www.1001TopWords.com |
Be A Savvy Writer: Go Where The Business Is
If you're a writer, you're in business. It doesn't matter whether you're writing picture books, or a self-help book for underachievers, or promotional material and flyers for anyone who wants it... YOU'RE IN BUSINESS. Therefore, it makes sense to go where the business contacts are. I know, I know - it's tempting to just sit at home in front of the keyboard. No chance of getting rejected that way (at least not face to face!) But - don't do it. Get out there and meet people - you never know which contact might come in handy. Here are a few suggestions: USEFUL CONTACTS
WHERE YOU'LL FIND CONTACTS What level have you reached in your writing? Beyond the basics? Do you think you could run a workshop for others to teach them writing skills? If you feel you could put together a well- planned, interesting presentation, and you have good people skills, consider putting on a workshop. Arrange an article in the local paper if you can - if not, advertise. If your writing skills are well developed, include a flyer in the course handouts offering your services. You could:
(c) copyright Marg McAlister Marg McAlister has published magazine articles, short stories, books for children, ezines, promotional material, sales letters and web content. She has written 5 distance education courses on writing, and her online help for writers is popular all over the world. Sign up for her regular writers' tipsheet at http://www.writing4success.com/
|
RELATED ARTICLES
2nd Installment on Autobiography ESSAY 2 Seven Compelling Reasons to Get Your Name on a Book Cover Have you ever considered writing a book? If so, maybe you've already established firmly in mind your exact purpose for becoming an author. Your reasons may match one or more of those below. Or perhaps you could add yours to the list. Nevertheless, with some 65,000 books being published in the United States yearly, there is overwhelming attraction to joining the ranks of authors. Writing IS a Business Why is it that so many people don't take writing-as-a-job seriously? I once heard it said that writing is one of the most under-rated cottage industries in the world. I believe it. How to Finish Your Self-Published Book Fast Started a book and then got bogged down? Like many of my bookcoaching clients do you say, "I have so many other demands, I just can't get to the book." The Beginners Guide to Freelance Writing The Big Idea Publish Your Novel on the First Try Rejection. This scary word plagues virtually every writer this side of John Grisham. It stops many writers in their tracks and often leads them to a new line of work. If your one of the millions of Americans who have a passion for writing and dream of seeing your novel on the shelves of Barnes & Noble and Borders Books, don't let fear of Rejection scare you off. Follow this simple formula, and you can publish your novel on the very first try. Zany Ideas That Increase Writing Productivity And Quality Welcome to the zany ideas of a productive writer. My students keep reminding me of my unusual tools and how helpful they have been for them. I also thank my students for their concept testing and refinement. Now, I feel much more confidant about sending them out into the world. How You Can Find Freelance Editing Jobs Freelance editing opportunities are out there, you just need to know where and how to look for them. As a matter of fact, there are hundreds of companies that are waiting for you, right now, to fill their job vacancies. Each and every one of them has an exciting opportunity for someone. What are your areas of expertise? What can you do to benefit these companies? Finding freelance editing opportunities is simple when you know what you are looking for, who you are looking for, and where to find them. Another Way to Show Your Expertise: Write a Book! Maybe you should write a book! This is not as difficult as it sounds. You're already an expert in a field by virtue of your work experience and/or academic credentials. And even more important, you are enthusiastic about your field and would like to share it. Get Your Writing Reviewed by Major Publications for Free All Writers need the press, especially new writers. As a new novelist, I know I need name recognition. The best way for me to get the public to learn about my novel, The League, I figured, was to get some reviews in major magazines and newspapers. Slow Pokes: Short Story On The Changing World Of Writing "No one will ever know who I am, I'm a nobody-writer from nowhere? I've had a thousand rejections from all the major publishers. It seems my destiny is never to be read, another nameless soul lost to the sands of eternity." Johnny's face twisted into a pained grimace, you could tell his heart was tied up in a pretzel knot of self-deprecation. To Write Successful Business & Academic Communications, Learn the Architecture of a Story Human beings seem to be born with a gene for telling stories. Stories from our families, our communities, and the media form our worldview and shape our lives. In fact, scientists have discovered that our ability to create stories is intricately connected to our ability to learn. This is because our brains seek to create meaning through relationship, which is what stories do so well. How To Filter Description Through Your Characters How do you describe a scene without slowing down the pace of your novel? What do you include? What do you leave out? Here's a neat trick: use your own experiences as a guide. Writer School? Here's something from my mailbag. "Dear Michael, do you need todo good in school if you want to be a writer? I stink at schooland all my friends laugh at me when I tell them I want to write,but I'm serious." Followed by a sentence or two of "I need yourwords to encourage me" or some such nonsense. Pairs/Groups Of Words Often Confused - Part 4 of 6 LATER, LATTER 71 Ways For A Writer To Make Money There are so many ways for writers to make good money by writing. Some people love to write, even as a hobby. You can turn your writing skills into income. Here are a brief list for your reference. Writing Query Letters that Count -- Close the Deal with Your First Letter! Your query letter can be a deal maker or a deal breaker. So, if your query letter just lies there, you've killed the sale immediately or your story or novel immediately. If you want that story -- your baby -- to be read, reach out of that query letter, grab the publisher, editor or literary agent by the neck and say, "Hey, you absolutely have to have this story!"Query letters that begin with "Hello, My name is. . ." have as much chance of selling as vacation trips to Baghdad. Remember, your query is like a résumé's cover letter, and if you're in a competitive industry, that cover will sell you far more than the resume will. So, you have to grab the reader with your first sentence. To do this, make him believe that he desperately needs what you're selling. Following are a few tips on how to do it. Keeping a Journal - One of the Three Treasures to Leave Behind (excerpted from the "How to Use a Journal" audio series by Jim Rohn) Finish Your Book Already! I owe the completion and success of my book to a big cardboard box that saw me through the entire process. I found this box and filled it with any and all information I could find on my topic 'advanced presentation skills for speakers and business presenters.' I printed out articles I had written, listened to tapes and read every single book on presentation skills that has ever been published. I have a huge library filled with these books, which are a great thing to have. I took notes and pulled out the best information from each text, finding a way to work it into my own. This is not plagiarism. Some information is too important not to use, so you reword it and use it as substantial background information, giving credit in your bibliography. Open a Vein If you want to be a writer, you must write and that requires sitting at your typewriter or computer and writing although it may not be easy. That also means avoiding all distractions that will keep one from writing-visitors, friends, relatives, television, radio, and anything that will keep the writer from concentrating on the task. |
© Athifea Distribution LLC - 2013 |