The WMF Archives

By Angela Atkinson

Big News! Writing Mommies has a new identity. Why, you ask? Well, it's pretty simple, really.

When we decided to start the Writing Mommies blog, our intention was to provide a resource for all freelance writers--from beginners to seasoned authors. We chose the name "Writing Mommies" because we all happened to be Mommies.

Unfortunately, a name like Writing Mommies confuses some folks--and we get that. People assume (and understandably so) that we're writing just for mommies. Some people figure we're not professionals, and others just don't think they're welcome to read since they don't have kids.

So, in an effort to continue to grow our resource and to make it more reader-friendly, we're changing our name. Believe us, we didn't take this decision lightly--but we knew it had to happen sooner or later.

We discussed several options for a new name. We didn't need anything fancy, just a name that tells our readers what we're all about. After all, we aren't just writing for mommies--we're writing for all freelance writers.

And so, without further ado, we proudly announce our new moniker:

The WM Freelance Connection

Our purpose hasn't changed, our mission stays the same. But now, our name is better reflective of what we're all about. As always, we provide information related to freelance writing,including job leads, writing tips, marketing and social networking ideas--plus anecdotes from the writing life, including essentially any and everything related to it.

When we hear a tip about a paying gig or writing contest, we'll pass it along. If we have some freelance writing tips or advice that we think you could use, we'll throw it out there. We'll share article links, blogs of note, and occasional personal stories or thoughts on writing, the business and the creative.

We also feature author interviews, guest bloggers, and more.

For now, we'll keep the URL, but watch for an update of that in the near future as well.

Here's our new logo:

Our Google group will now be called The WM Freelance Connection as well. Let us know what you think of our new look, either by commenting here or joining our discussion in the WM Google group!

One more thing: The WM Freelance Connection is in search of three new writers. We'd need the writers to post once a week on a specific day. Unfortunately, we're not able to offer cash for posts at this time--but we do offer link love and at least one money making possibility. Contact Angie at angieeigna@charter.net or Alyssa at alyssa_ast@yahoo.com for more details or to apply.

Announcing Our New Identity

So who thinks print is dead? Not me (I love marking up a good magazine or book ... or throwing it across the room if I don't like it), but I sure enjoyed writing my e-book "The Laid-Back Mom's Parenting Guidebook."

And as an after-Thanksgiving gift just for reading this blog, go to this site for your free download of my e-book. And tell your friends how much it rocks. And even if you hate it, hey, it's FREE!!!!

FYI ... it used to be called The Lazy Mom's Guide ..., but I got into some legal trouble over that. Oops. Live and learn, fellow writers. Live and learn.

Don't forget to tell your writer friends and writing groups to become Followers of Writing Mommies (not just for mommies or parents, by the way).

Here's a review ...

Free E-book Download: Laid-Back Parenting Guidebook

Here is a guest blog post from our Writing Mommies contest winner Dolly Chandler!


Don't Write Alone By Dolly Chandler

When I decided it was time to get serious about becoming a writer, I decided the first thing I would do was to search out a group of people who were interested in the same thing I was – writing seriously. I don’t know about you, but I work better and stay more focused and motivated knowing there is a group of people I am accountable to, not to mention the wealth of knowledge and encouragement you will receive from surrounding yourself with people who have either been through, or are going through what you are.

When that "ahh-haa" moment hit me and I decided to pursue writing, I sat down at the computer, popped up the Internet, and just started searching for writing groups in my area. As I scrolled down the list, I noticed there were several options that jumped out at me and I quickly contacted those groups. One was a general writing group that had writers from all genres and all experience levels and one was a group that focused specifically on children’s writing. Both groups have been very welcoming, and have become a vital part of my growth as a writer. Keep in mind, these are folks who want to share their knowledge and their secrets to success with others, otherwise they would not be in a group like this. If you choose to become part of a writer’s group, take total advantage of it – go to the group meetings, get to know the members, ask any questions and even find a mentor.

But don’t be limited to groups you can sit down and have coffee with. I took an online creative writing class through the community college in my area a couple of years ago. Although I wanted to actually participate in a class setting, it just wasn’t realistic for me time-wise or financially, so I opted to participate in an online class that was offered nationally through the college. It was great, not only for the convenience, but for the group of cheerleaders or naysayers that it put me in contact with. We could go online to the class website any time to post questions or comments about your work or someone else’s in the class. I probably learned more from those discussion forums than I actually did from the class. There is a tendency to be brutally honest when anonymity is involved! So, again, don’t just do the work, but get involved. If you can’t make it to group meetings, find an online writing buddy that you can communicate with on a regular basis regarding your writing. I recommend trying out legitimate forums and discussion groups focused on your genre so you can find someone who understands what you are writing about and who you are writing to.

With the convenience of the Internet, getting involved in the writing community is just a click away. Doing a simple search can instantly put you in virtual connection with a plethora of people who are doing what you want to do. Follow blogs from seasoned or aspiring writers (one of my favs is Writing Mommies!), visit websites of literary agents and publishers (which can provide valuable information for writers aspiring to be published), learn about workshops in your region, sign up for newsletters from legitimate writing pubs like Writer’s Digest or search for Meetup groups in your area that focus on your genre of writing. You will be amazed at how many tools and groups are out there ready for you to take advantage of.

Reading books about writing is great, having a full and impressive portfolio is great, getting an A in your college literature class is great, but having people who can help direct you, give you honest feedback and be there when you need a push is, well, priceless.



More about Dolly Chandler

Dolly Chandler is a stay-at-home mom of two very energetic boys. In between playing referee, snack distributor and home remedy expert, Dolly finds time to work on her favorite past-time, writing. Currently, she is working on keeping her blog site, The Dolly Mama, updated and focusing on producing a series of children’s books.

Prior to becoming a mom, Dolly worked as an editorial assistant for a regional bridal publication and as a marketing and media relations manager for a consumer products company and within the music industry.

Dolly Chandler: Guest Blogger

If your freelance writing career is not going quite as well as you would like, you may be one of the many people that make two common writing mistakes. These mistakes often occur when a writer gets in over their head or the pressure of deadlines begins to mount. By pacing yourself and taking time to breath you can reduce the chance of making these mistakes.

Going Too Fast
A common mistake many freelance writers make is working too quickly. Many freelance writers are now choosing to turn their writing projects into a full time income. However, once many writers make this choice they often do not find writing jobs that pay well. This causes the writer to have to take on a large amount of work for lower paying companies. If you do this, you often have to rush to complete all the work to maintain this full time income.

It can be very difficult stretching yourself as a writer and balancing a family at the same time. The best way to prevent yourself from rushing through writing pieces is to set your priorities. Make sure you only work for companies that pay well. Do the math. A 500 word article should take you no less than 30 minutes to create from start to finish. If you are only being paid $3.00 per article (like many companies pay) that you will only make at max $6.00 an hour.

Becoming Sloppy
The second common mistake freelance writers make is allowing their work to become sloppy. This is often a result of working too fast. As the pressure of deadlines increases, the stress begins to mount. This is the main reason writers become sloppy with their work. It can lead to spelling and grammar mistakes that could have easily been caught if a little more time had been spent on the piece of writing.

To reduce the risk of your work becoming sloppy, make sure you take frequent breaks and pace yourself. If you can no longer see a piece of writing for what it is, take a break or have some one else read it. This will ensure no mistakes accidentally slip through to the editor or client.

These two things are closely tied together. Both can make a writer appear to be unprofessional. Not only will pacing yourself and not taking on too much work eliminate the chance of these mistakes occurring, but it will reduce the risk of developing writers block as well. Writers block often appears when a writer is under stress. So just remember, you are not in a marathon! Take a moment to breath and take frequent breaks to be the best writer you can be.

Freelance Writing Mistakes You May Be Making!!

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone from Writing Mommies! Watch for big changes, coming Monday! Until then, check out our WM writing opportunities!

Happy Thanksgiving!

