The WMF Archives

by Alyssa Ast

Not everyone is cut out to be a writer. Sure, if you can string words together to form comprehensive sentences you can be a writer, but not everyone is a true writer at heart. Some people see others who write and admire their writing abilities, which often causes them to try to mimic those they admire. While there is nothing wrong with this or those who aren't natural writers, these people aren't often natural born writers. Some people are just destined to write, just as some are destined to be a doctor or a lawyer. Some people are just born to write, and those that are born to write are most often those who sell that million dollar book or land that weekly column in a well known newspaper, but of course, there is an exception for some.

I have always known I was born to write, even from a very young age. Everyone around me knew I was destined to write. Writing is the only way I can fully express myself because even though I have a love for words, I don't communicate well verbally. Writing allows me to empty my brain and share my thoughts with others. There is a certain power behind the pen that causes by heart to race. I love writing so much that I even love the smell of a new book. There is nothing greater than the feel of crisp new paper in your finger tips, and the aroma that hits you when you flip through that freshly printed book. I have a high respect for books because I know the blood, sweat, and tears that someone, somewhere put into that book and it makes me cringe when I see someone just throw some one's hard work on the floor or in the trash.

Words are a beautiful thing to me. The way they sound, their meanings, and even their appearance on a piece of paper. Having the ability to vividly paint a picture or sway the opinion of a reader by simply using words has an appeal like none other. So how do you know if you are a natural born writer? Here are some qualities many natural born writers have in common:

1. Do you think about writing even when you aren't writing?
2. Do you have relentless thoughts at night that can't be doused until you finally get up to write down what is swimming through your head?
3. Do you go through with-drawls when you can't find the time to sit down to write?
4. Are you overcome with ideas that you can't wait to share with others?
5. Are words like magic to you with the way they flow on paper and paint an image in your head.
6. Do you get excited at the thought of sharing your words with others?

If you answer yes to most of these questions, chances are you are destined to be a writer. If this is in fact true and even if it's not, never let anyone detour you from your passion to write because you never know, you may just be that next great writer who goes down in history for creating a masterpiece.

Are you a natural born writer?

By Angela Atkinson

The WM Freelance Connection has officially launched a brand new feature we’re calling Mail Bag. Here, our readers can email in their writing, editing, marketing and related questions to their choice of our bloggers. One of our bloggers will answer each question, and each has the chance to be included in one of our upcoming posts.

Do you have a question for us?

Do you have a question for The WM Freelance Connection’s bloggers?

Would you like to see your name and links in one of our blog posts?

• If you’d prefer to have your question answered by a specific blogger, please let us know.
• Your question may be featured in an upcoming blog post (with your permission.) If you prefer that we don’t reveal your name or even publish your question, we will respect your privacy.

Mail Bag: What do you want to know about freelance writing?

by N. Strauss

Bryce Beattie is the founder of the blog, How to Self Publish a Book, as well as the popular fiction writing blog, Story Hack. His novel, Oasis, is available on Amazon.com.

In this interview, we asked Bryce to share some tips for authors interested in self-publishing.

WM: What are some pros and cons of self-publishing versus traditional publishing?

BB: I could go on all day about this, but here's a synopsis:

• Pros of Traditional Publishing: When you are traditionally published, you get access to the publisher's marketing machine. They can get physical copies of your book into stores. Also, you generally get an advance on your royalties.

• Cons of Traditional Publishing: Traditional publishing takes a long time – often more than a year before your work goes up for sale. You lose some creative control, things like book title, cover, even editing to a certain extent. Also, it is hard to get traditionally published. You've got to convince a lot of people that you're going to be a success before they pick up your book.
  
  
• Pros of Self-Publishing: You get total control over your work when you self-publish. You set the price. You choose the cover. You get to keep a much larger chunk of the sales. Self-Publishing can be very quick – it's possible to make your work available to the public in a matter of days. You don't ever have to read a rejection letter.

• Cons of Self-Publishing: When you self publish, 100% of the marketing responsibility rests upon your shoulders. Some traditional publishers shy away from authors who have self-published, so if you ever want to go "traditional," self-publishing can hurt your chances. It is very difficult to get into physical stores.

WM: What are some of the decisions a self-publishing author has to make about sales and distribution?

BB: Before you can self publish, you need decide what you want to offer – hardback, paperback, ebooks, or any combination of the three.

Another consideration is how you want to go about it. You can go through a more traditional self-publisher like Xlibris or iUniverse where you'll end up paying less per copy of your book, but you'll have to buy a whole bunch of them at once. Expect to pay at least $1000 to get going with one of these providers.

You could also choose a print-on-demand self publisher like Lulu.com, CreateSpace.com, or LightningSource.com. Print-on-demand publishing requires much less out-of-pocket expense to get going. And by much less, I mean less than $100 or so. I mean, on CreateSpace, you only have to pay printing on a single proof copy.

The distribution channels available to you are pretty well laid out by the self publishing company you choose. In general, you should be able to have your physical book available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble, and if you use Smashwords to publish an ebook, you can get it listed in the Sony ebook store, the Kobo store, the Kindle store, the Apple store, and a few other places.
And then of course you'll have to pick a price.

WM: Could you offer some advice for self-published authors on marketing their books or e-books?

