Articles

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: …

Cyberstalking: One Of The Dangers Of Posting Online By George English

Published on December 20, 2006

Most States have laws against cyberstalking, but reports of online harassment are increasing, according to WHOA (Working to Halt Online Abuse), an organization with a mandate to educate the Internet community about online harassment, empower victims of harassment, and formulate voluntary policies that systems administrators can adopt in order to create harassment-free environments. …

Paying Association Magazine Markets By John K. Borchardt

Published on December 13, 2006

Magazines published by hundreds of associations and professional organizations offer lucrative freelance markets. The 'Associations' section of WritersMarket.com lists 34 association magazines and there are many more. The 'Encyclopedia of Associations' lists over 135,000 nonprofit membership organizations worldwide while the 'National Organizations of the U.S.' details over 22,200 national associations. …

Online Course Taking Tips by Victoria Groves

Published on December 6, 2006

Gone are the days when you have to meet up at the bookstore or someone's home, sit in a circle and be part of a physical writers group to get feedback on your work. Sure, it's a great luxury if you have the time, and you live in an area with enough writers to create a constructive writers' circle or support ongoing writing workshops. But if your schedule is already stretched to its limits, if you live outside of a city, or if you're not quite sure if you're ready for 'in-person' instruction and feedback, you need to look for other alternatives... …

Turn Your Reputation Into Repeat Assignments By Lisa Tiffin

Published on November 29, 2006

Many writers have daily word quotas or weekly query goals to help keep the writing assignments rolling in, but what can be even more profitable is selling multiple assignments by establishing and keeping a great reputation. Early on, I learned that editors love to see several clips from the same magazine. The thought is anyone can land one assignment, but only the proven get hired again. Well, the reverse is also true: establish yourself as a reliable, professional writer who is easy to work with, and you will land multiple assignments from editors. With that in mind, here are a few tips I have learned along the way to garner a great reputation and land multiple assignments from editors. …

Hurry Up and Fail by Patricia Fry

Published on November 22, 2006

It happened again. A former client rushed off and delivered his book to the printer, not because he knew it was ready, but in order to meet his personal deadline. He sent me a copy of the completed, bound book and my heart sank when I opened it. …

Networking Techniques That Work Fast and Pay Off Big! By David Geer

Published on November 15, 2006

Networking Techniques That Work Fast and Pay Off Big! By David Geer

The more I network with writers, editors and publishers, the more I see a correlation between those efforts and increasing work and pay. The more networking I do, the more I get it right, the more the fruits of those seeds come back to reward me. …

Freelance Favors for Friends? By Dawn Stanton

Published on November 8, 2006

I'm not supposed to work for free. I know that. I've been freelancing for five years and know my worth. And yet, a few times each year, one friend or another will ask me for a favor. It could be as simple as proofreading a resume - that puts me on the spot regarding whether I should bring up the matter of payment... …

Resources For Paying Foreign Markets By David Geer

Published on November 1, 2006

Resources For Paying Foreign Markets By David Geer

Today, we're going to list foreign market resources like foreign sites and e-zines. At the same time, we're going to discuss how we found them and how you can find many, many more. …

When Relatives Say, “Don’t Write About Me!” By Karen Carver

Published on October 25, 2006

When Relatives Say, “Don’t Write About Me!” By Karen Carver

Through the years, I've heard too often from people that I should write my own story about all the events that have happened in my life. Of course the people who know some of these aspects are family, friends and coworkers. But if I do what everyone requests, it's going to be a story with huge chunks missing or, at the very least, people important to those chunks. …

Custom Publishing Magazines are Customized for the Freelancer By Behlor Santi

Published on October 11, 2006

According to a "white paper" at americanbusiness.com, custom publishing - the creation of magazines, newsletters, websites, and other media for a particular company or organization - is the fastest-growing and youngest segment of the media. About 60% of the US companies that custom publish started their in-house or standalone operations in the last ten years. The industry's trade association, the Custom Publishing Council, is still in its relative infancy, and no particular company looms in profits and prestige. While a handful of custom publishers make between $20 and $50 million in annual revenue, the majority are small in-house and standalone firms. …

School Days By C. Hope Clark

Published on October 4, 2006

School days. Those ghastly remembrances of how skinny, fat, awkward, embarrassed, untalented, shy, or uncool you were. Or maybe you have memories of football games, proms, pep rallies, protests, best friends, late night exams and Friday night parties. Head back to school and let your comrades, alumni, and teachers know how you've become a writer. Your schools offer promotional coups for you. Most schools love to revisit old students and flaunt the successful as a reflection upon their ability to mold youngsters into triumphant adults. …

Breaking into Writing White Papers & Speechwriting By John K. Borchardt

Published on September 27, 2006

Breaking into Writing White Papers & Speechwriting By John K. Borchardt

peechwriting and writing white papers are lucrative writing niches many freelancers overlook. In both cases, clients include businesses, government and non-profit institutions. White papers are detailed analyses of business, technology and other subjects. These are used for marketing, information sharing to demonstrate thought leadership and as the basis of decision making. While the type of writing and the writing process for white papers and speeches are much different, business considerations for these two fields have much in common. …