It's only Wednesday, but I did want to wish everyone a happy Thanksgiving a bit early. May your bellies be full with wholesome food and may your houses be full of laughter and love :)

Of course, the next thing is Christmas and most people are looking for ways to make a bit of extra money to make it through the Christmas season with as little amount of debt as is possible. With the unemployment ever on the rise, this may not be such an easy task as we would wish. For freelance writers, the scenario is a bit different. We still want to make extra money for Christmas, just like everyone else, but there is ample oppurtunity for us to. Use some of the suggestions below to not only boost your page views, but to let a bit of your Christmas spirit come through your writing.

~Keep in mind that people are struggling to save money for Christmas. Therefore, this is a great time for "How to" articles based on Christmas. Some examples are "How to Make a Christmas Wreath" or "How to Make Christmas Stockings".
~Many people shop online these days. If you are a writer who writes articles for marketing purposes, this is a great time to focus on the latest in toys, electronics and movies.
~Recipes are a big hit over the holiday season. If you have a favorite recipe, now would be the time to write about it or even to start a site that promotes holiday recipes.
~Teachers and parents alike are looking for lesson plans and activities for them to do with children to promote the Christmas spirit. Don't forget to share your favorite activity that you do with your child or maybe one you remember from childhood yourself.

How to Make Money for the Holidays

Thank you to all the participants of the Writing Mommies first monthly contest. We had many great entries and it was a tough decision. We are happy to announce the winner of the contest, Dolly Chandler! Thank you Dolly for your great entry. We would also like to announce our second place winner, Jessica Dearborn! Thank you Jessica for your great entry.

Look for Dolly Chandler's guest blog post on November 28th. We will also have links to her work so we can all get to know her. Below is Dolly's winning entry. If you would like to view the top three entries visit the WM Freelance Connection group later today.

Introducing Dolly Chandler! Writing Mommies November Contest Winner

We are pleased to announce our second and third place winners, Jessica Dearborn and John Blair. Congratulations Jessica and John!

Second Place Entry: Jessica Dearborn

"The first time I knew I was a writer was when I was just a child
around 10 years old. At that time, we (me, my father, mother, older
brother, and two younger sisters) were living in a small town on a 5-
acre farm outside Portland, Oregon.

Growing up, it was a beautiful, magical, and ever-changing place to
live. (Full text here.)"

Third Place Entry: John Blair

"Living. Lessons. Mistakes, Failures, and Bad Decisions. Learning.
Victory. Perseverance. Long Distance jogging. (It use to be running
but at this phase in life I am lucky if I can keep a solid jog going!)

Transparent and un-afraid. A stubborn, relentless pursuit of
everything pertaining to life and learning godliness.

Knowing you are called and not running from it anymore. (Full text here.)

Thanks again to everyone who entered. Watch for this month's Writing Mommies contest and first place winner Dolly Chandler's guest blog post coming soon!

Congrats to Our WM Contest 2nd & 3rd Place Winners!

By Angela Atkinson

Are you a traveler? If so, today's writing opportunity* might be just what you're looking for. World Hum is looking for anthology and content submissions. Pay varies by contract and no multiple submissions are allowed. Writer's guidelines reprinted from the website below. (See guidelines on website for specific section info.)

Submissions

World Hum updates daily and is dedicated to publishing travel stories, videos and slideshows of the highest quality. Since World Hum’s inception in 2001, stories from the site have appeared in “The Best American Travel Writing” anthologies and Travelers’ Tales anthologies, and they have won Lowell Thomas Awards from the Society of American Travel Writers. We post several types of features:

Travel Stories are first-person travel narratives.

Speaker’s Corner essays feature rants or raves about any travel-related subject.

The Travel Books section includes reviews and other travel book-related pieces.

How To stories reveal ways to dive deep into cultures around the world.

Travel Interviews are interviews with travelers, writers, artists—anyone with something interesting to say about travel.

Lists explore a wide range of travel-related topics.

Audio slideshows explore travel through photographs, sound and narration.

We also publish short videos.

If you would like to contribute to any of these sections, please paste your submission or a short pitch as well as a brief bio into the body of an email—we will not open attachments—and send it to dispatches@worldhum.com. Writing submissions should be no more than 2,000 words. Do not send multiple submissions.

Include the section of the site you want to contribute to in the subject line of your email. If your submission is time sensitive, please say so in the subject line as well. We try to read every email as soon as possible, but due to the high volume of submissions we may be unable to respond to everyone.

If your submission is accepted by World Hum, the editors will contact you as soon as possible with more information, including payment details. Payment varies. Assignments and payment details will be confirmed by a contract.

*Not a traveler? Check out other WM writing opportunities!

Writing Opportunity: World Hum

A recent question to me about dealing with Regional Parenting Magazines:
"I sold an article to [a publication] for their September issue. My article was published in September and I have yet to see a check. I re-submitted the invoice and haven’t had a response. Is this common? Any advice?"

My response:
"Sometimes you have to prod them. I recently had something published in [a publication] and have never had a problem getting paid before. It published September 1, so the end of September I emailed to ask when they might be sending out checks. Turns out they all had the flu or something. So when I still didn't hear back 2 weeks later, I wrote with my address to make sure they had it correct (as in, hint hint, mail my check please!). I got the check like 2 weeks later. Sometimes they're just slooooow. However, with a pub you haven't worked with before ... some have goofy terms, like they pay in 30 or 60 days. Some pay the day the issue hits and send you a lovely tearsheet. In this instance, I would call them up. If you get a machine or can't get a call back, keep emailing. Otherwise, find out the publisher's email address and contact that person and let them know what's going on. Don't assume the worst (they've gone out of business); assume something like they have a bad temp in who lost your invoice."

Anybody have experience with having problems getting paid? What did you do?

When Editors Don't Pay You

By Angela Atkinson

"You want to get up on a soapbox and preach? Fine. Get one and try your local park. You want to write for money? Get to the point. And if you remove all the excess garbage and discover you can't find the point, tear up what you wrote and start all over again . . . or try something new. " ~~Stephen King, 1988

I've always known I wanted to be a writer. During my tweens and teens, I wrote flowery prose and wordy crap, if I'm being honest. I think it's sort of a rite of passage for most writers--using big words and trying to impress the non-writers around them.

But as I studied the craft, I realized that the best writers--the ones people actually read--aren't pumping out flowery crap. Granted, certain writers can make it work. Herman Melville made it work in 1851 with Moby-Dick. Shakespeare rocked it too--but to be fair, his language probably seemed far less fluffy to his contemporaries.

I love words. I like to piece them together like an intricate puzzle and be amazed at my own awesomeness. It's an art form, really. But sometimes it can be tough to "murder my darlings."

The unfortunate truth is that in most cases, editors see fluffy writing and think AMATEUR.

Readers are a fickle bunch too. Use a bunch of fifty-cent words or too many extraneous adverbs and adjectives and you'll lose them.

A lot of writers think those big words make them look smarter--when in reality, they make you look like you're trying too hard. And, if the reader has to over think your words, your message won't be getting through--and that means you can forget about getting paid.

Speaking of words, don't use too many. <~~For example, when I wrote that sentence the first time, I wrote: Oh, and speaking of words, many writers make the mistake of using too many. See the difference? And, in case I wasn't clear enough, here's a fun sentence I found on the internet today:

"Despite the countenance of silence most people display, their thoughts are ruminating on the next words that will lash out of their mouths."

Before you ask, I didn't make it up. Someone actually wrote that. And most of the sentences around it were just like it.

If a sentence like this came across my editing desk, I would (after giggling and/or groaning to myself--depending on my mood) change it to read something like this:

"Even if they don't show it, most people are always thinking about what they'll say next."

So what can you do to cut the fat from your writing?

Say It Like You Mean It

Joel Saltzman has said it before and I'll say it again. Write as you speak. Read it out loud. Does it sound forced or awkward, or does it feel and sound natural? Some writers like to read into a tape recorder and listen to it (or have someone else read to you.)

Quit Showing Off

Like I said before, skip the 50 cent words when they're not appropriate. Your giant vocabulary won't impress your reader. Obviously, this is somewhat subjective and your intended audience should be considered.

If you're writing for a medical journal, you don't want to replace the word "mononucleosis" with "the kissing disease." But if you're writing for a parenting magazine, don't say "ammonia dermatitis" when you mean "diaper rash."