BB: As a self-published author, you've got to get your name and book in front of as many people as possible. And, if you're like me, you won't want to spend a lot of money doing it. Being a part of an online community can help. I've had a bit of success finding forums online where I'm sure the people would be into my genre of novel. Once I found the forums, I gave away a few copies. The response from the forums more than made up for the cost of the books. Another great idea is to do a blog tour, when you write an article, record a Skype call for a podcast, or do something else for other people's blogs.

WM: Any words of caution about self-publishing mistakes to avoid?

BB: Edit your work. Read it aloud. Get as many people as possible to look it over before you self publish. A work that is full of typos won't sell worth beans. It's crazy how many typos you'll miss if you don't make a major effort. Poorly edited books are the main reason there's been a stigma on self-published authors.

WM: What did you learn from your own self-publishing experience that you didn't know starting out?

BB: Well, for starters I've gained a huge amount of new technical skills, from page layout to graphics editing to file preparation. I've also learned an awful lot about the publishing industry in general, from ISBNs to distribution networks. Also, I learned that anyone can do it. There's no magic to the process and there's a lot a great places out there to help you through the steps.

WM: Could you tell us something about your book, Oasis?

BB: In Oasis, a group of terrorists unleash a bizarre and terrifying virus upon a little desert town. The book focuses on an emergency room nurse's struggle to survive as the city's population quickly degenerate into zombies.

When writing, I was hoping to capture the fun and excitement of the great pulp era without descending too much in the gore and gross-factor that is predominant in many of today's zombie books.

Want to translate your ebook for a global audience? Research options for English to Chinese translation, English to French translation, and more, with the Professional Translation Services Guide.

Bryce Beattie on How to Self-Publish a Book

By Pam Houghton

I've been a little Thanksgiving obsessed all week. Every year, we cram over 20 people into our home for a sit-down meal with turkey, mashed potatoes and Crockpot dressing. (That's right people, I do dressing in the Crockpot. No bird stuffing for me.)


But by the time you read this, Thanksgiving will be over, and I'll already be in the beginning stages of Christmas stress. Thinking about shopping I haven't started. Making sure I take a photo of our kids while wrestling the dog into position for our annual holiday card. Buying one of those Christmas trees with pre-installed lights to replace our older, labor-intensive artificial tree.


So what does this have to do with writing?


Oh, nothing, other than a reminder that I still have to squeeze my writing obligations in between all the holiday stress (or vice-versa, I'm not sure which) without going nuts.


Funny, when I worked away from home, while writing on the side and still manning all the holiday junk, I was more efficient. Maybe it's just that old thing where, the more you have on your plate, the more likely "it" all gets done.


Or, maybe you just turn into a machine.


But when you work from home without an honest-to-goodness employer to report to, boundaries get fuzzy. Before you know it, you are frantically searching for the Crockpot recipe when instead you should be writing.


Which isn't good strategy for me when I've got columns to write, gigs to apply for, and a website to promote. This is when I need an old-fashioned dose of self-discipline to glue my butt to the chair.


What if other distractions were eliminated? Would that help the 'cause'?


Maybe. If I were queen-of-writers-who-work-from-home, here's what I'd get rid of:

• Laundry.
• Dinners with more than three ingredients.
• Sweet 'n salty snacks that call my name every 15 minutes.
• The View (oh, why do I let myself get sucked in?).
• Though I won't get rid of the dog, I might eliminate her need to...eliminate.
• Ditto the kids...won't get rid of them, just their request for snacks, after school. Even though they are perfectly healthy, capable, smart teenagers. Whose arms aren't broken.
• Sleepless nights that render me incapable the next day.
• LinkedIn discussions.
• Dirty dishes.

What distractions might you eliminate if you too were king or queen of work-at-home writers?

photo by microbi/stock.xchng

Writers: How Do You Manage Distractions?

Gifts for Writers

The WM Freelance Connection will resume regular posting on Friday.

Happy Thanksgiving to Our U.S. Readers!

By Carol Tice

A Writer's Gratitude List for Thanksgiving

Note from Angela: Shakirah is one of our own WM Network bloggers! You can see her work regularly at The WM Review Connection, as well as her own author site.


5 Best Free WordPress Plugins for Your Writer Website
By  Shakirah Dawud

Trolling through the Plugins section of WordPress on my own as I redesign my website, I’ve installed many. Most I’ve ended up uninstalling later. There are a few keepers, however, and here are five of my favorite.

Apture

Before I found the plugin version for WordPress, I appreciated it on news sites. Apture allows you to create in-context links for your content. When readers hover over a word or phrase you’ve “aptured,” a thumbnail of a website with more information appears. Readers’ curiosity may be satisfied with the snippet, or they may click to open the website in a new window. Also find and embed all media types from anywhere on the web to keep visitors engaged longer. It’s a considerate way to add depth, makes content appear nicely thought-out, and it’s free.

Surveys

This is what I’m using for my site contest/poll. It’s another simply designed, free customizable plugin you can use to gather opinions and votes. Inviting new followers to participate is a fun, no-pressure way to welcome them to your website. They can come, vote, and leave, but they may stay awhile if there are visible links to interesting content on your site.

