Jen's Writing Journey

Jen's Writing Journey header image 1

Writing Roundup, March 12

March 12th, 2010 · Uncategorized

The Business of Writing

Query Etiquette
Agent Kathleen Ortiz posts some really bad sentences to include in your query letter. Please, follow her advice.

How to Decide What Blogs to Read
I’ve gotten a little ruthless in my blog reading, and I cut quite a few out of my Google Reader. It has helped me not only keep up with the blogs I need to read but also stay on track with my own writing rather than wasting all of my time blog surfing.

Be a Joiner, But Don’t Be a Sucker
Christina Katz offers her thoughts on how to select a membership organization or writer’s group to join.

Self-Publishing: Is It a Viable Alternative for Authors?
This post from Entertainment Weekly is an interesting look at self-publishing. Would you consider it a more valid method of publishing success if, say, Stephenie Meyer and Stephen King began going the self-pub route?

Being Part of a Community
Should editors and publishers be part of the reader community? mean, most of them went into this line of work because they love books and reading, right?

Craft

Writing More, Writing Better: 6 Ways to Find More Time to Write
The key to improving your craft is by writing more. 10,000 hours of focused practice can make you an expert, according to Malcolm Gladwell. Laurie Pawlik-Kienlen shares ideas to help you get those 10,000 hours in.

Fiction

P.D. James and Detective Fiction
Keith Oatley attended one of P.D. James’ speaking engagements, and he shares some of what he learned. The nice thing is that he discusses how James’ words made him reconsider his novel and decide what worked and what didn’t. If you get that much out of a seminar or a talk, you have spent your time wisely.

Two Critiques and a Challenge
Can you sum up your story in one sentence? One engaging and thought-provoking sentence that makes people want to read the story? Randy Ingermanson critiques two summaries and offers a third up for reader critique.

I Wrote a Novel
Ready for a little inspiration? Read Stephen Parrish’s publication story.

Freelancing

Don’t Be a Victim: Stop Content Thieves Dead in Their Tracks
Good tips for preventing your hard work from being claimed by or sold to others without your knowledge.

How to Tell When Its Time to Take a Break
Another reminder of the need for downtime. Billable hours are awesome, but make time for rest, too.

oDesk: One Writer’s Experience and His Plea to Clients
Freelancers thrive when they feel trusted by their clients. Does monitoring software, such as that used by oDesk, make you feel as if you aren’t trusted.

Platform

Staying Relevant with Targeted Email
Looking for ways to generate better response to your email marketing? Try targeting your messages better.

What to Do If Your Marketing Plan Fails
Everything needs to be tweaked or updated every now and then to stay effective. Your marketing plan is no different. This post gives you tips to figure out when your marketing plan is due for an update and how to update it.

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Fark
  • Digg
  • Share/Bookmark
Blog Traffic Exchange Related Posts
  • Writing Roundup, February 12 Whew. This has been a week of technology troubles for me, but my laptop is on the mend. So, I'm back with some of the great writing posts from around the blogosphere. (It pains me to use such a cliched word, but I don't know of any word to describe......
  • Book Review: On Writing by Stephen King I feel a little like I'm cheating because I discussed Stephen King's On Writing before, but I hadn't finished it then. King's book is a combination memoir and writing guide. At first it seemed odd to combine these two types of books. From a financial standpoint, two books means......
  • Writing Roundup Ten Characteristics of a Good ClientUse these tips when evaluating whether you will continue to work with your current clients. Also, the comment from Kelly Parkinson has great tips to evaluate a potential client.Proving You're Worth More MoneyIn this post, Heather Boerner helps you negotiate for higher rates from current......
  • Writing Roundup, Aug. 14 So many great resources, so little time. Thus, I avoid preamble and move directly into this week's links. The Business of Writing 5 Reasons Pitches Can Be Detrimental Rather Than Helpful Jane Friedman, who took pitches at the Willamette Writers Conference, offers a little advice to writers making pitches: Don't......
  • Writing Roundup, February 5 The Business of Writing Craft Fiction Freelancing Platform The Business of Writing Perseverance Without the ability to stick to our goals and complete our writing projects, all of the talent and study in the world won't mean a thing. How do you keep your motivation up even when you......
Blog Traffic Exchange Related Websites

→ No CommentsTags:

Tax Tips for Writers

March 10th, 2010 · Uncategorized

We’re just over one month away from the deadline for filing your taxes. Have you put it off, or have you already taken care of them? I have put it off, not because of the IRS fear, but because this year has completely gotten away from me so far. I mean, really, how did it get to be March so soon?

I enlisted the help of a few experts to create list of tips to help you prepare this year’s tax returns and to prepare for next year.

  1. Make record-keeping easy on yourself. Debra Yergen, author of the Creating Job Security series, has an easy system for keeping your receipts organized. “Carry a ‘receipts’ envelope in your purse, briefcase, or car. When you get a business-related receipt, jot any relevant notes on it and add it to your envelope. When the envelope begins to get thick, drop it in an IRS box at home and grab a fresh envelope. Every few months organize your receipts,” Yergen said. Having your receipts together and labeled when tax time comes around will make it easy to account for all of your deductions.
  2. All expenses directly related to your business are fair game. Many writers forget some eligible expenses when completing their tax returns. Retired CPA and author Jeffrey Taylor reminds us that “anything that has the direct benefit of generating income, i.e., computer, business phone, isp, website development, publicist, accountant, tax advisory, book publisher, business driving and travel to conferences, education” are eligible deductions.
  3. All deductions should make sense. When writing off an expense, think about whether you can justify it easily. Because, Yergen said, “if you get audited, you are going to have to make a case to the IRS for the decisions you made.”
  4. Sometimes, its better not to deduct everything. “The worst threat is being declared a hobby by the IRS instead of a business,” said Taylor. “A business must generate income at least for two years within a five year period.” If you haven’t generated a profit recently, you may not want to write off everything. Generate a profit this year to keep your status as a business.
  5. Keep up on your quarterlies. Cathy Golsticker, a CPA who works with freelance writers, has an equation to help writers who have day jobs know when they need to makes quarterly estimated tax payments:Self-employment tax rate of 15.4% (assuming day job wages are below $106,800, other-wise SE tax rate is 2.9%) + income tax rate (estimated (25-28%) = 40% (rounded) tax rate times net income from freelance

