The Renegade Writer Blog

Buh-bye! We're moving!

2006-08-08T12:51:00.000-04:00

We decided to relocate our blog to a valuable piece of virtual real estate called TheRenegadeWriter. Please change your bookmarks and come on over! We were able to archive all of our old posts, and WordPress, which is Open Source blogware, gives us a lot of cool tools and more functionality.

We hope you'll join us for the fun!

My New Business Cards

2006-08-06T22:32:00.000-04:00

I was happy with my iPrint black-and-white specials...until I saw the funkalicious cards from the U.K. company StreetCards. So when I started running out of my old cards, I ordered 500 of these beauties, which are full-color and laminated. You can choose the background color on the back of the card; I thought this orange was a nice contrast, and the orange and blue match my website design and the cover of The Renegade Writer. The cards arrived in about two weeks, which is amazing considering they had to be printed and then shipped to the U.S. They were a bit pricy, but look at them! Just look!

You can't see this in the photo, but underneath my contact info it says, "My editors think I'm swell." Now we'll find out for real if editors have a sense of humor! I do have that phrase as part of my sig line, and it's gotten good reception from editors so far.

I used the new cards as an excuse to remind all my editors that I'm alive; instead of working on my assignments on Friday evening (three due on Monday, yikes), I sent the new card to about 40 editors I've worked with. The only thing that's actually different about the info on the cards is that I included my cell number, but I'm not one to pass up an opportunity to contact my editors!

The Review Copy Helper is New and Improved...and Moved

2006-08-03T19:51:00.000-04:00

As a freelance writer, you may have used my Review Copy Helper, which was hosted at my twowriters.net site until a few weeks ago. The Review Copy Helper makes it easier for magazine writers and book reviewers to request review copies of books from publishers -- and for publishers to get their review copies into the hands of writers who will give them publicity.

I just finished updating the publisher database and moved the whole thing over to my permanent site.

Updating the database took hours and hours -- and I hope to avoid having to do it again -- so this is going to have to be a collaborative effort. If you use and like the Review Copy Helper, please help me keep it up-to-date by e-mailing me with any changes or additions you run across.

Thanks!

Linda

A load off my inbox

2006-08-03T18:25:00.000-04:00

Last night I was chatting with Linda on the phone. She mentioned she was feeling stressed because she had 30 e-mails in her inbox. I said, "Only 30?" I admitted I had 2,000 in mine. By comparison, I should be climbing the walls, screaming out jibberish only other lunatics can understand. "You should delete them," Linda said. "You're never going to read them all."

This morning, I took the plunge. I highlighted all the messages pre-January 1, 2006 and hit delete. Goodbye Clifton Kareem, messages asking me "R U 2 Small?," and press releases from companies announcing new vice presidents of human resources. Roughly 1,000 messages vaporized. And damn, it felt good. Tonight I'm going to do a couple hundred more. You know, a mini-high ... just a couple tokes to keep the edge off. Woo-hoo!!

P.S. Yes, I have filters. Spam filters, too. I'm just a big fat lazy piler.

I think the people who helped Bill Gates were paid from the start.

2006-08-03T09:05:00.000-04:00

A "writers wanted" ad from the Philadelphia Craigslist:

New Magazine HIRING! -- Fri Jul 28
email: o.easter@devinevisionsent.com

Position Type Full-Time Employee or Part Time Company Name: Devine Visions Entertainment Location: Wilmington, Delaware but accepts applicants from all over. (you may work from home) Great Opportunity for College Students! At the moment there's no monetary compensation till we get up & running (start with a new and upcoming company and you can be making a lot of money soon.. how do you think people who helped Bill Gates feel now) Even if you have no experience but willing to learn we want you. We are an upcoming company that is in the process of developing a magazine for print.

Federal Freebies for Writers

2006-08-02T10:55:00.000-04:00

From my 2003 article in The Writer - links updated 2006.

As a writer, you probably spend more time doing research for your articles and books than actually writing them. But in your pursuit of facts are you overlooking one of the largest, cheapest, and most accessible sources of information around -- the U.S. government?

Don't let your relationship with Uncle Sam be a one-way affair, with you doing all the giving and getting nothing in return. Just take a look at this sample of free or nearly-free government resources that writers can take advantage of to cut down on research time and cost.

The Bureau of the Census

The census is more than some guy who shows up on your doorstep every ten years asking how many kids you have. Every year the U.S. Bureau of the Census conducts nearly 100 surveys that supplement the decennial census, and much of this census information is available on the Internet or at depository libraries nationwide. Use free census data to liven up your queries and articles with facts and figures, or to add credibility to the market research section of your book proposals. For example, in your article on the economy, you can mention that according to the 2002 Census, the poverty rate is 10.8 percent. Add interest to your query about e-commerce by mentioning that U.S. retail e-commerce reached $34 billion in 2001 -- an increase of 22 percent over 2000.

Expert information is just a phone call away with a booklet called U.S. Census Bureau Contacts, which lists experts on any census topic you can imagine plus their phone numbers.

Press Office: 301-763-3030
U.S. Census Bureau Contacts

The Securities and Exchanges Commission

Business writers rejoice: If a company you're writing about is a publicly traded company, you can get information on the business, from how much profit it made last year to where its divisions are located, from the Securities and Exchanges Commission. Publicly traded companies must submit several filings annually to the SEC, which are then made available to the public at no charge.

To review a company's filings, go to the SEC's EDGAR (Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis, and Retrieval) website, which provides free access to the SEC filings of thousands of public companies in the U.S. Or, for the Net-phobe, the Public Reference office will photocopy any documents you need for a mere $.26 per page.

Public Reference: 202-942-8090

The Library of Congress

The Library of Congress serves as the research arm of Congress and is recognized as the national library of the United States. The Library, located in Washington, D.C., is open to everyone over high school age gratis.

But for writers who are too busy to trek to the Capitol to check out the Library's 20 million volumes and pamphlets, the Library offers an online "Ask a Librarian" service. Fill out the form with your question and a librarian will get back to you within five days. Some topics, such as business and science, even offer hours when you can "chat" with a librarian online.

The Library of Congress also has a photo-duplication service, which will search the Library to find what you need and send you photocopies. You pay for copying, copyright fees and postage ($12 minimum). Don't expect instant gratification, though; it can take from four to six weeks to get the information you need, though rush service (within 10 days) is available for a 100 percent mark-up.

Photoduplication Service: 202-707-5640 or photoduplication@loc.gov
Ask a Librarian

Federal Citizen Information Center

Need article ideas for a consumer pub? Or maybe you're researching an article on health, housing, money, or another consumer topic. At the Federal Citizen Information Center, writers can access hundreds of publications, information on the latest product recalls and scams, updates of consumer news from various Federal agencies, and a calendar of consumer-related events.

800-688-9889

National Science Foundation

Here's a heads-up for all you science and technology writers out there: The National Science Foundation initiates and supports scientific research in several fields, including biology, information science/computers, social science, environmental science, and math. On the NSF website, each department offers a wealth of press releases that are ripe for the plucking by savvy writers. One recent release, for example, tells about how researchers used tiny, wireless sensors to test for stress along the famous crack in the Liberty Bell. What a cool article idea! Each press release includes contact information so you can call for additional info or set interviews.

SIDEBAR: How to Find Government Publications and Resources

The United States Government Manual

The United States Government Manual is a guide to the agencies and offices that make up the federal government.

Government Publications

The Government Publications database lets you retrieve catalogued records of government titles that are available through the Federal Depository Library Program. Once you find a record that interests you, the database will locate the nearest library that carries that item.

The Government Information Locator Service (GILS)

GILS helps you identify and reach publicly available Federal information resources, including both electronic and non-electronic sources.

Trolling, Trolling: Linda needs a mom of a kid who had transient tics.

2006-08-01T11:28:00.000-04:00

I hate to ask here, but I'm desperate! For a national women's magazine, I'm looking to interview a U.S. mom of a kid who had transient tics. The tics need to have been completely resolved (so not chronic or recurring). If this is you, or you know someone who fits the bill, please e-mail me at linda-eric@lserv.com.

This is one case where all the usual tactics didn't work: I did a ProfNet query, posted to all the writers' boards, posted to Tourette's discussion lists, sent an e-mail to all my friends and family, sent an e-mail to all Eric's friends and family, asked the Tourette's Association, and asked every specialist I can think of. No luck! So, sometimes you just have to beg.

Thanks!

Renegade Writer Q&A: Rachel Weingarten

2006-07-31T11:54:00.000-04:00

Rachel Weingarten (middle in photo) is an author, freelance writer, marketing maven, and all-around cool person. Recently, the chichi New York City department store Henri Bendel ran a huge promotion surrounding her new book Hello Gorgeous! Linda interviewed Rachel to find out how scored this coup, how she markets herself and her work, and how freelance writers can learn from her marketing genius.

Q. You got Henri Bendel in NYC to run a huge promotion surrounding your book, Hello Gorgeous! Okay, spill -- how did you pull off such a coup?

A. Okay, I think that people should realize that my 'day' job is in marketing and promotions, so to shake off some of the stardust -- it was less of a Cinderella story (though trust me, it was a fairytale) and more about me doing my job extremely well and working with a brilliant marketing and creative team at Bendel's. In other words, I do fabulous launches and events for clients all of the time, but this was the first one that I've done for myself.

The other thing is that it didn't just happen, I wrote the initial proposals way back in February and the week long event took place in July. It was months of back and forth, dead leads, detail work, bringing in additional partners and more. Bendel's went above and beyond in every element of this promotion, from the spectacular windows, to the displays, to the marketing, PR, creative and in store staff- I was blown away by their professionalism, attention to detail and enthusiasm for the promo. I cannot say enough wonderful things about them. I practically collapsed with exhaustion after it was over! What I really did in this situation was hire myself to market this book for me. Easier said than done, since Rachel the author didn't have the budget (or any budget to speak of) that GTK's clients normally do!

I'll paste in something that I'd written on FLX as well:

I think the misconception is that I, as a first time author, managed to snag a promo of this magnitude. The fact is that for my 'day' job, I run a marketing agency (GTK Marketing Group). As part of my day to day, I create brand strategies, produce major events (among others Fashion Week events, events for the Oscars and Golden Globes, and charity events), launch books/films/celebrity projects, and create promotions including for NY Times best-selling authors.

In other words, Rachel the author 'hired' Rachel the marketer to create a promotion. It was brutal, and took months of planning, proposals, preparation (what's with the Ps?) networking, calling in a lot of my existing contacts, making new ones, sweet talking, etc. The bottom line is that I never ask anyone simply to do something for me; whenever I create partnerships for launch projects, be it for myself or a client, I make damn well sure that they are getting as much (brand equity, exposure) if not more than I or my client are getting. For me this is second nature, so I can make it sound overly simplistic or even easy -- it isn't, it's a ton of hard work, brainstorming, frequent failure and more -- you all just hear about some of the successes.

I will quote an email that I received from a very dear, very wise friend who shall remain nameless (and I will hope that she's okay with me posting this): She was commenting on the fact that I make it look easy, and that others might not quite understand just how hard I work (and that perhaps I don't even realize how hard I work, because I thoroughly enjoy it): "An anecdote: years ago an acquaintance of mine interviewed the late Pierre Franey, who did an incredibly popular meals in 60 minutes column for the NYT (it predated Mark Bittman). She asked Franey how long it took him to do each column. He said, about an hour and 30 years of experience. I think that's how it is with you. You don't just wake up and say I think I'll ask Bendel to feature me in their window. This takes a life of collaboration, planning, networking, etc. If you've laid the groundwork it looks easy; if you haven't, you'll never pull it off." She's entirely right. This promotion was the culmination of years of work.

Q. How did the promotion go?

A. The promo itself was spectacular -- beyond my wildest dreams. I actually had Bendel's in mind when writing the book, so I'm sure that colored my determination to work with them!