Cut the Crap

Sometimes it's a matter of just losing extra words. Fourteen words to consider insta-cutting:

• somewhat
• basically
• slightly
• arguably
• whatsoever
• very
• however
• well
• also
• just
• really
• quite
• that
• perhaps

Bottom Line
As aircraft engineer and aeronautical innovator Kelly Johnson once said, "Keep it simple, stupid." Say what you mean and mean what you say. Fiction writers and non-fiction writers should follow this basic rule.

One more thing. Since this post started with a quote from Stephen King, I'll end it with his formula for success, as written in one of my favorite industry books, On Writing.

"Mostly when I think of pacing, I go back to Elmore Leonard, who explained it so perfectly by saying he just left out the boring parts. This suggest cutting to speed the pace, and that’s what most of us end up having to do (kill your darlings, kill your darlings, even when it breaks your egocentric little scribbler’s heart, kill your darlings)...I got a scribbled comment that changed the way I rewrote my fiction once and forever. Jotted below the machine-generated signature of the editor was this mot: 'Not bad, but PUFFY. You need to revise for length. Formula: 2nd Draft = 1st Draft – 10%. Good luck.'"

Image: collectingwords.blogspot.com

Write Tight: How to Murder Your Darlings

Thank you to all our wonderful Writing Mommies readers that participated in our first Writing Mommies monthly contest. We had many great entries this month!

We decided to extend the entry deadline 2 more days to November 22nd for any stragglers. Remember, email your entries to alyssa_ast@yahoo.com (subject: wm contest)

To view full details of the contest click HERE.

We will contact the winner of the contest via email on November 24th. We will also post the winning entry on the blog that day. So mark your calender!

To read the top entries, you can visit the Writing Mommies Readers group on the 24th and view the entries in the discussion board.

The winner of the contest will be a guest Writing Mommy for a day on November 28th and share a little of their writing wisdom with us.

Again, thank you to all the participants. Decembers contest prompt will be announced the beginning of the month.

Writing Mommies Contest

By Angela Atkinson

Are you a business-minded person? If so, today's writing opportunity* may be what you're looking for. Entrepreneur Magazine is accepting non-fiction submissions on all things business--money, marketing, management, technology and more. And, for our web content writer friends, the website is also looking for original content. Click here for web writer's guidelines.

Writer's guidelines for the magazine reprinted from the website below:

Entrepreneur Magazine Writer's Guidelines

Our Mission
Business ownership is not what it used to be. Entrepreneur helps entrepreneurs thrive in today's fast-paced environment, offering actionable information and practical inspiration that successful business owners can use to achieve their vision of growth.

Our Readers
Our readers are energetic entrepreneurs who are not content with the status quo. They're risk-takers who thrive on growth and innovation, constantly seeking cutting-edge ideas to improve their businesses. They're the thinkers shaping the new face of entrepreneurship.

Our Content
Entrepreneur reports on innovative methods and strategies to help readers improve their business operations. We also cover current issues and trends that affect entrepreneurial companies, as well as new business ideas and opportunities. We provide detailed how-to information in an entertaining, intriguing and evocative fashion, with a writing style that is punchy, sophisticated and chatty.

What We're Looking For
Don't give us the obvious, or merely touch on the surface of a subject. Our readers are not beginners, and they don't have time to waste reading what they already know.

We're looking for in-depth reporting, with information culled from many sources to give readers a broad perspective on a topic. Can you offer a fresh angle on a familiar subject? Can you convey atmosphere and personality when interviewing entrepreneurs and experts? Can you elicit interesting quotes from people, and find sources who don't say the same old thing in the same old way? Can you write about business with authority and passion? Then you're the kind of writer we're looking for.

Features
Features are 1,700 words, including sidebars, charts and/or boxes. Types of features we are seeking include:

* In-depth articles examining how a current business issue, such as the tight labor market or the health-insurance crisis, affects small businesses.
* Psychological topics, such as "Are your shortcomings killing your company?" or "What is the line between taking advantage of opportunities and being an opportunist?"
* How-to articles, such as how to get your product into Wal-Mart, how to bounce back from a business failure, how to stay healthy and fit despite the demands of your business, or how to sell your product to the U.S. government.

Columns:
Entrepreneur's upfront section, "Edge," features brief, punchy articles on news and trends affecting small-business owners. We purchase short (250-400 words) articles for $1 per word in the following topic areas:

* Money – business financing, financial management and personal finance issues. Recent examples: Is the housing boom hurting investment in small business?; A group of small businesses is suing the major credit-card issuers over excessive fees; Unusual ways entrepreneurs are financing their businesses
* Marketing – sales and marketing issues. Recent examples: Getting your product on a reality TV show; "Techfluential" consumers – who are they and why you should care; What are the current marketing cliché's?
* Management – management and operations issues. Recent examples: Some retail stores and restaurants are starting to ban children--should you?; After years of only targeting big chains, more malls are seeking small boutiques again; More states are encouraging "managed-competition" health care.
* Technology – tech issues. Recent examples: "Green" web hosting is a new trend; Should you send your IT person to hacker bootcamp?; What it's really like to switch to VoIP in your office
* Viewpoint – thought-provoking, controversial first-person essay on some aspect of entrepreneurship. Could cover politics, ethics, personal life and more. (500 words)
* Miscellaneous – We also purchase short (300- to 500-word) articles for the Edge section that do not fall into the above categories, but simply report on interesting trends or ideas. For example: entrepreneurs who are trying to revive products from the '80s; what your sleeping position says about you as an entrepreneur; how the Internet is revolutionizing the crafts industry.

We also buy Snapshot articles – Brief (150-word) profiles of entrepreneurs, focusing specifically on what is innovative about their company in one of the following areas: sales/marketing, business financing/financial management, management strategies, or technology.

Other columns are not open to freelancers. However, if you have an idea for a new column—or you think you could write better than one of our existing columnists—query us and prove it.

StartUp. Targeted at start-up entrepreneurs, "StartUp" is a mini-magazine within a magazine. The monthly feature within "StartUp" is open to freelancers. It is 2,000 words long and covers how-to topics of interest to start-up entrepreneurs—for example, how to start a specific type of business (like a toy company or a pet products business); the best places to find start-up capital; how to overcome the mental roadblocks that keep you from starting a business.

Where to Start

* Please read several issues of the magazine before querying us. Pay particular attention to the columns. We have dozens of columns on topics including management, sales and marketing, business ideas, technology and finance. Many of the queries we receive are rejected because they duplicate topics covered in our columns. Only a topic that is too extensive to be covered in one of our columns warrants feature coverage.
* Submit queries only. Full-length manuscripts are discouraged.
* Queries should be emailed to queries@entrepreneur.com.
* Queries should describe the topic clearly and succinctly. Avoid vagueness and generalities. Be as specific as possible about what aspects of the subject you will cover, people you will interview, how the story will help our readers and why you're qualified to write it.
* Allow a minimum of six weeks for a response. No phone calls, please.
* Include a return address and both day and evening phone numbers on all correspondence.
* Entrepreneur Media buys first worldwide rights and pays upon acceptance.
* Entrepreneur Media assumes no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts, photos or tapes.

Sample copies
You can find Entrepreneur at most newsstands and bookstores, or you can order the magazine by sending $7.20 ($4.00/issue + $3.20 shipping) to: Entrepreneur Media, P.O. Box 432, Newburgh, NY 12551.

*Not your kind of gig? Check out other WM writing opportunities!

Writing Opportunity: Entrepreneur Magazine

Today I wanted to tell you about Unsent Letters. If you've ever had something to say to someone and you just can't say it or maybe it would just be impolite to, now is your chance. If you've never been published in print and you want to, this may be just what you're looking for. Unsent Letters is a blog that also includes some work that will be in print sometime in the spring of next year. The book itself will be an anthology.

I have to tell you that I found this to be a great site, not just for me to submit work to, but for me to find inspiration as I read letters that are heartfelt and full of things that most of us have experienced and may felt alone in. This is in fact that source of my first print publication. You can read my letter here.