    Deduct from this amount the expected tax refund (what you usually receive in a typical year)

    Equals: Annual federal tax estimates to pay in

    Now divide by 4 for the quarterly amount.

    Goldsticker also cautions writers not to forget about state estimated tax payments. Check with your accountant or your state’s department of revenue to get rates and deadlines.

  6. Consider incorporating. According to Michael T. Hanley, CPA and author of Effective Tax Planning for the Microbusiness, “Most writers who earn $250 or more each year will end up paying less tax each year by operating as an S-Corporation.” In addition, Hanley said, writers who incorporate have “an audit risk that is approximately nine times lower than the audit risk of any writers who report all income/expenses as if they were personal income/expenses.” [Note: I'll be going back to Hanley to find out a little more about incorporating. Stay tuned for an April post on this topic.]

Writer’s Digest also posted some further tax tips. What are your favorites?

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Fark
  • Digg
  • Share/Bookmark
Blog Traffic Exchange Related Posts
  • Writing Roundup, October 30: The Pre-Halloween, Post-Flu Edition I missed my Wednesday post because I was down for the count with the regular-old flu. The Business of Writing Craft Fiction Freelancing Platform The Business of Writing Special Video Interview Series with Chris Anderson Jeff Rivera got an exclusive video interview from Chris Anderson, proponent of the freemium model......
  • Writing Roundup, May 15 [digg=http://digg.com/educational/Essential_Links_for_Writers]We're halfway through the month already. How have you done with achieving your writing goals so far? The Business of Writing Where Have All the Bookstores Gone? Obviously, you must sing this title to the tune of Paula Cole's Where Have All the Cowboys Gone. No? That's just me? Anyway,......
  • Writing Roundup, June 26 Where has this month gone? How did you do on your goals? I got my spreadsheet going, and I'm using it. The two books are still in process, but I've got a whole weekend ahead of me! And I've gotten 3,000 words written on my novel. The Business of Writing......
  • Writing Roundup, July 17 How is this collection working for you? Do you have any categories of posts you'd like me to include? Any blogs you think I should be following for potential inclusion? The Business of Writing Distance Insulates Journalists Have you ever gotten your hands on some ill-gotten research? Do you think......
  • What I Learned about Attending Conferences I'm going to share some session recaps from the Willamette Writers Conference here on the blog later. Today, I'm going to share the tips I learned about the nuts and bolts of attending a conference. 1. Volunteer You can save a lot of money on registration by volunteering--as much as......
Blog Traffic Exchange Related Websites
  • IRSMy Last Income Tax Update (hopefully) I have given the readers of this blog an insight into my taxes, so I felt the need to give a conclusion to my income...
  • Wow, where did this year go? It's hard to believe that the end of the year is almost here. In fact, I'd somehow forgotten all about it. That's one of the...
  • Year End Income Tax Guide (Part 2) This is the second part of Mr. ToughMoney Love's year end income tax guide that I have put together to help me (and I hope you) do...
  • Year End Income Tax Guide (Part 1) Part of the hard truth we all have to accept includes death and taxes.  Even Mr. ToughMoneyLove can take only such much hard truth so...
  • taxesIncome Taxes It is US federal law that income tax has to be paid to the IRS. Knowing the basics, and understanding your own personal situation will...

→ No CommentsTags: ··

Writing Roundup, March 5

March 5th, 2010 · Uncategorized

The Business of Writing

Prospering in the Gig Economy: Simple Habits for Writers That Pay Off Quickly
Christina Katz has a quick list of tasks you can do on a regular basis to help yourself keep on task, allocate your resources effectively, and become more properous.

All about Sequels
How many times have you read the nth book in a series and thought, “I am not having fun reading this, but I have to finish the series. I’ve already invested so much time into this world and these characters.” Agent Nathan Bransford discusses the disease acute sequelitis, in which an author can no longer work on new stories and new worlds because they are too tied to the series they have already invested in. Of course, when a writer loses passion and focus, the readers lose out.

Jamie Novak on Organization
Professional organizer Jamie Novak gives tips for turning clutter into cash–and what writer doesn’t need an influx of extra cash every now and then?

How Are Multiple Book Deal Advances Divided Up?
Moonrat shares the typical details of payment on a multiple book contract.

Craft

Where Do You Write?
Julie Jordan poses an interesting question: Where do you write? I do a lot of my writing in the living room or in my office downstairs. The living room is easy and ensures that everything I need is in close reach. The office is great for uninterrupted stretches of writing. I find that the easiest cure for writer’s block is shifting your environment, so when the living room isn’t working, I head down to the office, and vice versa.

Selecting the Tense for Your Story
In your initial drafts, just write the story. Don’t worry about past, present, pluperfect, or anything else. But, when you are editing that draft, think about what tense is appropriate, then use the guidelines here to make sure it is consistent throughout.