Background Control

There’s nothing like repainting your walls to give your room a new look. Free Background Control provides the same instant-makeover capability. You can use a custom-created background (best to find one that tiles or fits your screen size with scrolling, so you don’t get repeat lines), or find a transparent graphic and place it to the left or right of your content as accent decor. My own site is rather stark right now, as I gather input on how it should best appear. This may be my key to a quick and easy new look soon as all the ballots have been counted. Then all I need is a little mood lighting…

FormBuilder

FormBuilder is the ultimate free form creator. Capture any information you need to build a mailing list or receive feedback, with redirect, automatic e-mail, and autoresponse capability. Add Captchas, spam blocker, and even connect forms!

WordPress FlippingBook

If you want to show off your portfolio online but don’t have a fancy photo-optimized theme, you can either provide a link away from your site to view it or use a free plugin that can be displayed on any page. My favorite is the WordPress FlippingBook. It’s a Flash plugin that displays your pieces in a virtual portfolio with pages that “flip.” The zoom-view is crucial for mine, since I’m the writer, not the designer.

Those are my five. Did I mention they’re all free?


About the Author

Taqiyyah Shakirah Dawud

Taqiyyah Shakirah Dawud was born and raised in Syracuse, NY. She moved to the MD end of the MD/DC/VA metro triangle as a student and shortly thereafter became a freelance copywriter and editor. Creating effective copy and making prose of all kinds more effective is her specialty. She loves gardening, reading, cake decorating, her family, and her 18-year-old Kitty. She recently became the mother of Salihah, who was born 3 months early and proceeded to teach her mother a lot she didn't know about living.

Guest Post: 5 Best Free WordPress Plugins for Your Writer Website

4 SEO Tips to Remember

Note from Angela: I recently started writing for my local Patch and am really enjoying it so far. After our writer Carol Tice met some of the folks from Patch.com, she posted about it here on WMF. Since so many people had questions and comments about the validity and general practices of this particular company, I asked one of Patch's regional editors from my area to give us the inside scoop.

Patch.com: An Insider's Perspective
By Kurt Greenbaum

Kurt Greenbaum

On November 12, the editor for one of our local Patch sites, the Maplewood-Brentwood site, got an alarming message on Twitter. The starting quarterback for Maplewood Richmond Heights High School was out with a ruptured appendix.

Patch is dedicated to covering hyper-local news in small towns throughout the country. I’m a regional editor in the St. Louis area, where we’re in the process of launching 24 Patch sites. Those 24 sites will join more than 500 Patch sites we expect to launch nationwide by year’s end. Yes, we’re owned by AOL, which has invested heavily in our growth. We’re also backed by hundreds of journalists who live and work in or near the towns they cover. They’re not just covering a town. They’re covering their towns.

In Maplewood, for editor Ryan Martin, the ruptured appendix was big news. The MRH Blue Devils were 12-0 going into the quarterfinal game against Caruthersville, Mo., the next day. But he didn’t have it nailed down. So he called freelance writer Doug Miner, who had covered MRH through the latter part of the season for Ryan. Doug sprang into action.

He called the athletic director and the head coach. He headed to the school on the chance the coaches were gathered looking at film. On his way, the coached texted the confirmation he needed. One more text later, and Doug had enough to break the story.

We depend on freelancers—particularly when they are as dedicated as Doug.

At Patch, we also love local news. We are built to cover the news that affects members of the community on a city, block and street level. Our sites are chock full of local events, volunteer opportunities and the most comprehensive listing of local businesses you’ll find anywhere. Stories like the one about MRH’s quarterback—heartbreaking as it may be—are right in our wheelhouse.

And we couldn’t offer the kind of coverage we provide without local editors like Ryan Martin—and the team of freelancers he’s begun to build.

Patch site editors really are exactly that: editors. They run their sites, promote them in the community, serve as their eyes, ears, arms and legs. They cover stories, sure, but they also supervise their freelance team. Can all our sites claim to have freelancers as dedicated as Doug Miner? I can’t say, but I’m grateful for those who are.

We’re looking for freelance writers who are dedicated to local news coverage. They understand that a torn up intersection or an interesting local personality can be the starting place for a news or feature story in town. We love storytellers with good clips and at least a couple of years of experience under their belts. We hope they’re equally fearless about asking questions, taking pictures and capturing video. We’re also willing to try a novice with a hunger to learn more about their community and thirst to share what they’ve learned with others.

We can also recognize when a writer brings a certain specialty to the table. Know about local eating and dining? Have a unique experience as a local parent? Specialize in law enforcement issues or you’ve followed local politics for years? Let’s talk.

The key, of course, is local. A columnist who can write about health may be terrific—but what makes the column local? Let’s face it: High blood pressure is the same in Paducah as it is in Peoria. Our site editors want their columns to be local.

We cherish writers with a healthy respect for deadlines and good communication skills. You’ve heard we work pretty hard, perhaps? Well, sure; we’re a start-up. We don’t have time for blown deadlines. Having trouble nailing down a story? Let us know in advance and we can adjust. Blow a deadline and we can’t.

In return, we offer steady work and competitive freelance rates. In my area, we’ve looked around, we’ve checked, and we know we’re competitive. And we’re smart enough to recognize when a writer has gone above and beyond the call of duty.