Okay, the 5th Avenue windows were decorated with '50s style mannequins wearing "dresses" made up out of blown up pages from my book. At their feet were these cool sort of 'shrines' made up of beauty products used in the '50s along with copies of my book. And the windows were emblazoned with bright red script (like the cover of my book) saying "Hello Gorgeous!" When you walked into the store the main atrium entrance was transformed into a 'house' from the '50s and lining the center aisles were blown up images from my book in these cool neon kiosks.

Three of the coolest indie cosmetic brands (Pout, Tarte, and Benefit) participated. The artists from each brand wore satin hostess aprons emblazoned with "Hello Gorgeous" (three different colors depending on the brand) and each brand had a 'room' in the house. So you could sit at a retro kitchen, living room or bedroom and be transformed to a glamazon from another era. I was in the 'bar' section which was a cool and kitschy bar with stools set up for me to sign books during my appearances in the store. (okay, I'm still convinced that I dreamed it all, but pictures prove otherwise)

Q. How would you translate your promotional wizardry for magazine writers? Can freelance writers use any of your techniques to sell more articles?

A. Ah. another great question. I think that many magazine writers panic after some queries go ignored, and blame everything on themselves -- that they don't have a J school background, nor do they have contacts in place to help them to ease the way. I think that if you're good enough and have something new to say, people will eventually take notice. I think that the key is not to wait around thinking that you'll be discovered -- that's the fallacy.

And never give up when you know in your gut that you're onto something. For better or worse, I'm not terribly devastated when rejected. Sure it hurts (like a punch in my highly intuitive gut). Perhaps it's idiotic bravado, but when I know that I'm onto something I'll keep knocking on doors until someone opens, usually long after a 'normal' person would have given up.

I pick up magazines at times and am horrified at how trite or poorly written some of the articles are, and then I'll pick up a magazine with a story that I could have written better, and thennnnnnnnn I'll pick up a magazine and be blown away by the purity of prose of a really good writer. I learn from all three of these articles on how I can change and evolve. I think for many renegade writers, there's the attitude that they're different, and that's enough -- not so. You have to prove that your kind of different is the good different as opposed to the cross-the-street-when-they-see-you-coming different.

The other thing is when wrong to accept it and move on. Don't push if your story is stale -- what's the point?

Q. You sound like a real renegade chick. What are some rules you've broken in authoring a book, writing for magazines, or promoting yourself?

A. Thank you for that compliment! I am a rule breaker by nature (as mentioned above). I think that one of the rules that I live by is the fact that I don't live by the same rules that anyone else does, and I'm okay with it (after years of trying to conform).

When I started out in business people thought that I was insane since I didn't have a formal business background, nor did I have any connections -- be it in the old boy's club or high-placed sorority sisters. Your question actually illustrates the rules that I've broken -- I did all three at the same time -- while working full time!

I'm someone who firmly believes that if you want to do something (and it's legal), you should just do it. I think that as a society we can be bogged down with so many ideas of right or wrong, that we stop trusting ourselves. I think the key to being a successful rebel is in having something that doesn't work to rebel against. If something isn't working, then you figure out how to provide a solution that does.

Q. Where did you pick up your promotional skills?

A. I don't think that it's something that you pick up, or it runs the risk of becoming mechanical and far from creative. Some people play the violin, I get people excited about what I'm working on. I have honed my skills over the years and will continue to do so. I've had business mentors in my life and dear friends, and I mostly just study success and failure and try to learn from them. I also take genuine joy in seeing people get excited about what I'm working on. I've toyed with the idea of going to B School, but have been told that it would kill my creativity. I've been asked many times over the years if I have an MBA to which I answer, 'Yes, I do. And he lives in Chicago.' The other thing is that I turn down work all the time. If I'm not excited by what you're doing, I can't see 'living' with it for months or years, nor can I see getting other people excited by it.

Q. Have your renegade ways ever backfired?

A. Linda, I wish that I had but a single failure to share with you. I've had far more failures than successes, but I've learned not to dwell on the failures and to keep building on the successes. The other thing is that I have failed to live by corporate America's rules and therefore had to determine the career path(s) that work for me. I live by Thomas Edison's words: "I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work."

Q. Fill in the blanks: Freelance writer is to marketer as:

A. architect is to interior designer.

Q. Do you have any other tips for freelance writers?

A. Love what you do and love your subjects. Passion is nearly impossible to fake and there are zillions of mediocre and poor writers out there -- let yourself and your subject soar.

Moneysaving tips you'll never read about in magazines

2006-07-29T11:29:00.000-04:00

***Our blog has moved! You'll find more great tips for your renegade writing lifestyle at the Renegade Writer Blog. ***

This week I bought three magazines at Borders I may be interested in pitching. Total cost? $14.48. Ouch! To riff off Leona Helmsley, only fools pay newsstand prices, but I really needed these magazines, and I consoled myself that I'd be able to expense them on my taxes.

I don't think I've ever read any money-saving tips in articles about how to save major bucks buying magazines. We talked about it briefly in the Renegade Writer, but since then I've picked up some new tips. Let's break them into three categories: cheap, cheaper, cheapest.

Cheap:

-- Check your Sunday coupon supplements. Occasionally you'll find a cents-off coupon for magazines like Woman's Day and Family Circle. The coupon is usually for a certain issue, but other times, it's good for six weeks or so. If you want to buy a couple issues for market research, it may be worth raiding your mother-in-law's coupon caddy for extra coupons.

-- Use cash register coupons. When I buy magazines at the grocery store, I frequently get a store coupon to use on my next purchase of a similar magazine. For example, I buy Fitness and get a coupon for 50 cents off my next Self.

-- Send the magazine's SASC for a year-long subscription. You might as well get a whole year for what you'd pay for three newsstand issues.

-- A bonus tip for the super thrifty: Check your subscription's start date. I've sent in subscription cards from a January issue, yet the publication will start my subscription effective with the December issue -- occasionally November! Call the magazine and ask that they change your start date to the February issue -- or even the March if you purchased February on the newsstand.

Cheaper:

-- Buy subscriptions off eBay. I've found some fantastic deals here. I got three years each of Parents, Parenting, and Child for $9.78. A two-year sub to Reader's Digest for $9.98. Yankee for $8.00. You get the idea. I buy only from sellers/brokers who have excellent ratings, and I haven't run into problems yet.

-- Mine your professional affiliations. I'm not a member of ASJA, but I hear they have an excellent magazine subscription program for member/writers. I get subscription offers from magazines because I teach at a local community college: for example, I just got an offer for a year's worth of The New Yorker for $20 (or something like that).

-- Use your frequent flier miles or rewards points to buy magazines. I've used American Express rewards points to buy dozens of magazines, and when some of my United Mileage Plus miles were about to expire, I traded them for subscriptions.

-- Check out the following websites for cheap magazines subscriptions: MagazinePriceSearch.com, Discountmagazines.com, netmagazines.com, and amazon.com. Or Google "cheap magazine subscriptions" -- you'll get thousands of hits.

Cheapest:

-- Read magazines online. More and more magazines are putting their content on the web. If you're simply reading these publications to figure out what kind of stories they like, or you're already familiar with their demographics (I like to look at the actual magazine when I'm doing market research), web-based reading costs you nothing but bandwidth.

-- Steal them. Well, let me clarify that. Steal them from doctor's offices, your mother's coffee table, your brother's lad mag stash ... that sort of stealing. Occassionally I'll see a magazine that I've never seen at the newsstand, so I turn on the charm and ask if I can borrow it. I've never been turned down.

-- Read them at the library. This is what Linda does. My local library has subscriptions to at least 200 magazines. They don't even charge late fees if I'm late returning them!

-- Log into a database. Back to the library -- in Massachusetts, any resident with a library card has access to some amazing magazine databases, including Gale Group, InfoTrak, the Boston Globe, the New York Times, and more. While I still subscribe to dozens of magazines, I've been able to dump hundreds of back issues from my library. If I want to find out what Parenting has done on potty training recently, I can search InfoTrak.

Any other tips you have to save money on magazines?

Anthony Bourdain in Beirut

2006-07-28T12:16:00.000-04:00

I am a fan of Anthony Bourdain's writing, as well as his food shows, so I eagerly dug into his Salon article about his thwarted experience filming in Beirut.

The surprise, for me, came at the end. My younger brother, Matt, is a Marine who's stationed in the Mideast. We just found out a couple weeks ago that he was relocated to Cyprus to help ferry people out of Lebanon. I got one short e-mail from him last week saying he was pretty tired from carrying babies around all day.

And today I read Bourdain's words. After he, his crew, and the rest of the refugees are man-handled by the embassy staff, "... we are put in the charge of the sailors and Marines of the USS Nashville who've hauled ass from Jordan on short notice to undertake a mission for which they are unrehearsed and inexperienced. Yet they perform brilliantly. The moment we pass through the last checkpoint into their control, all are treated with a kindness and humanity we can scarcely believe. Squared away, efficient, organized and caringly sensitive, the Marines break the crowd into sensibly spaced groups, give them shade and water, lead them single file to an open-ended landing craft at the water's edge. They carry babies, children, heat-stroke victims, luggage. They are soft-spoken, casually friendly. They give out treats and fruit and water. They reassure us with their ease and professionalism."

Anyway, I'm sitting here all teary and proud. Bourdain mentions none of these guys looks older than 17; indeed, my brother can carry all sorts of crazy-ass weapons on behalf of the U.S. government, but he can't legally kick back with a drink at the end of the day. So if you're reading this Matt, Friday Happy Hour is in honor of you. Nice job. :-)

Getting Things Done

2006-07-27T19:13:00.000-04:00

This week I'm re-reading Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity by David Allen. OK, I'm fibbing. I'm attempting to read it for the 11th time. Not that it's boring or poorly written; there are paragraphs in there I want to etch on the inside of my eyelids! Everything he writes makes perfect sense. But I seem to lose steam around the middle when I realize what a freaking lot of work it's going to be, and I go right back to my slothful ways.

In a nutshell, to become more productive, you have to get a handle on all the "open loops" running through your head. All these random bits of information and nagging worries zap the energy you need to be fully productive. You need a black-belt in productivity, to paraphrase what he preaches in GTD. You do this by collecting, in one place, everything that needs your attention in your life: projects, ideas, to-do lists, forms, crumpled up sticky notes, assignments, etc. Then you sort through them and decide how you're going to act next: do you toss? File? Act now? Or in the future? Then you take action, either by tossing, filing, doing, or scheduling. The key is to get everything in your life into a system so that you can focus on your work at hand without being distracted by worries or wondering, "Did I forget to call Mom on her birthday?" When you work the system properly, you won't forget to call Mom, and you'll do a better job staying focused on what's important to you at that moment. (Wikipedia has a "Getting Things Done" entry, which gives even more detail. Also, check out 43folders, Lifehack.org, and Allen's company website.)

I'm fired up to give this a go ... for the 12th time. I'm curious: are any of you GTD fans? How has it helped you with your writing career? Did you fully embrace the system or just take what you need? (I'll probably fall into the later category, but Allen seems okay with that. I hate it when authors say, You have to do things MY way or the highway.)

I hope to report back in a few weeks about my improved productivity! :-)

Love Your Inner Critic

2006-07-27T16:26:00.000-04:00

We writers always talk about how to turn off our inner critics. In my opinion, completely turning off our inner critics is how we churn out a lot of crap.

True, some of us have inner critics that are so harsh that they make writing truly painful for us, and even keep us from getting anything done. In these cases, our inner critics can use some softening. But most of the time, our inner critics are helping us discern between "good enough" and "great."