Fiction

The Idea Tree
Where do your ideas come from? Personally, I have found that having ideas isn’t the problem–shutting off the flow of ideas once I enter into idea-generation mode is!

No Checklists Here!
Lauren Dane reminds us of the importance of treating each story as its own beast. Not all stories need to hit all genre tropes.

Freelancing

Seven Reasons Not to Meet with Prospective Clients
Who would have thought of advising a freelancer not to meet with clients and potential clients? This post does that, with solid logic behind the reasons. If you can’t wow potential clients in person, but you can over the phone or on email, do what works for you.

Types of Companies That Need Freelance Writers
Are you looking for new clients or looking to broaden your reach? This post at Freelance Writing Jobs could give you some ideas for new companies to approach.

Platform

Final Lessons Learned from One of the World’s Highest-Paid Copywriters
Dan Kennedy gives tips on how to apply tried-and-true marketing techniques to online media. This is part three in a series. Read parts one and two, if you missed them.

Author Platform: What Are You Waiting For?
Joel Friedlander gives a nice pep talk on how easy it can be to begin building your platform–and how important it is.

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Fark
  • Digg
  • Share/Bookmark
Blog Traffic Exchange Related Posts
  • Writing Roundup, December 18 The Business of Writing Craft Fiction Freelancing Platform The Business of Writing Digital ARCs Make Progress Novelist L.J. Sellers looks at the move toward digital review copies. How will that affect writers. Backlist Title Dilemma How should authors deal with their less than stellar backlist releases? Shrug and hope......
  • Writing Roundup, Aug. 14 So many great resources, so little time. Thus, I avoid preamble and move directly into this week's links. The Business of Writing 5 Reasons Pitches Can Be Detrimental Rather Than Helpful Jane Friedman, who took pitches at the Willamette Writers Conference, offers a little advice to writers making pitches: Don't......
  • Top 5 Posts With the end of the year approaching, it seemed like a good time to look back at the year and see which posts you found most useful. Here are the top 5, based on traffic and repeat visits. (Side note: The writing roundups are typically the most visited pieces, but......
  • Writing Roundup, October 23 The Business of Writing Craft Fiction Freelancing Platform The Business of Writing Before You Sign That Publishing Contract Diane Craver guests at Writers Weekly to remind us to take time to read our publisher contracts, assess the points, and decide whether the contract is really right before we sign.......
  • Writing Roundup, April 24 Better late than never, here are the items and tidbits that I hope will spur you to a great weekend of writing. The Business of Writing Writing Conference Success Mary Andonian gives tips for Writer Mamas (and Writer Non-mamas) to be successful at a writing conference. As someone who is......
Blog Traffic Exchange Related Websites

→ 1 CommentTags: ·····

Guest Post: Working from Home? Well, Get to Work! by Pamela Hilliard Owens

March 3rd, 2010 · Uncategorized

Today I welcome professional writer Pamela Hilliard Owens. Pamela is sharing her advice on one of the hardest things about freelancing: making sure your work-at-home lifestyle actually includes a bit of work.

Working from Home? Well, Get to Work!

As I write this today, it has been snowing all night here in Michigan and there are several inches of snow on the ground. But why should I worry? I don’t have to warm up my car, navigate snow-covered streets, beware of careless drivers, or arrive at work late (again). I work from my home office! I got up, watched all of the “winter watch” warnings on the local morning news, did my yoga practice, got dressed, ate breakfast, and was at my desk ready to work at 9 am; all without any mess or stress.

Working at home gives you flexibility and freedom, but it comes with its own set of challenges; not the least of which is learning to properly structure your time so that you actually get some work done! Depending on your situation, you can work early or late—matching your work hours to your natural biorhythms.  Or, you can work in several spurts—a few hours at a time.

It is just important that you decide on what schedule works best for you and stick to it.  It will take discipline and the ability to keep distractions to a minimum. In the situation I just described for myself, if my children weren’t already grown and on their own, I would have not been as happy with the snow as I am. My children would have had a “snow day” and been home all day moaning: “I don’t have anything to do!” If you have school-aged children, I hope you have made contingency plans, just as if you had a “real job”, because you still have work to do.

Each work-at-home situation is different.  If you work almost exclusively online, you may be able to rearrange your work hours when necessary. If you are under deadline, you are under deadline, no matter what.  Only you know what has to be done and when your projects are due. But only you have the ability to set your own schedule.  Just remember that you still have a “boss”; but as I always say, I work for the best boss in the world: Me!

PamelaHilliardOwensAfter a career of 35+ years in education, collaborative sales and sales management and marketing, I started my own freelance writing and editing business in July of 2008. My company, Writing It Right for You knows that “It Matters How You Say It”! I work with individuals, graduate and post-graduate students, and businesses throughout the United States, Canada, the Middle East, India, Russia, Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom on a variety of academic and business writing and editing projects.

My specialties include working with graduate students–especially ESL students, anything involving education, ghost-writing and working with authors, writing web content, social media marketing and networking, direct sales, and writing and editing various papers of any length involving research and/or APA citations. I also do affiliate marketing and maintain more than three personal, political and business blogs and guest blog for several clients around the world.

My office is open Mondays-Fridays 9am-5pm US ET; I can be reached at any time by phone, fax, Skype, Gtalk, Yahoo IM, and email. I am a full-time, mature and experienced researcher, writer and editor; my office is fully equipped with the latest hardware, high-speed Internet, FTP and MS 2007 Office Suite. I am also proficient in Web 2.0 apps and social media.