For Saturday’s game in Caruthersville, we offered writer Andrew Manzo the resources he needed to cover the story. We try to offer that same level of support for every story, and it was certainly worth it for this one. The last time the Blue Devils had a perfect season was 1961.

And on November 13, led by the backup sophomore quarterback, they stayed perfect this season, beating Caruthersville 27-13. Next stop, the semifinals.

Do you have questions for Kurt? Leave them in the comments and he'll answer them personally.

Guest Post: Patch.com: An Insider's Perspective

by N. Strauss

An award-winning columnist for The Jakarta Post, Jennie S. Bev is the author of over 80 books and ebooks, as well as more than 1,000 articles which have appeared in publications around the world.

We asked Jennie S. Bev about her career path as a writer and what she has learned along the way.

WM: Could you talk about how you have built a successful career as a writer? What have been some of the important milestones?

JSB: I started writing opinion pieces upon graduation from college. Given my legal undergraduate background, writing came naturally and so did analytical thinking. Issues of multiculturalism, peace, fairness, and justice always sparked my interest. Starting out, I wrote to letting off steam about social and political issues. Today, I write a regular opinion column for The Jakarta Post based in Jakarta, Indonesia and occasionally for US-based and other international newspapers. My byline has appeared in Korea Times, Brunei Times, and The Jakarta Globe among others.

Other than writing for social change, I also write feature and how-to pieces. With the flourishing of Internet and readers’ familiarity with electronic books, I started writing how-to ebooks in 2002, when FabJob.com (Canada) invited me to write a handbook on how to become a management consultant. This ebook earned me a nomination for the best how-to ebook in 2003 by EPPIE Awards for excellence in electronic publishing.

Soon after, I launched my own online publishing that delivered electronic handbooks on how to start lucrative careers in fashion, art, entertainment, and beauty industries. As of today, with the assistance of researchers, who were called “co-authors,” I have published more than 80 ebooks overall and am planning to write at least 100 more ebooks on various topics. The publishing world is being rejuvenated by ebooks, so digital literature is the future.

Flashback a little bit, if you don’t mind. During the Web 1.0 era, which ended in 2000, I wore many hats for numerous dot-coms as country manager, channel manager, and editor. I learned how to write effectively and efficiently for various markets during that short period. Also, it was a great learning experience that I learned to be aware about various cultures and values. Cultural differences is a delicate area, especially when writing for an online publication read by people with various backgrounds.

In 2009, I was honored to be accepted as 2009 Peace Writer of University of San Diego Peace and Justice Institute. Peace-building is an important part of my life, hence my dedication to promote peace, multiculturalism, fairness and justice through writing. So, it was an important milestone in my writing and publishing journey.

WM: What have you learned about writing and publishing that you didn’t know when you were first starting out?

JSB: It is very hard to make a good living out of writing. A new writer may not be able to make ends meet by solely writing freelance. Many writers work in other fields just to have their bills paid on time. But one shouldn’t stop trying, writing, and publishing.

A writer is an identity, about your own perception about yourself. A writer is a thinker, regardless of the genre, because without proper disciplined thinking, it is impossible to write with clarity and good structure. After familiarizing yourself with your writing skills and the particular topics you’re interested in, you should be able to embark on a lucrative writing career. Give yourself a few years to start, during which you should keep yourself motivated enough not to quit.

A writer must be adaptable, flexible, understand how to work around different values, and above all, must be familiar with various writing styles: academic, reporting, feature, how-to, creative non-fiction, and op-ed. Be open to different types of content, style, and delivery method. Unless you are also a publisher, you must be humble enough to follow what the publisher and editor needs and wants. Don’t get offended easily. If a fatal editing mistake occur, remind the editor gently. A small nudge usually does the trick.

At last, a writer must follow the markets and satisfy their readers with a loud bang. A writer must be inspiring, motivating, and captivating, even when you’re writing about political and social issues. Readers prefer reading about solutions and how they can make their lives and surroundings better. Plain criticisms without solutions are boring and depressing. Sharing your own experiences without clear moral of the story is better reserved for your boyfriend or spouse or BFF. Readers want to read professionally written works written for them, not for the ego of the writer.

You can find out more about Jennie S. Bev and contact her through her website, Jenniesbev.com.

Want to explore new writing genres? Learn how to write a story and take online creative writing courses at Creative-Writing-Now.com

Jennie S. Bev on Building a Writing Career

By Pam Houghton


My favorite writing mentor, Norman Prady, was recently featured at the 59th Jewish Book Fair at the Jewish Community Center of Detroit in West Bloomfield, Michigan. The book fair is non-sectarian and focuses on Michigan authors regardless of writing genre. One of ten authors invited to speak, Norm was there to talk about writing, and his 2009 novel, Isabella.

I was so impressed with his speech that I asked his permission to reprint some of it here; most notably, the part where he says, to be effective, we must reveal ourselves as we write. Oh, and he has a nice little solution for folks who don't like our work. Read on.

My son, Hollywood writer Bill Prady, has interesting concepts of life and the world. Bill is co-creator and chief writer of the top-rated television comedy The Big Bang Theory and I enjoy his writing and what he has to say.