I thought this would be a particularly good site to point out simply because during the holiday season emotions tend to run so high. As a writer, I know I am sometimes distracted by my own emotions and thought some of you may be as well. This is the perfect opportunity to express them as you move your writing career forward.

Writer's Guidelines for Unsent Letters
Thank you for your interest in writing for Unsent Letters. Unsent Letters is both a print anthology collection of our best Unsent Letters and a weblog (blog) of Unsent Letters sent in by our favorite readers.

The Nitty

You do not have to be a professional writer to submit to Unsent Letters, but we do ask that you follow a few simple submission guidelines.

All submissions must be from persons age 18 or older, no exceptions.

The Gritty

Unsent Letters are letters, and as such, should be written in letter format, as though personally written to another person. It is not necessary to start the letter with "Dear so and so," as long as the letter is clearly written from one person to another.

It is acceptable to write the letter to more than one person; for example: your children, your parents, etc. but we would like to do most letters to one specific person. We prefer the letter be 'true', but you are welcome to change names or locations as necessary. If the story is compelling fiction, as long as it meets the guidelines, we're okay with that too, as long as it feels real to the reader. It's the emotional connection the reader can find with you, the writer, that we're looking for.

Important Stuff

All letters should be properly written, using solid English grammar, American spelling, and proper punctuation. Slang is acceptable, as are curse words, where applicable, and adult themes are acceptable too, provided they belong in the context of the letter.

Letters should be signed by the writer, but you don't have to sign it with your real name. Think along the lines of Dear Abby signatures that match the context of the letter. If you prefer, you can sign it with only your first name, or a fake name.

Privacy is Respected

Writers who wish to remain anonymous to the public can; however, when submitting your letter, you must give us your real legal name so we can send your payment and receive your release to publish your letter. We will keep this information strictly confidential. The release will have a location for putting your pseudonym (pen name) for publication purposes.

Also, it is important to note that if law enforcement contacts us for any reason with the proper paperwork and legal request for information, we MUST provide that information to them.

Pictures are Worth 250 Words

Pictures are welcomed, provided they match the letter and YOU own the copyright to the photograph. Additionally, the photographs cannot show any identifiable faces of person's without a signed consent and release form from the person. Additional compensation may be provided for photographic submission only when they are sent along with a letter submission.

Verbosity

Letters can be between 250 - 5,000 words. No exceptions on word length.

Payment:

Unsent Letters accepted for blog posting, $10-25 per letter, payable within 30 days of publication, usually on the 10th and 25th of each month, or thereabouts. A live link in your byline on the blog when your story publishes will also be included, if you want one.

Unsent Letters accepted for published collection (paperback anthology) $25-250 per letter, depending on length, appeal, current budget, category needs, editor's needs, and how much formatting and editing will be required to make the Unsent Letter publishable.

All Unsent Letters writers chosen for the collection will receive payment ON PUBLICATION or before. Unsent Letters authors will also receive two free copies of the collection in which their letter appears, and discounted author purchase prices for additional copies if they choose to purchase more.

NO PURCHASE OF ANY BOOKS IS NECESSARY, EVER.

It is possible some letters will be accepted for both the blog and the print anthology, and the writer will be compensated separately for each.

The Print Collection

As soon as we have selected enough Unsent Letters to compile for a collection of letters to publish, we will publish the collection through Twin Trinity Publishing Company. This is an ongoing project, and there will be multiple editions of Unsent Letters published. We anticipate six to twelve months to get enough submissions approved to print the first collection, and then hope to do one or two per year thereafter, as well as maintaining an active and frequently updated blog archive too.

Rights

We are asking for first publication print and electronic rights. Rights will revert back to author 12 months after publication, and author may reprint their letter in any form.

While Twin Trinity will hold the copyright on the compilation, author will retain copyright of their individual letter/s. No other rights are transferred.

Response

We do respond to all submissions received. Unfortunately, we cannot accept all letters for publication or promotion on the blog. If your letter is not accepted, we do encourage you to rewrite or write another one and submit. We do not accept multiple submissions. Please wait until you hear from us on your first submission before you submit another. Remember, it might take between 2-8 weeks to issue a response or purchase your letter. Please be patient during this waiting period.

If you're still interested in submitting to Unsent Letters, please read our submissions page for formatting and submission details.

Best to you, and thank you for considering Unsent Letters.

Writing Opportunity: Unsent Letters

A writer's style is formed by combining two things: tone and voice. The ability to create your own unique writing style is developed through trial and error. Every writer has his or her own natural writing style. Some writers find and fall into their writing style comfortably--but others may struggle to find their true and natural writing flow. What most struggling writers do not know is that you can not find your style, you have to let it find you.

Finding Your Voice

Your writing voice is the way the rhythm of your words flow on paper. Voice is your skill or ability to uniquely use words to form your style. Your voice is what gives your readers an idea of who you are and what type of person is writing. Your voice is what gives your writing personality and authority. Although there is no wrong voice, it does often take practice to find your true and natural voice.

Finding Your Tone

Tone is different than a writer's voice. Tone is what gives the writer's voice structure and emotion. Tone can be exciting, snooty, or any other way a writer can insert emotions and feelings into their writing. Your tone can change depending on your mood or the requirements of the piece you are working on.

Your Writing Style

When you correctly combine your writing voice and tone, your own unique writing style will develop. As you seek your own style, remember that it can not be forced. Let it come naturally. Style comes with practice and passion. It should not have to be a chore to maintain your writing style.

Finding Your Writing Style with Tone and Voice

By Angela Atkinson

If you're a parent, grandparent or even if you just love kids, today's writing opportunity* may be just what you've been looking for. Parents Magazine is currently accepting submissions. The writer's guidelines are fairly specific and snail mail submission is required. Query first.

Writer's guidelines reprinted from the website below:

TO: Prospective Writers
FROM: The Editors of Parents and Parents.com

Parents Article Requirements

Thank you for your interest in Parents and Parents.com. We're always looking for new talent to add to our pool of writers. Before you send your query to us, please take the time to look at the guidelines below. They're designed to help you write an effective query letter in a form that's easy for us to read and respond to. Thank you again for your interest.

1. Before you query us, please take a close look at our magazine at the library or newsstand. This will give you a good idea of the different kinds of stories we publish, as well as their tempo and tone. In addition, please take the time to look at the masthead to make sure you are directing your query to the correct department.

2. When querying us, please send a one-page letter detailing the topic you'd like to address as well as your strategy for writing the story. Demonstrate that you are adept at doing research by mentioning the kinds of sources you intend to use. Keep in mind that all of our articles include expert advice and real-parent examples as well as study data. It's unnecessary to send a completed manuscript; a query letter will do.

3. We generally work only with writers who have some experience, so please make sure you list the publications you've written and include photocopied examples of your published work. Do not send originals, as we cannot guarantee their return.

4. We receive many submissions for essays; typically, we only publish those that come from experienced writers and essayists.

5. We're a national publication, so we're mainly interested in stories that will appeal to a wide variety of parents. For example, developmental service ideas for specific age groups are always welcome. In addition, we're always looking for compelling human-interest stories, so you may want to check your local newspaper for ideas. Keep in mind that we can't pursue stories that have appeared in competing national publications.

6. We don't publish any unsolicited fiction or poetry; any children's books we excerpt are acquired strictly through book publishers.

7. Because of the large volume of queries and manuscripts we receive, it generally takes about four to six weeks for us to reply, so please be patient.

8. Always send a self-addressed, stamped envelope. 375 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY 10017 Phone: 212-499-2000

*Not what you're looking for? Check out other WM writing opportunities!

Writing Opportunity: Parents Magazine and Parents.com

by Kerrie McLoughlin

This sounds so Wayne’s World, but I interviewed my dad’s cousin about her new book that’s out called “Adoption for Singles.”

Kerrie: What is your writing process?
Vicki: My writing process is probably the opposite of what they teach in writing programs around the country, because I'm a horrible editor! Once I put my thoughts into writing, it's very difficult for me to change those words, for some reason. So I do my research, all my reading, and then I think about it for days and weeks. Then I go to the library or a coffee shop armed with my laptop and snacks, and I crank it out, almost without stopping. For instance, I wrote the first chapter of my book in one afternoon at the library, with some scratch-outs and phrase rewrites, but when I was done, it was done. At that point I'm totally exhausted and need a glass of wine and dinner.