If your critic says, "This sucks," ask it why the writing sucks. Maybe you'll discover something, such as you used too many adverbs or you went overboard on the alliterative subheads or you really need just one more quote. Then fix the problem and reward your inner critic with a chocolate brownie. (Inner critics love chocolate brownies.)

Worst pitch ever.

2006-07-27T16:12:00.000-04:00

As magazine writers, we often get pitches from PR people looking to snag some prime magazine space for their clients. And some of us freelance writers also do corporate/PR writing. So I loved this post by John Scalzi about the worst PR pitch he's received as a blogger. The post is hilarious, and it may have resulted in the clueless PR person getting canned.

How to track an agent's sales

2006-07-25T12:05:00.000-04:00

If you're curious about a certain agent's selling record or you want to keep tabs on what your favorite book editors like to buy, Publishers Marketplace has a handy new tracking tool called Deal Tracker. Deal Tracker lets you specify a list of agents, agencies, editors, and/or publishers/imprints to track. Each time you visit the page, you're updated on all the deals posted since your last visit. Very cool!

You must be a paying member of Publishers Marketplace to use this cool tool. If you're an author or a wannabe author, the $20 monthly fee is seriously worth it, IMHO.

Don't people DIE from exposure?

2006-07-25T11:07:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I received an e-mail from an editor at J. Morgan Magazine inviting me to send articles to his publication. Ah, once again my charm and beauty have attracted work. But wait...the e-mail included lengthy writer guidelines, at the very end of which was:

1. J. Morgan Magazine offers no financial compensation for published articles. Authors of published articles will receive compensation for First American Rights by way of no more than two complimentary copies [What?? I insist on three copies or no deal. -Linda] of the publication in which their article appears.

2. Being published in J. Morgan Magazine provides contributors an opportunity to increase their visibility with a specific audience; conversely, the tone of each article should be from an informative perspective and are not meant to be advertorial to the author's business, service or product.

Wow, I'm in the wrong business. Forget writing -- I need to be pubishing a magazine, raking in the ad dollars/subscription money/whatever and getting content for free!

I don't understand why so many magazines ask writers to work for the "exposure." Do enough writers fall for this crap to make it worthwhile for publishers to operate this way? Do these publishers ask their plumbers, lawyers, and accountants to work for exposure? And even if you did churn out a free article for a magazine -- have you ever, ever received paying work from someone who saw your bio in a non-paying magazine?

Repeat after me: "People DIE from exposure."

Kaizen for Writers

2006-07-22T13:53:00.000-04:00

Diana's post "Some rules are good," below, links to a great article by GoDaddy founder Bob Parsons. In his "rules to live by," Parsons mentions the concept of Kaizen. I thought I'd post an oldie-but-goodie bit about Kaizen from the July 8, 2004 issue of the Renegade Writer Newsletter.

**

I have a new resolution (warning: salty language coming up): To be less half-assed about my writing. I tend to rush through assignments so that I can get out the door to do things I'd rather be doing, such as kicking bags at the karate dojo or hanging out with my friends. The articles aren't bad, of course -- otherwise my editors wouldn't keep hiring me -- but they could be better. For example, I could include a subtitle (called a "dek" in journo-speak), a sidebar or two, and an annotated copy of the manuscript for the fact checker (without being asked first!). I could also fact-check my own articles with my sources before turning it in -- something Diana does but which I never do.

If my editors are already pleased with my work, why would I want to go through so much effort? Well, my karate sensei was telling me about the Japanese concept of Kaizen -- constant improvement for the sake of improving, not because you're chasing after some reward. I really took it to heart and vowed to improve my writing, even if my editors are satisfied with the way I'm writing now. I just turned in my first article since making the resolution, to Fitness magazine. We'll see if my editor notices a difference!

If you're like me, you may also want to vow to be more thorough with your writing. When an editor asks you to mail her clips, don't "pull a Linda" and toss some black and white photocopies into an envelope -- make color copies of your clips and put them in a nice shiny folder, just like you did with your high school essays in hopes of pushing your grade up a notch or two. Don't wait for the fact checker to ask you to send an annotated copy with backup info -- do it right away. You can even throw in a sidebar or two using materials you gleaned from your research that doesn't fit in the main article.

Until next time, may your calendar be full of assignments!

**

Talk to Us! (Please?)

2006-07-21T23:22:00.000-04:00

On Wednesday, July 26, from 10 pm to 12 am ET, Diana and I will be the guest authors at The Writer's Chatroom. Join us in the chatroom and ask your pressing questions about writing for magazines. We suggest you ask:

* Where can we buy a copy of The Renegade Writer -- right now?
* What's your PayPal address so we can send you money?
* Would you like a foot massage?

We hope to see you there!

(P.S. If you haven't checked out the Lifehacker list of "10 cheap or free tools that can boost productivity" in Diana's post below, do it now! I'm having way too much fun with the TextExpander software.)

Baby, baby ... where did my day go?

2006-07-21T21:49:00.000-04:00

Ok, forgive the horrible Supremes pun. It's Friday -- my day off -- and I've been chained to my desk all day, trying to catch up on work. I'm about to leave the office for a little ice cream and blueberry picking. Yum!

When I was at the Chicago One on One conference, a couple people inquired why I unsubscribed from Freelance Success, and I explained how I'd done a time-study on my workday. Very enlightening. My study showed I was spending way more time discussing Tony Soprano's inner demons with fellow writers than exorcising my own demons through writing.

So another great post from Lifehacker today shows one way to map your time so that you can carve out more time for projects important to you. Like making money.

Have a great weekend. To paraphrase the other Diana, I've got this burning yearning feelin' inside me for ice cream.

Get thee to Staples

2006-07-21T10:32:00.000-04:00

The Lifehacker blog posts their list of 10 cheap or free tools that can boost productivity, along with several awesome ideas I've never considered, such as using my cell phone's camera to "remember" things.

Renegade Writer Q&A: Deb Carpenter

2006-07-20T14:22:00.000-04:00

Deb Carpenter agreed to speak with me this morning at a local coffeeshop (Starbucks, if you must know). I’ve known Deb for a little over a year, and she’s an incredibly smart and talented writer – the kind of writer who we’re proud to claim as a Renegade Writer fan. Her credits include Parenting, Woman's Day, ADDitude, Publishers Weekly, and Child.com. She lives in Tyngsboro, Massachusetts, with her husband and two children, ages 6 and 3. Here’s our interview:

Why did you start freelancing?

My work background before having my two children was in child development and psychology. For five years, I was a stay-at-home mom who read a lot of magazines. I’d read articles and say to myself, “I could have written that!” so I started thinking it might be something fun for me to try. I had a ton of story ideas, and with my background, it felt like a good fit. As you know, I took your class after reading The Renegade Writer [I teach a class on getting started as a freelance writer through our local adult education center, and it’s true – Deb actually brought our book to the first class. An instant A+! – Diana], and an online query writing class.

Honestly, I never thought I’d succeed. Sending those first few queries out was just an exercise in something I thought could be fun. I was interested to see what would happen, and I never really thought through “what next” if I actually got an assignment. My personality is “start at the top and see what happens.” It was pure curiosity.

So, you must have been stunned that you sold something to a major magazine fairly quickly.

I was floored. Scared out of my mind. It was one thing to make a sale, and an entirely different thing to actually have an editor counting on me.

It was my sixth query to Parenting that sold, a short piece on how to use reverse psychology to get kids to do what you want (ran February 2006). Up till that point, I was getting nos, but I’d just send something else, using the editor’s comments to help me focus on developing just the right idea.

During the writing process, I worked really hard to make a good impression. I spent way more time than I probably needed writing the piece, and I was nothing but accommodating during the revision process or when the editor had questions. I tried to be a writer she’d want to work with again. When the job was complete, I sent her a thank you note – nothing fancy, just something to let her know I appreciated the assignment. It’s something I now do with every magazine I write for. I also give them something a little extra: for example, for a story I did on ways to leave your children behind, I wrote up an additional seven or eight tips. On another story, I wrote up a little sidebar.

The interesting thing is that Parenting bought the seventh idea I pitched, as well as some of the earlier ones they’d rejected once I turned in my first piece. With Woman’s Day, the editor bought from my first pitch. She didn’t want the whole story, just part of it. So you never know how things are going to work out!

Deb, what are the three things that have surprised you since you’ve started freelancing?

First, that the work is there, especially if you have a niche or specialty. Some writers scatter buckshot, but that strategy hasn’t worked for me. I’ve done some assignments beyond my skill-set, and I spend three times as long on them as I do on the child development and psychology pieces. For me, specializing is the best use of my time.

Second, organization is key to working effectively. I’ve made most of my sales on follow-ups with editors, so I keep careful track of who I pitch and when I should follow up. I create folders for each assignment, keep my computer files organized, and make sure my contacts are in order. Super professionalism means super organizational skills – I don’t want to look like a schmuck. And especially because I have kids, it’s doubly important for me to stay organized because it’s so easy to lose track of what’s going on when you’ve got to switch gears back and forth.

And third, you can have a family and a career, but you have to know your limits. I make sure I don’t have too many assignments on my plate at once because everyone loses if I can’t keep up. It’s okay to turn down assignments – I’ve done it and my career hasn’t suffered at all. Better to be honest than to disappoint.

Thanks, Deb.

No problem. Now where’s that $20 you promised me?

Musical chairs at Prevention, Fitness

2006-07-19T17:02:00.000-04:00

If you write for women's and health & fitness magazines, you might be interested in the editorial shuffling going on right now, according to a story in today's Ad Age. In a nutshell, Liz Vaccariello is leaving her post as executive editor at Fitness for the EIC position at Prevention. And Denise Brodey, who was previously at Shape, is now EIC at Fitness. Of course, we know what all this means: more shuffling TK.

Greedy writers need not apply

2006-07-19T11:21:00.000-04:00

Linda told me about fellow writer Kerri Fivecoat-Campbell's blog post yesterday, where she posted her communications with a Craig's List advertiser about his ad for a high-paying writing gig, when, in fact, he wanted writers who'd work for free. You know, the glory of exposure and all. His response is, well, as funny as the real Tim Allen.

Some rules are good

2006-07-18T15:04:00.000-04:00

I found GoDaddy's founder Bob Parson's blog and his rules to live by, thanks to Lifehacker. Some of these rules are very applicable to the freelance life. Enjoy!

Vocation or Vacation?

2006-07-16T22:23:00.000-04:00

Linda and I are back at our desks this a.m. after spending several whirlwind days in Chicago at the Writers & Editors One-on-One, a limited-attendance annual conference that, as the name suggests, brings writers and editors together to talk magazines, story needs, etc. We loved meeting writers we've only met online, and we thought the conference organizers did a terrific job coordinating 60 or so rowdy attendees' meetings and dinners.

After the event, we shared our observations about writers conferences. OK, we're renegades and all that, but we thought it might be of value to share some rules that do work for us at these events:

Fuzzy Navels are for cruises, not conferences. It can be really easy to confuse a conference in New York, Chicago, or Boston with a vacation: It's not a vacation. It's a business meeting, and a marathon one at that. The rule we follow is No Alcohol. Hey, some people can down a drink or two and everything's fine. Other people have one drink, and let the party begin. That buzz may smooth out your nervousness, but at the cost of impairing your judgment. For us, it's better to confess we're nervous than to wake up the next morning, wondering why our bras are on backwards. (In short: Don't drink and pitch.)

The editors have to impress us. We met a lot of writers who were on the verge of panic before meeting with editors. Of course you want make a great impression and you want them to love your ideas. But you also want to work with an editor who you respect, right? If you're the type of writer who loves a bit of S&M, then skip to the next tip. If you like working with people who respect writers, however, then treat these meetings as an opportunity to figure out, "Is this someone I could work with collaboratively? Would I like them if we worked in an office together? Do they 'get' me? Does their magazine sound writer-friendly?" Sometimes there's simply no "love connection," as my friend Alison likes to say. Listen to your gut. Be picky. Don't be afraid to admit to yourself the relationship isn't a good fit. Focus your energies on an editor and/or magazine where the love is mutual. Which brings us to ...

