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W R I T I N G W O R L D
A World of Writing Information - For Writers Around the World
http://www.writing-world.com
Issue 9:05 7,492 subscribers March 5, 2009
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SPECIAL NOTICE: Please DO NOT REPLY to this e-mail; any messages
sent in reply to the newsletter are deleted. See the bottom of this
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IN THIS ISSUE:
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THE EDITOR'S DESK, by Moira Allen
THE INQUIRING WRITER, Finding Markets for Humor, by Dawn Copeman
NEWS FROM THE WORLD OF WRITING
FEATURE: Yes, You Can Make Money Writing Fiction,
by Patricia L. Fry
THE WRITE SITES -- Online Resources for Writers
The Author's Bookshelf
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WRITERSCOLLEGE.COM has 57 online courses. Prices are low. If you
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WRITE CHILDREN'S BOOKS. Break into this $3 billion market. Learn
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Free writing test. http://www.writingforchildren.com/G6405
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AN EASY SIX FIGURE INCOME. WRITING Imagine a job in which you set
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summers "working" from home in a picture-perfect Vermont country
village. Here's how I learned the secrets of this writing market:
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THOUSANDS OF WRITERS USE FANSTORY.COM FOR:
* Feedback. Get feedback for every poem and story that you write.
* Contests. Over 40 contests are always open and free to enter.
* Rankings. Statistics will show you how your writing is doing.
http://www.fanstory.com/index1.jsp?at=38
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FROM THE EDITOR'S DESK
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Stirring the Nest
-----------------
There is an old story about the eagle's nest -- supposedly, when
the mother eagle begins building her nest, she makes the first
layer out of thorns and sharp sticks and such. The next layer is
soft and comfortable. But when she wants to encourage her
fledglings to fly, she "stirs the nest," digging through that
comfortable layer to the thorns beneath, so that the fledglings
will be encouraged to leave.
Unfortunately, while I can find this story repeated endlessly on
Christian websites and in sermons, I can't seem to find any
real-world support for the "stirring the nest" theory. (In fact, it
seems that when Mama Eagle wants her fledglings to fly, she just
dumps them over the edge.) But it's a nice analogy.
The point of the story, of course, is that when things are
comfortable, we tend to sit tight, stay where we are, and not
stretch ourselves. When everything is going our way, we may not
spread our wings. It's only when things get bumpy, or thorny, that
we start casting around for alternatives. As writers, even though
we know in theory that we ought to keep looking for new markets all
the time, it's tempting to "sit still" when we have good markets in
hand and all the work we can use. It's only when our best magazine
folds, or a new editor decides he doesn't need our column anymore,
or a publication suddenly changes its contract and demands all
rights, that we find that our comfortable nest has suddenly gotten
a whole lot thornier.
Right now I suspect a lot of us are feeling the thorns -- and a lot
of us are also probably wondering whether, if we actually DO
stretch our wings and take a chance, we'll find any safer landing
or better nest somewhere else. But the good thing about bad times
is that, sometimes, that's what it takes to force us to seek out
opportunities that may have always been there, but that we never
bothered to look for before.
As an example, my sister works in stained glass. She's been
worried that, as people find themselves on tighter and tighter
budgets, those budgets will no longer have room for such "luxury"
items as a stained glass window or panel. Then, just a couple of
weeks ago, she got an e-mail from someone interested in having
stained glass trophies made for a dog show.
Now, this made both of us feel just a wee bit stupid, because my
sister was in the dog showing business for years, and I used to be
the editor of a dog magazine. We both know that dog show organizers
are always interested in finding something more interesting than
the usual cups and plaques to give as trophies -- particularly if
that something can actually illustrate the breed. But it never
occurred to us to look into this as a market. My sister now has
the commission, and the client has promised to forward her name to
the national headquarters for this particular breed club. Now
we're brainstorming ways to advertise to other breed clubs and
breed enthusiasts.
It was while we were discussing this topic that my sister came up
with an interesting potential market for my own photos -- something
I would never have thought of myself, but that arose because of a
church-related craft show she recently attended. Now I'm pumped --
all I have to do is, um, well, get back to those umpteen thousand
photos that still need to be reviewed and edited! (I'll let you
know how it comes out.)