Writing-Related Gifts From the Heart By Julie Engelhardt

Published on September 20, 2006

Buying presents is always a challenge for me, especially when it comes to finding the right birthday present. There's the tried and true-flowers, gift certificates, perfume-but I had a particularly difficult time finding the right gift for my Mom's birthday this year. She turned 75, and I wanted to do something different for her. When I asked her what she'd like to have, she responded, "Don't worry about my birthday. I have everything I need." That is true, and she is able, thankfully, to still provide for herself. Yet, I still felt that it was important to give her something special. Since my husband, boys and I live some distance away from where she is, and the kids are in school when her birthday rolls around, I knew I wouldn't be able to make it to her home for the day. What could I do for her? Then the idea hit me. Earlier in the year my Mother made a beautiful bridal shower gift for my oldest niece, her oldest granddaughter. She collected family recipes and put together a book that contained the recipes as well as photos of her and her granddaughter in the kitchen, plus stories that related to each recipe. …

A Matter of Persistence By Susan Eileen Walker

Published on September 13, 2006

The real secret to success at anything, whether it be riding a bicycle, getting a part in the school play, getting your novel published or conquering the world, is persistence. The act of persisting means keeping on no matter what tries to stop you or who tells you to give up. …

Artsy Fartsy Newsletters By C. Hope Clark

Published on September 6, 2006

Do you get newsletters from your state arts or humanities councils? I get fifteen of them, and they come packed with knowledge, jobs, and calls for submission, contests as well as grants. They have no need for scams and do not advertise, so the content in those pages is legitimate and genuine. Since they live to serve artists and writers, they have no need to pull the wool over your eyes. In other words, reliable. I have found grants I never knew existed, contests for specific regions, jobs advertised on a short deadline, and publications I craved to read. I learned how much money a state had to offer writers and which states loved writers more than others. The best retreats in the world appear in these newsletters. …

Writers Should Be Cautious Of What Information Is Put Online By Diane Craver

Published on August 30, 2006

I've had a website for the past few years to promote my books with Booklocker.com. After receiving traditional contracts recently for my romance novels , I'm in the process of having a new website designed. My new one will be limited in what personal information is given. Why? Because I want to avoid contacts from nuts. I'll tell you what I've learned from other authors to prevent trouble. …

Book Proposals Aren’t Just For How-To Books Anymore By Patricia Fry

Published on August 23, 2006

I hear it all the time, "I don't need a book proposal because I'm writing a novel." One woman told me, "My book simply defies the need to write a book proposal first. I'll pitch it to publishers as already written." Or the classic, "Sure, you might write a book proposal for a how-to book, but not a memoir." Excuse me, but I beg to differ. Every book should start with a book proposal. The only exceptions are books for personal distribution to family members and friends and, perhaps, instructional or educational books with limited distribution to a specific company, organization or industry. Books written with a national, international or even regional audience in mind, in order to be successful, require tremendous forethought. And this means, write a book proposal first. …

Beyond Short and Scannable: Writing for Corporate Web Sites By Melissa Bradley Diskin

Published on August 16, 2006

Good web copywriters arm themselves with a thesaurus, a style guide, and maybe even some books on emotional intelligence in the workplace. But if you write for the web, you know that there's more to successful copy than the old standbys of knowing your audience and keeping copy short for easy scanning. The following questions will help you navigate an early interview and also help you avoid hidden pitfalls after joining a corporate writer pool. …

Query Upside-Down For the Trades By John K. Borchardt

Published on August 9, 2006

Turning the organization of your query letters upside-down can be an effective technique to win trade magazine assignments. This means first presenting yourself as the type of writer the editor needs: accomplished and professional, rather than first pitching your article idea. …

Creative Client Cons By George English

Published on August 2, 2006

Freelancers get ripped off every day. Sites like WritersWeekly.com are filled with stories and warnings about people who simply don't pay for writing or editing or graphic design work. Sometimes the check just never arrives, but quite often these crooks are more creative and more sinister. Some have honed their skills over many years, and if you were to look into their backgrounds, you'd probably be entertained for weeks just reading about their various scams and deceptions: You'll find a mechanics' lien on the family station wagon; cell phones listed because land lines were cut off for non-payment; and frequent relocations in an attempt to keep ahead of creditors. Their entire lives are designed around dodging bill collectors. …

Special Report: Israel Under Fire – Working Under the Gun By Yocheved Golani

Published on July 26, 2006

Journalists take serious risks when they report from a war zone. I've borne rather nominal scars in my freelance journalistic efforts within Israel, and I've learned quite a bit from them. I'm taking time out from my daily life to jot down some thoughts, and to distract myself from the noise of military aircraft overhead. …

Consignment Blues By Mark LaFlamme

Published on July 19, 2006

Consignment Blues By Mark LaFlamme

Congratulations. You're a rock star. Your new novel is on the market and people are clamoring for your attention. Go nuts. Get some dark shades, a new do, and hire some people to pose as groupies. First time authors in particular get an unparalleled thrill out of getting their books into the stores. There are few rewards like seeing your work on display and having average Joes ask for your signature. Be warned, though. While some bookstores will be glad to order copies of your book on their own, there are those who will whimper and whine and insist they can only take books on consignment... …

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