I've always been an all-at-once writer, even in high school and college. I think it's because I have ADHD and I'm unable to write in bits and pieces because I need to be totally immersed in that world for hours to make it all come together. So I've always prepared mentally, and then I've sat down and started writing with the whole outline in my head. I come up for air some time later with a more coherent and organized paper than I would if I wrote over the course of weeks. In the mental health field we call it "hyperfocus" and it works for me!

Kerrie: Did you keep your "day job" while writing?
Vicki: Absolutely. I had to to survive financially. So most of my writing was done on Saturdays because I'm too tired in the evening after a full day at work. I did do some of the research in the evenings -- for instance, the Appendix of all of the countries in the world and their policies on adopting to American singles (100+ pages) was done at night because I didn't really have to think! I was scanning for certain facts and when I found them, they went into a format that I had designed. I could even listen to the television when I was working on the directory!

One of the chapters of the book is a compilation of Questions and Answers from adoptive parents and adoption professionals I even got the Executive Director of The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, which felt like quite a coup for me! After an initial telephone call, the chapter was written by email, where I would send questions and the interviewees would answer, and then I'd follow up. It was great because I didn't have to record interviews and the interviewees were able to edit their words and say exactly what they wanted to say. It saved me a ton of work!

Kerrie: How did the idea for this book come to you?
Vicki: In addition to my training as a clinical social worker, I've been trained as a life coach. Several years ago I decided to focus on singles, not so much for dating support, but for support in all of the other areas of a successful single person's life. I knew that I needed money to pursue setting up a web community and hit on the idea of writing a short -- 40 pages or so -- electronic book about adoption to sell to make money for the new venture. But when I started researching the topic, I found that it was much more complicated that I had imagined, and that the adoption world is big and ever-changing. Every time I sat down to think about it, I thought of a new area that I thought needed to be addressed, because they were issues that I would want to know about if I were adopting or thinking about adoption. So the 40-page book turned into the book that ate New York, and I had to limit it to 288 pages with free white papers that can be downloaded from the web site. That way it would be less expensive for me to publish, and yet the additional forms that I designed to help with the adoption process, and other information about agencies, etc., would come with the book. And the electronic version is just one way to buy the book -- along the way I decided to actually print it!

Although I initially decided to write the book to make some money, it soon became clear to me that there are millions of children out there who need a parent. Here in the U.S., 129,000 kids' parents have had their parental rights terminated, and are waiting for parents. And there are 5 million orphans in Ethiopia alone! So it has become a crusade of sorts because I became aware of all of the children who are suffering, and I also found out that you can adopt for free if you're fairly open to all kinds of kids.

Kerrie: How long did it take you to write?
Vicki: It took about a year and a half, not because I wrote for hours each week, but because life got in the way and sometimes I would go for several months without writing at all. If I had been able to stop working and do my research and writing every day, I think it would have take several months to finish. Then the production process has been about 6 months long -- finding someone to do the graphics on the cover I designed and to format the text and get it digitally ready for printing (www.Accurance.com), proofreading many times, publishing and getting the ISBN number, having the cover and copyright page redone to reflect the ISBN number and publishing date. And setting up the book's web site so that it can be sold. I've learned an enormous amount about the production process, and I think that it will be much faster next time because I won't make the same mistakes!

Kerrie: What is the release date, a Web site, any other publicity information?
Vicki: The book is out right now (yeah!!!) and for sale at www.adoptionforsinglesbook.com. The book is a little more expensive than standard trade size paperbacks that you would find in your bookstore because it is a Print-on-Demand book. For those of you who aren't familiar with that process, it means that when you self-publish, as I did, you don't need to sign a contract and buy thousands of dollars worth of books that you sell and distribute yourself. I used www.lulu.com , a POD company that prints each book as it is ordered, charges a commission on each sale, and then sends me the royalty that I have put on each book. They make no money unless you sell your book and charge nothing more than that 20% commission, so it's quite a deal! They also offer a Distribution Package and submit the book to Amazon and Barnes and Noble for sale on their web sites. I had to price the book higher than I would like because Amazon and Barnes and Noble make 50% right off the top when a book is sold on their web sites. So I priced the book at $29.95 because the price has to be the same across all sales venues, and because A and B&N take $14.98. Anything lower would have meant that I would have to pay people to buy the book!

But, I think that if I were considering adoption, as busy as I am, I would be willing to pay someone $30 to do all of the research for me.

Writers to Watch: Victoria Solsberry

By Angela Atkinson

Are you (or do you love) a model airplane aficionado? If so, today's writing opportunity* may be just what you're looking for.

KITPLANES Magazine is currently accepting freelance submissions. Pay starts at $70 per page and varies by article length. Submit MS by email.

Writer's guidelines reprinted from the website below:

Thank you for your interest in KITPLANES magazine. Before submitting material, we suggest that you obtain a copy of the magazine and acquaint yourself with its style and content. A direct link to our back issue service is on our home page. Your queries and submissions are welcome, but they may be in our hands for several weeks before we can evaluate them. We cannot assume responsibility for material submitted, but be assured that reasonable care will be taken.

We prefer submission of articles via email (addressed to editorial@kitplanes.com). Feel free to attach the manuscript as a word processing file (text, Microsoft Word, Apple Pages formats are acceptable). Low-resolution “thumbnail” examples of the supporting images may be submitted as part of the query e-mail or embedded at the end of the word processing file.

Color photos are required; digital images are preferred. We are looking for sharp, professional-quality photos. Please do not email high-resolution digital images until asked to do so. We have a dedicated FTP photo-transfer site that will not cause our email system hardship. Necessary artwork (usually photos) and captions will be requested upon acceptance of the manuscript. Technical artwork must be sharp and clear, drawn with black ink or drafting pencils. Drawings may be submitted in EPS, PICT, PDF or TIF file formats.

Please include your daytime phone number.

Payment depends on the length of the article as published, including artwork. Thus the more and better the art, the more we pay. The budget for first-time KITPLANES writers is $70 per page as printed in the magazine, including illustrations/photos, but that may be increased at the editor’s discretion. After your first KITPLANES appearance, the rate increases to $105 per page.

Please send submissions or queries to:

KITPLANES Editorial Attn: Marc Cook 203 Argonne Avenue, Ste B105, Long Beach, CA 90803 email: editorial@kitplanes.com

*Not your cup of tea? Check out other WM writing opportunities!

Writing Opportunity: KITPLANES Magazine

Evergreen Content vs. Current Events: Which is the money maker?

By Angela Atkinson

In honor of NaNoWriMo month, today's writing opportunity* comes from a book publisher (albeit a non-fiction one), Addicus Books. Addicus is currently accepting submissions for several genres, including consumer health, self-help, psychology, business, economics, investing, books of regional interest and true crime.

Writer's guidelines reprinted from the website below:

We're seeking titles on: consumer health, self-help, psychology, business, economics, investing, and books of regional interest -- true crime. We prefer first a proposal outlining the nature of your work, who your market is and information about your background. Due to the amount of queries we receive daily, our editors are not available for phone interviews. If we're interested in taking a closer look at your book, we'll contact you after we receive your proposal.

Note: when querying electronically, send only a one-page email, giving an overview of your book and its market. Please do not send attachments unless invited to do so.

