Jen's Writing Journey

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 a freelance writing career.

I’ve completed my first book project, which is a compilation of the best articles from the magazine I used to work on. Read more about it at http://bestofll.blogspot.com.

I’ve also checked a few books out of the library: Make a Real Living as a Freelance Writer by Jenna Glatzer, The Wealthy Writer by Michael Meanwell, and the Well-Fed Writer by Peter Bowerman. I’ve read a few chapters in Jenna’s book, and I’m trying to decide whether to incorporate and what to call my writing business. I’ll post reviews of the books once I finish them.

And I have subscribed to the Writing Career Coach blog, which focuses on marketing. I hadn’t really thought about the importance of marketing, but I’ve gotten a lot of good ideas from Tiffany Colter.

• Book Review: Bird by Bird, by Anne Lamott While stuck in the Fort Lauderdale airport yesterday, waiting for our flight to Houston, I had a lot of time to read. I finished this 1994 book, along with a novel and three magazines, during the travel odyssey.Lamott's reflections on writing and life are couched in real-world experiences that......
• 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,......
• 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 I decided to add some categories this week to make it easier for you to find your favorite links. Let me know if you like it better this way, or if the hodge podge put together as I found a good resource worked better for you. Also let me know......
• Book Review: Self-Leadership and the One-Minute Manager by Ken Blanchard et al. This is not the type of book I would normally read, but I found quite a bit of useful information. And, it's a quick read. It took me about 45 minutes.The main lesson for those of us beginning or growing a writing career is the challenge assumed constraints. The......

• Review: Why Smart People Make Big Money Mistakes and How to Correct Them By Gary Belsky and Tom Gilovich This fascinating book by a popular financial journalist and a college professor may not be the newest book on the shelf, and it may not...
• #1 Weight Loss Tip - The Journal A nationwide study of over 1500 people, who were overweight and obese, consisted of a half year of 30 minutes of exercise a day, a...
• Get Into Bed With Sabrina Jeffries (Author Interview) Boy, do I have a treat for LRP readers! I recently was able to interview Sabrina Jeffries after the RWA Conference. Amidst her busy schedule...
• How To Start Writing A Book That Will Grab Attention by Trevor Johnson How to start writing a book that will grab attention of the readers? New writers face this dilemma when they set out...
• Greetings Fellow Authors...And Anyone Else Who Finds This After writing a book….starting a blog…learning the insider’s process of publishing, blogging, social marketing, printing, and distribution…my blog moves swiftly......