Editors are humans, too. When you meet them in elevators or sit next to them at dinner, they probably don't want you to pull out a list of story ideas. We saw one writer pitching nonstop at a cocktail party (Editor: "So what do you think of the weather?" Writer: "The weather? That reminds me -- what about a piece on hot air balloons?"). Ask them about their kids or where they grew up or what they think of the current political climate. (Just joking on that last one.) Have a little mercy on them. They may forget you were the kind person who walked with them to dinner, but they will definitely remember the writer who pitched story ideas from a bathroom stall.

Respect others' time. The conference organizers made it clear that everyone has ten minutes with each editor, and when the bell rings, even if you're in the middle of a sentence, you must get up and move on. However, Linda lost two minutes from her first editor meeting because the writer sat there chatting with the editor after the bell rang. In fact she sat there until the organizer went over there and asked her to move on. Every minute you go over your time, another writer loses that minute -- and she paid for the conference, too. If you don't get to finish your conversation with an editor, that's a great excuse to follow up with an e-mail.

"The Query Letter You'd Love to Send" Contest

2006-07-15T12:09:00.000-04:00

The Renegade Writers have a new contest: Write the query letter you'd love to write but would never send -- for example, a query for Dog Fancy about 10 ways cats rock out over dogs, or a query for Ms. magazine on how to make your floors sparkle. Make up sources, make up quotes. Make us laugh! We'll post our favorite three here on the blog and let you vote for your favorite. The winner will get a free, signed copy of The Renegade Writer's Query Letters That Rock when it's released in November.

Editors, you can get in on the game, too! Send us the rejection letter you'd want to send...if you want to be anonymous, that's fine. The writer of the best, funniest rejection letter will win a copy of The Dimwit's Dictionary, a Marion Street Press book about misused words and phrases.

To submit, send your essay or rejection letter to me at linda-eric@lserv.com (no attachments, please). Deadline is August 15, 2006.

This made our day

2006-07-12T15:33:00.000-04:00

After a long day of entertaining houseguests, doing housework, and -- oh yeah -- writing, I checked my e-mail and found the most delightful note from freelancer Karen Abalos, thanking us for the advice we dispensed in The Renegade Writer. She wrote, "With your advice (and a little bit of luck and hard work) I was finally able to land my first health feature gig in this month's Women's Health and Fitness magazine. And, holy crap, they actually put a reference to the story on the cover!" Karen sent us this photo, which she graciously gave us permission to post, along with a mockup of her story, complete with her writerly comments. (Too funny! Wish we could post it here.)

Linda asked Karen what the secrets were for her success. In her words:

"1. Removing instant messenger from my computer. No instant messenger, no fooling around.

2. Keeping my desk clean and organized.

3. The just five more trick. I often have a hard time focusing because I work from home and I'm constantly tempted by distraction. When I get the urge to deviate from the task at hand I tell my self "just five more." For example: brainstorm just five more story ideas, read just five more paragraphs of this book on writing, answer emails for just five minutes, or write this query for just five more minutes. This trick usually gets me to focus for a longer amount of time on the task at hand."

So run out today and read Karen's article ... it's the July 2006 issue with the coverline (Karen's) "Brownies vs. cupcakes: How to choose the best splurge."

Way to go, Karen! :-)

A Small Change

2006-07-12T10:24:00.000-04:00

In Now, Discover Your Strengths (The Free Press, 2001) by Marcus Buckingham and Donald O. Clifton, Ph.D., the authors note that "the difference between someone whose performance is acceptable and someone whose performance is consistently near perfect is very slight." For example, in baseball if you hit the ball 270 times for every 1,000 plate appearances, you're considered a middling player. If you nail 320 hits per 1,000 plate appearances, you're considered one of the best. In golf, the difference between an okay player and a top player is just five putts per round.

Might it be same for writers? Maybe the difference between a struggling writer and one who thrives is just one query per month. Or one additional phone call to an editor per week, or five intro letters per year. Maybe it's an extra five minutes per article spent creating a sidebar even though the editor didn't ask for one.

How do you make the numbers work for you? What do you do that pushes you or your career past mediocre to excellent?

Ask not what writers can do for you...

2006-07-11T00:45:00.000-04:00

A couple of things happened today that inspired this post. First, someone posted on a forum for professional writers asking for tips on how to get started as a freelancer. This, of course, caused many pro writers to become PO'd. (Why expect professionals to spend hours giving you advice that you can find in countless books and websites?)

Second, someone e-mailed me today asking for a list I compiled of magazines that assign health articles, which I mentioned on a different forum (the list was part of a handout for Diana's and my Canyon Ranch presentation). When I sent her the list, which included about 30 magazines with their snail mail addresses, URLs, phone numbers, and e-mail formats, she wrote back lamenting that the list didn't include editor names. (Oh, I'm sorry that the free information that I provided was not up to your exacting standards.)

Most of the people who write to me asking for help and advice are professional and polite. I don't mind answering a brief question or two, and the asker often writes back later to let me know how he fared using my advice (which is gratifying). Everybody wins! But based on these two situations today, I think some writers need a lesson in how to ask for advice.

1. Let the writer know that you respect her time.

A little groveling never hurt anyone. Some aspiring writers start their e-mails by saying, "I know you're busy, but I was wondering if you had a minute to answer my question." Others launch into a list of questions without acknowledging that they're asking the writer to spend her otherwise billable time helping out a stranger. Guess which ones get answered?

2. Keep it short.

Try to distill your question down to just a few sentences. This is good practice for all kinds of writing, and is also more likely to generate a response than a rambling recounting of your life as a writer.

3. Be specific.

A question like "How do I write a query?" would take the writer hours to answer; after all, there are entire books on the subject. Keep your questions as specific as possible.

4. Don't poach.

Many professional writers have writing books or e-books or offer writing e-courses. Don't ask a bunch of questions that the writer answers in her book or course. For example, don't write to Jenna Glatzer, author of The Street Smart Writer, asking "How can I avoid writing scams?" Don't write to Kelly James-Enger, author of Six Figure Freelancing, to ask how to boost your writing income. Most writers hate to say "Buy my book" but -- buy their books! (I'm using Jenna and Kelly as hypothetical examples here; they haven't expressed any grievances to me about writers asking for advice, and this tip applies to all authors.)

5. Do your research.

If you post on a forum (or e-mail a writer) to ask "How do I get started?" you might as well wear a flashing sign that says, "Flame Me!" Read the forum archives, do a Google search, pick up some writing books at the bookstore or library, and read magazines like Writer's Digest and The Writer. Lurk on forums until you have a good idea of what kinds of posts are and aren't acceptable.

6. Remember that you get what you pay for.

When you're asking for free advice or information, don't get upset if the writer doesn't spend hours pondering and answering your questions, or if the information isn't everything you had hoped for. If your question is broad or the writer is swamped with work, she may reply with a quick list of resources for you to check out or books for you to read. Instead of pitching a hissy because the writer didn't carefully answer each of your questions herself, appreciate the fact that she took the time to compile a list for you...then go and read the resources she recommended.

7. Say thanks.

Be sure to thank the writer for her advice; I can't tell you how many times I've written long, thoughtful answers to writers' questions and never received a thank-you. Professional writers also love to know how you fared with their advice, so do write back later to let her know. For example, I got an e-mail yesterday from a writer who said that she followed my advice and landed her first national assignment. That's nice to hear!

8. Return the favor.

Many writers I help return the favor by alerting me of new magazines and sites they think I'd be interested in, recommending my e-course to others, or sharing editor names with me when they break into a new pub. Sharing with others generates good writer karma.

9. Pay it forward.

When you're a famous, wealthy writer, remember the help you got from professional writers when you were starting out and "pay it forward" by helping others land their big break.

The People at B&N Think I'm a Freak

2006-07-08T14:26:00.000-04:00

The other day I walked into the Mac store to get a wireless card for my four-year-old computer, and the next day I went back to get a shiny new MacBook with built-in wireless capabilities. Now I truly have a portable office, and can do online research at the bookstore (which is where I spend the majority of my time).

The good news is that within hours of buying my new MacBook, I got an assigmment that covered most of the cost. The better news is that my new computer has a little built-in camera! Here's me having fun at Barnes & Noble browsing the Writing & Pubishing section. First I found an awesome book that everyone should buy:

Wow! Cool cover, great layout, super contents. Five thumbs up.

Here's another writing book I picked up. It's a good read, but as I don't see the words "Formichelli" or "Burrell" anywhere on the cover, I'm going to have to deduct a couple of thumbs. Sorry, Elaura.

Renegade Writer Q&A: Rose Strong

2006-07-04T19:50:00.000-04:00

Rose Strong pitched a magazine that normally pays in contributor copies -- but she asked for money. She ended up with her first magazine assignment and a nice check to boot.

Q. You mentioned that you recently sold your first article. Can you tell me more about the assignment?

A. I sold my first article to Fido Friendly, a publication that caters to people who like to travel with their dogs. I have three dogs and often travel to see family when I go on vacation. I thought a great idea would be to give hints on visiting family and friends with your pooch and keeping the welcome mat saying welcome by giving ideas for etiquette with your pet. Since I traveled to see my sister over the past 20 years with my dogs in tow, her home has become our laboratory and that's what made me the best writer to do this article. I think I was pretty convincing! In fact, the article is out now in the Summer issue and looks great!

Q. How did you pitch Fido Friendly?

A. Well, I pitched through email to the editor and wound up with an open communication with the publisher who has been the magazine contact. According to the writers guidelines, there is only a compensation of 5 complimentary copies for 'field editors.' I approached the task just like any other query and was offered a price per word. I wanted to sound professional, although I felt incredible trepidation in asking about a contract. (Your section on this and getting paid has been a wonderful courage booster!) I was told the email was the contract. I had to check your book to see what that would mean and found out I had full rights after the article was published! So cool! Not a huge payment, but it's cash and guess what? They paid me before the article was published, so this is one I'm sticking with for now!

I have been trying to get into markets for women and other mags, but thought this would be a great place to find a niche since I am quite the animal lover. I have had dogs all my life and cats as well, so I have lots of experience and have the ability to speak intelligently with medical and training professionals to get the info I need for my articles.

Since I pitched to Fido Friendly (I am currently working on another two articles for them! Dogs in Car Accidents and Dog Friendly Bucks County, PA) I have landed two assignments for Dog Fancy. To a dog writer this is like landing in The New Yorker! I think I've found a niche with dogs; it's not the only thing I'll write about, but a good place to cut my teeth!

Q. Did you break any "rules" when pitching the magazine?

A. Hmmmm, I don't think I've really done that with Fido Friendly, but for Dog Fancy, I had to play with the email address to find the right one. They say they only take submissions by snail mail and I bucked that rule!

Q. What's the best piece of writing advice you've ever gotten?

A. Wow, this is a good question, but not sure if there is just one, but if I had to choose...I've always enjoyed writing and there was a new weekly newspaper that started in my area about 4 years ago and a friend of mine wrote for it. I asked her what I had to do to find out if I could write for the newspaper too and she said, "Just pitch to the editor and see what she says!" This one simple piece of advice said in such a matter-of-fact manner was all I needed. Just like the old Nike commercials of 'Just Do It,' the way she said it gave me the guts to just do it!

I'd also have to say your book gave me one of the best ones...about the email addresses and to seek them out by playing with them to see if they go through. That has been successful for me and so simple!

Also, I'm not sure you'd consider it a piece of advice, but the saying 'Don't take it personally, it's only business,' was good once someone rationalized to me that an editor's job is to their readers and my article just didn't fit their needs at the time and they weren't simply taking a personal stab at me as a person.

