Articles

Freelancer Beware: Read This Before You Hire a Transcription Service By Bill Shirley

Published on July 27, 2005

A few weeks back I was especially busy in my communications consulting business. One late evening, as I pondered how I'd get everything done in the brief time available to me, I made a note to visit the Yellow Pages the next day to find a transcription service. I write a lot of feature articles for the employee newsletter of an insurance company, and most assignments involve interviews with executives whom I quote for the stories. …

Success is Just a Dollar Away By Rachel Carrington

Published on July 13, 2005

You've always wanted to stay at home and write, but can you really survive on an "eat what you kill" plan? That depends on your determination to succeed. If you have tenacity, you're in good shape, and, if writing is your passion, you can make decent money online. First, you need a clearly written daily planner so you will be motivated to move ahead each day. …

Flying High: Seven In-flight Magazine Markets By Kelly Kyrik

Published on July 6, 2005

In-flight publications are a unique breed in the magazine industry. Geared toward the flying public - which is a fairly broad demographic - they offer a wide range of articles, essays and shorts on everything from travel and food to politics and current events. Given this diversity, each publication is still very specific when it comes to their editorial needs. …

The New Yorker Said “Sorry” and Other Great Rejections in the Life of an Underpublished Author By Carol L. Skolnick

Published on June 29, 2005

The New Yorker Said “Sorry” and Other Great Rejections in the Life of an Underpublished Author By Carol L. Skolnick

As a starving writer in New York City; you're supposed to say you're a writer even if you earn your keep shelving books at Barnes & Noble on Union Square. So okay, I'm a writer. It's just that I write direct mail, not books, for a living, even though I've published quite a bit. Hardly a household name, my essays and poems have appeared in inspirational anthologies, obscure literary journals, upbeat writers' e-zines and alternative monthlies nobody's ever heard of outside of western Pennsylvania, San Juan, Toronto and parts of South Africa (and I'm not making that up). The exceptions are a couple of paragraphs about the Chartres Cathedral that ran in Glamour - one of those "our readers write about their fab vacations" things for which I was not paid - and a piece at Salon.com which earned the distinction of "soft-porn pap" in a famous columnist's blog. I was thrilled; at least he read it. …

What to Do When Your Editor Leaves By Jeanette Hurt

Published on June 22, 2005

I couldn't have been more excited when my query made its way through the slush pile last fall to be accepted by an editor at Budget Travel. I was even more elated when that same editor accepted my second query on the spot a week later. That this editor took the time to send me a hand-written note, praising my writing prowess on the first story, was icing on the cake. I was all set, to paraphrase Casablanca, to begin a beautiful writer-editor friendship. I was just in the middle of preparing a flurry of new queries for this editor when I received the dreaded news. As soon as he finished editing my second story, he would be moving on to other things, things that didn't include Budget Travel. I wouldn't have been as disappointed if this editor had transferred to a different magazine, as I could have followed him there, but he was leaving to become a freelancer so where did that leave me? …

Circumventing the Editor’s Round File By Jacquie McTaggart

Published on June 15, 2005

Playwright and novelist Saul Bellow once said, "I discovered that rejections are not altogether a bad thing. They teach a writer to rely on his own judgment and to say in his heart of hearts, "To hell with you." …

Break in With Food By Barbra Annino

Published on June 8, 2005

Are you a pizza connoisseur? An expert cookie maker? Maybe you've visited a winery, know the best diners in 10 states, or your town hosts the world's largest strawberry festival. Even if the extent of your food expertise lies only in your grandmother's recipe box, you have an angle for an article. You just need to know where to sell it. …

First Book Singing a Success By Jeanne Prevett Sable

Published on May 25, 2005

Attention all you editors: That is NOT a typo in the above headline. I did mean "singing," not "signing." But if it's any consolation, the term "Book Singing" and the book marketing concept it represents did originate from a simple typographical error. …

Dodging Writer’s Brick: How to Keep From Knocking Yourself Out By Janene Mascarella

Published on May 18, 2005

Ah, good old writer's block. Those moments of utter frustration, when you are stumped for ideas. Can't write a ******* thing. If you tell a fellow writer that you are suffering from a case of writer's block, chances are you will get your hand held. Sympathy follows. Then, tips galore on how to overcome your dreaded block. I rarely suffer from writer's block. I suffer from something far more insidious. Something I call it "writer's brick". …

Quick Tips for Hosting a Successful Booksigning By Martha Reed

Published on May 11, 2005

The more thought you put into your book-signing the greater the chance of profitable results. At my last signing, I sold all 100 copies I'd arrived with. Angela asked me to share my hints with WritersWeekly.com readers. Here are quick tips for turning your next book-signing into a successful event. …

A Quick Check Online Could Mean A Check In Your Mailbox By Martha Miller

Published on May 4, 2005

Seeing my name in print gives me a boost to keep writing and to keep pitching. On a whim, several months ago, I Googled my own name along with the words "Rome" and "Italy" to see if anything I had written was still online. I lived in Rome for two years and most of my published work has come from that experience. When two unsold entries popped up in two different publications, I was shocked, then furious. My work had been stolen! …

The Power of “No!” By David Geer

Published on April 20, 2005

I've been practicing the power of saying "No!", no to low paying markets, unfair deals and crazy time constraints and work loads. …

Beyond the Guidelines: Calendars, Calls, and More Material for Writing Success By Erika Dreifus

Published on April 13, 2005

The wisdom that rests behind checking a publication's guidelines is self-evident. One is more likely to encounter success by following a publication's stated rules and meeting its declared requirements than not. Sending a completed manuscript by e-mail attachment when the guidelines clearly state that only postal queries are welcome is an excellent strategy - if your goal is to dramatically reduce your chances of freelance success. …