After graduating from Cranbrook, Bill went to New York to work with Jim Henson and write lines for the puppeteers performing as Kermit and Miss Piggy and their friends.

The first time I visited Bill at the Muppets studio, I asked him what it was like to create dialogue for actors wearing socks on their hands.

“Well, dad,” Bill said, “there are two kinds of people. Those who believe there are two kinds of people – and those who don’t.”

It was a laugh. But I’ve never told Bill that I don’t buy his concept. You see, I believe there’s only one kind of people. That all humans are essentially the same. Regardless of gender, ethnicity, geography, culture, education, and whether you order fatty corned beef or lean.

In the creative nonfiction writing classes I conduct around my kitchen table, we talk about the fundamental sameness of people. Time and again, my students – while munching their pizza – have heard me say that all humans have the same feelings, that we all know all the dirty words, and that we’re all capable of all the capital crimes.

Yes, values and conditioning and other learned behaviors can modify our actions – so we’re able to say to someone, “You’ve made me so mad I could kill you,” and we don’t actually commit murder. Although sometimes we do.

Now, the writer’s work in all of this is to observe, recognize, and understand the dynamics of being human. To tell a story effectively, the writer needs to know how humans function – what they want, what they dread, what they’re pleased with, what they hope to keep hidden.

To create believable characters, the writer must know what’s going on inside someone in order to be able to reveal it to the reader.

It’s those revelations that are the stuff of storytelling, presented with intriguing plot, literary style, rhythmic rhetoric, and engaging vocabulary.

But to create revealing stories by revealing their characters, writers must be willing to reveal themselves.

Reveal that they’ve seen the darkness in people, the wickedness. Even in themselves. That they know the motivations of desire and anger and lust.

Writers must be willing to let themselves and their own thoughts and experiences be known through their writing.

Willing, as we say in class, to stand naked on the street corner.

Writers must be frogs, immersed in life’s waters, rather than flies, merely walking on the surface.

And writers must see their efforts as valid. With regard to their own works, they must put their abilities to create, edit, and critique above everyone else’s.

At the same time, they must be able to look at their work and evaluate it, perhaps setting this one aside for now and going on to a new project, perhaps returning later with a fresh eye.

Certainly, being published is an honorable goal. And it’s not simply for fame and fortune, but for the creative person’s constantly surging need for acceptance.

If you write – if you’re willing to stand naked on that street corner, willing to reveal your characters and yourself, willing to have your character poison her mother-in-law because you’ve thought about it and learned how to do it – you’ll just have to accept that some readers might not like your story or how you tell it.

If they say so, I urge you to thank them for their interest in your work and keep writing.

Why Creative Writers Need To Reveal Themselves In Their Work

Writing When Life Gets in the Way

"I don't understand how you use LinkedIn to get clients."

"How do I connect with $1-a-word publications?"

"How can I find businesses that pay bloggers well?"

How Writers Can Get a Massive Injection of Marketing Savvy

By Lindsay Woolman

Last weekend I was at Barnes and Noble scribbling furious notes as I read the book Success Secrets of Social Media Superstars. This week I stopped taking notes and bought the book because it is excellent. I am finding more and more that having social media knowledge is like gold. I want to know as much as I can so that I can: 1) share this knowledge with clients, 2) use it for my own business.


One of the many components of a social media plan is creativity. Any business that wants to thrive has to be creative. Fortunately, I think there is an endless supply of creativity for anyone who is willing to tap into it.


I saw at an interesting case study at the Social Media Success Summit about the brand Fiber One. If you look up Fiber One on Facebook, they have about 3,500 followers, but they did something something very interesting with their social media campaign. They created a business page on Facebook for a pretend organization called the Coping with Disbelief clinic. The premise is something we can all relate to. There is even a photo of a doctor and a clinic.


Now, does any of this relate to cereal? No. But they did what you often see in movies, where there is product placement. So, naturally, the sponsor of the clinic and "nonprofit" is Fiber One. The page is funny and weird... and it has gathered 20,000 followers...


Basically, they created a page online where people could engage in fun conversations... and not be taken too seriously.


Now can you imagine the person who came up with this idea? It's insanely creative, right? This came from an ad agency who promotes General Mills brands, so I'm guessing they pulled from a lot of resources and made some good Youtube videos and potentially even print and TV commercial ads to coincide with it.


My point of sharing this story is that next time you have a "crazy" idea for promoting yourself or a client, you might want to stop and think about it. Run it by a friend or a business partner, but don't let those gems of creativity pass by.


Thinking creativity and making smart business decisions go hand in hand. Most businesses want to have more customers and work hard to reinvent themselves. With the speed of how fast things happen today, businesses are more open to more creative ideas than ever before.

How One Business Got 20,000 Facebook Followers

3 Lessons I Learned the Hard Way

By Dee DeTarsio

“It ain’t art unless it makes the air,” was a favorite quote of an executive producer I worked with. His underlying message was that while we have the responsibility to polish our “art” and make it the best it can be, does it exist without being viewed...or in writers’ cases, read?

The Fountain of URL...