BOOK PROPOSALS SHOULD INCLUDE:

* A one-page overview of the book
* Two or three sample chapters
* A chapter-by-chapter outline
* Number of photos or illustrations
* Author's background/credentials
* Target completion date
* Market/audience information
* Word count/number of pages

AUDIENCE / MARKET INFORMATION SHOULD INCLUDE:

* WHO IS THE AUDIENCE?
o What is the market for your book and how many potential buyers?
o Who wants this book? Why do they want it? Why do they need it?
o Do you have specific marketing ideas in mind?
* HOW DOES YOUR BOOK HELP THE READER?
o How will this book benefit the buyer? How will it help them?
o What need does it fill for your target market?
* WHAT MAKES YOUR BOOK SPECIAL?
o What makes your book different from other such books? (Are there other such books?)
o Does your book have more information? Is it more comprehensive, easier to use? What advantages does it have over the competition? Why will people buy it instead of something else? Note: Please do a data base search for competing titles through Amazon.com -- the largest online book store with more than one million titles in its data base. Report your findings in your proposal.
* MARKETING NICHES / SPECIAL MARKETS (Please be thorough here.)
o List any special markets your book may have outside regular trade book channels (book stores).
o Could sales result from your contacts-- associations, organizations, corporations, groups, hospitals, treatment centers, workshops, seminars or speaking engagements?
o Which magazines or professional/trade journals may review your book or print articles by you which in turn promotes the book?
o Do you have specific ideas for marketing your book?
o How willing are you to be active in marketing your book?

TRUE CRIME SUBMISSIONS
When we began Addicus Books, our focus was on regional true crime books. Although our primary focus now is consumer health books, if we see a good true crime manuscript come in, we still consider those books for publication.
We'd like a synopsis with a clear layout of the story line, how the plot unfolds. Also, give us a sense of the book's structure as well as its scope. Why does this book need to be written?
Note: We are seeking manuscripts that have good stories behind the crimes. Unfortunately, heinous crimes happen everyday, but crimes alone do not make a book. We're looking for twists and turns in the story behind the crime -- a plot with rising action. And, we want the author to get us inside the minds of the main characters so we know what makes them tick. Characters' motivation must be established. As you can see, we're looking for many of the devices used in fiction. We also prefer fairly recent, high-profile cases. We publish high-quality, trade paperbacks and do extensive promotion within the given region.

SUBMISSION OF TEXT (for all genres)

* All materials should be clearly printed on white, 8 1/2 x 11 paper, double-spaced, with at least 1" margins on all sides.
* No more than 250-300 words per page.
* No dot matrix print outs, please.
* Do not staple, clip or otherwise bind pages in the submission.
* All submissions should include an SASE. Materials will not be returned unless accompanied by an SASE. NOTE: Do not send by Certified Mail or Return Receipt Requested.

Materials should be submitted to:
Acquisitions Editor
Addicus Books
P.O. Box 45327
Omaha, NE 68145

*Not the gig you were looking for? Check out other WM writing opportunities!

Writing Opportunity: Addicus Books

I've noticed as I browse the Internet that there are a multitude of people going back to school. That's great! I know that some people struggle with managing school, work, kids and the idea of having a "life". I personally can't wait for this semester to end, but only because I haven't been taking my own advice.

See, college is nothing like high school. For one thing, you have a few weeks instead of all school year to pack in a higher standard of learning. I don't usually have a problem with that because one of my talents happens to be excelling at book work. At the same time, I don't really feel as if I'm learning anything. Doesn't that kind of defeat the purpose? So, I came up with a grand solution a couple of years back and I've expanded on it greatly in the past year. See, I actually want to learn. Sincerely. I also have to make a living and take care of my son and home. As of yet, other than insomnia that is completely nonproductive, I haven't figured out a way to put and more hours into the day. Instead, I try to combine tasks. Read through some of the techniques I use and find a way to use them directly or as a springboard for your own ideas.

1. Sell those papers. You know, the ones you spent hours or even days on? Why not publish them online?
2. Create articles that help you to understand your school work. For instance, I was so excited to take physical science a couple of semesters ago. That is until I opened the book and saw that it was just a glorified math book with symbols that made me go..."what the...?? Is that even English?!" The idea to drop the class only irritated me,so instead I wrote a ton of lesson plans that not only helped me to understand the topic, but made me quite a bit of money and turned an almost scary topic into something fun. You don't even have to do lesson plans. How about "How To" articles?
3. Write study tips and test tips. You don't have to be pursuing a degree in education to share what works for you.
4. Do some editing. If you have a friend who is writing papers and is totally lost, why not charge a small fee to edit the papers?

These are just some things I've done as a single mom to try to make sense of this whole time warp that I live in. You know the one. You need to find a way to accomplish 40 hours work of stuff in less than 18. You do have to sleep sometime unless you are plagued with bouts of insomnia as I am...and seriously folks, I don't reccomend that route!

School Money

Keeping in spirit with Angie's post yesterday, Beef Up Your Bio, I thought it would be appropriate to cover author bio photos in today's post.

I don't know about you, but I have seen some rather unusual pictures used in author bios. The images you choose are just as important as the words you write in your bio.

It is important to choose a professional picture that tells clients and editors that you're serious about your work. If you choose a picture featuring a cartoon character, one with your boobs hanging out or one from a bar night with the buddies, chances are you may be turned down for a job--thanks to your apparent lack of professionalism. Before I offer my tips on choosing a great bio picture, let's take a look at some examples of types of images you want to avoid.

What's Wrong with the Picture?

Are you asking yourself, "What's wrong with these pictures?"

Well, lets start with the first one on the left. When an editor or client first sees this image, they are probably going to think to themselves, "Well, which one is my author? Is it the man in center on the bottom, or the woman to the left? Who is it?"

If there are multiple people in the image it can be very confusing to determine who exactly is the author. Plus, the image is just not professional at all.

Now I like cartoons as much as the next person but choosing a cartoon character or any other inhuman image (as in the second picture) is just the wrong way to go. Not only do clients and editors like to get a visual of who the writer, but so do the readers.

If a reader sees an image of Gumby they will probably be asking themselves how reliable is information provided by a rubbery green man?

When you choose a picture, make sure it is human. Do not post a picture of your favorite pet, a sun rise, or a mountain. These may be beautiful images, but they are not very professional.

Now I know many people often choose these images because they do not want to post an image of their real identity on the Internet. Well, if this is your reason you can still go to many free online stock images and choose a professional picture from there. Just make sure it is properly credited.

So now that I've told you what to avoid, let me tell you what you should do instead.

Picking the Right Image

When choosing an image for your author bio, pick an image that is clear. Blurry pictures do no one justice. Make sure the image is in focus and is not taken from a long distance. Most importantly, make sure no body parts are chopped off! No one wants to see a headless writer or a writer with half a face.

Make sure your images are tasteful. This includes the pose chosen as well as the clothes that are worn. Dress and act like a professional in a image. Girls, this means cover up! You can still have "the girls" showing if you must--but do it tastefully. Men, keep your shirt on. An editor or client does not care how ripped your abs may be. Make sure the picture does not look sloppy. Pay attention to what is in the background and foreground. Remember that cropping is your friend.

If you are able to afford it, have a professional photographer take your image for your author bio. I realize that in the current economy, this may not be appropriate for everyone--but hey, that's what we're here for--to help you figure these things out. Here is an example of a good author bio picture:

Remember, choosing the right image for your bio is just as important as the words written in the bio. Your author picture is your chance to sell yourself to editors and clients. Image really is everything when it comes to professionalism.

Remember Writing Mommies Readers, the deadline for the Writing Mommies Contest in November 20th so get those entries in! For full information click HERE.

Photo 1: "Party" By Chamelfox May 14, 2005 Stock.xchange

Photo 2: "Best Friends" By Tvvoodoo June 19, 2005 stock.xchange

Photo3: "Rainbow 2" By Bjearwicke July 7, 2007 stock.xchange

Choosing an Author Bio Picture

By Angela Atkinson

Let's talk about bios for a minute, shall we? Alyssa discussed writing your author bio back in July.

Still, yesterday, as I browsed one of my writer's group forums, I found a post in which a woman complained that no matter what she did, she couldn't get paying writing jobs.

She was building up her portfolio, she said, by publishing articles on free sites. She thought her writing was decent--at least as good as she'd seen on some of those very same paying sites--but for some reason, she got rejected every time.

Could anyone look at her profile and tell her what she was doing wrong?

So, being the kind soul that I am, I took a moment to check it out. The first thing I noticed was her bio, sitting atop her no-pay site writer's profile inconspicuously.

