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.

• 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, April 17 Here is a sampling of the fun writing posts of the week. Let me know if the Friday schedule works for you. Enjoy! The Business of Writing Pitch Appointments What should you expect when you schedule a 10-minute meeting with an agent at a conference? Jessica Faust gives you the......
• Writing Roundup, January 15: Back from Hawaii Edition The Business of Writing Craft Fiction Freelancing Platform The Business of Writing The Prosperous Writer E-Zine is Rocking It New year, new methods. Platform guru Christina Katz has streamlined her online life and created a new electronic newsletter and blog to help her fellow writers. Add christinakatz.com to your......
• 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......
• 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,......

• Wedding Gift Ideas: Ring Bearer Every person who participates in a sacred wedding ceremony symbolizes an important part of your marriage. For the ring bearer, the innocent boy carrying your...
• Jane Porter speaking about life I'm happy to share this online interview with Jane Porter. She was gracious to spend some time with us. I think you'll agree that she...
• Get into Bed with Carolyn Brown (Author Interview) Susan:  I understand reading has been your passion since you were five. What’s your favorite book? Carolyn: That’s a tough question. I love to read...
• Show Off Your Logo One Sip at a Time With Promotional Drinkware We live in a technological world and many one-time conveniences have either faded or gone away. Remember the fax machine? Remember phone booths? How about...
• Journey from Reader to Erotica Author by Eliza Gayle, guest blogger and author of Lucas: A Black Cougar Novel To be honest it was a fast and furious trip. Despite my...

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!

After 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.

• Writing Roundup, May 8 And, another work week for the 9-5 crowd comes to a close. I wonder if this song lyric would be true of me if I did not have a day job to do in addition to this crazy writing thing: "I wake up every evening, with a big smile on......
• Writing Roundup, January 15: Back from Hawaii Edition The Business of Writing Craft Fiction Freelancing Platform The Business of Writing The Prosperous Writer E-Zine is Rocking It New year, new methods. Platform guru Christina Katz has streamlined her online life and created a new electronic newsletter and blog to help her fellow writers. Add christinakatz.com to your......
• Writing Roundup, July 24 The Business of Writing Ain't That a Shame Author Justine Larbalestier shares her thoughts on the cover for her book Liar. The protagonist is African American, but the girl shown on the cover is White. Larbalastier campaigned strongly for a different cover, but she did not win that battle. What......
• 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......
• Freelancers You Should Follow Twitter is all about connections and networking, right? Well, here are some of the essential people to follow on Twitter to help you build your freelance career. (Listed in no particular order) @DebNG: Deb is the founder of the Freelance Writing Jobs blog. She tweets about the freelance life and......

• 10 Top Paying Jobs in the Private Sector What Do You Want To Be When You Grow Up? So what do you want to be when you grow up? Yes, the 10 Top Paying Private Sector Jobs look rewarding, but I haven't included...
• Ten Tax Planning Ideas for Small Businesses in 2009 If you are a small business owner looking for cost cutting ideas here are ten tax planning ideas that may result in substantial tax savings. ...
• Ken Lewis applies for the Treasury job? Rough week for stock, good week for business To my teammates: Public debate on the subject of potentially nationalizing some banks continues to put great...
• Hosted VoIP PBX - Customizable Easy-To-Use Features A hosted VoIP PBX phone system integrated with customizable easy-to-use features helps you achieve your unique business goals at the minimum of investments. The sophisticated...
• It Might Be Time to Consider DIY for Home Improvement When insurance deductibles become so high that it becomes impossible to make claims to repair blown down fences and make routine home improvements, or when...

• 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......
• 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.......
• 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......
• Dealing with Rejection On Monday, I talked a little about the stigma attached to vanity presses. We all seemed to be in agreement that self-published books are not viewed with the same level of respect as traditionally published books, even if the writing is of the same or better caliber. Writer's Digest has......
• 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......

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?

• Writing Roundup I'm wishing you a happy Monday with a set of good read for the week. Enjoy!The New Austerity in PublishingLike other industries, publishing appears to be tightening its belt. Gone (for now) are the big expense accounts and annual raises. I think this is a temporary measure, and things will......
• An Ode to the Ever-Suffering Spouse After spending the entire weekend at the Willamette Writers Conference, I was reminded of Stephen King's discussion of the spouse in On Writing. He said, whenever I see a first novel dedicated to a wife (or a husband), I smile and think, There’s some one who knows. Writing is a......
• 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......
• How to Be a Healthy Writer As I sit here chugging Rock Star (sugar-free, of course) and wishing for some candy and chips, I find it amusing that I'm hoping to offer some tips on remaining healthy as a writer. I know what I need to do: get off my butt and exercise, eat healthier foods,......
• Writing Roundup, May 1 Can you believe it's already May? I can't either. Here are some good resources to help you start your writing month off right. The Business of Writing Perception Is Truth Writing Career Coach Tiffany Colter takes a fresh look on book marketing. She reminds us that readers don't make decisions......