Writing is the fountain of youth. If UR writing, UR Learning. After a lifetime of reading (I beg your pardon, research), I know what types of books and authors I love to read. With homage to goddess authors Marian Keyes, Jennifer Weiner, Susan Isaacs, Cecelia Ahearn, Lisa Lutz and Marina Fiorato, I have watched my writing style evolve. That’s the point; writing to gain the confidence to be read.

Upon the advice of an agent, I started blogging (which I had initially resisted as self-serving--what could I possibly blog about?). If you Google www.OgBlayOtSpay.blogspot.com, you’ll see. I’ve created a monster, one with diarrhea of the fingers. I can’t seem to stop. Blogging has become one of my favorite writing “rites” just for fun. It’s a great baby step that forces me to be complete and coherent...most of the time (?) while practicing storytelling.

WWW...

Why Work When...you can read? The floodgates are open and the platform of ebooks allows us to make our art “live and on the air.” It’s exhilarating to be a part of this digital revolution, and gratifying to find a home for our words and a hearth for our stories.

Four novels, three agents, two writing groups and one website later, I pushed to get my women’s fiction novel, The Scent of Jade, on Amazon.com. The Scent of Jade is an upscale chick-lit that follows a woman lost in the Costa Rican rainforest with an ancient idol that may hold secrets to global warming.

I don’t want to jinx myself, (great, watch me invoke the biggest writer’s block of all time) (my fingers are crossed and I’m polishing a crystal) (and no, that’s not a dirty metaphor, geeze) but I’ve never had a shortage of things to write about. The universe provides us with hints all the time. The Scent of Jade was written in response to my husband’s innocent comment about women’s fiction, that “women sure do think a lot.” He’s right, and that sparked the idea to write an action/adventure novel for women (spoiler alert: there are NO car chases or explosions, and nobody gets killed). My heroine’s story arc still allows her plenty of time to “think” (especially when she spends time in the marijuana field with the monkey!) while challenging her skills to survive in the jungle.

Five years ago, I never even dreamed of owning a little device that could magically send books to me whenever I wanted. And now, a new research study predicts nearly $3 billion in ebook sales by 2015--how cool is that?

Writing Right Rites

There really are no “writing right rites”--I just really like alliteration...and anything that encourages us to listen to all the hints out there to help us get our art on the air.

About Dee DeTarsio

Dee DeTarsio is a television writer living in southern California. After growing up in Ennui, Ohio, and graduating from Ohio State University, she vowed ‘never to be cold again’ (in a tantrum more worthy of Suellen than Scarlett) and ended up in Tucson, Arizona, producing the news for the CBS affiliate, oddly enough called KOLD-TV. She moved to San Diego where she worked in the SeaWorld entertainment department as a Producer/Writer. (Penguins are mean!) and then became a Producer/Writer with NBC for a live, comedy/variety show.

After working for Children’s Hospital, she totally sold out and became the Marketing Director of a cosmetic dermatology group where she got free Botox. Her husband is a Director of Photography and travels around the world while she stays behind as the indentured servant of their two children. Though her father was never famous and her mother never beat her (that hard!) she suspects one of her sisters is a vampire.

Guest Post: Writing Right Rites

by N. Strauss

Do you do copywriting for multinational companies? Do you write brochures, website content, newsletters or other marketing materials for these clients? Keep in mind that they may be translating your work to other languages.

If you know that what you're writing will be translated, there are choices you can make that will help the translators and therefore help your client get better results.

Here are a few tips on writing for translation.

Avoid word-play.

Is a pun the "write" choice for your headline? Even if you enjoyed the previous pun in English, I can assure you that switching "write" and "right" is no fun in Spanish after translating the words to "escribir" and "correcto."

When you use a pun in your text, the best case is that you are setting up a dilemma for the translator. Should she ignore your pun? Or should she try to find a playful alternative in Spanish that will serve the same function in the text, even if the meaning is not necessarily the same?

Worst case is that your translator, who is probably not a native English speaker, will misunderstand the intention and even the meaning of your phrase.

Avoid or explain acronyms.

My translation company recently had to translate a document that contained the acronym ROR. Rules of the Road? That didn't fit the context. We figured it was probably supposed to mean either "Rate of Return" or "Return on Relationships" but we had to check with the client to be sure.

But what if your translator doesn't check with the client and gets it wrong? If you really want to use an acronym, spell the word out once in parentheses or include a translation note.

Double-check spelling.

Of course, you ALWAYS spell-check everything you write for a client. But if for unfathomable reasons (for thrills?) you decide to skip the spell-check on just one document, please don't choose a document that's going to be translated.

Imagine the translator, who, as I said before, is probably not a native English speaker. She comes to the word which you garbled during your spell-check-free adventure. She has never seen a word that looks quite like that before. What does the poor translator do? She looks it up. It's not in her dictionary. She finds a more specialized dictionary; she commences researching online. All of this wastes valuable time.

Avoid culturally specific references.

My friend Eva, an English to Spanish translator, was translating an American gift catalogue for Spain. The catalogue talked about Santa Claus delivering gifts. But Santa Claus doesn't deliver gifts in Spain. (Don't cry, niños and niñas, it's not that you've been bad -- it's all about import taxes). In Spain, the Three Wise Men, or "Three Magic Kings" deliver the presents.

Eva convinced her client to replace Santa Claus with the Three Wise Men.

