Jen's Writing Journey

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

The Business of Writing
The big news this week is Digital Book World, so most of the posts here are reports of sessions. Find more using Twitter hashtag #dbw11.

• Digital Book World: Disconnect and 10 Tweet Observations: Bob Mayer looks critically at the folks out there claiming to be social media experts on Twitter. How critically do you judge what people are saying about themselves on their various social media channels? He also looks at 10 intriguing tweets about DBW.
• DBW: Consumer Attitude and Buying Behavior Studies: A good summary of three studies revealed at DBW. Do the findings hold true for you or for your predictions for hte future.
• DBW 11: The Beginning for Publishers and the End for High Street Booksellers? The presenters at DBW are likely passionate about their speaking topics, but a lot of the coverage makes them look more histrionic. We are in the midst of a realignment in a lot of businesses, and it won’t be the end of the world.
• Digital Book World Dispatches: GalleyCat is always a great resource for info about the biz.
• Macmillan Still “Looking for a Business Model” for Library Ebooks: Interesting look at the easy dismissal of library patrons as potential book buyers. Jane Friedman gets it, though.
• If I Had an Indie Bookstore: Jane George imagines the bookstore of hte future as a showroom of single copies where you order your own POD version of the book you like. Deborah Schneider showed two versions of one of her books at her NW Authors Series presentation last year, one POD version and one traditionally printed version. There was really little difference in the two, and the cost model of in-store POD seems a lot better than the traditional model of overprinting and destroying books.

Craft

• Share Your Writing and Who Knows What will Happen–Guest Post by Robert Lee Brewer: Robert posts regularly at the Writer’s Digest Poetic Asides blog. Here, he shares his initial inspiration for writing and what has kept him motivated over the years.
• The Myth of the Perfect Writing Environment: Writing is like having kids. If you wait until the timing is perfect, you’ll never do it.

Fiction

• #WDC11: Great pitching tips for your book queries and your in-person appointments at conferences.
• Everything You Wanted to Know about How to Outline Your Novel: A double dose of Bob Mayer this week. Here, he discusses a different way of organizing your novel

Freelancing

• Email Interviews vs. Phone Interviews: Which do you prefer for your interviewing needs? I like email because I haven’t found a good way to capture phone interviews. I used to use a suction cup microphone, but they don’t capture both sides of the conversation on a cell phone. If anyone has a solution for recording cell phone calls, I’d love to hear it.
• Guidelines for Successful Communication with Clients: Regular updates and proactive thinking can ensure hat your clients return to you with more projects.
• You Probably Already Do Know Your Next Client: Leverage your personal and online networks to find new clients.

Platform

• Worst Advice Ever: Can you fake it til you make it?
• How to Feature Your Book on Your Linked In Profile: I will admit that I am not using Linked In very efficiently. In fact, I couldn’t tell you the last time I even logged on, let alone updated it. Are you having success with this tool?

Related Posts:

• Writing Roundup, July 22
• Writing Roundup, June 24
• Writing Roundup, June 10
• Writing Roundup, May 9
• Writing Roundup, May Day-ish Edition

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

The Business of Writing

• Magazine Retailers Continue to Dwindle: Do you frequent your neighborhood newsstand? Do you even have one? I don’t, but I’d love to go to one if I did. Currently, the only place I can find that has a good selection of magazines is the local bookstore.
• Reject the New Rules for Writers: The discussion of whether the mainstream publishing world is dying is really interesting to me. People on both sides are incredibly passionate about whether you should continue to work until you get picked up by a major publisher or release your books yourself so you can reap the rewards yourself. Where do you fall on the debate?

Craft

• 10 Writing Habits of Successful Writers: A Writing Coach’s Advice: These are some good tips for making writing a habit. Two of interest fall at the very end. Number nine reminds us to turn off our inner editor, and tip 10 suggests activating different regions of your brain by using a mind map to get started.
• The Common Traits fo the Successful Writer, Part 1: Bob Mayer looks at the importance of craft in leading to writing success. You can build a great following and an awesome business model, but what good are they if your work isn’t of the quality it needs to be?
• If I Lay Here Lay versus lie always trips me up, so I am happy to have a quick and easy reference.

