of these are vice-related article ideas that have appeared or appear regularly in the pages of magazines like Esquire, Cigar Aficionado, All About Beer, Wine Spectator, and the whole host of poker and gambling related magazines that you can find at any large newsstand. And if you like the things I've just spoken of, you can write about them too. …

Writing from Home: Tapping the Market Outside Your Front Door By Victoria Groves

Published on July 25, 2007

Whether you write magazine features, flash fiction or articles for the web, freelance writing has its ups and downs. It's never boring, but late payments and heavy handed editors can sometimes take the wind out of our literary sails. I write because I enjoy it, but it's also work for me and the money I make doing it comprises a substantial amount of my income... …

“Write” of Passage: Breaking the Freelance Cherry By Chaleen Duggan

Published on July 18, 2007

Many novice writers think that being published, having an idea and your name in print, is the "biggy". It is the ultimate sign of success, the breaking of the cherry, so to speak. Time and again the old-timers warn that seeing your name in print is NOT a good reason to want to write a book- or anything else for that matter. Heck, if that is the be-all end-all, then go stand in the park with a shot gun and start shooting pigeons. Believe me, in no time at all you WILL be asked to write to your heart's content and sign it, and I have a pretty good feeling your little story will end up in print all over the papers, perhaps even nationwide! Fame is easy, rites of passage, not so much. Think about it. Does a woman's first pregnancy mean she is no longer a virgin? Does the birth of her first child indicate the first sexual encounter? Not on your life! At least, not too often these days... …

WATCH THAT TONE! Learn To Speak The Language That Editors Love By Sarojni Mehta-Lissak

Published on July 11, 2007

As a diligent freelancer, you're in a bookstore doing your homework. You've settled into a comfortable chair, and the lights shine down on the pages of a magazine you're studying--you know--the one you're determined to "get into." As you read the feature articles, you notice that the tone is smart, catchy, and hip. These pieces might not be suited for Grandma, but they're definitely perfect for a young, professional, female audience. "I could write like this," you say to yourself. And you continue studying... …

Music to Your Ears: Paying Musician Magazine Markets By David Berlin

Published on July 4, 2007

Music to Your Ears: Paying Musician Magazine Markets By David Berlin

Magazines for musicians have been around in their present form since the early 1960s. Every kid with $25 for an acoustic guitar or $150 or so for a really nice, American-made electric was forming a rock 'n' roll band, while other kids played orchestral instruments such as flute, violin and double bass. The folk revival was on and magazines like Sing Out and Broadside supplemented the incomes of the popular players of the day by publishing their compositions. Kids who were really rebellious played jazz. Music was everywhere, and the magazines covered it. …

Begin at the Beginning: Choosing the Right Sample Chapters for Agent Submissions By Ally E. Peltier

Published on June 27, 2007

A member of the online writers' group I participate in recently posted that she'd been advised by a friend never to include a Prologue as part of the chapters she sent to prospective literary agents. I worked as an acquiring editor at a major publisher for years and know and still work with many agents, but I have never heard this rule. I cautioned her that people giving this advice may be unduly influenced by the new author's tendency to rely on a Prologue - learning where to begin your novel can be difficult, and it's common for new, inexperienced writers to feel nervous that readers won't "get" their set-up, so they create Prologues that explain far more than necessary. They end up over-telling the story before it's even begun! …

Write Through The Crisis: Finish The Novel First By Alice J. Wisler

Published on June 13, 2007

"I think most artists create out of despair. The very nature of creation is not a performing glory on the outside, it's a painful, difficult search within." -Louise Nevelson It's been said to us many times. After hearing that you write for publication, there's that coworker, relative or friend who will say with such ease, "Oh, yes, I would like to write, too. Everyone tells me I'm great at it. But I'm just busy with so many things now." …

DO YOU OWE WRITERS MONEY? By “In-Debt Chet”

Published on May 23, 2007

You know, I don't really understand why some people in the publishing business don't pay their debts. I'm not talking about the people who are open scammers. I'm referring to the people who start publications that end up underfunded or unsubscripted and, thus, leave writers unpaid. When an editor runs a story online, in print, or elsewhere, he has to pay for it. Period. End of story. By publishing the story, he has devalued the writer's only currency. Once the story is published, first rights are gone forever. It takes a writer's time and energy to create those first rights and he should be compensated if you use them. …

Breaking Into Job Hunting And Career Magazines By John K. Borchardt

Published on May 16, 2007

In today's uncertain employment environment, magazine articles on job hunting and careers are more popular than ever. Slanted appropriately, these are published in trade magazines such as Women in Business, Minority MBA and Nursing Spectrum, all aimed at working professionals. Other magazines, such as Equal Opportunity and Black Collegian, target graduating college students. Broader interest magazines such as Self and Woman's World occasionally publish articles covering career concerns. …

Industry Events: A Good Source Of Article Ideas By Damaria Senne

Published on May 9, 2007

One of my most reliable sources of articles is industry events. In addition to getting the journalistic type of story that is relevant for news readers, I've found industry events to be a good source of features and "how to" articles. …