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Fark
  • Digg
  • Share/Bookmark
Blog Traffic Exchange Related Posts
  • Writing Roundup, January 22 The Business of Writing Craft Fiction Freelancing Platform The Business of Writing Is Your "But" Too Big? No, that's not misspelled, and it's not a piece on the relative lack of exercise of the typical writer. Agent Nathan Bransford gives a motivating speech on pushing through your personal obstacles.......
  • Self-Reflection If I learned one thing in my days working on ed tech research journals, it was this: self-reflection is a key component of your ongoing development as a professional in your chosen field.So, I have decided to chronicle the things I'm doing and the lessons I'm learning as I grow......
  • Writing Roundup, September 11 Here is a handy table of contents that will help you quickly reach the topic of your choice. Let me know if you like it this way. The Business of Writing Craft Fiction Freelancing Platform The Business of Writing Freemium for Writers Is Two Debates Don Holloway provides interesting insight......
  • Writing Roundup, February 12 Whew. This has been a week of technology troubles for me, but my laptop is on the mend. So, I'm back with some of the great writing posts from around the blogosphere. (It pains me to use such a cliched word, but I don't know of any word to describe......
  • Writing Roundup, October 30: The Pre-Halloween, Post-Flu Edition I missed my Wednesday post because I was down for the count with the regular-old flu. The Business of Writing Craft Fiction Freelancing Platform The Business of Writing Special Video Interview Series with Chris Anderson Jeff Rivera got an exclusive video interview from Chris Anderson, proponent of the freemium model......
Blog Traffic Exchange Related Websites

→ 2 CommentsTags: ···

My Favorite Tools

February 22nd, 2010 · Uncategorized

I’m over at Incurable Disease of Writing discussing a few of my favorite things–for writing, at least.

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Fark
  • Digg
  • Share/Bookmark
Blog Traffic Exchange Related Posts
  • Writing Roundup, Oct. 16 Here is a handy table of contents that will help you quickly reach the topic of your choice. Let me know if you like it this way. The Business of Writing Craft Fiction Freelancing Platform The Business of Writing Book Trade Can Avoid Music Labels Digital Mistakes Publishers are scared.......
  • Book Review: On Writing by Stephen King I feel a little like I'm cheating because I discussed Stephen King's On Writing before, but I hadn't finished it then. King's book is a combination memoir and writing guide. At first it seemed odd to combine these two types of books. From a financial standpoint, two books means......
  • Writing Roundup, September 11 Here is a handy table of contents that will help you quickly reach the topic of your choice. Let me know if you like it this way. The Business of Writing Craft Fiction Freelancing Platform The Business of Writing Freemium for Writers Is Two Debates Don Holloway provides interesting insight......
  • Writing Roundup, September 4 Public Service Message: If you are affected by the Google Books settlement and you want to opt out, today is the deadline. Here is the link to opt out. The Business of Writing Books: The Big Story Is Consolidation This Financial Times article argues for further consolidation of book publishers......
  • How Are You Furthering Your Writing Career? [digg=http://digg.com/educational/How_Are_You_Furthering_Your_Writing_Career]Tiffany Colter, the Writing Career Coach, had a great post last week: Do You Own It? It offered a no-nonsense kick in the pants to all of us who play-act at being writers. I have purchased her Writing Career Coach courses on Creating a Writer's Life and Building a Platform,......

→ No CommentsTags:

Health Insurance and Writers

February 15th, 2010 · Uncategorized

In my informal poll on Twitter and Facebook, it became clear that health insurance is one of the main things that keeps we U.S.-based writers from being full-time writers. Seriously, I don’t know how families with children make it on one income until the writer’s income picks up.

For example, Nancy Brauer keeps a full-time job mainly because of the benefits. “I don’t yet have enough money saved to be able to support myself with a part-time job and purchase private health insurance,” she said. Brauer is working toward that goal. You can find out more about Brauer and her freelance life at Strange Little Band.

Writers in other countries where health care is subsidized and provided universally believe that the benefit of having available health care definitely removes an obstacle to freelancing. However, Dave Sherohman, who has freelanced in both the U.S. and abroad, pointed out on Facebook that the tax and regulatory structures can make it more challenging to manage your business once you make the break from the day job.

But, we’re here today to talk about health insurance, not taxes. COBRA coverage is a nice gesture, but it is extremely expensive. Private insurance may be an option, if your health is impeccable, but as designer Melissa Ek mentioned on Facebook, it can also be costly.

How can you find affordable health care options?

  1. Check your memberships. College alumni associations, membership groups, and other personal and professional affiliations can offer discounts on group health coverage. The Freelancers Union, Author’s Guild, and even MediaBistro offer health insurance for you to purchase, although restrictions apply and it is not available in all states.
  2. Ask your local or state government. Some government agencies may be able to point you toward insurance consortia that may offer affordable coverage.
  3. Look at your spouse’s plan. Is it cost-effective to simply add you (and your children, if applicable) to your spouse’s insurance policy? The cost of the coverage may be taken from pretax dollars, which can lessen the sting of the monthly expenditure.
  4. Price out the private plans. Start with the insurance coverage your employer currently offers–you’re familiar with the policies and restrictions, and you’ll be able to easily compare your options. Find a level of coverage that you are comfortable with, then look at other companies that offer similar options. Comparison shopping is essential on such a costly long-term expense.

Those of you who are already writing full time, how do you make sure you and your family have the insurance coverage you need?