Fiction

• With Republication, There Are Updating Risks and Rewards What do you think about making changes to previously published work to make it more palatable to the reader? Or taking the George Lucas tack by re-working previous work to fit a newer vision?
• Developing Your Voice for Fiction Writing: Good primer on finding your voice.

Freelancing

• Malcolm Gladwell and Story Ideas: Where do you get your ideas?
• 11 Ways to Turn Your Creative Writing Passion into Freelance Opportunities: Are you looking for new ways to use your writing talent for money? These are some great ideas.

Platform

• Gobsmacked Expedition: Writer Valerie Brooks has entered the blogging world. What do you think of her self-introduction?
• Writers as Salespeople: L.J. Sellers discusses the importance of selling your work (or yourself, if you are a freelancer) .

Related Posts:

• Writing Roundup, July 22
• Writing Roundup, June 24
• Writing Roundup, June 10
• Writing Roundup, May 9
• Writing Roundup, May Day-ish Edition

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

The Business of Writing

• The Importance of Context: A nice look at the facts about self- versus traditional publishing.
• James Ellroy: It took me 6 published novels to tenuously earn a living as a writer: A nice reality check when you think about when you will be able to quit your day job.

Craft

• How Do You Balance Writing and Life?: Nathan Bransford got a wealth of comments from writers about how they balance (or fail at balancing) their writing and their life.
• Eight Tricks to Writing Productivity: I have never had more need for productivity than I do now. I hope these tricks will help me balance writing and mothering a little better.
• Editing a Writer’s Vision: A nice look at life from the editor’s perspective. As someone who writes and edits, I will tell you that it is tricky from both sides of the red pen.

Fiction

• Will Your Novel Be Just the Same Old Story? Some might argue that all novels are just the same old story told in each writer’s own special way. Seriously, this can be a huge obstacle when writing, but watch Melinda and Melinda. In that movie, two writers take completely different tacks at the same story. Remind yourself that no one else would tell it like you!

Freelancing

• How to Handle Sick Days as a Freelance Writer: Or did you think that freelancers never get sick? Or that they just power through?
• Why the All-You-Can-Eat Buffet Approach to Your Job Search Doesn’t Work? Another case for specialization and focus on your freelancing career. Have you had success through volume or through careful planning on who to target?

Platform

• Multiple Personalities: Jessica Faust offers a good solution for authors who need to build a platform with multiple pseudonyms.
• Shy Explorer Series–Asking the Experts: How can you use Twitter to build your platform as a writer? Great tips and specific examples of who is doing it right.
• Slow and Steady Wins the Race: More on the right way to use social media.
• Three Questions to Ask When Planning Your Website: Yes, the goal of your website is all about you. You need people to find out about you and your work, even when you aren’t physically there to introduce yourself. But, you will design a better website–that meets that goal–if you think about your users and what they will need. Someone who is doing a great job of this is Thursday Bram. She provides free content–meeting site visitors needs–while also serving her need to market herself.

Related Posts:

• Writing Roundup, July 22
• Writing Roundup, June 24
• Writing Roundup, June 10
• Writing Roundup, May 9
• Writing Roundup, May Day-ish Edition

The Business of Writing
Craft
Fiction
Freelancing
Platform

The Business of Writing

• Becoming a Professional Writer: What does it mean to be a professional in our field?
• Position Yourself for Writing and Publishing Success in 2011: Christina Katz discusses her course offerings and how they have helped her former students. Whether you take one of her classes or not, how are you positioning yourself for success this year?
• Top 10 Blogs for Writers in 2011: A great list of blogs to add to your regular reading schedule.
• I Left My Publisher, Gave up on Bookstores, and Started Making Money: Do you need a publisher, or are they relics of the past?
• Writer Resolutions, This Is Your Year: These are good resolutions, if you haven’t already come up with your own.
• 11 New Year’s Resolutions for Writers in 2011: Awesome list of resolutions from Victoria Mixon!