From Beans To Steak, Five Ways To Earn More Money By Sonya Weiss

Published on May 2, 2007

At most fast food restaurants, employees are trained to do more than one aspect of the job. The same employee who handles the drive-thru window could also work the front line or put burgers together. They're trained to do other jobs within the restaurant because the managers know the benefits of having their employees multi-task. The more productive an employee is, the more profit the company makes in the long run. …

Am I Too Old To Write? By Cathy Kaufman

Published on April 25, 2007

Recently, I attempted to pursue something that has always been important to me...writing. I applied for a freelance job that I actually had quite a bit of knowledge in, but because I had not freelanced before, it was decided I wouldn…

Increase Your Freelance Income Through Stock Photography By Joan Airey

Published on April 11, 2007

Increase Your Freelance Income Through Stock Photography By Joan Airey

If you love photography, there are numerous ways to expand your freelance income, by doing stock photography, fine art, contests, and assignments from ad agencies. The first photograph I entered in a calendar contest was of red mountain ash berries covered with snow. I took the photo in my front yard . It was picked for the calendar and it is the most I have ever been paid for a photograph. …

Guaranteeing Book Sales Through Market Analysis By Joan Wai

Published on April 4, 2007

When people learn I'm an author with my own small press and a couple of non-fiction titles in print, I hear a lot of enthusiastic ideas about books they would like to write. Many tell me about their passion for their work, as if the sheer love for their idea is what will make their book sell. I ask if they've done a market analysis to prove the marketability of their idea. They usually answer me with a blank look. …

Don’t Bite The Hand That Feeds You: Ten Tips For Food Writers By Melissa Bradley Diskin

Published on March 28, 2007

Don’t Bite The Hand That Feeds You: Ten Tips For Food Writers By Melissa Bradley Diskin

Food writing. The glamour! The posh eats! The twenty extra pounds! (Wait. Who said that?) I write about restaurants and hotels, among other subjects. Yes, meeting chefs is fun. Yes, the food is (usually) great. What isn't so hot? Eating alone at a really nice restaurant. Gaining weight. Telling my husband that he needs to feed, bathe and put the baby to sleep by himself after his own hard day at work. But whether you write for larger mags or smaller regionals, food writing can be made easier if you follow a few rules to ensure that you hook up with the right people and pay attention to details. …

The Care And Feeding Of Editorial Assistants By Allyson E. Peltier

Published on March 21, 2007

Few writers know this, but Editorial Assistants (EAs) are the gatekeepers of publishing. In the world of towering slush piles and deep agented-submissions bins, EAs are often the first to look at submissions. They screen calls and fend off anxious authors and would-be authors. …

Writing for Writing Publications: Do you want fries with that? By E.D. Easley Part 1 of 2

Published on March 7, 2007

Writers writing for writing e-zines have long known they'll probably never retire in that market. They come to expect low pay. "You'll never get rich writing for us," one e-zine acknowledged in its guidelines, "but you'll get great exposure." Maybe the exposure is worth it. Almost all the writing e-zines are distributed to large audiences of other writers, but they also go to agents, editors and publishers... …

Helping Yourself By Helping Others By Marie E. Cecchini

Published on February 28, 2007

If you've never given a second thought to the idea of writing for a non-profit organization, it may be time to think again. In their never-ending search for funding, non-profit organizations are constantly in need of copy to promote their cause, update the public, and seek donations. Efforts to do this can require producing flyers, newsletters, pamphlets, booklets, and even radio and/or television spots - all of which require writing. That's where you come in. …

Educating Your Client By Don Baumgart

Published on February 21, 2007

I get a lot of work from graphic designers, and it usually starts with a phone call. "A client came in today and wants me to design a brochure. But, I told her, 'You need some help with this copy.' I gave her your number." Developing a good working relationship with one or more graphic designers can be like opening a wellspring of job opportunities for a writer. You're going to have to be fast because when the designer hands the job off to you, it's usually the midnight hour with a client expecting ink on paper in a few days. …

Capitalizing On Education: Writing For Alumni Magazines By John K. Borchardt

Published on February 14, 2007

Capitalizing On Education: Writing For Alumni Magazines By John K. Borchardt

You don't have to be a graduate of dear old Alma Mater U. to write articles for their alumni magazine. That's good news for freelance writers because alumni magazines, particularly those of major universities, offer financially rewarding markets with the opportunity to write several different types of articles. There's more good news; according to the National Directory of Magazines, in 2005 there were 971 U.S. and Canadian alumni magazines, an increase of 268 from 1995. …

Successful Stringing By Eric Seiverling

Published on February 7, 2007

Many beginning freelance writers assume the path to wealth and success is found in the pages of glossy, popular magazines that line bookstore shelves or novels from New York City that reach the best-seller list. …

Plan Your Writing Success With A Business Plan By Pamela White

Published on January 31, 2007

Recently, while looking over my budget and knowing that college bills would come all too soon for my three children, I had to get serious about my writing business. I knew I needed to turn my part time writing in to a full time career. …

Relatively Speaking, It’s Not You, It’s Me By Carol L. Skolnick

Published on January 17, 2007

There is always the risk of offending people when you write about them. Frank McCourt has written openly about his daughter's anger with him for writing about her; his response at that time was "too bad." Not all of us are willing to lose our families for the sake of our art; so how do we get around including the people in our lives in the stories of our lives? Here are some ways I have handled it: …

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