It read something like this:

Hi, my name is Cathy*. I'm 26 and married to my high school sweetie-heart Jason. We got three kids. Jeffrey is 8, Kevin is three andjulie is six nonths. We are a vary happy family and since we cant afford childcare, I stay home with the kids. I always enjoyed writing inschool and thought why not try to make money while i stay home with the kids to supplemetn the income. Cooking and knitting are my passons but who couldnt use a lil xtra grocery money, KWIM?? LOL! I hope you enjoy my writing.

*Names, ages, etc changed to protect the uninformed.

So what could Cathy do to improve her bio? How could she make it better?

Write in the Third Peson

First, she speaks in the first person. A professional author bio is always written in the third person. (Although, for personal blogs, first person is okay in many cases.)

Keep It Professional

Second, instead of keeping it professional and focusing on her writing qualifications and abilities, she focuses on her family and her "mommy-ness."

What's so wrong with talking about being a mommy (or daddy)?

I'm about to tell you an unfortunate truth about our industry. No matter how family-friendly it seems, talking about your kids, especially in a bio, is considered...well, unprofessional. It causes other professionals to take you far less seriously, and to assume that this is some hobby or phase that you're going though, you poor bored little parents. (The exception to this rule, within reason of course, is for people who write ABOUT parenting---but even then, our pal Cathy gave far too many details about the kids and not enough about herself.)

Plus, she talked about her family's money problems and lack of education. Yikes.

Cathy should have focused specifically on her writing. IF she had been writing a parenting article, she might have mentioned that she was a "mom of three," but otherwise, that's an unnecessary detail.

I know it's harsh, but it's a fact. Mommies especially are taken less seriously in many professional situations. Take Writing Mommies as an example--even though we're professionals, even though we focus on freelance writing in general and even though our blog is meant for ALL freelance writers--we get a lot of flack.

Most commonly, people assume that we're only writing for mommies. I get emails from men and non-mommies (even a Grandma once--who is a mommy as far as I'm concerned--but I digress) asking if they can join our WM Freelance Connection group, or asking why we don't open things up and write for everyone.

(Side note here: we have made it as clear as we can--we are ONLY called Writing Mommies because we ARE all mommies--not because we're only writing for mommies! Our blog and our group are resources for all freelance writers.)

And then, many people assume that we're unprofessional, or they don't bother to read our blog because of a pre-conceived notion they may have about our title.

I have a relative who is an aspiring writer, and during a recent IM conversation, he was asking to see some of my work. I sent him links to several of my sites, and as he browsed some of them, he mentioned to me that while he liked this one or that one, he didn't really check out Writing Mommies because it wasn't "his thing." In reality, it was TOTALLY his thing--exactly what he needed--but because of the title--he made an untrue assumption.

(Another side note: Said relative has since checked out the blog and agrees that it rocks. He even subscribed, last I'd heard.)

Beef Up Your Bio

Many new writers struggle with what to say in a bio. Like our friend Cathy, they have no publishing cred yet and in a lot of cases, no college to back them up. So can you do? Make stuff up?

Of course not. But get creative!

"There are ways for even a first-time writer to wing it. Let’s say you have written a poem about your dog that perhaps saved a drowning boy’s life," says Absolute Write blogger Dorothy Thompson. "First of all, you are already a freelancer because you are sending this article to a publisher. Second, you are a poet because this is a poem. Now, you can say, 'Jane Doe is a freelance writer and poet.' Sounds better, doesn’t it?"

So how can you beef up your bio?

1. Start with professional associations. If you're not currently a member anywhere, get busy and join one. Sometimes these associations have fees or requirements that can't always be met by brand new writers--so consider joining a local writer's group or an online writing community to start.

2. What are your other areas of expertise? If you're a kick-ass tennis player, a gourmet chef or a knitting champion, you can throw that in there--but keep it brief, especially if it's not directly related to your work. Something like "Cathy is an award-winning gourmet chef" or "In her spare time, Cathy knits sweaters for the homeless."

On the other hand, if you're writing a cookbook, feel free to expand on your love of cooking. You get the idea.

3. Take a second look at publishing credits. Maybe you have something to report, after all. Did you write an article for your church or PTA newsletter? Did you publish poetry in college? Even if you've just got an unpublished collection of short stories, you would not be lying if you simply said, "Cathy has written fifteen short stories" or "Cathy enjoys writing short stories."

4. Don't ask, don't tell. If you didn't go to college, don't point it out. Just focus instead on the rest of your bio. And, as an old friend of mine (who happens to have his PhD in psychology) and I recently discussed--your degree might get you a second look, but it won't get you the job. Editors are interested in what you have to say and in your writing ability.

D0n't B 2 Kool 4 Skool

Two more quick notes for our girl Cathy. First, skip the IM or text speak. There are no KWIM's or LOL's in professional writing. (Blogging is a little freer, KWIM?? LOL!) But seriously, when you're writing for a professional publication, hoping to get paid, leave that stuff out. It makes you look uneducated and incompetent.

Secondly, for goodness' sake, PLEASE edit yourself. For some people, spelling, grammar and punctuation errors can cause serious panic attacks. Then there are those laid-back types who don't mind an error here or there.

If you're not a super-crazy-psycho grammar cop-type like me, then maybe you need to get a friend to take a look at it. Because, most likely, your editor IS that way. And here's the final harsh truth of this post: If an editor reads your bio and finds fifty-seven errors, he won't be interested in seeing anything else you have to say (or write.) Unfortunate, maybe, but true.

Beef Up Your Bio: How to Look Like You Know What You're Doing (Even When You Don't)

by Kerrie McLoughlin

Forgive me, ya'll, but when I saw that one of my fellow Writing Mommies bloggers interviewed Christina Katz (much better than I ever could), I had to steal the following post (a review of a Katz book) from my other blog. And, in the interest of total honesty, I'm a sucky blogger lately because I'm busy staring at my 1-month-old son while trying to keep my other 4 kids alive and still write articles! Happy reading ...

I knew I’d be $16.99 poorer the second I heard about Get Known Before the Book Deal by Christina Katz (who also wrote Writer Mama, which I have also reviewed). Just to make sure, I got on a hold list for it at the library.

Dang it, Christina Katz! I use a whole pack of Post-It notes when I read one of your books from the library, then I have to transfer the whole mess when I purchase a copy of your book.

You know that feeling of excitement pre-wedding, or when you find out you’re pregnant, or you get your dream job or have your first date with a great guy, or find a fabulous new house or apartment, have a big move coming up or some fun travel?

I’m such a loser that I felt those feelings when I checked out this book from the library. I felt like a subject had been covered that I’d not seen before and I was thrilled to go home and read it and take all the advice.

Turns out my feelings were justified. Christina does an amazing job of teaching what her subtitle says: “Use your personal strengths to grow and author platform.”

Christina’s (she’s so down to earth I feel like we’re pals) research showed: “Today authors produce 200,000-400,000 new traditionally published books in the United States every year. Add these to the millions of ‘old’ books … and you’ve got some fierce competition for shelf space.”

WHAT?! You mean my book proposal won’t be immediately accepted, written, published and sell 1 million copies in the first week?

Luckily, Christina gives the painful truth about publishing today, but then she tells what you can do about it. Using myself as an example (because I get sick of speaking hypothetically), here’s how I’m going to use her advice:

1. Join Attachment Parenting International and apply to become a leader and start a group in my city so I can gain “expert” status in the AP arena.

2. Work to get 1,000 hits per day on my other blog by

3. Getting articles published in several local parenting pubs all over the USA and making sure my blog address is in my bio.

4. Keep up with my social networking sites like Facebook and CafeMom and Kansas City Attachment Parenting.

5. Test market my platform idea once I have it more in focus. (Which is basically asking a few of my most honest friends if they think my idea will fly).

6. Oh, yeah, and FIGURE OUT MY PLATFORM. Which I guess I sort of have figured out, but now which book do I write first? How do I narrow down my topic? Which idea is most timely? Should it be funny non-fiction-ish or humorous personal experience memoir-ish? I’ll just have to start writing outlines for different books and figure it out from there.

And those are just the ideas I can implement right now. Others include building your professional web site, volunteering, making sure you have a good photo of yourself to circulate, teaching classes (e-classes or otherwise), sending out an e-newsletter and many more.