Holidays, celebrities, television shows, brand names, sports, seasons -- watch out for references that might not make sense in the country where the translated text will be used, or provide enough context to make them work. The Professional Translation Services Guide offers localization checklists of potential problem areas.

Be clear.

If a sentence is confusing, you are taking the risk that the translator will misunderstand. If the translator misunderstands, you are then almost guaranteed that whoever reads her translation will misunderstand.

If there are two different ways to understand a phrase, the translator has to choose one of them. There's a chance that she'll choose right, and a chance she'll choose wrong.

Of course, clarity is always among your goals as a writer, but when you are writing for a global audience, you have to surmount additional barriers to communication. Keep in mind that you must communicate not only with readers in your own country, but also with:

• a translator, whose first language may not be English
• readers in the translation target language, who may not have the same cultural points of reference.

Write with precision. Use clear, straightforward sentence structures; avoid vagueness or ambiguity. Your careful word choices and well-structured sentences will pay off later, even when they have all been replaced with Italian or Japanese.

Want to take a break from global copywriting? Find tips on how to write a story or poem at Creative-Writing-Now.com.

How to Write for Translation

By Pam Houghton

Last week, I wrote about five ways writers can jump-start their careers, whether they are young and inexperienced, or mid-career changers like me. Maybe it should have been called, 'The Long, Slow Haul to Success' because writing requires just that, and a heckuva lot of patience.


Well, whatever title works best, here are a few more ideas for jump-starting a writing career, or hanging in there until it slowly starts to materialize.


1. If you are currently working, don't feel you have to quit your day job to write. Many writers work a "day job" and write on the side. It's a romantic notion to write full-time, but if it's not a realistic option, it's certainly okay - and do-able - to write and work. Don't put that pressure on yourself or your family if the time isn't right to quit. (Psst. Write on your lunch hour.) If your job is related to writing, consider yourself lucky!


2.If your job isn't related to writing, you may still be thinking in ways that writers frequently do such as using intuition or analytical skill to problem solve or make progress in the absence of absolute information. (In other words, making it up as you go along!) Freelancers frequently make it up as they go along, especially as they figure out where the opportunities are and what kinds of writing projects are the right fit for them.


3. You can also volunteer for projects that capitalize on your creative talent and help you develop marketable writing skills. Maybe your company needs help developing marketing materials, work instructions for employees, or written project overviews that communicate roles and responsibilities to a members of a team. If possible, volunteer for these types of projects and work them into your daily responsibilities. These are skills that you can later market to future employers or clients.


4. Read job descriptions to see what the latest in-demand skills are. Here's one of a handful of skills listed for a 'social media strategist' for an auto company.

Build strong social relationships online. Manage and expand social presence and conversation real-time. This includes focusing on timely posting/monitoring/responding as an active participant in conversation with customers, car owners, and enthusiasts.

I see many freelancers offering this as a service. Think of how you can develop these skills to either get or stay current.


5. Success doesn't happen overnight. Instead of criticizing your own slow progress, allow yourself to move at a pace that fits your lifestyle. There are always going to be periods where you can step it up and put your writing aspirations into high gear. But sometimes lifestyle considerations slow us down, whether it's work or family or other commitments. Instead of worrying that you aren't moving quickly enough, be proud of the progress you have made. Eventually, it will all add up to something resembling a writing career.


Any more ideas? Add 'em below.

photo by mrsmas/stock.xchng

5 More Ways to Jump Start a Writing Career - Part 2

By Rebecca Dienger



There is some long math involved in making money as a freelance writer. If you’re like me you probably think "math” and “writer” have no place residing in the same sentence. How much you make depends on the time you put into writing and marketing your work multiplied times your energy and squared by enthusiasm. Not an easy equation when there are only 24 hours in the day.



Fuzzy math? More like quantum physics and the Heisenberg uncertainty principle because you can’t do the marketing and the writing simultaneously. (I don’t remember much about physics but I know this is true.)




I shall give you my formula like a story problem, with words. The way math should be …




To make money as a freelance writer you must:

Practice your craft. This is basic studies and life skills … developing concepts, researching, grammar, spelling and editing. Ruthless, honest, let-the- foo-foo-words-hit-the-floor type editing.

Know your industry. Read trade journals. Subscribe to online feeds that educate or inspire you. Identify thought leaders to keep up on best practices. Read books (or poetry) to stay close to good writing.

Know your work habits. Are you a writer-rockstar late at night? Do you prefer to assign freewriting, editing and marketing to separate days of the week or times of day? Only you know how to maximize your creativity and productivity.

Know your strengths. I love meeting new people, finding the hook for a story and using creative presentations to inform, educate and sell. Guess what I do most of? Feature writing and marketing communications. The more you enjoy yourself, the better you will write. Your work samples will show it, too. Your gut tells you what kind of writer you are. Shhh. Listen.

Know your weaknesses. It’s tempting to take a job that pays well no matter what it is. Sure, you probably can tackle that medical device manual, but do you really want to do that research? Is it going to take you longer because technical writing is not your thing? It’s okay to pass on some opportunities.