Meanwhile, I'm working on a proposal for a particular book
publisher, and it has been a long, slow process. In moments of
gloom, I've thought -- "gee, times are tough, so maybe they aren't
going to be interested in buying anything just now." Then it
occurred to me that during tough times, publishers need just as
much material as ever, if not more -- because if they don't have
something new to offer, nobody is going to buy from THEM. That
realization cheered me up enough to get me back to the computer
(and away from the temptation of endless games of Spider Solitaire).
But finding new opportunities during hard times is only part of the
story. We need to remember that hard times don't last forever (any
more than good times). In fact, one of the worst mistakes we can
make is to assume that things won't change. (After all, that's the
assumption that brought on so much of the trouble we're having now
-- the assumption, for example, that housing prices would never
stop going up.) It may take awhile, but better times WILL come
again -- and if we've taken the chance of spreading our wings and
seeking out new opportunities, we're likely to find ourselves
sitting pretty in a soft new nest when those good times DO come
back again.
-- Moira Allen Editor
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CHILDREN'S WRITERS - Improve your competitive edge and publishing
record with this vital monthly newsletter of editors wants and
needs, market studies, and genre analyses loaded with editors'
tips and insights into subjects and styles they're looking for
right now. Get a Free issue and see.
http://www.thechildrenswriter.com/M4303
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DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE WRITERS' EBOOK "How To Earn Even MORE Money
From Your Writing." Never Write for Peanuts Again. Scroll to the
bottom of the page and download your copy now.
http://www.newonlinecourse.net
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THE INQUIRING WRITER: Finding Markets for Humor, by Dawn Copeman
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Last month, Ty Gardner emailed in with this problem: "How does one
find places (mags, newspaper, internet) that want humor, and in
particular, humorous personal experience pieces?"
This seems to be a tricky area and one in which only two of you
could offer any advice. This problem did resonate with C. Hope
Clark, editor of http://www.fundsforwriters.com, who wrote in with
the following advice.
"I found it hard to find humor markets as well. I spent weeks
searching and developed an ebook called Laughing Markets in my
FundsforWriters library
(http://www.fundsforwriters.com/ebooks.htm).
"It was supported in a piece by Tim Bete, parenting humor writer of
the Erma Bombeck Writer's Conference fame. Also, tell your writers
to go to http://www.humorwriters.org and sign up for their updates.
They have a few markets at their web site."
Alternatively, Christine W. Kulikowski had the following advice
based on her experience as both a writer and editor. "If the writer
wants mostly clips, byline visibility, and a chance to network
confidently as a writer among writers, then local, weekly, or
regional newspapers and shoppers are ideal. I edited weekly
newspapers, with budgets that kept other editors in the weekly
group on food stamps.
"I had one reporter and one assistant. So I hired local writers who
had essays, humorous stories and children's book reviews ready to
print, but couldn't find their first market. At first I could pay a
token sum ($25 during the good times and $15 as budgets crashed),
then nothing.
"One writer of anecdotal humor about family and friends pulled out.
I haven't seen his by-line anywhere since then--I might not be
reading the right papers. But the other two persisted. The
publisher shut down my paper as the economy worsened--I was hired
by the regional daily newspaper as assistant metro editor, a huge
leap in title and salary.
"One woman was hired right away by the community relations
department of a large teaching hospital just a mile from home; now
she's the head. The other was hired as a library assistant by the
local library and eventually was the assistant to the head of
children's programs--a perfect fit.
"When approaching editors you could offer value added: your essay
and a calendar of children's events--or events related to your
column. Would you be willing to cover some 'good news' events, like
cook-offs, block parties, kindergarten graduations? Try finding
magazines online. Many use freelancers--maybe they need a humor
column. One publisher puts out a magazine called Family (I think).
She has a group of targeted regional editions. She uses nearly 100%
freelancers.
"I don't know how much experience you have, so don't be insulted
with this advice: read everything out loud to a critique group and
listen to what they say; you don't have to use their suggestions.
