Writers and authors seem to fall in an all or nothing category financially. Either we're limping along between checks, or we're basking in a new contract and royalty advance. Even those with advances often backslide when the money's gone and the book is still at the printer. But rich or poor, famous or obscure, writers live a roller coaster existence in their choice to pen words for a living. And catastrophe affects us all. …
It is a huge problem, though the philosophical underpinnings of why are all over the map. Educators lament it. Schools toss people out for it. Yet it continues. Jayson Blair was fired by The New York Times for it. Stephen Ambrose admitted to it. Janet Dailey was called on it by Nora Roberts. Alex Haley paid Harold Courlander a six-figure sum for having purloined Mr. Courlander…
Most people believe that getting on Oprah will make them richer than Joe Millionaire. For your career to careen toward the stars, you must prepare to make the most of your appearance. Here are 10 do's and don'ts to help you reach the dream of being on Oprah. As a media coach and marketing expert, I have helped many people be great guests on Oprah. Follow this advice to increase your chances of getting on the show. …
In 2001 I reluctantly retired from an incredibly rewarding and satisfying 42-year teaching career. I had loved everything (well, almost everything) about teaching, but I was 62 years old and I wanted to leave the profession while I was still effective and enjoying my community…
I can vividly remember the green envelopes I used to receive once a week from each of my three newspaper employers. With paychecks enclosed, the tightly sealed business-size envelopes were usually distributed late in the afternoon. Sometimes, the checks were dispatched into employee mailboxes. On other occasions, the checks were dispensed in a silly ritual conducted by an administrative secretary or a middle management-type. The check distributors always seemed arrogant. They'd hand me my check and then stand there waiting for a "thank you." They acted like they were doing me a favor …
It is only within the last forty years that any such right was conferred to American citizens. Beginning in 1966, the Freedom of Information Act was passed by Congress. States began to feel the pressure and passed their own versions. As is the propensity for such things, the release of information, not a natural thing for a government to do despite the best advice of its founders, is strictly regulated. What that means is that there are classifications of types of information not available for release under nearly any circumstance. For the rest, as any good legal draftsperson knows, when you want controversy, you can build that in. …
All writers want top market prices for their work. But top markets often ask for publishing credits, and how can you get publishing credits without making a sale? Rather than give away your writing to hungry publications that are too new or too poor to pay, sell your work to small or local markets. Commercial sales help to fill your vita with the much-desired publishing credits and provide you with experience in marketing your work and negotiating rights—for profit. …
Want to write a sitcom spec script that'll catch the eye of a producer or agent who will hopefully catapult your career? Stuck? One way to jump start your creativity is to investigate the different themes used in most sitcoms so you can come up with the most effective and enticing story to tell. Don't reinvent the wheel...just improve upon it! …
National Novel Writing Month began five years ago as a way to use the power of deadlines to get writers to complete novels. Participants often are people who say they would like to write a novel "one day," but without this pressure they would never actually do it. …
Master this muscular prose and you'll become a better writer who can say more with less. You'll open new markets for the short, newsworthy articles that populate publications of all sizes and subjects. …
In reality, most writers build an audience by word of mouth. One way to spread the word about your book is through local and regional radio, even if you write fiction. All it takes is the right hook. …
Are you a working writer? Do you have strong time-management and marketing skills? Can you find enough work to support your writing habit? Would you like to make even more money writing? Of course you would. And you can! All you need is an awareness of the vast opportunities out there for writers and the willingness to stretch and grow... …
So, what makes a good article lead? Think of your article or query lead as the front porch, hotel lobby or gateway to your article. It must attract, captivate and keep the reader. Don't write such a boring lead that your readers (and the editor) never make it past the second paragraph. …
One overlooked area of science fiction and fantasy writing is novels and stories set in role-playing game worlds. While they don't get much critical attention, some of these novels have reached bestseller lists, and their writers have gone on to publish original works. …
All kinds of scams are committed everyday. We read in the newspaper and see on television about people of all ages being taken advantage of by dishonest persons. But I never thought I'd be a victim of a well-known New York agent. I hope you haven't experienced what I did several years ago. I still get a sick feeling whenever I read about the people I put my trust in. …
The time-period spanning December 2003 and January 2004 was terrible for my Writing Services business. It would take me a year to write an accurate account about what happened to hurt my business during that time. Every snafu was a problem caused by some jerk of a client. I immediately realized two things about that week: 1) The need to disengage from Immoral Scofflaws, and 2) The need to rethink how I do business as a writer... …