Know your limits. I’m sure I lost a client because I knew I couldn’t deliver in the timeframe he required. I would have either pushed myself to the brink or produced something marginal. As the proposed deadline approached I knew I had made the right call. I have delivered good work while sacrificing my sanity, sleep and family occasions to do so. I won’t put myself in that situation again. Please learn from my mistake.

Keep in contact with your contacts. Whatever your schedule is, reach out to your prospects and existing clients regularly. Cultivate leads to keep your name in front of them. One week you might be drowning but after the tsunami you can get thirsty really fast.

Allow for “think” time. On a walk, on the couch, in the shower, at the park. You can’t create without space. It’s okay to be still. Brainstorming just happens to look a lot like dozing.

Mind your own business—contracts, taxes and recordkeeping. I heart QuickBooks.
Exceed expectations … in your writing, with on-time deliverables, and through professionalism.

Write. Often.

Freelance Writing 101 (+2) = x

By Starr Reina

You have something to sell and it's a great product. It's something everyone could use. You know it and they should know it. So, why is it still sitting on your shelf? Why don't more people know about it? After all, you blog about it and tell all your friends on Facebook. What's wrong?

Let's look at the issue for a moment and I'll use a fiction novel as an example. You just wrote your best work.

Those you have allowed to read it in the early stages claimed it was a piece of art, a real page-turner. You are so pleased with the praise and are absolutely positive you will sell thousands of copies.

You find a publisher (traditional or otherwise) and have it published via hard copy or as an ebook. You are ecstatic!

You sell some to your friends and family, but for some reason no one else has bought it. They're still on the shelves at the local Barnes & Noble (or for sale on amazon.com in the case of an ebook). You know people see it. It's sitting right between Stephen King and Heather Graham's books in plain sight. Theirs are dwindling, but yours is not.

What is the common element with everything that may be wrong in the above paragraph? You. Simply you. Of course, I am not saying there is anything wrong with you at all. I can't make that judgment because I don't know you. It is the same reason why your best work is going unread. No one has heard your name before.

They don't know YOU. Okay, no problem. A publicist is hired to get your name out there. Your name and work is plastered on Facebook and several writing clubs and various outlets are joined. That helps...a little.

Your publicist says it's a great start, but let's take it a step further. Let's set up radio interviews.

You respond, "I'd be too nervous speaking on a live show."

Then let's try actually facing them and set up some public speaking engagements.

"That would be worse. I'd stutter from nervousness and they won't like me."

Well, let's get some book signings on calendar (unless it's an ebook).

"That might be okay. All I'd have to do is sit and sign books. I'll check my calendar and get back to you. But I'm going on vacation for two weeks, then I have..."

[Hand is raised in stop gesture].

Stop with what? The excuses. Most people are terrified at the idea of public speaking whether it's live in front of an audience or live over the radio. More than likely, the person who is standing at that podium at the lecture you attend will be frightened and shaking inside from the tips of their toes to the hair on their head. You will probably not know that and think, Wow! If only I could be that confident. You can do that, you can be that confident on the outside, even if your body is having a quake on the inside.

If someone does not know you, how can you expect to 'make a name for yourself'? Your work may very well sell on its own merit and if so, I applaud your talents. But if it doesn't, get your name out there. Once that begins, you'll see the difference. Before that best fiction novel will sell, readers want to know who you are. Get up, show them and watch what happens. It's a lot of work and it takes a lot time to build yourself and your work up for people to see. It's not going to happen overnight. But, if you don't start somewhere, you'll never know what you're capable of.

Stop and think about it. You've scheduled blog tours, book signings, speaking engagements and on and on.

Now, look. What do you see? YOU. Everyone sees you and that well-written, page-turner flying off the shelves or zooming across internet space as it's being downloaded constantly. Now, listen. What do you hear?

The rustle of pages as they're being turned one at a time. And a big congratulations for overcoming—or at least dealing with—your fear of yourself.

It all starts with "The Sale of You".






About Starr Reina

According to Suspense Magazine, Starr Gardinier Reina is a new star who has arrived in the writing world. Apart from being an award winning author for her short story "Cut", Reina has appeared in a blaze and made her mark on the literary world with her fiction novel "In the Name of Revenge". She is known for her works' distinctive voice, making every character stand out.

Reina is the artistic creator of the Ivanovich series featuring Pavel Ivanovich in "In the Name of Revenge". Flanking Ivanovich's side in "Deadly Decisions" (to be released February 1, 2011) is Teresa Mancini, who vies with Ivanovich for readers' attention. She is also the author of young adult novella "Cruel Whispers" and its sequel novel "Cruel Past".

Reina is an executive editor for Suspense Magazine. She has been interviewed in the newspaper and on the radio with relation to her fiction work. She has been a co-host on Suspense Radio.

She has won three Best Speaker awards as well as Best Evaluator at the Voice Ambassadors chapter of Toastmasters. Reina is a member of Sisters in Crime, Los Angeles Chapter and nationally. She has always been active in events. As co-chair and main coordinator for the West Coast Author Premiere, she arranged the weekend-long event to help authors from all over network, learn and share their work with the public. Reina has also been instrumental in compiling authors and planning a local author event at Barnes and Noble in Ventura, California along with the store’s event manager.

WhoDunIt is Reina's free quarterly newsletter that has many benefits for not only authors but readers as well.

Guest Post: The Sale of You