Craft

• Weeding Out Unnecessary Adjectives and Adverbs Revisited: Remeber what Stephen King tells us: Kill all adverbs. This post gives you tips to get rid of unnecessary words.

Fiction

• What Does Your Hero Wear? An interesting look at what makes a hero. What is your hero like?
• Top Ten List of Advice for Aspiring Writers: Good tips to help you become the fiction writer you dream of being. I second the advice to enter contests. The feedback is great, and the price tag for a critique is nice.

Freelancing

• Don’t Count Your Checks Before They Are Cashed: Good advice for anyone, but especially for the freelancer, who is dependent on sometimes unstable income. It is easy to fall into the trap of thinking a set income is a sure thing and adjusting your spending to meet that.
• Are You Getting Paid for Expenses? Make sure your expectations and your client’s expectations match when it comes to expenses.
• Free Ebook: New Ideas on Old Topics: Do you feel burned out in your niche? Thursday Bram’s free ebook can help you generate fresh story ideas.

Platform

• What Is an Author Platform? A good primer in what makes a platform. What will you do to build, grow, or revise your platform this year?
• 13 Reasons Why You Don’t Get Followed Back: Good tips to ensure that your social media presence is effective.
• They’ve Seen the Light! Three Successful Fiction Bloggers: Fiction writers struggle with platform and blogging in particular. Read this post to find out what makes a good fiction blog.

Related Posts:

• Writing Roundup, July 22
• Writing Roundup, June 24
• Writing Roundup, June 10
• Writing Roundup, May 9
• Writing Roundup, May Day-ish Edition

The Business of Writing
Craft
Fiction
Freelancing
Platform

The Business of Writing

• E-book Self-Publishing Roundup: L.J. Sellers lists the common methods of publishing and selling your e-books. If this is the route you want to go, you’ll find this post useful.
• To Finish or Not to Finish: Um, go ahead and finish.
• Following Your Artistic Passion…and When to Give up the Dream: Kayla Perrin looks at the tricky issue of when to throw in the towel when you are pursuing a creative passion. She reminds us that writing is not an easy career or a lark. Like other artistic careers, it requires talent, dedication, craft, and some luck.
• Two Dates to the Prom: Can you have two agents? Read this post and the comments, then read the follow-up post here.
• You Can Write for Love and Money: Chuck Sambuchino discusses how to merge art and commerce.

Craft

• Creative Nonfiction: “Little Fictions” within the Bounds of Nonfiction: Some of the best articles and nonfiction books take a decidedly fiction-like approach to storytelling. Kimberly Davis gives examples and ideas for incorporating this approach into your writing.
• First Page: Urban Fantasy Romance: Here is an anonymous first page of a novel for reader critique. Visit Dear Author and let them know what you think of it. And, see what other readers have said. How can you apply the comments as you revise your own work?
• Can You See It? Really? A reminder of the importance of engaging all five senses in our writing.

Fiction

• The End Is Near: Kristen Painter discusses the difference between writing an easy book, the one that comes to you so fast and completely that you can barely capture it in time, and the ones you really have to work to finish.

Freelancing

• 25 All-Star Speakers | 1 Spectacular Free Event: Replays of the International Freelancers Day online conference sessions. The replays are free until October 31.
• Break into Business Writing: This is a great opportunity for writers in my hood who want to get into freelance copywriting. Those of you who are not in Oregon might look for a local workshop to help you enhance your skills (and get another tax write-off before the end of the year).

Platform

• 10 Ways to Find Material to Blog About: Tony Eldridge provides some nice reminders of ways to generate blog topics. The richest, I think, is “Define.” Fiction writers can define their characters by providing back story that isn’t in the book, explain the relationships in a way that generates interest from potential readers. Nonfiction writers can take on topics in their niche to help potential clients. Even if you don’t struggle for post topics, you might want to ensure that you define at least once a month.

Related Posts:

• Writing Roundup, July 22
• Writing Roundup, June 24
• Writing Roundup, June 10
• Writing Roundup, May 9
• Writing Roundup, May Day-ish Edition

It’s been awhile. I took a long and leisurely maternity leave after the birth of my son this summer. He is my first baby, so I wanted to be able to enjoy the special milestones without worrying about neglecting my writerly or motherly duties.