Q. The worst?

A. I guess you could say that I've been lucky so far and haven't gotten a really bad piece of advice. I live in Bucks County, PA, where we have a very active writers' population which is supported by The Writer's Corner (formerly the Writer's Room) in Doylestown, PA, where there are incredibly knowledgeable writers who are sharing their own experiences and suggesting in their workshops things that have worked for them. I'm also surrounded by friends who are writers and they give great support.

Q. If you had to do it all over again, what would you do differently?

A. I'd have been braver! I wouldn't have waited so damn long to send out the queries! This is really quite easy and I don't melt like the Wicked Witch of the West when hit with a rejection!

Q. Is there any advice you'd like to give to aspiring magazine writers?

A. Here's a good hint: When I go to the doctor or my sister-in-law takes my mother-in-law who has a continual list of appointments each month, we both check for current issues of magazines and pull the mastheads out. I figure why spend the money on them, take the time at the bookstore or library, or search the web for them when those reading at a doctor's office aren't going to miss the masthead one iota! [Hey, were you the one who ripped the masthead out of Neurology Now at my doctor's office? ;-> -Linda]

When your book said that magazines sometimes give false names in their Writer's Market entries, I thought the best way to be sure that I had the editors' names was to just take out a masthead page!

If you really want to write for a living...just write and send out those queries. I know this sounds cliché, but it is so true! Read The Renegade Writer and then read it again and never give it away or loan it out, keep it on your bookshelf and refer to it over and over again. It is a wonderful reference. Rejection is just part of the deal, not the whole thing and has nothing to do with who you are as a person.

My rant of the week: Auditions for a no-pay job

2006-06-30T12:04:00.000-04:00

If you've been reading this blog or you know me IRL, you know I'm a sucker for celebrity gossip. One of the sites I regularly visit is dedicated to celebrity babies ... 24/7 about kids who wear $400 sweaters and travel on private jets with nannies and bodyguards. I read this mindcandy while my kid runs around the house wearing 4th generation hand-me-down clothes from some kid named Max, who's probably in college now. (Truth be told, I'm a proud, cheap Yankee, but I digress.)

A couple weeks ago, I read this post advertising for new contributors. Ok, so you're a good writer, you're up on celeb gossip, and you know your spelling and grammar. Well, if you want to write for this site, baby, you have to audition. That's right. Don't bother sending story ideas -- "Do not e-mail me unless you have a sample story." Oooookay. That's called an "on spec" submission for you young whippersnappers. But wait, it gets better. Your sample stories have to be the "freshest." (All of us who write for women's magazines are reaching for the cans of FDS we keep at our keyboards.) And penultimately? You must be reliable. If you can't keep up the pace "you may not want to bother auditioning."

Ok, the ultimate is this: "Please note that there is no financial compensation and you are not allowed to enter giveaways and contests, but you get to be part of the ONLY website dedicated to celebrity babies and their famous parents."

Wow. Sign me up. (slapping forehead) That's right, I can't sign up. I have to audition.

Linda and I have been talking about how writers get (and feel) devalued in our society. If you're a professional writer, you're forever hearing, "Oh, I'd like to write if I had the time." (I'm a snark, so my response goes along the lines of, "And I'd like to [fix computers/operate on hemmorhoids/run your organization] if I had the time." Or you get lumped in with the writers who are willing to donate their time and talent to be "part of the ONLY website dedicated to celebrity babies and their famous parents."

You know, I'd hazard a guess that this site's hosting is paid for. Someone's getting income from the dozens of ads for baby slings and children's clothes on this content-driven site. Let's get real ... people are going to the site to read the content. Yet the content writers don't get paid. Does anyone see anything remotely insane about this?

Apple is Good to Writers

2006-06-30T11:22:00.000-04:00

Linda and I, being Mac addicts, have known this for awhile. However I was heartened to read that Apple corporate supports writers (well, homeless model/writers) who write books at their Apple Stores. Yes, this pint-sized model supposedly wrote a novel while standing in her heels in front of a demo Mac. Geez, now I feel bad for all the times I bitched to my husband about the people who were hogging up the really good Macs at our local Apple store. They could have been writing novels! You can't even bring coffee into those places. But knowing how nice the Apple salespeople are, they probably let the model borrow a 17" MacBook Pro for coffee runs. (I wondered how she saved all her work ... this update tells you how.)

My PowerBook is nearing the end of its life. Maybe I can write my next book at the Apple Store in Salem. Only I'll wear Tevas and bring my 4-year-old along -- he can play on the kiddie Macs. Imagine the great press Apple will get when word spreads how they support working mom writers by providing kick-ass computers and childcare!

Source for Sources

2006-06-30T11:11:00.000-04:00

I was poking around the Writers Guild of America, West's website this a.m. and found this helpful contact list for various organizations, ranging from the Marines to the Scientologists.

Channeling your inner squirrel

2006-06-29T18:51:00.000-04:00

I got to Borders at 3:30 today, started writing a 1,200-word article, and finished it at about 5 pm -- and this included taking a coffee break, reading the "Found Porn" department in Maxim magazine, and staring out the window at the lightning.

Writers always ask how I can write so quickly, and in reply I stammer something about not being a perfectionist, which kind of implies that I race through my articles and do a half-assed job.

Not true, but I couldn't figure out any other way to explain how I can write a 1,000-word article in an hour -- and a damn good one, too.

Well, after I finished working on my article at Borders today, I picked up a copy of Overachievement by John Eliot. There, in the first chapter, was my answer: I'm a squirrel.

If someone laid an eight-inch wide board on the ground and asked you to walk across it, I'd wager that you could waltz across that thing no problemo. But suspend the board 20 feet in the air, and suddenly you're calculating wind direction, holding out your arms for balance, and taking tiny, measured steps.

Now take a squirrel (well, don't really take one -- they bite). Tell it to cross a wire suspended 20 feet in the air between two trees, and it would be across that wire in no time at all. (And you'd be rich -- you have a squirrel that obeys your every command!)

According to Eliot, the squirrel doesn't think -- it just takes in all the sensory input that's bombarding it and acts accordingly. In humans, Eliot calls this mindset the "Trusting Mindset." This is opposed to the "Training Mindset," where we're thinking, calculating, analyzing, and training ourselves to improve.

Another example from the book: If someone standing six feet away asked you to toss him his car keys, you'd pick up the keys and lob them with perfect accuracy, without even thinking about it. But should someone offer you the chance to win a million dollars next week by tossing him his car keys, you'd start analyzing angles and trajectories, reviewing videos of yourself throwing keys, and working out your key-throwing fingers at the gym. And guess what? When it came time to toss those keys, you'd probably choke.

To get to that "Trusting Mindset," ironically, you have to just do, do, do. I've probably written more than 500 articles. When I started nine years ago writing for trades and small magazines, I'd print out my first draft, go over it with a red pen, make the corrections, and print it out again. Then my husband would go through it with a red pen, and I'd make the corrections and print it out again. And again and again, until there were no red marks left.

Nowadays, I do my research, interview my sources, get an iced coffee (extra light with one Splenda), sit down at the computer, write the article, read it over, correct any typos, and turn it in. It took writing hundreds of articles on sleep disorders, artificial intelligence, small business marketing, credit unions, printing processes, and a whole lot of other topics to get to the point where the writing just flows.

When you write, practice turning off your critical mind and see what you come up with. If it stinks, you can always revise it. And if it doesn't stink, you've taken a step towards learning to trust your writing abilities.

Soapbox: put away. Me: feet back on the ground. Over and out.

Tony Robbins, Wayne Dyer, & P.T. Barnum

2006-06-29T09:37:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I saw a post on a Craigslist writing forum:

Friends, tonight I was on a conference call with Steven E. and Lee Beard - the compilers of the best selling "Wake Up - Live The Life You Love" books. I have the opportunity to write a 1000-1200 word short story that will be included in their next book on "finding your passion" with well-known authors including Tony Robbins, Wayne Dyer, and Brian Tracy. My story is guaranteed to be in the book as long as I can come up with about $2500 to pay for my 200 books which will have my name on the cover in between Robbins and Dyer. It is quite an opportunity and could catapult my writing career. These books are the fasting growing book series in the world, and the last 10 books by these guys have been #1 best sellers. My challenge is coming up with the $, as we are in difficult times right now. I can pay for it over 3 months. I cannot get a traditional loan at this time. I'm wondering if any of you know of some creative sources of $ I could borrow to help with this. If so, please share. You could also write me at [e-mail deleted].

I found the "program" this poster was talking about. Here's a bit from the site:

Authors Wanted to be Best Sellers!

You can achieve the ultimate credential that will propel your life and business to new heights by being a best selling co-author in this amazing program!

Wouldn't it be great to get Instant Credibility™ with your clients and customers?

You have an invitation to join some mega-best selling authors, speakers, trainers, mentors and world class business leaders in an amazing book project. You will be included in a book series with coauthors who have appeared around the world on television networks and shows including Oprah, The Tonight Show, The Late Show, BBC, QVC Network, CNBC, PBS, Bravo Network and Good Morning America. You will be associated with authors who have been praised by The New York Times, USA Today, People Magazine, The LA Times, Money Magazine and Success Magazine. We call this Instant Credibility.

You an author? Yes! I mean YOU!! All you need to do is submit a 1,200 word story and we'll do all of the rest. It couldn't be any easier than that.

(If you like, You don’t have to write it yourself, so even if, you’re a poor writer, lousy speller, hate to use a word processor, don’t feel qualified, or are just too busy, you can have our expert editors record, transcribe, "ghost write" and edit your story for a special coauthor additional fee so you would have this powerful book as a tool to grow your business!)

I think this is hybrid of vanity publishing and the poetry.com scam. They publish anyone who has the green stuff, but at least they're up front about it. But the way they're trumpeting that you can be a "best selling author" is just sleazy. And the way they prey on writers' dreams is sad. That this guy is trying to scrape up $2,500 that he doesn't have to "catapult his writing career" is heartbreaking. I understand that the promoters are selling this as a marketing opportunity for execs and business owners, but the language they use implies that you'll become a "best-selling co-author" -- which of course attracts broke, newbie writers.

When will people realize that writing is work? Not everyone can write, as evidenced by the terrible punctuation and grammar in the last paragraph I quoted above. And can you imagine this poor sucker sending his "book" to an agent or editor and listing it as a credential? Ah, yes, Instant Credibility™. The heart breaks.

What do you say?

Even Peace-loving Writers Have Bad Days

2006-06-28T10:36:00.000-04:00

Unfortunately, an anonymous poster included her website's URL in this profanity-laden threat directed to author/blogger Lynne W. Scanlon for sending her a press release about Lynne's new business venture. I love that the poster is the author of The Practice of Peace. Perhaps Practice What You Preach is more like it. (Thanks to Miss Snark for the chuckle of the day.)

P.S. to the author. Two words: Canyon Ranch.

Think Big!

2006-06-26T18:07:00.000-04:00

Think big: Pitch a feature instead of a short, turn an article idea into a book idea, or, if you have an idea for a single article, think of a way you can turn it into eleven more and pitch it as a column.

Last Thursday I came up with an idea for an article on a food-related topic -- but then I realized that the idea applied to all sorts of foods. So I wrote up a quick column pitch to an editor I've been working with at a health magazine, listed some examples, and zapped it off. The next morning, the editor wrote back that they had been considering retiring one of their monthly food columns and wanted to replace it with my idea. Score!

Of course, luck comes into play here -- after all, I certainly had no idea that the editors had been thinking of nixing one of their current columns. But if I had pitched the idea as a single article, that's probably what I would have gotten.

I'm going to go through my files of ideas and queries and see where I can turn one-shot ideas into regular columns. The worst the editors can do is say no. (Well, actually, the worst the editors can do is break into my house and steal my Archie Comics collection, but you get the idea.)