• You Do Need Disability Insurance! Living from one paycheck to another often does not leave much room for ‘extras’ but when it comes to insurance and protecting your finances, disability...
• What do nurses think about healthcare reform? Your doctor may or may not be in it for the money, but you know down deep in your heart that your nurse is in...
• Learning About Hidden Credit Card Charges It is very tempting to get an offer for a new credit card with a low interest rate, but make sure to read the fine...
• Hard Truth Week in Review - Health Care Whining Edition Our local paper ran yet another article featuring the stories of those who do not have health care insurance. The reporter undercuts the merits of...
• Health Care Options For The Recently Uninsured Many politicians have used the lack of affordable health care and insurance as a platform while on the campaign trail. Coming up with a solution,...

• The Business of Writing
• Craft
• Fiction
• Freelancing
• Platform

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.

• 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......
• 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, January 29 The Business of Writing Craft Fiction Freelancing Platform 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......
• 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, 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......

• 5th Edition of Author Love Today is the 5th edition of author love. Sorry to be so late posting it, but I had some technical issues. They are resolved (obviously)...
• Sunday Money Roundup - One More Week Till Mexico Edition. In about 8 days, my wife and I are leaving for Mexico to go to a friends wedding...and take a vacation, at the same time....
• Blog Search Engine Optimization Blogging has become a truly popular form of media for the sharing of ideas, the facilitation of communication and other methods of collaboration on the...
• Link roundup: Mrs. MBH birthday edition Monday was my wonderful wife's birthday. She got most of her presents early. But that's all right. I have a really hard time surprising her...
• 10 Tips To Increase Traffic To Blog At this present writing, there are more than 115 Million blogs worldwide. The majority of these blogs are strictly for the purpose of making money....

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:

• Dispatches from the Ebook Wars: MacNMillan vs. Amazon
• Amazon’s Response, and My Insta-reaction
• Zinc Blinked
• The Kindle Missile Crisis

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.

• 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......
• Writing Roundup, July 2 I decided to post early this week to avoid the holiday run-off. I wish you all a lovely holiday weekend. If, like me, you'll be spending a good portion of it writing, well then I wish you happy writing. The Business of Writing Could Changes in the Copyright Law Save......
• Writing Roundup, Nov. 13 The Business of Writing Craft Fiction Freelancing Platform The Business of Writing Comparing Your Book to Other Books in Your Query Agent Nathan Bransford weighs in on using comparisons to other books in your query. Personally, I think it can give a nice frame reference for tone or subject......
• 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, 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.......

• Affordable Answering Service For Small Business When small and home-based businesses plan to implement an answering service, affordability is the key factor that comes under consideration. Choosing a hosted PBX phone...
• Business Calls Made Easy by VOIP Technology As high-speed Internet connections spread around the world widely, Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) technology changed how people think of long-distance phone calls. Many see...
• Software As a Service (SaaS) Software on Demand - Using SaaS the Smart Way Software as a Service (SaaS) Today's business world demands that business owners quickly adapt to a changing environment. Businesses can improve internal operations when they...
• VoIP Business Solution - Saving Your Company Money For a business VoIP plan, the cost currently is somewhere less than $50. Businesses are allowed to make calls to anyone in the USA and...
• Business Communication Services - About Hosted VoIP Contemporary business communication services are reaping big rewards from using VoIP phone systems. Professional VoIP providers worldwide are helping to create improved business services through...

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.

• 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.......
• 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......
• Can You Write Short and Long Pieces Simultaneously? Wil Wheaton recently posted this snippet on his blog:most people can't write for a book and a blog at the same time, because our brains get different kinds of feedback and rewards from each. For most of us, if we had to pick, we'll write in our blogs because the......
• Writing Roundup, August 28 Lots of good stuff out there as we look toward the fall. The Business of Writing How a Book Gets Published Agent Nathan Bransford gives a great, easy-to-follow description of how a book goes from finished clean copy on the author's desk to a shiny new book on the shelves.......
• Writing Roundup, January 29 The Business of Writing Craft Fiction Freelancing Platform 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......