I’ve learned that the writer mamas out there deserve a tremendous amount of respect, especially the ones who are able to string words together coherently after getting six hours of sleep in 30-minute chunks over the past three days because their newborn has no desire to do anything other than lay in mama’s arms. To honor these special women, I am including a link to Christina Katz’s “Round up of Writer Mama Blog Tips & Inspiration.”

For my first writing roundup, I’m condensing things a little. You’ll get some great links, but not a lot of analysis of why they are great. I have to ease back into this blogging thing, after all!

The Business of Writing

• Liberation
• My Smashwords Experiment
• Wholesale Versus Agency: Sales Models in Conflict
• Can I Deduct This on My Income Tax?

Craft

• Writing: Money Adventure or Compulsion
• Do Your Research

Fiction

• Ask Daphne: What Don’t You Want to See
• Writing Fictional Characters Who Aren’t Like You
• The Great Prologue Debate

Freelancing

• Why Your Freelance Writing Pitches Fail
• Applying for a Job When a Friend Is Interested

Platform

• The Writer as Brand
• Should Writers Create Newsletters for Marketing?
• Branding Leads to Landing

Related Posts:

• Writing Roundup, July 22
• Writing Roundup, June 24
• Writing Roundup, June 10
• Writing Roundup, May 9
• Writing Roundup, May Day-ish Edition

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

The Business of Writing

Kindle and Nook Start Price War on E-reader Market
E-reader vendors appear to be dropping their prices to get more people interested in buying potentially high-priced content. This is certainly a valid business model, as I am reminded every time I buy refills for my Schick Silk Effects razor.

Better Readability Today Won’t Save E-readers Tomorrow
Are e-readers just a passing fad, a step on our way to the real future of books?

Agents Won’t Survive Just By Charging a Higher Commission
What will it take to ensure that we authors and our agents can continue to make a living as publishing evolves?

Fewer Editors Expect Salary Cuts in 2010
So, things aren’t getting any better, but at least they aren’t getting worse?

A Few Things the Salty Ones Taught Me
Writing lessons learned over a career.

Declaration of Rights: The Author Lays His Cards on the Table
An informative look at book contracts.

Alphabet Soup
Think everything will be rosy when you get the contract? This post by Susan Orlean might make you think twice.

Why the First Page of Your Manuscript Is So Dang Important
A reminder from moonrat that yours is not the only manuscript a prospective agent or editor is reading. In fact, it isn’t even one of 100 in most cases. So, you best make it amazing. (Remember how each college professor acted as if theirs was the only class you were taking? And how mad you got when everything was due at the same time?)

A Response to Garrison Keillor’s Position That When Everyone’s a Writer, No One Is
Do you think the rise in self-publishing hurts your credibility as a writer?

When Anyone Can Be a Published Author
Or does self-publishing hurt mainly the reader, who now has to wade through crap to find the few gems in the book world?

The 5 Stages of Querying
Querying = grief, apparently. This is a nice look at the feelings we writers can fall prey to during the query process. And if I learned one thing in my pitching practice, it is that we can’t let rejections get us down. Everyone gets rejected, and getting depressed is not going to help you write solid queries that sell your project.

Craft

Re-write Wednesday: Telling Yourself to Show
Show, don’t tell. We’ve all heard that advice, and we’ve applied it to some extent. Personally, I tell a lot during my first drafts, then revise to show. This post gives tips for making sure you revise with an eye for showing.

Tips for Backing Up Your Manuscript
You know how important I think backups are. After all, I lost my entire nonfiction manuscript and had to rewrite it from scratch. I use Google Docs and emailing copies to myself as my main backup tools, but there are tips in this post that will work for everyone. And, I will continue to wax poetic about Google Docs. They aren’t paying me, but if they wanted to….

Taking Suggestions
It can be hard to shift gears and take suggestions from our valuable critique partners/editors/agents, but this post reminds us why it can be a good idea. And, I’m trying to figure out how to better incorporate the police into my WIP, so it is an interesting and timely post.