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Fark
  • Digg
  • Share/Bookmark
Blog Traffic Exchange Related Posts
  • Do You Know When to Say When? It is easy for writers--especially new freelance writers--to agree to too many projects. The result is either missed deadlines, shoddy work, or a really crabby and tired writer whose family can't stand to be anywhere near him or her. But what is it that leads to over-committing and under-delivering? There......
  • More on Marketing Last night, I saw author Caroline Miller speak on book marketing. She had some great ideas and focused a lot on marketing to libraries. One of the best suggestions was to ask your friends to request that their local library add your book to their collection. So, next time......
  • Guest Post by Christina Katz: Platform Resolutions for Writers Thanks to Christina Katz for sharing her platform-building wisdom. I hope you get some good action steps from this guest post. Platform Resolutions for Writers 2010 Before writers establish an author platform, they typically establish a writer platform. Over the past decade, thousands of writers have parlayed established influence into......
  • Writing Roundup, October 30: The Pre-Halloween, Post-Flu Edition I missed my Wednesday post because I was down for the count with the regular-old flu. The Business of Writing Craft Fiction Freelancing Platform The Business of Writing Special Video Interview Series with Chris Anderson Jeff Rivera got an exclusive video interview from Chris Anderson, proponent of the freemium model......
  • Writers and Money Two interesting blog posts this week address the concept of monetary compensation for writers. No Money...Are You Really a Writer? Rebecca starts a series on what makes you a writer. Is monetary compensation your measure of success? Or is it a story well crafted? Writers, Let's Join Together on Payment......
Blog Traffic Exchange Related Websites

→ 1 CommentTags: ·

Writing Roundup, February 12

February 12th, 2010 · Uncategorized

Whew. This has been a week of technology troubles for me, but my laptop is on the mend. So, I’m back with some of the great writing posts from around the blogosphere. (It pains me to use such a cliched word, but I don’t know of any word to describe the internet or the blog space that isn’t cliched.)

The Business of Writing

Feminist Critique of Romance: UR Doin It Wrong
Racy Romance Reviews takes a look at feminist thought on romance novels. In essence, the idea that romance novels are inherently anti-feminist is based on outdated books and a lack of primary research. This is an interesting post that not only provides insight into the current state of the romance genre but also gives a good example of how to do research.

Your Turn: What Prosperity Means to Four Writers
Christina Katz opens her forum up to writers to discuss their personal definitions of prosperity. Carol Alexander, Lydia Sharp, Julie Achterhoff, and Dionne Obesso give their ideas of a prosperous writing life. This was a timely post for me, as I have been examining my own ideas of prosperity and how to bring it into my life. What does prosperity mean to you?

How to Find an Agent for Your Nonfiction Book
I spend a lot of time here focusing on fiction, even though my published work has been mainly nonfiction. Here is some advice for those of us looking to land an agent to represent our nonfiction work.

Musicblogocide 2010 and eBooks
Google unceremoniously removed many music blogs for copyright violations. Galleycat gives some of the background and begins to ask the question of how Google’s decision to remove these blogs will affect the future of blogs that focus on ebooks and vooks.

Long Time No See by Deborah Schneider
Deborah Schneider gives an interesting look into the work (and time) it took for her to publish her first book. How long will you stick it out before you give up the writing game?

When Do You Give Up?
Another look at this tough question from agent Kate Shafer Testerman.

How the iPad Might Bring Us Back to Our Print Roots
Giovanni Calabro looks at how the book and magazine publishing components of the iPad might breathe new life into the publishing industry.

Craft

Easy Editing Tips
L.J. Sellers gives some good ideas to get you started on self-editing your work.

Clear-Cut Rules for Hyphens
Are you a hyphen pro? If not, here is a post that will teach you what you need to know.

Fiction

How Setting Influences Your Characters
C. Patrick Shulz gives tips to use your setting to develop your characters into the multi-dimensional, complex individuals they need to be.

How to Write about a Real Location when You Haven’t Been There
Want to include an authentic picture of a real-life setting in your work? Joanna Penn can help.

Freelancing

When Bells Ring Almost Too Much, It’s Time to Triage
How do you handle it when you have too much work and/or too much personal life? Anne Wayman suggests you take a triage approach to your multiple priorities so that each gets the attention it needs at the time it needs.

Cut This Story
Web writers have one thing right for our current time and attention span: they know how to write short, scannable text that can be easily digested by readers. Print journalists can learn lessons from their web-writing counterparts and create stories that are more useful to readers. Michael Kinsley gives specific examples to help you.

Platform

You Tell Me: Can Authors Balance Publicity and Privacy in the Internet Era?
Agent Nathan Bransford asks an interesting question in this post. Will we ever have another J.D. Salinger, or has the Internet and the new requirements that authors do a large portion of their own marketing removed the possibility of being “just an author”?

Surprise! Branding Is Not Always about Your Book
Carolyn Howard-Johnson gives some tips on branding for authors.

How to Leverage Twitter When You Have Little Time
Saving time on Twitter gives us more time for writing, right?

Tips for Getting Visitors to Your Web Site
Want more potential readers to visit your web site? Here are four tips that might help.