Linda

P.S. As soon as I get the time, I plan to add other writers' blogs to the list of links on this page. If you have a writing blog you'd like me to consider, please send it to linda-eric@lserv.com. Thanks!

Do Something, Do More, Keep Doing It

2006-06-21T23:40:00.000-04:00

OK, I'm going to admit it. I've been in a writing slump. It's not for lack of work: I'm working on three book proposals, one of which my agent's eager to get out like yesterday, and then there's the hefty bit of magazine work I've lined up for July, along with the Chicago One-On-One conference, which I'm very eager to attend for the first time.

But ... I sit down to work and seem to lose steam. After a couple hours of drinking coffee, surfing the Web (why do I care that Lindsay Lohan and Sean Combs bickered over VIP seats in a nightclub?), and spasmodically checking my e-mail, I start beating myself up: why am I not more productive? How come I haven't pitched anything to editors this week? When will I get these proposals finished if I continue indulging in this slug-like behavior?

Rather than fall back into the cycle of goofing-off/beating-myself-up, today I did some Web surfing on how to fix a writing slump and found this article by Bob Bly, one of my writing heroes, about how to save yourself from the pit: 1. Do something. 2. Do more 3. Keep doing it. Absolutely brilliant advice, which I quickly wrote down on the whiteboard in my office ... and better yet, kept in mind whenever temptation to dive into the slough of despond beckoned.

New E-Course Session

2006-06-21T08:53:00.000-04:00

My next 8-week e-course on getting published in magazines will start on Monday, August 7. The e-course consists of eight lessons, eight assignments, and, if you sign up for the Premium version, eight weeks of unlimited e-mail support from yours truly. I also offer a half-price Regular course with no e-mail support.

My previous students have landed assignments in For Me, Woman's Day, Body & Brain, Michigan Out-Of-Doors, My Business, Pizza Today, Wines & Vines, and other magazines.

Guaranteed -- or double your rejections back!

Put down that coffee and sign up now!

Google AdWords

2006-06-17T09:16:00.000-04:00

I decided to try out Google AdWords to promote my e-course and my new e-mentoring program. With AdWords, you create a small ad that will be shown as a "sponsored link" in a special sidebar when people search on the keywords of your choice. Every time someone clicks on your ad, you pay a predetermined amount. You can start with a budget of as little as $5 per month and can pay as little as $.01 per click, but how often your ad comes up and its placement in relation to other ads depends on how much you pay and how popular the keywords are.

While testing out keywords, I noticed that a magazine writer is using AdWords to promote her site, presumably to editors. I went to her site, which is nicely designed, and it looks like she's written for several trades and local magazines.

I should write to this writer and ask if she's had any success with her AdWords ad, but in the meantime, what do you think? Are editors trolling the web looking for writers? If they were, would they click on a sponsored link? After all, a writer who would take the time and money to advertise her business in this way must be serious about her business.

And, finally, do you have any creative ways to market your magazine writing outside of queries?

Cup of Comfort Seeking Essays

2006-06-13T12:33:00.000-04:00

CALL FOR PERSONAL ESSAYS ABOUT DOGS, WRITERS, AND SINGLE MOTHERS

A Cup of Comfort is a popular anthology (book) series featuring inspiring true stories about the extraordinary experiences of "ordinary" people. Now, we are currently seeking submissions for three exciting new volumes:

A Cup of Comfort for Writers

Only another writer can truly understand what it's like to aspire to become and to be a writer. For this anthology of true stories celebrating (and commiserating) the writing life, we seek compelling, insightful, and exceptionally well-written personal essays from writers of every persuasion and level of experience. Possible themes include but are not limited to:

Mentors or teachers
Overcoming challenges in becoming a writer, your life as a writer, or the writing process
Milestone(s) in your journey to become a writer or as a writer
*Discovering and/or heeding the call to become a writer
Writers groups / the camaraderie of other writers
Why you write
Transcending self-doubt and fear
What writing has taught you about life
What life has taught you about writing
Your muse: what inspires your writing
Best or worst writing experience and what you learned/gained from it.

Submission Deadline: July 31, 2006
Please see submission specs, below.

A Cup of Comfort for Dog Lovers

As any dog lover will attest, dogs are, indeed, our best friends… and so much more. They're also our helpers, heroes, champions, teachers, and beloved family members. For this volume, we seek heartwarming true stories that speak to the amazing bond between dogs and the people who love them. Stories can focus on any experience/theme that demonstrates how a dog has inspired and/or enriched the life/lives of a human(s). Possible themes include but are not limited to a dog's:

Devotion and loyalty
Courage
Amazing feats
Role as a member of a family or community
Companionship
Therapeutic effect on a human
Unique relationship with a person
Unique relationship with another pet or animal
Inspirational effect on one or more people
Amusing, endearing, exceptional ways

We do NOT want sad stories about a pet's suffering or death. However, stories can be about the life of a dog that is now deceased and can include a fond farewell to a lost pet -- provided the story isn't solely about the pet's death.

Submission Deadline: August 31, 2006
Please see submission specs, below.

A Cup of Comfort for Single Mothers

As Oprah Winfrey has often said, parenting is the most difficult and important job in the world. It can be even tougher for single mothers, who face all the usual parenting challenges plus another whole set of unique ones. But single motherhood -- whether by choice or by chance -- also brings many untold rewards, for both moms and children. For this collection of personal essays celebrating single mothers, we seek uplifting true stories about the joys and the difficulties of single mothering. The majority of stories selected for publication will be written from the single mother's point of view, but we will also consider stories written by the children of single mothers as well as by third parties with intimate knowledge of (and the permission of) the single mother and her child(ren). Possible themes include but are not limited to:

Juggling the myriad responsibilities of single motherhood
Raising sons or daughters solo / without fathers
The support of family, friends, other mothers
Dating / romance / socializing
Hard lessons learned
Busting myths about single mothering
Defying stereotypes about single moms and/or children of single moms
Overcoming adversity
Self-acceptance and self-respect in a society that sometimes disparages single mothers
Unconventional wisdom(s) gained
Blessings, joys, and rewards of being a single mother or the child of a single mother
The unique bond between a single mother and her child(ren)
The courage, resilience, ingenuity, devotion, accomplishments, and/or integrity of a single mom
Why you chose single motherhood (if by choice) and how you've made it work
The unexpected and/or under-recognized advantages, joys, and/or rewards of being a single mother or having a single mother

Submission Deadline: December 31, 2006
Please see submission specs, below.

SUBMISSION SPECS

$500 grand prize (one per book); $100 (each) for all other stories published.
Author receives one complimentary copy of book; upon publication.
Stories must be original, true, uplifting, typed, and in English; narrative essay or creative nonfiction; 1st person or 3rd person (no 2nd person); and poignant, heartwarming, inspiring, and/or humorous.
Unpublished material preferred; some previously published material is acceptable. We do not publish material that has been or will be published in a mass market anthology or widely circulated magazine.
Manuscripts are not returned.
Entrants pay no entry or reading fees.
Each submission must include the following:

Author's full and legal name
Author's mailing address
Author's phone number
Author's email address (if applicable)
Story title
Story wordcount (approximate)

Choose one of these submission methods:

Email (preferred): In the subject line, cite the Cup of Comfort volume (i.e., Dog Lovers). Copy and paste (or type) the story into the body of the email (no attachments. One story per email. Send to: cupofcomfort@adamsmedia.com

Mail: You can send more than one story per envelope. Include self-addressed, postage-paid envelope for each submission. Send only the paper copy of the story; do not send computer disks or CDs. Mail to:

Cup of Comfort
Adams Media
57 Littlefield St.
Avon, Massachusetts 02322, USA

Fax: On a cover sheet or at the top of the story's first page, specify "Cup of Comfort," the volume for which you are submitting the story, and the number of pages being submitted. Fax to: 1-508-427-6790

For sample stories and detailed writers' guidelines, visit the Web site and click on "Share Your Story."

Please direct questions and suggestions to cupofcomfort@adamsmedia.com. We cannot accept phone calls.

You can dress us up ....

2006-06-12T21:11:00.000-04:00

After a long weekend of reading Archie comics (Linda) and chick-lit novels (Di), we're happy to report we had a great time at Canyon Ranch. The people who came to our talks were really nice and asked a lot of questions about freelancing. It's always a lot of fun to answer questions -- nothing worse than dead silence -- and there was even an ASJA member and a former book editor who showed up on Saturday afternoon. This was Linda's second time at "The Ranch," and my first. I was totally blown away by the great food. (So was my scale -- I gained a pound last week.) My favorite was the coffee creme brulee, served in demitasse cups. The highlight of our evening was Linda asking for four desserts and our waiter not knowing if she was serious or not. Believe me, if he'd brought four over, we'd have had NO trouble scarfing them down.

The place is absolutely luxurious. I mean, they even fold your toilet paper into neat little points, as you can see to the left.

You can imagine my dismay when, upon returning to our suite, I found this. Linda would not own up to the ruination.

I was so upset not to see those neat little points that Linda suggested we meditate during our walk to the lobby, where we could choose from a wall full of DVDs. In a sea of Merchant Ivory, we found these gems. Mr. Pink would have been in heaven at Canyon Ranch: no tipping allowed.

So we return to our room, DVDs in hand (truth be told, we nixed Lake Placid and Quentin Tarantino and went with The Breakfast Club and Spellbound -- we're not total doinks). Linda visited the powder room before movie time and voila!

Our Canyon Ranch experience was not exactly limited to toilet paper folded in neat points ... there were whirlpools, yoga classes, a sauna, fitness centers ... and amazing attention to detail.

Serendipity

2006-06-08T22:46:00.000-04:00

Diana and I are off to Canyon Ranch tomorrow to give workshops on writing for health magazines. Oh, the awful and terrible life of a freelance writer. We'll be boo-hooing into our light apple tarts with whole-wheat shells about the suckiness of it all.

Something interesting happened to me this week:

After my husband and I first moved to Concord last September, I went to the local Borders to get some writing done. (Somehow I'm distracted by the phone and the cats, but not by books and coffee.) I was standing in line at the cafe when I overheard the woman in front of me telling her companion how she had just broken into one of her dream magazines.

Well, of course, being friendly and nosy, I had to talk to her. So I rudely broke into their conversation and started talking with the writer. We became friends, and meet every so often for coffee or lunch.

The other day -- just when I was wondering, "If I'm so busy, where's all the money?" -- my new friend e-mailed to tell me that she just took an editing gig at a new magazine and wanted me to write up five quick short pieces within a week. (You know who you are, and you're my new favorite editor!)

No lesson here (except maybe to be nosy and evesdrop on people at Borders), and no rant (hey, what's to rant about?). But isn't it neat sometimes the way things happen?

24 days till ...

2006-06-06T13:17:00.000-04:00

No, not Christmas, silly -- 24 days till July 1, the deadline to enter The Ultimate Renegade Freelance Writer Contest.

There is no entry fee. All you have to do is write a short (250- to 500-word) essay on your renegade writing lifestyle, the rules you break, the writers linda you most revere diana, and send your masterpiece to our editor, Ed Avis (edavis@marionstreetpress.com). Keep it short and win, and you'll have made more than a buck a word with the $500 top prize.

Other assorted swag the top winner will enjoy:

* Free entry into Linda Formichelli's Eight-Week Write for Magazines E-Course, including one-on-one consultation time with Linda.
* A Signed Special Second Edition Copy of The Renegade Writer: A Totally Unconventional Guide to Freelance Writing Success.
* A signed copy of Linda and Diana's new book, The Renegade Writer's Query Letters That Rock, coming out this fall.
* A complete set of Marion Street Press books for writers and word lovers.
* A cool gold-plated pen and pencil set.