Fiction

Gaiman’s Choice: Shouldn’t Good Writing Tell a Story, Too?
How important is plot in creating a good story?

On Placing That Pesky Story Question
How far can you get into your novel before your readers know the central question? Randy Ingermanson gives his thoughts on the issue in response to a reader question.

The Background Hum: Ian McEwan’s Art of Unease
This nice profile of Ian McEwan in the New Yorker gives some insight into his creative process.

How to Strengthen Your Story with Symbolism
A nice instructive video on the use of symbolism. When I was in high school, I was of the firm belief that authors didn’t consciously use symbolism anywhere near as often as we were expected to find it in our reading. Now I know that it may be conscious, but likely not in the first draft. And sometimes it is completely intuitive.

Agent Michael Larsen Talks 12 Ways to Excite Pros about Your Novel
A short and sweet list of things to address in your query.

Freelancing

What Is Outsourcing, and Does It Embarrass You?
Do you take on projects as a subcontractor? Do you hire other writers as subcontractors?

How to Find Freelance Jobs Through Effective Forum Networking
A great way to get past the job boards and find freelance work.

How to Beef Up Your Freelancing Skills
As an independent contractor, you are now responsible for your own professional development. This post has a nice set of free and paid opportunities.

Platform

A Simple Blogging Formula
I know that daily blogging is important for driving search traffic and repeat visits, but I struggle to maintain a balance between blogging and my other writing work. This formula might be the key. I guess you’ll have to keep coming back to find out if I start doing the daily thing.

How to Keep Inspired When Blogging Gets Tough
A nice complement to Chris Brogan’s piece. Most of us who don’t blog daily have made that choice because of burnout.

The Internet Counts
A reminder to be careful what you post online but also to take joy in the vast marketing possibilities of the Internet.

One Reader at a Time
L.J. Sellers has a great perspective on building her platform and marketing her books. If you look at it as finding an audience, it can seem overwhelming. But, if you work to get one reader at a time, the tasks seem possible.

Related Posts:

• Writing Roundup, June 18
• Writing Roundup, June 4
• Writing Roundup, May 28
• Writing Roundup, May 14
• Writing Roundup, May 7

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

The Business of Writing

5 Lies Unpublished Writers Tell Themselves (And the Truths That Can Get You Published)
A great list of the little things we sometimes tell ourselves to shift focus away from the truth: Sometimes, we are unpublished because our work isn’t to the level it needs to be. It is so much more pleasant to think someone is out to get you than to think that you need to spend more time honing your craft before your work is ready to send out. Remember, though, each rejection is a lesson that you can use to make your writing better. It is not a personal attack or a tool of a deep-seated vendetta.

A Reformed Publishing Industry. What Does It Look Like?
An interesting look at a different way of doing publishing.

Writing Query Letters
A short piece about query letters from one of my Pitching Practice classmates.

10 Things Every Writer Needs to Know
Kind of a “what I wish I’d know when I was just starting” post. Great things to remember as we write.

When Knowing How Doesn’t Matter
Do you ever wonder if sometimes it is better to just fly blind into a task rather than figuring out how to do it right? This post gives you some tips on how to harness the power of not knowing.

Ask a Lawyer: Should I Copyright My Title?
Great legal tips for authors.

Get More Done: Easy Tools for Greater Efficiency
Time management tools you may not have thought of. (See more on the importance of time management under freelancing.)

A Good Query Letter
Janet Reid shares a great letter and describes what makes it great. An excellent learning tool!

A 6 Month Weigh-In of Your Annual Writing Goals
Do you cringe at the thought of revisiting your goals? Well, you’re not going to achieve them by ignoring them, so take Suzannah’s advice and look back to see how much progress you’ve made and where you need to devote more attention.

What Is Your Vision?
A nice look at what is important to you as a writer. What is your vision?

Craft

Write, All Right?
A good reminder that we sometimes use other obligations (researching, mentoring fellow writers, revisions, etc.) to procrastinate.

Shut Up and Write: A Master’s Thesis
Another anti-procrastination post.