In newspapers (and everywhere else unless you are Stephen King),
the editor is always right. Don't argue. Don't make excuses. A
thank you and good-bye are all you need. Of course, if a change
would distort the meaning, explain why, nicely. And be sure you
have studied the magazines to which you want to submit."
Thanks for that advice, Christine.
This month I have a question about Search Engine Optimization or
SEO. Several of you have written in wanting to learn more about
this specialist field of writing, what it is and how to get jobs
doing it. So I want to know whether any of you are involved in
SEO writing. Can you explain to the rest of us what it is and
share your experiences of how you got started in this field?
Email your responses with the subject line "Inquiring Writer" to
editorial"at"writing-world.com
Until next time,
Dawn
Copyright (c) 2009 Dawn Copeman
For more information on finding markets, visit:
http://www.writing-world.com/basics/index.shtml
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WRITE MORE, WRITE BETTER by mastering the psychology of writing as
well as the craft. Jurgen Wolff's book, "Your Writing Coach"
Nicholas Brealey Publishing) takes you from idea through to
publication. Get it at Amazon, B&N or your local bookstore. For
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RELAXING WITH THE MUSE was conceived by a Counseling Psychologist
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NEWS FROM THE WORLD OF WRITING
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Fewer People Are Reading Newspapers
-----------------------------------
Latest research from the Pew Research Centre shows that readership
of newspapers in America in on the decline. And whilst increasing
numbers of Americans are choosing to read newspapers online, this
increase does not match the decline in print readership. In
research conducted on the 25th February, only 39% of Americans said
they had read a newspaper either online or in print; in 2006 this
percentage was 43%. Only a quarter of those surveyed had read a
print newspaper, down from 34% in 2006. For more information on
this story, including figures on which age groups are most likely
to read news online or in print, visit: http://tinyurl.com/d8le5v
Phrasebook developed for Time-Travelers
---------------------------------------
This could be useful for anyone writing science fiction.
Scientists at the University of Reading have been studying Stone
Age language to discover what words were in common usage thousands
of years ago and to predict which words in common use today will be
obsolete by the year three thousand. Words we use today that would
be understood by Stone Age man include: I, We, Two and Thou, whilst
words that will die out include: dirty, throw, stick and squeeze.
For more on this story visit: http://tinyurl.com/bfgqk4
Online Dating Stories Wanted for New Anthology
----------------------------------------------
We are accepting submissions for "LifeBytes...Real Stories of
Online Dating" (est. publication date spring 2010. Who doesn't love
sitting around with friends and family over coffee or cocktail
sharing stories about life, work and love? LifeBytes is interested
in YOUR Online dating story. Make a cup of coffee or stir up a
cocktail and tell us your cyber dating adventures - the good, the
bad and the ugly!
"LifeBytes... Real Stories" will be a compilation of the true
stories that singles love to share with one another about the ups
and downs of searching for Prince (or Princess) Charming. Your
story can be funny, poignant, scary, weird or happy. We're looking
for the full range of experiences that make online dating such an
adventure. Writers whose work is chosen for publication will
receive a fee of between $50 - $100,(word count dependent.
Please visit our website at http://www.lifebytesbook.com for
complete submission guidelines. Also, stop by our blog at
http://lifebytesrealstories.wordpress.com to put your digital feet
up and chat for a while. We're looking forward to meeting you."
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YOUR HARD WORK AT THE WRITING DESK COULD BE MARRED by a typo,
misused word, or unclear sentence structure. That's where we come
in. Lehigh Valley Editing Services works with articles &
manuscripts to make your writing right. Online authors welcome! 3¢
a word - Lehigh Valley Editing Service https://www.lvediting.com
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SPRING FEVER POETRY CONTEST: Online competition where poems are
viewed, commented & voted on. The site short list guarantees a
place on the Judge's short list. Prizes £50, £30, £20. Free copy of
Poetry Tenners, an e-book on how to publish a poetry anthology, for
all entrants. http://www.writelink.co.uk/springfever
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FEATURE: Yes, You Can Make Money Writing Fiction
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by Patricia L. Fry
Many people doubt that anyone can make money as a writer. This
belief is especially wide-spread among the fiction-writing
community. The truth is that there is money to be made as a writer
no matter the genre you choose. If you dream of making money
writing fiction, follow the steps below to your very own pot of
gold:
1: Change your mindset. The most common mistake that writers of any
persuasion or genre make is becoming so attached to what one
wants to write that one can't or won't bend. It is rare that you
can make even a little spending money writing strictly what you
want to write. If you hope to earn a living through your writing,
you must begin to look at writing as a business rather than a
creative outlet. It is time to step outside that comfy inspired
writing zone and begin to write what others actually want to
publish.