• Blog Posting Ideas (Pt. 1) Despite how much you write, it is possible you may feel that you still have not tapped your target niche. This may leave you feeling...
• Grisham, John Long before his name became synonymous with the modern legal thriller, he was working 60-70 hours a week at a small Southaven, Mississippi law practice,...
• Using Article Marketing for a Blog One of the most popular things on the Internet today is blogging. In fact, if you notice the trends over the past few years, bloggers...
• Author Love #3 Welcome to the third edition of author love. We've got book reviews, how-tos, and writing tips. Book Reviews swapnil warang presents switch2life: Book Review:"White Man...
• Read Internet Marketing E-book and Start your Online Business Career with No Regrets. Useful Points to Bear in Mind Your kids maybe love this. They are using this to read their preferred Barney or Dora the Explorer stories without obtaining the printed manuscripts of...

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.

• 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, Nov. 13 The Business of Writing Craft Fiction Freelancing Platform The Business of Writing Comparing Your Book to Other Books in Your Query Agent Nathan Bransford weighs in on using comparisons to other books in your query. Personally, I think it can give a nice frame reference for tone or subject......
• 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, 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......
• Freelancers You Should Follow Twitter is all about connections and networking, right? Well, here are some of the essential people to follow on Twitter to help you build your freelance career. (Listed in no particular order) @DebNG: Deb is the founder of the Freelance Writing Jobs blog. She tweets about the freelance life and......

• Deuter Futura 28 Reviewed [/caption]Huh? What's a Deuter Futura 28? And how will it help me hike? Those are better questions than you realize: the Deuter Futura 28 is...
• Article Marketing Tips For Online Business Last week, we discussed about forum marketing tips and now its time to discuss about article marketing. Article marketing is a wise method of promoting...
• 2 Article Writing Tips That Work Writing articles is a mainstay for anyone with a website. This is just something your going to have to do if you want to share...
• Helpful Tips On How To Drive Traffic To Your Site From The Search Engines In an offline business location is a crucial factor to the success of a business. For instance, imagine that your restaurant is placed in a...
• Copywriting Tips For Bloggers Who Hate Writing Online copywriting, contrary to what some may say, is not some mysterious ancient code you must decipher before you get good at it.  Quite frankly,...

Fear is the mind killer.
–Frank Herbert

I’m taking an online course on writing short stories, and in this week’s call, one of the instructors offered this advice to one of my fellow students:

If you worry that your idea has already been done, you’ll never write a word.

That was the best thing I’ve heard in months.

I have been crippled on my fiction WIP because I have all these ideas I think are so clever, but then I find that someone else in the same genre has already thought of it and used it in their stories. That realization has made me so demoralized and unable to progress on my story.

In my head, I knew that there are really no original ideas, but you can explore them in an original manner. But, my heart had forgotten that lesson. Somehow, hearing the instructor say it, reminded my heart of that truth. (Why is it that sometimes you need to hear from an “expert” to really believe something?)

My plan for the week is to print out my WIP so that I can incorporate the changes I want to make to the main storyline and assess the story so far. I will not worry that sometimes my ideas have been used by other writers. My take on the concepts will be my own, and the ideas are essential to the story and to the world I have built.

What about you?

• How has fear that your work is derivative affected your writing?
• What strategies have you created to deal with it?
• How does this particular fear differ in the fiction and nonfiction realms?

• The Loss of Momentum Each of us has faced a loss of momentum in our careers, and likely each of us will face it again in the future. It is part of a natural ebb and flow of our own creativity. Outside events can also affect our momentum, taking time and mindshare away from......
• Writing Roundup The Once and Future E-bookOne man's e-book-induced rant.I'm Better Than YouJA Konrath is quite a character. His posts always amuse me to no end. This one reminds us that no matter how many times we get rejected, we must keep our spirits up and keep writing if we want to......
• 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 Course I just turned in my first lesson from my writing course, From Writer to Author. It was hard, because it made me focus and refine my goals. The questions were about what I wanted to write and how I wanted to build a writing business.Tiffany Colter and many of the......
• Procrastination In my search for what to do about my current feeling that I'm slutting around with my writing, I've decided that I'm procrastinating. I need to write, not worry about whether I can take a break to work on a second project. If I need to take a break from......

• The Friday Gathering but on Saturday Some of you may be wondering what happened to the Friday Gathering this week or maybe you didn't notice. Well, here it is, just a...
• Get Into Bed With Lynsay Sands (Author Interview) I can't think of a better way to start the weekend off than with an author interview with romance writer Lynsay Sands. I got the...
• Should Casual Bloggers Use WordPress or Google Blogger? One of the most popular hobbies and past times on the internet today has to do with setting up and maintaining your own blog. Blogging...
• Sunday Money Roundup - Superbowl XLII Edition. MTD took part in 3 money carnivals and festivals this past week: Carnival of Personal Finance #137 over at The Dividend Guy Blog. Festival of...
• Roundup - Tis the Season To go shopping, hang out with friends, gather families, share food, bring laughter, and build memories. Happy Holidays! Banking, Credit, and Debt Credit Karma writes...