FYI: I skipped over a lot of the public speaking stuff because it freaks me out and I also have my kids attached to me at all times. Who wants a speaker with a kid on her boob? Which gives me an idea … I could speak at La Leche League meetings about attachment parenting!

Bottom line: Any book that can hold my 5 pounds of Post-Its is a winner. I give it 10 Dove chocolate hearts out of 10 plus a large mocha espresso.

Book Review: Get Known Before the Book Deal by Christina Katz

By Angela Atkinson

Writing Mommies is honored to have been given the privilege of interviewing Christina Katz, author of Writer Mama and Get Known Before the Book Deal. Christina has been helping other writers for more than ten years. She's an expert on platform development and writing for publication.

The Interview

Writing Mommies: Have you always wanted to be a writer?

Christina Katz: Pretty much. Like many writers, as a kid, I loved books, words, and listening to stories but it wasn’t until after college that I made an internal commitment to writing. One of the wisest decisions I ever made was to put myself through three years of graduate school doing something I really wanted to do—writing, which was a great apprenticeship and likely changed the trajectory of my life.

WM: Can you tell us about your earliest experiences with the publishing business? Where were you first published?

CK: I was published twice while in graduate school at Columbia College Chicago in the early nineties. The first time a short story of mine was selected from a group of class work for the fiction department’s award-winning anthology, Hair Trigger. Later I was invited to write an article for the journalism department’s Chicago Arts & Communications magazine. I got to interview three of Chicago’s most prominent architects, which was nerve-wracking and exciting at the same time. Needless to say, once I saw my words edited and in a book and then in a magazine, I was pretty much hooked.

WM: What has your writing career been like since then?

CK: Graduate school was an opportunity to put my money (literally) where my mouth was. I’d been splashing around with writing but once I got to grad school, it was time to start swimming laps. For classes, we were writing 1,000+ words a week, which was a great habit to get into. So naturally, doing all that work, I started to find my writing rhythm. I consider those three years of regular writing my “apprenticeship” and I've been writing pretty darn regularly ever since.

WM: Have you dealt with rejection as a writer? How did you cope?

CK: I have been fortunate to encounter minimal rejection as a writer. Every writer has his or her tripping points and rejection has not been a particular one of mine (with the exception of a nonfiction book I wrote in the late nineties, which was rejected and thank goodness!). Instead procrastination has been more of a tripping point of mine. At one time, longing for something to happen without daring to work hard enough to make anything happen was a real impediment.

Today, I have an actual writing career and I invest many hours each day making sure I’ll have one tomorrow. For me, writing isn’t a fantasy; it’s my job.

WM: Have you ever dealt with writer’s block? How did you handle it?

CK: Writing is like medicine for me. I would become a pretty blocked, neurotic mess of a person if I didn’t do it. I’ve been writing regularly for almost two decades now, so much so that I’ve recently spent time with a physical therapist to make sure I keep writing. For folks who struggle with writer’s book, I’d recommend reading Julia Cameron, Nathalie Goldberg or Anne Lamott. They can really help a writer write her way beyond writer’s block.

WM: When was the first time you realized you were a “real” writer?

CK: Probably back in graduate school when I had a short story and a feature profile published. The short story was strong. I still think so. The feature profile…ooo, I still cringe at how naïve I was as a journalist. But then again, I was a fiction student attempting to write in an unfamiliar style, so I’ve forgiven myself.

Maybe real writers are born, not made. Either way the rest of the world will never know about us as writers unless we devote ourselves to the craft, selling, professional development, and self-promotion it takes to be a writer in these times. I think a lot of aspiring writers don’t get that writing is an art and a business and that the learning curve goes up for a really long time. If you are a lover of life-long learning, writing is a good career for you.

WM: Tell us about ‘Writer Mama.’ What inspired you to write it? What can a reader expect from it?

CK: In 2005, I decided to pitch a book at my first writer’s conference. The world of writing conferences where you pitch your ideas to agents and editors was totally new to me. So I asked authors Julie Fast and Elaura Niles for help at one of our monthly breakfasts that we were having back then. They helped me take a cold, hard, look at my strengths and then craft them into a book pitch, which became the “Busy Mom’s Guide to Freelance Writing.” I hooked Jane Friedman, an editor from Writer’s Digest Books at the time, with the idea. Elaura had worked with Jane and mentioned that she was looking for someone to write a book for parent writers. I whipped up a quick proposal, submitted it, and landed the deal. Jane suggested the title switch to Writer Mama. And I’m so glad she did.

The book shows how moms can launch a successful and productive writing career while taking care of the kids. Busy writers, who aren’t parents, will appreciate the baby-step approach for applying writing skills to nonfiction markets. I am continually amazed and humbled by the positive reception the book continues to receive. The high point of any day is a personal note from a reader saying how much she appreciates the book or was helped by applying the tools to her writing-for-publication toolkit. I still work with writer mamas on a regular basis through my e-mail classes and two of my former students had books published this year. Two more signed book contracts. Teaching writer mamas continues to be one of the most gratifying aspects of my career.

WM: How about your latest book, ‘Get Known Before the Book Deal’?

CK: For years, there has not been enough information on platform development and suddenly, there is a flood of it everywhere, not all necessarily comprehensive, useful or well organized for folks who don’t have a platform yet. Get Known discusses platform development in-depth for writers who are not yet authors, and therefore saves a lot of writers from wasting time and money. Getting known doesn’t take a lot of money, but it does take an in-depth understanding of platform and then the investment of time, skills and consistent effort to build one. I show how to avoid the biggest time and money-waster, which is not understanding who your platform is for and why. Hopefully the book can save writers from the inertia that can result from either information overload or not taking the big-picture into account.

Joe Wikert, General Manager and Publisher at O’Reilly Media, Inc. says that Get Known is “The Platform Bible.” Best-selling author Hope Edelman recommends the book to her students at the Iowa Writer’s Workshop. And Andrew L. Rogers, a recent Amazon reviewer said, “Any aspiring author, almost author, or new author will benefit from [Katz’] insights on how to create and grow a writing platform.” The book has been so popular that I’ve had trouble keeping up with inquires this past year. I’m working on a series of downloadable audios that I hope will address the coaching needs of more people than I can personally accommodate.

WM: What is the best piece of writing advice you ever got and who did it come from?

CK: Nathalie Goldberg’s Zen teacher Katagiri Roshi said it takes, “great determination” to become a writer. Truer words have never been spoken. I’d add that it takes a heck of a lot of perseverance, as well. Writing is not for the faint of heart.

WM: What would you say to a writer looking to get a first book published? What’s something you wish someone had told you?

CK: I say:

1. Writing careers are a process, not an overnight occurrence.

2. The best people for your career are writing mentors, who have been where you are trying to go.

3. If you want to write a book, pitch it properly. Different types of books are sold in different ways. It’s a writer’s job to understand what is expected.

There isn’t anything in particular I wish I’d been told. I’ve written two books on learning and communicating what I wished I’d learned in graduate school. So I’m as thankful for what I didn’t learn as much as for what I did learn.

WM: Do you schedule your writing? Perform any special routines or rituals?

CK: When I'm working on a book, I get up very early in the morning to work. I love when everything is hushed. I can get a lot more done at this time of day than I can later when everyone's up and about. But I don't have a strict schedule because, as a nonfiction writer, deadlines typically dictate my writing schedule more than anything. My saving grace is keeping a sketchpad handy so I can doodle out all the ideas in my head both for my writing and for managing my career.

Writers have been curious about this process and have asked me to describe in detail how I use a sketchpad. But it’s not magic; it’s just doodling! Sometimes I hang the doodled pages up in my office as reminders that my best information bubbles up from the inside so long as I take the time to notice, listen, and write it all down.

Learn More About Christina Katz:

Every time a bell rings, one of Christina Katz’ former students is signing a writing contract. A “gentle taskmaster” with over a decade of professional writing experience, Christina Katz teaches writers success strategies that help them get on track and get published.

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 is the founder of #platformchat, The Writer Mama Back-to-School Giveaway, and The Northwest Author Series. She holds an MFA in writing from Columbia College Chicago and a BA from Dartmouth College.

Writers to Watch: Christina Katz