Read. It. Aloud.
How do you make sure your words (which look fabulous on the page, thank you very much) actually work? Try reading them aloud, especially if you are working on your dialogue. Perhaps I will use this tip with my little one after he is born. He won’t understand the words yet, I’ll be stimulating his mind by reading to him, and I’ll get some possible revisions for my WIP.

Fiction

Page Critique Monday
How can you use this critique by agent Nathan Bransford to make your WIP better?

Writing Fiction in First Person
No matter how hard we try, sometimes a story simply needs to be told from the first person perspective. Here are some specific tips to help you do it right, especially if you are used to writing in third-person POV exclusively. It may help to apply these lessons during the revision phase so that you don’t get bogged down in rules while capturing your first draft.

How Do You Style a Character’s Thoughts in Writing
I’ve heard so many different methods for styling thoughts. Like the peson who submitted the question, I am not sure about italics, because it can look messy. Now, I’ll do whatever my publisher asks me to do, when it comes to following their house style–don’t get me wrong. How do you handle thoughts?

Freelancing

Freelance Writers, Be Careful Out There
We all spend quite a bit of time reading other writers’ blogs to learn more about our craft, our business, and everything else under the sun. But, it is important to remember that the thing that sets blogs apart from other forms of publishing is the lack of a filter. I can say whatever I want, and the only one making sure I’m not full of crap is me. There is no editor, advisory board, or great writing collective making sure the advice I give is worth anything. I hope that if I am full of it, you will let me know. Anyway, this post makes a good point about how to critically assess the content of any information you find on the Internet, whether it relates to writing or to anything else.

5 Things You Need to Know about Ghostwriting
Have you thought about adding ghostwriting to the list of services you offer? This is a good description of what ghostwriting is.

Why Time Management Is So Important for Freelance Writers
Um. So you will meet your deadlines and get paid? Yes, there is more to it than that.

Platform

On Tour with Best-Selling Suspense Writer M.J. Rose
A nice profile of Rose, including a bit about her struggle to get her books placed in bookstores (and in the right section).

It’s All about the Networking
Why you simply have to get out there and make a name for yourself and tips to help you do it.

One Reader at a Time
L.J. Sellers has a great perspective on building her platform and marketing her books. If you look at it as finding an audience, it can seem overwhelming. But, if you work to get one reader at a time, the tasks seem possible.

Related Posts:

• Writing Roundup, June 25
• Writing Roundup, June 4
• Writing Roundup, May 28
• Writing Roundup, May 14
• Writing Roundup, May 7

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

The Business of Writing

A Rant about Goals
We all hear a lot of rules about goals: they need to be SMART, they should only apply to things within your control. Author Courtney Milan argues for shooting for the moon when you make your goals. You may end up disappointed, but you may just achieve your goals.

Writer and Writing Coach Tiffany Colter, Part 1
The first in a three-part interview series with Writing Career Coach Tiffany Colter. She provides her path to a writing career. How can you follow in her footsteps while ensuring that the process takes the best advantage of your strengths?

50 Simple Rules for Making It as a Writer
We all know it isn’t really simple–otherwise we’d all be wildly successful already. But these tips from Harvey Rachlin provide good advice for all of us to follow.

Fresh Hell
This piece from the New Yorker looks at why young readers are drawn to dystopian novels. Use the methods to decide how to reach your own readers.

Organizing Your Agent Hunt
A nice process to help you through the process of researching and querying agents.

Craft

Be Extraordinary
Tips to take your writing from great to amazing.

Where Did the Day, Week, and Month Go?
Practical ideas to help you fit writing in to your uber-busy life.

Introducing Schott’s Daily Lexeme
This is a very cool tool! You’ll kick butt at Balderdash after reading all of these unfamiliar words.

Fiction

Creative Ways to Add Dialogue to One-Person Scenes
Dialogue is a great tool to help you show rather than tell. But, how can you effectively use it in scenes with only one character? He can’t talk to himself all the time, can he?

Shoring Up the Sagging Middle
I know I struggle with the middle–I always have. In fact, the bad grades I got on high school fiction because of the sagging middles turned me off writing fiction for years. I’m going to put these tips into play immediately.

