Writing Roundup, February 2, Groundhog Day Edition
Woo hoo. The groundhog saw his shadow today. That should be good news for the folks throughout the country buried in snow.
I am also debuting a new section in the roundups: money. All of us need to manage our money, whether we are dealing with the feast or famine cycle of freelancing, building a writing business on the side, or using our writing skill to earn extra money for a family feeling the effects of the recession. So, I’ll find a couple good posts on money management each week.
The Business of Writing | Craft | Fiction | Freelancing | Platform | Money
- A Dialogue on Publishing Between Randy Ingermanson and Bob Mayer: I’m apparently Bob Mayer’s new biggest fan, because I have now included his posts three weeks in a row. If he would just stop posting such great stuff… Anyway, this is a great discussion about the future of publishing. Personally, I think POD is going to be the only logical way to distribute midlist printed books. What do you think?
- Bestselling Ebooks, 2/1/2011: Publishing Trends’ first ebook bestseller list.
- 10 Traits of Successful Writers: A great reminder of the traits you need to cultivate on yourself if you expect writing success.
- A Bloody Ebook Conversion Project: A step-by-step look at the conversion of print book to an ebook.
- An Open Letter to My Local Bookseller: Book stores can’t really afford to annoy their patrons. How do you feel about the loyalty card and upselling craze when you buy a book? Or do you even buy books at a store anymore?
- Mind Meld: The Future of Publishing:Another look at the future of publishing. Do you think it’s on the mark?
- Agency Agreements: Rachelle Gardner gives a lot of information about what you can expect when you sign with an agent.
- How to Avoid Being Fooled by Bad Writing Advice: Jane Friedman discusses one of the problems with online writing advice: you need to draw in readers, and you are less likely to draw in readers without some sort of controversy or grand proclamation. This is the same problem with the evening news since it became a profit center rather than a public service. There is too much hype and not enough well-reasoned commentary and objective fact.
- Do Writers Need Writing Degrees? Tips for Aspiring Writers: This is a tough question. I have a journalism degree, and I am thankful for all of the lessons I learned while in school. However, one of my closest friends and a successful writer, does not have a degree. The feedback and the focus on writing while in writing courses is important, but if you have the talent and the willingness to learn on your own, you can likely achieve success without formal training.
- Storm of Words: How a Story Is Like a snowstorm
- What Is IT Really Like to Be Published? A good portion of my writing time is spent daydreaming about what it will be like to be published. (Yes, my non-fiction has been published, so I have a pretty good idea of what it to come, but we’re talking fiction here. I still haven’t crossed that bridge.) What do you think it will be like when you are published?
- How a Little Dog Can Remind Us: Writers, Please Get Paid: We provide a service, and we deserve to get paid for that service. As simple as that.
- From Superwoman to Slug: A Freelance Work Cycle: A nice look at hte continuum we writers can find ourselves on. Super-mode can burn us out, and slug mode doesn’t pay the bills. Jennifer Mattern discusses how she tries to find balance.
- You Probably Already Do Know Your Next Client: Leverage your personal and online networks to find new clients.
- The Key to Successful Blogging: Do Something: Apply this advice to anything related to building your platform: do something, anything. It is unlikely (though possible) that you can make a mistake with your social media use that will damage your brand. Be careful to avoid costly mistakes, but don’t sit around waiting until you can do it perfectly.
- What Are Your Blogging Tips: Great ideas in the comments section here. The best, IMO? Making an editorial calendar. You’ll quit wasting time trying to figure out what to write about.
- 4 Types of Tax Deductions: A bit of tax-time deduction info. I hope it helps you with your taxes.
- 7 Financial Tips from Money-Smart Young Women: Can these tips help you increase your financial success? One of the most important for writers, I think, is to pay yourself first. When you receive a payment, split it into three categories: money to pay quarterly tax payments, salary for yourself, and money to reinvest in your writing business. We get to pay ourselves twice, if you think about it. Salary is good, but investing money in your future is even better.
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Categories: writing