More than 20 years ago I started writing what later became my novel, Three Part Invention, published just last year. That first draft was written in the first person, beginning when the main character, my alter ego Beth, was five years old. Though the novel changed greatly from that first draft, it has preserved for me experiences and emotions I'm sure I would have forgotten by now: details -- even minutia -- about growing up female in the 1950s, participating in the very early civil rights movement, and the flush of first love... …
Excerpted from: FREE EXPRESSION: 101 Fee-Free Contests, Competitions, and Other Opportunities for Resourceful Writers! “What do…
By Diane S. Craver Author of How To Run A Profitable Preschool Without The Hassle Although I loved having a preschool, I didn't want to do this again at this point in my life. However, her comment did make me realize that maybe there could be young mothers now in similar situations that I had been in years ago. I decided to write a short book, giving the necessary information for anyone to start their own preschool home business. My ebook, How To Run A Profitable Preschool Without The Hassle, has been a positive experience. …
Often, a new writer will come up with innovative "out-of-the-box" ideas for promoting a book without realizing that (a) they may actually hurt sales and (b) it's been done many times before. "Scam" is probably too harsh a word for many of these ideas, but some of them are downright unethical and illegal. That's what we'll focus on in this article. …
As the author of a POD book, you have three hurdles to overcome in selling to bookstores: discounts on POD books are generally less than 40% (sometimes as low as half that), POD books are usually non-returnable (which discourages experimentation), and the publisher isn’t promoting your book to the bookstores. Here are some ways that you can overcome these hurdles and get your book into the stores... …
You've no doubt seen your community's alternative newspaper stacked by the hundreds in a rack at grocery stores, bookstores, and gas stations. Helpful for planning weekend entertainment, the pages are packed with features on museum exhibits, concerts and restaurant openings. (In my city, anyone with an iota of the local 411 scene is seen reading one on Thursdays.). And, news about local politics - racier, sexier and bolder than the area dailies - is also covered... …
Only a year and a half ago, Shellie Rushing Tomlinson was an interior decorator, a basketball coach, and a "closet" writer. Now she has her own book, and radio and TV shows, too! She credits her children with pulling her out of that "closet." She said, "My sisters and I used to tell our kids stories about our childhood, just like many other families... …
Writers dream of the day when the words they have committed to paper will be read and appreciated by people they may never meet. The desire to be published is a goal that motivates gifted scribes to spend long hours at computer keyboards, to spend money and time to attend conferences, and to join local writers…
Thomas Edison once said, 'Genius is 1% inspiration and 90% perspiration,' and boy was he ever right! He also said, 'I didn't fail 10,000 times, I successfully eliminated the 10,000 times, materials and combinations which wouldn't work.' Again, right on, Mr. Edison. I confess I am a quotation junkie, and have launched several articles with a quote from someone else that seemed to get the feel of what I wanted to convey far better than me. …
"Over the river and through the woods, to Grandmother's condo we go," the children sang as they did indeed cross a river and drive through a wooded section to get to my lakeside condo. Two sisters and their cousin often enjoyed Friday night slumber parties with me. To entertain the girls, and to preserve some of their thinking at ages seven, eight and nine, I began writing a book using them as the characters. (They are now 11, 12, and 13.) Soon they wanted to be included in the writing of 'their' story. …
Write what I know? Yeah, sure! I'm going to write about running a high-speed slitter in a plastics factory? I'm going to write about operating a gigantic vacuum metallizer? I'm going to write about blowing up three cars in two years while running around the state as a rock-n-roll advertising salesman? I'm going to write about baking bagels in a small bakery? …
And what an unbelievably lucrative phone call that turned out to be! Wow! In a nutshell, the editor said something along the lines of, "Well, Bob. Sure! I know many editors who could use a good writer. And I can comfortably recommend you, for sure. Let's see. Got a pen? There's Joan So-and-So, over at Such-and-Such publication. And Jill, over at That Other Publication. And Jim What's-His-Face, who handles three different newsletters for us. I don't know if you realize it, Bob-- but I'm in a building with about twenty other editors. We publish, like, forty different publications here. And-- OH! Why don't you call Tammy-- who edits This Publication and also That Publication. She's always hungry for good writers. Sure-- let me give you their extensions. Here you go... " …
There are a variety of print and online markets seeking articles and essays in the education field. It isn't surprising that the market is so voluminous, for the readership for education materials is varied. Educators themselves form a diverse group and, if we just think about primary and secondary school teachers, along with administrators, those in higher education, and even home schooling families, the readership and possibilities for article topics seems endless. …
You frequently see articles for writers on how to be more accommodating for editors. However, here…
As crass as it may sound, every person has a "market value" in his or her area of proficiency — and his or her "marketability" hinges upon how that value is perceived by those who want, or need, to benefit from this person’s knowledge and experience. …
Don't give away your life stories! Whatever your gender, age, interests, hobbies or career, if you search a little, you'll find markets eager to publish and pay for your personal essays. …
Q. How lucrative is slide show scriptwriting? A. Fees for writing slide show scripts range from about $3,000 to $7,000, depending on the time required, number of frames and complexity of the subject. …