The two runners up will win the same package, except the cash.

Don't delay ... enter today!

Hey, remember me?

2006-06-05T16:05:00.000-04:00

Here's something you'll get a laugh out of: This morning, I started following up on e-mails I sent to editors in 2002.

Instead of doing any of my actual paying work yesterday, I was going through my "Follow Up" e-mail box, which is where I store copies of e-mailed queries and correspondences with editors I want to write for. The box now has more than 900 messages dating back to December 2000.

I found several messages from 2002 (that's as far as I got through the box) that contained promising but eventually unfruitful corresponences between me and editors. For example, I contacted one custom publishing company and the editor-in-chief e-mailed me a reply that they might have some projects coming up and that I should follow up with the managing editor. Well, I followed up with her three times, with no luck. Then there was the e-mail from the owner of a newsletter company asking about my specialties (which I replied to and followed up on), and the message from a former editor letting me know that a friend of hers was looking for writers for a nutrition magazine (ditto).

So, this morning, I pulled out a bunch of promising messages from my Follow Up box and followed up on them, saying, "I was going through my old e-mails and came across this correspondence between us from a while back. Are you still looking to expand your stable of freelance writers? Yadda, yadda, yadda."

Will it work? Only time will tell. One editor got back to me right away saying her stable of freelancers is currently full, but that I should send her a list of my specialties. Two e-mails to other editors bounced. And I haven't heard back from the others yet.

Want to tell me I'm a nutjob? Or that you tried this tactic (and how it worked out for you)? Post a comment!

Schedules schmedules

2006-06-05T09:19:00.000-04:00

Over the weekend I was talking to my sister-in-law about how hard it is to stick to a schedule when you're self-employed. You know, wake up and start project A as soon as you hit the keyboard. When we're working for a regular paycheck and have an evil boss warlord breathing down your neck, moving from most important A to next most important B isn't a challenge: if you don't complete your work on schedule, you get hassled by the boss man or hold up your team's progress ... at worst, you severely disappoint a major client or find yourself filling out forms at the unemployment office.

But when you're your own boss? There's more room for laxity. Your computer isn't in view of some boss's glassed-in office, so you're free to bid on pottery at eBay. Or play a few games of online Sudoku. Even if you have assignments on your plate, you can push them aside until the pressure gets to great (i.e. they're due tomorrow, and you must get them done). After all, no one's going to hand you a pink slip.

In thinking about this over the weekend, the problem with me -- and other freelancers I've talked to -- isn't sticking to a schedule with assignments. After all, they've got pressure points built in to them: deadlines. Editors. A promise of X amount per word when you're finished. It's the "little" things that we tend to push aside. Marketing (if you hate querying or calling editors). Following up on proposals. Invoicing and logging expenses (slowly raising hand here). We let those things go and over time, they seriously erode the quality of our worklife. We get to the point where we don't enjoy the freedom our jobs afford us because we have months of backlogged bookkeeping over our heads. Or no income coming in because we didn't invoice our clients when we should have.

I'd give myself a B-/C+ on scheduling. I'm fine with assignments -- again, there are those built-in pressures that help me stay on track. But I could be better on stuff like bookkeeping. I've been setting aside time on Fridays to do billing, contracts, and other bookkeeping-related stuff and that's helping. Another thing that has helped me -- at some point in the near future, I'd like to hire an assistant. I'll need some office procedures in place, so I can just hand off those tasks when the time comes. And I'm getting better at prioritizing my work the night before so that when I enter my office in the a.m., I can start work on priority A instead of hitting my favorite gossip sites.

What do you do to stay on track? Tips and tricks, please!

E-mentoring for mag writers

2006-06-02T17:43:00.001-04:00

I've been having so many writers ask for mentoring outside my e-course that I spoke to my life coach friend about it this week, and she helped me come up with a plan. I had been turning writers away partly because I didn't know how to set it up and how much to charge. Also, I did experiment with e-mentoring for a bit last year and it was very unstructured; I ended up spending too much time answering e-mails and critiquing queries every day-- and I need to get my own assignments done, too! (Live and learn!)

So if you are interested or know any other writers who may be, here's what I'm doing:

E-Mentoring for Writers
$150 per month

* Every Monday, I'll e-mail you a form asking about the past week's successes/misses in terms of goals, what your goals are for the week ahead, what your challenges are, and what you would like from me. This form will help you organize your thoughts and will help pave the way to a productive week for both of us. You should e-mail me the completed form by Wednesday. (Of course, if you have questions/problems outside of what you put on the form, you can e-mail me...the form is just a way to try to set a theme for the week.)

* I'll set aside Wednesdays and Fridays each week to answer forms and e-mails. (I'm going to institute this policy with my e-course as well starting this summer.)

* I'll critique up to two queries per month (multiple drafts of the same query are fine within reason).

* The student can start on any Monday after July 1, 2006.

Let me know if you're interested and I'll figure out how to set up the payments via PayPal (though checks will also be fine). Also, if you have any comments on this new e-mentoring structure, I'd love to hear them!

And now I'm off to get some Indian food. Mmmmm.....chickennnn korrrrrrma... (insert sound of drooling here)

Share and share alike.

2006-06-02T17:43:00.000-04:00

I want to encourage all freelance writers, aspiring and professional, to share with their fellow writers.

This week several people have helped me out. I was looking for the name of an editor at a certain magazine, and fellow writers responded offering up their editor's name or offering to put me in contact with other people who have worked for that publication. Then, when I was having trouble setting my schedule for a writer's conference where writers meet with editors, several writers e-mailed me to offer to swap meeting times. And last but not least, a life coaching buddy spent an hour on the phone with me this week helping me come up with a plan for setting up e-mentoring for writers (which you'll see on this blog very soon),

In the past, writers have shared names of expert sources; sent me article ideas they thought would be perfect for me; and put me in contact with agents who were seeking writers with my expertise. I'll remember all of these writers in the future when they need help.

Of course, it isn't all one-sided: I often put writers in contact with my editors, and I'm quick to share ideas, info on markets, and sources' contact info. I work under the "karma principle": share with others and they will share with you.

So don't look at your fellow writers as competitors from whom you must guard all your writerly secrets. What a difficult way to run a business! Much easier when everyone's willing to lend a hand to their colleagues.

Have a great weekend, and happy writing!

Journalism award alert

2006-06-02T09:24:00.000-04:00

If you've written about cancer-related issues in the last few years, may we draw your attention to a new award? The Luminous Award, sponsored by Lilly Oncology, will "recognize and reward journalism that enlightens audiences by providing responsible, accurate and timely information on advances in cancer prevention and treatment." The award is open to all journalists -- freelancers included -- and there's a very generous timeline of when the articles had to appear in print (between September 1, 2001 and August 30, 2006).

The winner will receive a seven-day trip to Boston, New York, London, Sydney, or Paris for two, where he or she can meet with a top oncologist/cancer researcher and learn more about what s/he's working on. There are also runner-up prizes.

Good luck!

Another way to read our blog

2006-05-31T19:08:00.000-04:00

I'm a blog addict, but yikes, it can be hard to keep track of all my favorite places. Many moons ago I discovered Bloglines. Once I set up my (free!) account, I subscribed to all my favorite blogs and haunts, including the Post's Page Six, Miss Snark, Chocolate and Zucchini, and Romenesko. One stop shopping ... gotta love it.

Oh yeah, and if you'd like to subscribe to our blog, just plug in our web address, hit subscribe, et voila!

Renegade Writer Q&A: Stephanie Dickison

2006-05-30T12:05:00.000-04:00

Stephanie has published over 400 non-fiction pieces, including articles, interviews, essays, columns, profiles, features, and reviews.

Q. Can you tell us a bit about your writing career? How (and when) did you get started as a freelance writer?

A. I have been a freelance writer for about a decade now. I started out doing book reviews because at that time, I was reading about 10 a month and wanted the opportunity to tell people about the great stuff that I was reading. I had also noticed that there were a lot of poorly written reviews and wanted a chance to try and engage and invigorate people about books again. I was working two jobs at the time, but always found time to write, which I knew meant that this was significant.

I then moved onto feature writing for magazines and newspapers. It was here where I found my calling. I was still reviewing books and enjoying that process, but writing about people, places and events was a dream come true. My first published feature article was for Fitness Business Canada. It was fantastic -- a page long and they printed it word for word. It was an unusual piece for them because it was funny and not at all the usual business-to-business pieces -- I was thrilled, though I quickly learned that all assignments would not be so easy-breezy.

I have always been curious about the world around me, but it never occurred to me that writing would be a viable career for that. I was still working a full and part-time job, but would stay up late working on a piece. This was excellent training for working to deadline and on quick turnaround.

I was enjoying the writing process so much that I went to night school and took courses on writing for magazines, editing and creative writing. While it was exhausting, it was further proof that this was something I wanted to invest my time, energy and money in.

I continued writing for magazines and newspapers and still reviewed books, but was making so little money that I continued to work full-time in offices. It paid the rent and afforded me not only groceries, but time in the evenings to query and write as much as time allowed.

I compare this time when you first meet someone and begin dating. All of a sudden, you have the energy to stay up late, and though you are completely exhausted all of the time, you are also exhilarated.

Q. What's the best piece of writing advice you've gotten? The worst?

A. Reading about writing is the best education you can get, along with going to classes to further your knowledge -- but considering time and money, books, magazines and the internet are probably the most practical.

I read what writers think, read and practice and then take what I think aligns with my beliefs and give it a whirl. Sometimes it works, sometimes not, but you won't know unless you try, so I usually try it. I tried Julia Cameron's Morning Pages, writing before bed, writing 5 pages and a million other things until I found something that worked -- Carol See's 1000 words a day. This works for me and I almost always exceed it, but it is a number that I'm comfortable with. Writers have particular habits and not everything works for all of us -- my fiancé loves writing in cafes and I like the comfort of my desk, as I am often referencing papers and books as I go along.

I think that we end up writing like our heroes, either in subject matter or style. My contemporary writing heroes are Susan Orlean, Steve Martin and Joan Didion. Chuck Klosterman for music writing and Dorothy Parker and Sylvia Plath as all-time greats. I write solely non-fiction so these people loom large in my daily life.

The fantastic books I've read over the years also have made an impression and while I cannot remember all of the advice I have picked up, it has remained, I'm certain.

I read something once that said that no one cares whether you write or not. I realized that this is true, but what is more important is that I care whether I do or not. And I do. More than anything.

Q. What's the most renegade thing you've done in your career, and how did it pan out?

A. I became a specialist in various areas quickly, so that I could query magazines and newspapers with confidence. I chose areas that were of interest and then wrote about nothing but for as long as I could muster -- books, music, food, popular culture, design, the arts. This is how I managed to publish over 400 non-fiction pieces, including articles, interviews, essays, columns, profiles, features, and reviews in a considerably short time.

I have written numerous articles for magazines and newspapers, including The Toronto Star, Toronto Life, The Writer, Numb, The Dalhousie Review, New England Theatre Review, Hypergraphia, Surface & Symbol, Paste, Washington Asia Press Newspaper, Ascent and RicePaper.

The other crazy thing I did was contribute to books, most of which are coming out this year. I had never done anything this big before, so I didn't know what to expect and I certainly didn't feel completely qualified, but I was passionate and I believe this made up for my inexperience. I have contributed essays to many books, including Reading Desperate Housewives: Beyond the White Picket Fence (September 2006) and Cannibal (2006), along with entries in the upcoming academic reference books, Facts on File Companion to the American Novel (April 2006), Compendium of 20th Century Novelists and Novels (2007) and Dictionary of Literary Biography (2006).

And lastly, I wrote a book about popular music that no one has ever done before. I am still awaiting an agent and publisher, but I believe that it is a great idea and that it will find a good home. It took five years from start to finish and I had to quit my job to complete it, which was scary, but I had to do it, and that's how I think writers get through the incredibly tough times. We just have to, and somehow we find a way.