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.

Amazon Offers Higher Royalty for Self-Published Ebooks
Publishers Weekly describes the new deal form Amazon.

10 Commandments for the Agent Hunt
How do you find an agent? Author Emily Bryan has some tips to help you prepare for a relationship with an agent and to find the right one.

An Ebook Launch from the Inside
Freelancer and blogger Thursday Bram shares the background on her new ebook Discover Your New Job Online. If you’ve been thinking about getting into the ebook game, this is a must-read post.

Special Focus on Piracy

Book piracy was a huge topic this week. Here are a few different perspectives on the issue.

• Aargh! Pirates, Tess Gerritsen
• On Piracy, Nicole Peeler
• Author Daniel Alarcón Investigates the Lucrative World of Book Piracy in Peru, Jason Boog

Craft

Can You Measure Good Writing?
Kate Monahan discusses how we can measure progress in our writing.

Settings: A Cheating Trick
Marie-Claude Bourque shares a shortcut (a much more positive term than a cheat) to envisioning your settings. You could adapt it for any item you need to describe.

A Time to Rewrite
Agent Jessica Faust gives some advice to help you decide which feedback you should follow and when you should revise your manuscript.

Fiction

How to Make a Book Trailer
Author Myrlin A. Hermes guests at Nathan Bransford’s blog to share his tips for making your book trailer.

The “What Not to Do” Primer
Author Jaci Burton uses the TV show 24 as an example of how not to create and populate your stories.

Revising from a Critique
So you’ve gotten your feedback from your critique partner, critique group, or even from a manuscript doctor. Now what? Becky Levine shares her tips for tackling the revision in this guest post at Jennifer R. Hubbard’s blog.

Freelancing

Huffington Post’s Traffic More Than Doubles Year over Year
The Huffington Post now averages nearly 10 million unique visitors each day. But, they do not pay their freelancers. Is that level of exposure worth it? These posters on Media Bistro are against writing for free. What do you think?

Media Is Not Objective
In this interesting post on the BlogWorld blog, we are reminded of our own inherent biases. I spent a lot of my time in journalism school learning how to work around those biases so as to be as objective as humanly possible, or at least not to enter into stories completely blinded by my own initial biases. How do you deal with your own subjectivity?

A Safer Way to Launch a Freelance Business
In an early episode of Friends, Chandler and Joey advised Rachel to quit her job at the coffee house so she would get “the fear.” “The fear” would be her impetus to find a job in fashion, her dream field. There is a lot to be said for necessity and its ability to motivate even the laziest writer. Here, Ed Gandia gives advice to those who want to build a freelance career while they still have the security of a regular paycheck.

Platform

Link Building Tactics for Freelance Writers
Jennifer Mattern gives some great advice on increasing your online profile.

What You Need Before You Query
Agent Janet Reid has a table that shows what you need to put into place before you send out your query, whether you are focusing on fiction, non-fiction, or memoir. It’s an awesome resource!

How to Tweet Like Amanda F. Palmer
A nice guide for tweeting like a pro for those of us who don’t get Twitter or understand how to use it to build our platforms.

• 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......
• Build Your Online Press Kit Do you have a press kit? I didn't until recently, even though, as a working journalist, I know how essential an online press kit is to the media. So, I pulled mine together and posted it today. It is a work in progress, and I intend to continue adding more......
• 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, Nov. 13 The Business of Writing Craft Fiction Freelancing Platform The Business of Writing Comparing Your Book to Other Books in Your Query Agent Nathan Bransford weighs in on using comparisons to other books in your query. Personally, I think it can give a nice frame reference for tone or subject......
• 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......

• Back from Belize Greetings, friends. I am back from a relaxing week-long vacation in the jungles of Belize (with a one-day trip across the border to Guatemala to...
• Three Must-Read Books for Corporate Bloggers Bloggers certainly love to read other blogs, but they also may be able to generate powerful resources from books on the subject of blogging. Here...
• 5 Elements for Successfully Writing a Blog When you finally make the decision to begin writing a blog, it is likely that you are going to want people to actually come and...
• Get Free Blog Traffic by Writing Smart Why should you have to pay for obtaining traffic to your blog? There is no reason why you should spend a lot of money making...
• Free "Spend Less Than You Earn" e-book Jason over at Live To Budget recently put together a compilation e-book from himself and nine other bloggers called Spend Less Than You Earn that...