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Fark
  • Digg
  • Share/Bookmark
Blog Traffic Exchange Related Posts
  • Book Review: Novel Shortcuts by Laura Whitcomb Young adult author Laura Whitcomb shares techniques that will help even the most seasoned wordsmiths write better and faster....
  • Writing Roundup, June 19 We've got some great resources this week--summer hasn't slowed down any of the bloggers! The Business of Writing Money, Money, Money, Money Author Lauren Dane shares her thoughts on the RWA president's position on e-publishing. It is a well-thought-out argument that asks the RWA to put the focus back on......
  • Writing Roundup, August 21 We've got a lot of interesting news posts this week in addition to the regular blog suspects. The Business of Writing The Limits of Control This article from the American Journalism Review provides a good synopsis of the ethics policies and guidelines major newspapers are asking their reporters to follow......
  • Writing Roundup, June 12 The Business of Writing Making Time for Real Life As the lazy days of summer approach, many of we writers are looking for balance between our work and home lives. (Some of us work at home, making it even more confusing.) L.J. Sellers posts her short-term, non-writing to-do list. What's......
  • Writing Roundup, December 4 The Business of Writing Craft Fiction Freelancing Platform The Business of Writing What Can I Expect of My Agent? Moonrat posts a nice description of what you can expect in your relationship with your agent. Read this post, then visit agent Kate Schafer Testerman's blog for a follow-up and......
Blog Traffic Exchange Related Websites

→ 4 CommentsTags: ····

Writing Roundup, February 5

February 5th, 2010 · Uncategorized

The Business of Writing

Perseverance
Without the ability to stick to our goals and complete our writing projects, all of the talent and study in the world won’t mean a thing. How do you keep your motivation up even when you are facing a seemingly endless string of rejections?

Two Roads Diverged: Understanding Traditional and Self-Publishing Differences
Todd Rutherford discusses the differences between these two publishing paths at great length. This post is a great resource as you decide which path is right for you and your work.

Special Focus on the Amazon-MacMillan Battle
Last weekend, the fight between Amazon and MacMillan over ebook prices was seemingly the only topic worth following on Twitter. Here are a few posts that discuss what happened and the results fo the dust-up:

Fiction

Is Your Scene Cluttered with Inconsequential Blather?
Author Roz Morris discusses the problems inherent with too much text cluttering up a scene, using an example from her husband’s graphic novel to illustrate.

Tune In, Turn On, and Drop Out with T.C. Boyle
In an interesting interview with Powells.com, Author T.C. Boyle discusses the fictional world he created in Drop City.

Are You Using Setting to Deepen Your Characters?
Author K.M. Weiland discusses how to assess your setting and ensure that it adds to your overall story.

Freelancing

10 Actions for Writers in Providing Great Customer Service
As writers, it is so easy for all of us to focus on our writing and hope that the business side of things just takes care of itself. But, when we work as a freelancer, we are not just the talent. We have to function as the accountant, the business manager, and he customer service staff. How do you ensure that you provide customer service that keeps your clients coming back for more of your talent?

How to Work Less
When we want to earn more money and find more clients, we usually think we need to work more. Linda Formichelli has a much better idea: Work fewer hours, but make sure that those hours count. Don’t tweet or read blogs or sit on the computer waiting for an email response when you are supposed to be working. Work or leave the computer.

20 Writing Mistakes that Make Any Freelancer Look Bad
Whatever you do, don’t make these mistakes. Unless, of course, you never want to work for that client again.

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Fark
  • Digg
  • Share/Bookmark
Blog Traffic Exchange Related Posts
  • Holidays Are Good Writing Days Today, a lot of us are off work. A day off can be a good time for catching up on housework, relaxing, or catching a movie. Or it can be a day that you sample the life of a full-time writer, putting in a much longer writing shift than is......
  • Writing Roundup, October 23 The Business of Writing Craft Fiction Freelancing Platform The Business of Writing Before You Sign That Publishing Contract Diane Craver guests at Writers Weekly to remind us to take time to read our publisher contracts, assess the points, and decide whether the contract is really right before we sign.......
  • Writing Roundup, October 30: The Pre-Halloween, Post-Flu Edition I missed my Wednesday post because I was down for the count with the regular-old flu. The Business of Writing Craft Fiction Freelancing Platform The Business of Writing Special Video Interview Series with Chris Anderson Jeff Rivera got an exclusive video interview from Chris Anderson, proponent of the freemium model......
  • Book Review: Novel Shortcuts by Laura Whitcomb Young adult author Laura Whitcomb shares techniques that will help even the most seasoned wordsmiths write better and faster....
  • Writing Roundup, Nov. 6: "Still Friday on the West Coast" Edition The Business of Writing Craft Fiction Freelancing The Business of Writing Firsts What are your goals for your writing career? Aprilynne Pike discusses her goals, other possible goals as a writer, and the ways we can achieve these goals. Choosing Your Genre Agent Jessica Faust covers the issue of......
Blog Traffic Exchange Related Websites

→ 2 CommentsTags: ····

Guest Post by Christina Katz: Platform Resolutions for Writers

February 1st, 2010 · Uncategorized

Thanks to Christina Katz for sharing her platform-building wisdom. I hope you get some good action steps from this guest post.

Platform Resolutions for Writers 2010

Before writers establish an author platform, they typically establish a writer platform. Over the past decade, thousands of writers have parlayed established influence into traditional book deals. Landing a traditional book deal is still an effective way to exponentially increase your credibility and visibility.

Your “platform” refers to what you do in the world with your professional expertise that makes you visible and influential in the world. Having friends on Facebook or followers on Twitter is not your platform, unless the majority of those people know who you are, what you do, and are enthusiastic about your work.

I thought I would offer some advice about how to slowly and steadily establish a lasting platform. You may note the lack of fanaticism in this advice and the emphasis on enduring success instead. I’m a mother and a wife, a freelancer, a speaker, a teacher, and a blogger, so aiming for balance is the only way I can afford to work if I plan on sticking around for the long haul.