Platform

5 Easy Steps to a Winning Social Media Plan
Use these tips to ensure that you are using the right tools and targeting the right people.

6 Reasons to Blog Your Book: Edwin Crozier
Some interesting arguments for providing your book on your blog at no charge. Be careful with this and make sure it is the right choice for you and your book.

Why You Shouldn’t Blog
Is a blog the right choice for you and your brand? Not if you can’t keep it up. Read this article, then decide whether you should spend your platform-building time on blogging.

Related Posts:

• Writing Roundup, June 25
• Writing Roundup, June 18
• Writing Roundup, June 4
• Writing Roundup, May 28
• Writing Roundup, May 14

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

The Business of Writing

Will They Ever Pay? Sorry, Probably Not
A look at the possibility of users paying for online content. I think there are some things people are willing to pay for, and some they are not. It’s not a simple yes or no question that applies to every possible form of content.

Yes, I Have a Policy for That. How about You?
Another reminder that we need to run our writing business as if they were, you know, businesses. You need policies to guide in making tough decisions or explaining those decisions to others.

What Agents Don’t Want in a Query Letter
A very specific list of query-letter don’t's.

To Catch a Content Thief
Tips to help you find unauthorized uses of your work on the web.

You Have to Believe
Agent Rachelle Gardner gives a great, inspiring reminder to focus on our dreams and possibilities when we start to lose motivation.

Agents and Bookstore Turn to Publishing
Author L.J. Sellers discusses the move toward more publishing options for mid-list authors.

Craft

Experiments in Delinkification
How do you feel about hyperlinks? Are they distractions or an essential element of web texts?

A Closet of One’s Own
What sort of creative space do you need to be able to effectively write?

Interviews: Or Going the Extra Mile to Research Your Novel
Yes, a lot of what you write will come from your head or research you do online or at the library. But, you will likely find that talking to an expert will give you insight you just can’t get anywhere else. The tips for finding subjects and preparing for interviews are useful for any type of writer.

Fiction

The Evolution of Ideas
How does an idea transform into a finished piece?

5 Elements That Make Fantasy Fiction Feel Real
Great advice to help you build a world that works, no matter how far-fetched some of the elements may be.

On Creating Evil in a Novel
So you need a little evil. And you want it to be so evil that you would say it was the fruits of the devil. (Bonus points if you catch my movie reference here.) Use the ideas here at Randy Ingermanson’s blog to help you achieve that goal.

Freelancing

Ask Me Anything: Academic Samples
It’s the Catch-22 of the freelance world. You need clips to get jobs, but you need jobs to get clips. Thursday Bram offers her advice on using academic writing samples to showcase your writing ability. In a nutshell, they might not be your best bet. Christina Katz discusses methods of getting writing jobs to build your clip files in her book Writer Mama. (Yes, this is an affiliate link.)

Reusing Research: Making Your Work Twice as Useful
What do you do with your research once you finish writing an article? You could try reusing it to write further articles for other publications.

Emergency Planning for Freelance Writers
A good primer on business continuity planning for freelance writers.

Platform

How to Throw an Awesome Book Launch
Once you’ve finished and polished your novel, landed and agent and a deal, you’ll want to plan for your book launch. Use these guidelines to make it a great event.

The Hidden Costs of Social Networking
Some great suggestions to move you from social media use to active marketing of your brand and your books/writing.

What Do I Deserve as an Author?
A look at the value you need to provide in marketing your book/writing and what you should expect to receive.

40 Twitter Uses for Writers
After you do your traditional marketing, as suggested by Chip MacGregor, here are ways you can ensure that your social media time is effective.

An Author’s Plan for Social Media
More on effective uses of social media.

Smart Ways to Promote Your Business on Twitter
Apparently, this is a big week for platform/marketing articles. This one from the New York Times gives general tips for promoting a business on Twitter.

Related Posts:

• Writing Roundup, June 25
• Writing Roundup, June 18
• Writing Roundup, May 28
• Writing Roundup, May 14
• Writing Roundup, May 7