Q. I see you do music writing. I think a lot of our subscribers would like to break into that area. How does one get started?

A. Like most people trying to get a foot in the door, I started writing CD reviews and doing interviews for small publications. I think it is extremely difficult to make it big in this arena because there are so many outlets for music writing and so many people that want to write about it. I wrote a book about music but don't write about it much anymore because it's hard to get on staff or do more than one piece for a magazine. I still dream of working with SPIN, Rolling Stone and The Village Voice, but these days I'm usually writing about writing or food. However, it is almost always with my earphones on, rockin' out on my office chair.

Q. If you could do it all over again, what would you do differently?

A. I wouldn't change a thing. The path I took is how I got to where I am today, and I am grateful for my life. To get to write every day? This is the life people spend all day in their cubicle trying to plan an escape for. I left working a day job in December to complete my book and to be able to take on bigger assignments and markets and while some days are busier than I could have ever imagined, I am thrilled to be making my way in this world typing my thoughts and observations. I am also lucky to have the love and support of my friends, family and the sexy man I love and live with.

Q. What are your favorite resources for writers (online or off)?

A. I started reviewing for The Writer magazine because I was a fan. It is a fantastic read and resource. There is a reason they have lasted since 1887!!

I read a lot of writing books. My favourites won't necessarily be yours, but I promise that if you delve into the writing section at your library and local bookstore, you will find something (and someone!) that speaks to you. Of course, if you haven't read Renegade Writers, please do. I read it when it first came out and have recommended it a number of times.

I sign up for a lot of writing newsletters because I don't use the internet for much outside of research, so this is the way that I keep up. I like Moira Allen's Writing World, but there are tons out there. Just type in "Writing Newsletter" to Google and you'll find yourself missing dinner, your favourite TV show and blowing off a night out before you know it. Tee hee. It is time-consuming, for sure.

Q. Is there anything else you'd like to add?

A. Thank you for this opportunity to share my experience with your readers. I hope that my words show that the passion for writing can be enough. That, and sitting and writing each and every day.

Shy and introverted? Listen up!

2006-05-26T10:38:00.000-04:00

There are some good tips over at the Never Eat Alone blog this a.m. about overcoming shyness in social situations. Like the author, I'm in the "dread going but glad I went" camp -- even for stuff like vacations! I'm criminally shy at heart but over the years I've learned to work with my hermit tendencies. People are always surprised when I confess how nervous and shy I get around people I don't know too well, but I guess that just means my coping skills work pretty darn well.

Other tips I'll add to Mark Goulston's:

* Everyone else in the room is too busy worrying about themselves to pay you too much attention -- unless you're Britney Spears with a drink in one hand and a baby in another. When I remind myself of this, it really helps take the pressure off.

* Pretend you're the person whose job it is to put other people at ease. In other words, "act as if." When you focus your attention on helping someone find their way to the crudites, you don't have time to worry if you're looking like a fool.

* We'd worry less about what others think of us if we knew how little they actually thought about us. Think about it -- do you go to a social event and fret over other the other people there as much as you fret over yourself?

So, how do you cope with shyness?

Are you a Renegade?

2006-05-26T10:16:00.000-04:00

Folks, July 1 is coming up fast, and we want to make sure you get your chance at 500 buckaroos and assorted swag by entering our publisher's "Ultimate Renegade" Freelance Writer Contest.

Entering the contest costs nothing -- well, except time. One "Ultimate Renegade" and two runners up will be chosen. The Ultimate Renegade will win:

* $500 cash
* Free entry into Linda Formichelli's Eight-Week Write for Magazines E-Course, including one-on-one consultation time with Linda.
* A Signed Special Second Edition Copy of The Renegade Writer: A Totally Unconventional Guide to Freelance Writing Success.
* A signed copy of Linda and Diana's new book, The Renegade Writer's Query Letters That Rock, coming out this fall.
* A complete set of Marion Street Press books for writers and word lovers.
* A cool gold-plated pen and pencil set.

The two runners up will win the same package, except the cash.

How do you enter?

Write a quick essay about your renegade writer lifestyle, including info about rules you've broken and how breaking those rules helped your career. Feel free to mention broken rules from The Renegade Writer, or rules not found in the book. Email your essay and your snail mail address to Renegade Writer publisher Ed Avis at edavis@marionstreetpress.com. Then get back to your renegade writing ways!

The deadline is July 1, 2006. Winners will be announced September 1, 2006.

20 agents you may want to avoid

2006-05-25T12:35:00.000-04:00

During my morning dose of snark, I learned that our friend Jenna's site Absolute Write had been shuttered. Seems that one Barbara Bauer took offense being included in a list of the 20 worst literary agents on Absolute Write's watercooler board.

Check out Bauer's website here. The author matching form was especially humorous. Yeah, I'm sure Penguin, Viking, and Workman are finding hot new authors by filling out web forms. Not.

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Barbara Bauer

Blog Rec: Scott H Young

2006-05-22T20:21:00.000-04:00

Linda wrote a reported essay in a recent issue of Women's Health about being a self-help junkie. I'm one, too, and have been one since I was a tot. (My mother claims she found my first list of personal goals when I was around six or seven. I'm sure many of the goals involved candy or cute boys.) Today I devour books on goal-setting, time management, etc., and the Internet -- specifically blogs -- has given me even more reading material.

Thanks to Lifehacker, I found Scott H. Young's blog, where he talks about all my favorite subjects ... goalsetting, eliminating bad habits (who me? procrastinate?), developing self-discipline, and more. I especially liked his post called "The Smallest Step." Even more impressive: Scott is still in high school. Enjoy!

New E-course Session

2006-05-22T16:29:00.000-04:00

I've been getting so many inquiries from writers who missed the start date of my May 1 eight-week e-course on getting published in magazines that I've decided to start another session on Monday, June 5. I may be going on a week-long writing-related trip in mid-June, in which case I'd extend the course dates by one week to make up for it.

Previous students have landed assignments in Woman's Day, Michigan Out-of-Doors, Pizza Today, MyBusiness, Body & Brain, and other magazines. C'mon, what are you waiting for?

Talk to me, baby.

2006-05-22T12:17:00.000-04:00

**Update** Due to a family emergency, we've had to reschedule the chat. Keep an eye on our blog for the new date. Thanks! ***

On Wednesday, May 24, from 10 pm to 12 am ET, Diana and I will be the guest authors at The Writer's Chatroom. Join us in the chatroom and ask your pressing questions about writing for magazines. We suggest you ask:

* Where can we buy a copy of The Renegade Writer -- right now?
* What's your PayPal address so we can send you money?
* Would you like a foot massage?

We hope to see you there!

Canyon Ranch anyone?

2006-05-19T19:04:00.000-04:00

Linda and I will be at Canyon Ranch in Lenox, MA, the weekend of June 9-10. Oy, this job sometimes -- it's going to be tough to wrench ourselves away from our computers so that we can spend the weekend conducting writing workshops at one of the best health spas in the world. Sigh. We'll have to console ourselves with deep tissue massages from twin blonds named Thor and Sven.

If you'd like to join us, call Canyon Ranch Resort Reservations: 800-742-9000.

Instant query -- just add words

2006-05-19T12:46:00.000-04:00

Here's an excerpt from The Renegade Writer's Query Letters That Rock, which is to be published in November:

QUESTION: Should I buy some query writing software to give me an edge?

ANSWER: Hey, we're all about saving time when it comes to writing queries, so we checked out a Web site that sells "Instant Query Letter Software." The word "instant" really appealed to us, because we don't want to spend even one second working when we could be out striking fear into the hearts of baristas everywhere.

The site had pages of super-hyped sales-talk with words underlined, bold, and in different colors. It's a scientifically proven fact that if a Web site makes you want to don sunglasses, the product must be good! And what if, as the site reads, "just one article of yours got published in a huge magazine that made you famous virtually overnight..."? Sign us up!

But we started cluing in to the red flags when the software creator signed her name, "Jane Doe, Successful Author (of way too many publications to list here)." Hmmm...so you can take several scrolled-down pages to tout the wonderfulness of your software, but you can't spare the space to list your creds?

We did a little research online. A Google search shows no publications by this author. Amazon.com turns up no books under that author's name. Findarticles.com finds no articles. The only thing we could find, in fact, are e-books that the author is selling through her own site. We could be wrong -- after all, not every writer is like us, bragging about her creds to all and sundry -- but it seems that if you're a well-published writer with "too many publications to list," people should be able to find your books and articles online.

But we were still enticed by the prospect of pressing a button and getting, "like magic," a "highly professional, completely irresistible query letter." Besides, we can't give the author's lack of credentials too much weight -- perhaps she is actually a shy, reclusive soul, and writes under pseudonyms like "Susan Orlean" and "Dan Brown." So we shelled out 37 bucks to try out the instant query letter software.

Here's the scoop. Sit down and get your pen out, for you are about to become rich and famous!

In short, you're asked to fill in fields with info like your name, the editor's name, the magazine and address, your credentials, the target market, a word count, rights offered, and -- hey, what's this? -- an opening statement, a description of your article, and a statement about what the reader will learn from your article. This is a far cry from the "magic" we were promised. Where is the fairy dust? Where are the elves? Where's David Copperfield?

(To be fair, the software isn't totally unhelpful: Under each field are useful tips that include such gems as "Be creative! Grab attention!" and "... make sure this is correctly spelled!")

After filling in all the fields, you press a button and -- wait for it -- the software generates a query that cobbles together all the information you put into it, with a couple of bits thrown in to connect it all together.

So, in sum, you are paying 37 dollars for the rare and unique opportunity to write your own query letter -- and not a very good one at that. What you put in goes out. If you suck -- your query sucks. Even if what you put in doesn't suck, the form leaves no room to really flesh out the idea with quotes and examples, and it certainly doesn't give you much of a chance to show your voice.

We're now 37 dollars poorer, but hey, we live (and shell out the smackers) in service to our readers. Want to show us your appreciation? Send us the 37 bucks -- we'll probably be grateful enough to share a secret that's actually worth something.

Welcome, Renegades!

2006-05-18T17:38:00.000-04:00

Welcome to the new Renegade Writer blog! This blog will be a lot like the newsletter, but with bonus rants from your humble authors. Also, instead of trying to get a bunch of info together every month for the e-newsletter, Diana and I can post what we have, when we have it. This will make the info much more timely for you. When we get wind of a contest or other opportunity you may be interested in, or when I have a new e-course about to start, or when we have other writing news to share, we can post it right away rather than waiting for the monthly newsletter.

The blog will also include Q&As with successful writers, excerpts from our books, info on our speaking engagements, writing advice, and more. Oh, and did we mention rants?

For those of you who are new to the wonderful world of Linda and Diana, here's an intro. Diana and I are the co-authors of The Renegade Writer: A Totally Unconventional Guide to Freelance Writing Success and the forthcoming The Renegade Writer's Query Letters That Rock. I've written for Family Circle, Fitness, Writer's Digest, USA Weekend, Psychology Today, Parenting, Oxygen, Men's Fitness, Women's Health, and more, and I offer an eight-week e-course on breaking into magazines. Diana writes for top national magazines including Parenting, Family Circle, SELF, Saveur, Psychology Today, Writer's Digest, The Writer, and others. In January 2006, Alpha/Penguin released Diana's third book, Psychology Today's Here to Help: Secrets of Successful Weight Loss.

Again, welcome! May many writing assignments drop into your in-box before the weekend.

ARCs! ARCs!

2006-05-18T17:15:00.000-04:00

No, it's not the mating call of a California sea lion -- it's an advance reading copy of The Renegade Writer's Query Letters That Rock! (Please disregard piles of paper and books on kitchen table.)