This advice has worked consistently for my students over the past several years. I think you will find that a grounded, step-by-step approach works just as well for you if you choose to follow it:

  1. Develop a platform topic that you love and can work on tirelessly for the next few years. Your passion of the moment should come in second to the topic you could delve into deeply for a good, long time. Prior professional education and a depth of personal experience are going to be a boon to your platform if you have an eye on a future book deal.
  2. Hang back from establishing a blog on your topic until you have cultivated a wealth of content and experience working with others on specialty-related activities that lend credibility and trust to your name. Others will tell you to start blogging immediately, but don’t, if you want to be efficient with your time and money.
  3. Instead, gain authority by seeking publication in established, highly visible publications both in print and online that serve your target audience. Avoid the kind of publishing that anyone can accomplish, like posting on article sites, and work on your professional communication skills instead. By all means, avoid the content mills offering writers slave wages with the promise of future earnings.
  4. Don’t begin any kind of marketing campaign for any product or service offerings until you have established yourself as a go-to person on your topic, again saving you time and money. Before you look at ways to serve others directly, channel your expertise into the best service methods possible based on your strengths and weaknesses. This is a meaty topic that is covered in-depth in my book, Get Known Before the Book Deal, Use Your Personal Strengths to Grow an Author Platform (Writer’s Digest Books 2008).
  5. Then, develop a product or service that can become one of several multiple income streams over time that will support your goal of becoming a published author. For example, teaching classes over the years has allowed me to re-invest more of the money I earn from writing books back into book marketing. Make sure any offerings you produce are released conscientiously and are integrated into the professional writing you already do. Otherwise, you will seem like you are all over the place and just trying to score a buck.
  6. Don’t expect your platform to support you financially for at least one or two years, as you micro-invest in it, re-invest in it as it grows, and expand your visibility.
  7. Once you have a professional publication track record in your niche topic, then it’s time to hang your online shingle. I’ve seen this accomplished in as little as six months by exceptionally focused students. Take a portion of the money you’ve earned writing and invest it in a professional quality online presence.
  8. A low-cost way to do this is to purchase your name as a URL and use a hosting site like GoDaddy.com to host a Wordpress.org blog. I use the Thesis Theme, which you can see in action at my blog. In this way, a blog can also serve as your website where you post your published clips, offerings and bio. If you don’t have a ton of money to invest in the look of your site, you can always pay a designer later.
  9. Delay partnering with others on joint ventures until you have a clear idea of your own strengths and weaknesses in and around your topic. And when you do partner with others be extremely discriminating. Make sure the partnership is going to be win-win-win for everyone involved.
  10. Start an e-mail newsletter or e-zine with those who are most interested in your topic. Build your list by invitation and then grow it into a permission-based following over time. Create an expected, ongoing dialogue that is mutually beneficial to everyone involved and your list will grow.
  11. Now you are ready to start blogging. And yes, I mean while you continue to do all the things we’ve already discussed. Be sure to zoom-focus your blog on what you have to add to the conversation that is already going on about your topic. Don’t just share information; make an impact. Make your blog a go-to, up-to-date resource for your audience.
  12. Partner selectively with others who serve the same general audience that you do with integrity and humility. Spend time getting to know folks before you decide to partner with them. You can’t afford to taint the reputation you have worked so hard to establish by partnering with just anyone.
  13. Now that you have an established niche and audience, definitely participate in social networking. I like Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn because they all offer something unique. The best way to learn is to jump in, spend an hour online each week until you are up and running. Follow the instructions for getting started provided by social media expert Meryl K. Evans.

This start-up plan for a writer platform will eventually blossom into an author platform. From start to finish, implementing a solid platform following this advice should take you about a year. By the end of that year, you will have established yourself as a serious contender in both professional and online circles, without killing yourself for some huckster’s promise of overnight success.

Have a plan. Leave a legacy in words, connections and professional influence. If you are consistent, by the time the year is done, you will have made effective use of your time and money in 2010.  I wish you the best of luck in your platform-building efforts!

Christina Katz is the author of Get Known Before the Book Deal: Use Your Personal Strengths to Grow an Author Platform and Writer Mama: How to Raise a Writing Career Alongside Your Kids for Writer’s Digest Books. She has written hundreds of articles for national, regional, and online publications, presents at literary and publishing events around the country, and is a monthly columnist for the Willamette Writer. Katz publishes a weekly e-zine, The Prosperous Writer, and hosts The Northwest Author Series. She holds an MFA in writing from Columbia College Chicago and a BA from Dartmouth College. A “gentle taskmaster” to her hundred or so students each year, Katz channels over a decade of professional writing experience into success strategies that help writers get on track and get published. Learn more at ChristinaKatz.com.

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Fark
  • Digg
  • Share/Bookmark
Blog Traffic Exchange Related Posts
  • Writing Roundup, May 22 A short and sweet pre-Memorial Day roundup. The Business of Writing So-N-So Recommended Me Referrals can be a great way to get an agent to look at your work--but only if they are done right. Here you'll find some examples of good and bad referrals. Main lesson? Make sure the......
  • Diversification The main reason we are in this whole writing game is that we love to write, to tell stories. But we also have real needs--bills must be paid, food must be purchased, and so on. Thus the desire to earn money for some of these ditties we write. I've written......
  • Planning a Blog Tour I've been working for the last few months to plan a virtual tour to promote my book The Best of Learning & Leading with Technology. It is a lot more work pulling it all together than I would ever have dreamed. I've learned a few lessons about this monumental organizing......
  • Writing Roundup, June 26 Where has this month gone? How did you do on your goals? I got my spreadsheet going, and I'm using it. The two books are still in process, but I've got a whole weekend ahead of me! And I've gotten 3,000 words written on my novel. The Business of Writing......
  • Book Review: The Boss of You The Boss of You: Everything a Woman Needs to Know to Start, Run, and Maintain Her Own Business by Lauren Bacon and Emira MearsWhen Lauren Bacon and Emira Mears set out to begin their own web design company, they looked for books that would help them start their small......
Blog Traffic Exchange Related Websites