Writing For Payment Or For Art’s Sake By Lynette Rees

Published on April 6, 2005

Writing For Payment Or For Art’s Sake By Lynette Rees

Whenever the 'P' word -- PAYMENT -- gets a mention, writers are frequently up in arms. There appear to be two camps of thought: those that think we should all write for free, 'because it is our art', and those who want to get paid what they are worth as a writer. Of course, you yourself, might fall somewhere in between where you prefer to get paid, but will write for free for good causes or if it is to promote yourself. …

Give Kids a Helping Hand with History By Natalie Hale

Published on March 30, 2005

Kids and history often don't mix, especially when it comes to getting history into their heads. But that doesn't have to be. Though it may surprise most parents and teachers, kids actually do like history. …

Writing Newsletter Articles For or About Children By Natalie Hale

Published on March 16, 2005

There are many advantages to writing with children in mind. For one, they and those who assist them, are often seeking advice. Parents, especially of young children, are usually very inexperienced when it comes to caring for a family. What should they look for in a good family doctor? What activities, books, magazines, or music will best entertain and educate the very young? And where can potential writers of children's fiction go to get help honing their talent to meet the needs of grade-schoolers? …

Naming Your Baby: How to Choose a Selling Title By Carolyn Campbell

Published on March 9, 2005

Your book title is very important. It encapsulates the essence of your book in just a few words. Like choosing a name for your child, selecting a title for your book is a critical decision. Just as your child is known by his name for a lifetime, your book will be known by its title for its entire publishing history. Even before you sell your book, its future title can help attract the interest of a literary agent or publisher when you include it in query letters. It will also appear on the first page of your book proposal. It's never too soon to start creating a possible title for your book. …

Reaching the Homeschooling Market By Margie Sims

Published on March 2, 2005

When our family relocated from Tennessee to Vermont, I was confident I could keep landing assignments from my southern editors. I wasn't so sure, however, if I could successfully continue teaching creative writing to homeschoolers-something I had been enjoying for five years. By asking myself the 5 W's and the H, I found answers that not only satisfied my itch to teach, but also met a legitimate need in my new community. …

Fill your Mailbox with Checks from Fillers! By Debbie Swanson

Published on February 16, 2005

One day last year, I had an hour left of writing time but wasn't getting anywhere. Instead, I spent about 20 minutes jotting down a 'reader tip' I'd had inside my head. Without further thought, I mailed it to a magazine I frequently read, and called it a day. Several months later, I was surprised by a call from the magazine saying they'd like to print it, and soon received a check for $75. Not bad for 20 minutes of work on a dry day. …

Getting Taken by Bogus “Editing Tests” By Ingrid Schaefer Sprague

Published on February 9, 2005

Instead of my resume and clips, I should market this description for freelance work. In spite of my credentials and experience, or should I say because of it, I have been "taken" again by another bogus editing test. Although I am not a novice (with over 13 years of experience), I am still amazed that I get scammed by this old trick after watching for all apparent signs. …

How to Spot a Risky Freelance Job By David H. Levin and Angela Hoy

Published on February 2, 2005

Any business might occasionally take on contracts that it later regrets having accepted. Other companies may offer too-good-to-be-true terms in the hopes of obtaining free labor. Avoiding these risky "opportunities" is a challenge, especially for the freelancer. The following warning signs should make you think twice about pursuing a particular freelance assignment. …

Grow Your Writing: Eight Gardening Markets By Kelly Kyrik

Published on January 26, 2005

For most gardeners, winter is the time to pore over seed catalogs and plot (figuratively, at least) next year's garden. It's a time to both assess the past and plan for the future. Writing gardeners can do the same. Since it's too cold in many parts of the country to be outside playing in the dirt, now is the perfect time to dig up new writer's guidelines and craft succulent queries. And assignments landed now will lead to articles published during the all important sowing, growing and harvesting seasons, when any gardener worth his or her salt would rather be outside, anyway. …

When To Fire Your Editor By Barbra Annino

Published on January 12, 2005

Most seasoned freelancers know the rules on keeping an editor happy. Read the guidelines, never exceed the word count, Meet deadlines and go the extra mile. But what if you do all that and you still get treated like something that stuck to her shoe? Then it's time to fire your editor. …

Files, Piles And Stacks…. Get Organized for 2005 By Julie Hood

Published on January 5, 2005

Does your filing system consist of random piles scattered throughout your home? Do you waste too much time looking for that lost idea or the missing interview notes? Do you have markets and guidelines in a stack on the edge of your desk, a few more bookmarked in your favorites and still others saved in Outlook? …

The Write Website: Give Yourself An Edge With Your Own Site By Kelly Kyrik

Published on December 15, 2004

You've done your research, lined up your contacts and written a killer query. You know you're the perfect person to write this particular article and you have faith that your targeted editor will know that, too; after all, you've got the clips to prove it. But wait, before you hit that "Send" button, thus rocketing your pitch into cyberspace and onto your editor's virtual desk, think for a minute about presentation. Are those precious clips easily accessible or are they spread all over the Internet; two on one site, one on another and three on a site that no longer exists? Editors are far too busy to go scavenging the net looking for proof of a writer's professionalism. The edge will go to the freelancer who can provide such evidence at the click of a mouse, and one of the best ways to do that is via your own website. …

Add to Your Income by Covering Conferences and Trade Shows By John K. Borchardt

Published on December 8, 2004

Many professional groups and industry trade associations hold conventions and trade shows. These can be huge events, such as the annual International Home Builders Show with an attendance of 92,000, or much smaller groups numbering in the dozens. While big conferences are held by necessity in major cities, smaller groups often meet in cities of less than 100,000 in population. So, whether you live in a large or small city, you can add to your writing income by covering conventions and trade shows for newspapers, magazines or websites. …

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