→ 1 CommentTags: ··

Writing Roundup, January 29

January 29th, 2010 · Uncategorized

The Business of Writing

Top Authors Await Ebook Bonanza
The Times looks at how many British authors are waiting to sell their backlists on the long-awaited Apple tablet. (On a related note, I can’t imagine that the price tag of the tablet will lure in any but the earliest of adopters for the first year or so.) The article also provides some interesting predictions for the growth of ebooks.

The Slush Pile
Worried that there will be no more slush pile when you re ready to submit? This agency still values the slush.

Taking a Deeper Look at Media’s Appetite for the iPad
Did you visit the live blogging site for the iPad launch event, waiting to see what it would look like and then, finally, what it would cost? Yeah, me, too. I was impressed by the price (I thought it would be higher), but I’m not ready to switch from my iPod Touch to the much larger iPad. Here’s a nice look at what media companies think about the new device.

Booty Call
Writer JA Konrath discusses some issues behind ebook piracy and his solutions for the problem.

How Publishers Will Cope with Amazon’s Monopoly
Our friends at GalleyCat summarizes a discussion about Amazon’s hold on ebooks from Digital Book World.

Craft

Funds for Writers newsletter, Jan. 24: Choosing Your Conferences
Hope Clark offers some great tips for using your professional development funds wisely. Should you spring for the big conference, or should you spread the wealth and take a class here and there, go to a retreat once or twice? When you’re done reading the lead article, feel free to scrool down to find the job/publication leads.

Agent Perspective: Rosemary Stimola
An agent describes what drew her to a particular book that she represents. She also talks about the market for historical fiction and her agency.

Are You a Bi-polar Writer?
Do you shift from one type of writing to another? Does it help you or hinder your development and success. In this post, Deb Boyken discusses how to use your dilettante nature to your advantage.

Does Alcohol Help or Hurt Your Writing?
Joanna Penn looks at the history of alcohol and writing. Some of the best writers have been alcoholics, but does that mean we should all take up a drinking habit?

Fiction

Seven Key Values to Maintain as You Write Your Romance
Author Larry Brooks shares some tips for romance writing that can be applied to other genres, too. It’s a nice piece full of good advice.

Heroine Worship, Part 3: Getting High on Heroines
Author Teri Coyne talks about the addictive nature of the heroine, of seeing yourself in the character in a way you can’t when they are not the same gender as you. I can’t help but wonder if this is how people from different races feel when they finally come across a hero or heroine of their same ethnic background.

Quick Tips for Publishing Your Fiction
Writer’s Market offers some quick and easy tips to help you increase your chances for submission success. Also, this page includes a link to get a free trial of Writer’s Market online.

Freelancing

Fear of Success for Writers: Sings of Self-Sabotage in the Writing Life
Fear is a big reality in the life of someone who is striking a new path. As you build your writing career, you may find yourself unconsciously sabotaging yourself. Look for these signs and then figure out how to deal with them.

Are You Trying to Be too Smart?
Over at Men with Pens, Taylor discusses the need to continue to hone our crafts and our vocabularies, but also to keep our copy from sounding too academic or stilted.

Healthcare Coverage for Freelancers
Jennifer discusses health care for freelancers at Freelance Writing Jobs. This is huge and important topic, and it is one that I will be posting about next month. So, look for that in February. And, if you have any insight into health care and its effects on your decision to stick with a day job or go freelance, shoot me an email.

Platform

10 Truths about Self Marketing, Like It or Not
Tony Eldridge confronts some of the sometimes unpleasant truths about marketing your books and yourself.

10 Tips for Content Marketing Success
Adam Singer gives some good tips for ensuring that your blog content is drawing in reader,s keeping them there, and getting them to view you as an expert in your chosen content area.

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Fark
  • Digg
  • Share/Bookmark
Blog Traffic Exchange Related Posts
  • Writing Roundup, August 21 We've got a lot of interesting news posts this week in addition to the regular blog suspects. The Business of Writing The Limits of Control This article from the American Journalism Review provides a good synopsis of the ethics policies and guidelines major newspapers are asking their reporters to follow......
  • Writing Roundup, July 17 How is this collection working for you? Do you have any categories of posts you'd like me to include? Any blogs you think I should be following for potential inclusion? The Business of Writing Distance Insulates Journalists Have you ever gotten your hands on some ill-gotten research? Do you think......
  • Writing Roundup, February 12 Whew. This has been a week of technology troubles for me, but my laptop is on the mend. So, I'm back with some of the great writing posts from around the blogosphere. (It pains me to use such a cliched word, but I don't know of any word to describe......
  • Writing Roundup FictionDialogue: Creative ListeningUse these tips to make your dialogue shine.Platform Development for Fiction WritersPlatform has typically been the least important consideration when agents and publishers choose which novels to pick up. But, with the competition increasing, it may become more important. Rachelle Gardner gives some tips for building your platform......
  • Book Review: Novel Shortcuts by Laura Whitcomb Young adult author Laura Whitcomb shares techniques that will help even the most seasoned wordsmiths write better and faster....
Blog Traffic Exchange Related Websites

→ 2 CommentsTags: ····