As an example, perhaps you love writing science fiction, but you
notice that the higher paying markets are specialty magazines
seeking more contemporary stories. Be willing to write a slice of
life story for "Antiques and Collecting Magazine" or "U.S.
Catholic" and earn a cool $150 or $300. Consider submitting a
fiction piece featuring retirement for "St. Anthony Messenger" and
collect $450. Wouldn't you try to place a humorous religious piece
in "Reform Judaism" if you knew you could earn $750?
Of course, you can still write science fiction. Earn a few bucks on
the side and build your list of credits by submitting some of your
stories to magazines such as "Analog Science Fiction and Fact,"
"Dark Wisdom," and "Amazing Journeys Magazine," for example.
2: Make sure you actually have a knack for writing fiction. Maybe
writer is your name and fiction is your game, but do you have any
talent? Do your stories possess all of the elements of good
fiction? Have you actually tested your writing skill by entering
your work in contests or seeking publication at sites or in
magazines that are at least a little bit selective about what they
publish? Maybe you can ask a professional editor of fiction or an
acclaimed writer of fiction to review your work--just to see if it
is worthy of publication. If not, then maybe some classes and a few
writers' conferences are in order.
In the meantime, test your science fiction/horror writing through
Web sites and online e-zines such as those listed at
http://www.everywritersresource.horror.html. Locate general fiction
writing sites and e-zines by doing a Google search.
Explore literary print magazines. While they generally don't pay
much, most of them do publish fiction. There are over 100 literary
magazines listed in Writer's Market.
3: Locate viable markets. In other words, start thinking like a
businessman or woman. Do you subscribe to magazines that publish
fiction? Scrutinize magazines that you find in the doctor's office
as well as those on newsstands and online. Locate appropriate
magazines using Writer's Market or the
http://www.WritersMarket.com, or the http://www.WoodenHorsePub.com
databases. Here are three directories that list magazines that use
fiction:
http://www.writewords.org.uk
http://www.mysteriouswrit.org/pages.magazines.html
http://www.ability.org.uk/genre_fiction_mag.html
When you locate a prospective magazine, visit their Web site in
search of their Submission Guidelines or Guidelines for Writers.
Find Submission Guidelines:
By clicking on Submission Guidelines.
or
By clicking on Contact Us
or
By clicking on About Us.
or
By writing to the editor and requesting a copy.
Submission Guidelines will tell you:
*Whether or not the editors accept submissions. Some magazines use
staff writers only. Others accept submissions only during certain
months.
*What type of material they're seeking. Do they want short romance
or adventure stories of 1,000 to 3,000 words or 10,000 word
novellas?
*The pay scale. Do they pay a flat fee or by the word--.01
cents/word or $1,000 per story?
*What to include in your submission. Do they want to see a synopsis
first or the complete manuscript? Do they want your credentials as
a writer included in a cover letter?
*Contact information. Always address your package to the
appropriate editor. This information may be outdated at their Web
site, so always double check by reviewing their magazine masthead.
It's also okay to call and ask to whom your package or email
attachment should be directed.
4: Go where the money is. Don't bypass magazines because you don't
think they use fiction or they don't publish the type of fiction
you want to write. You might be surprised at the number and variety
of magazines that seek good fiction.
For example, "Over the Back Fence" (an Ohio regional magazine) pays
$80 minimum for an 800-word humorous fiction piece. "Times of the
Islands" publishes adventure stories, mystery, humor, ethnic and
historical pieces related to Caribbean culture. How difficult would
it be to change one of your adventurous car trip stories into a
story featuring an escapade on the Caicos Islands? "Bowhunter,"
"Deer and Deer Hunting," "USA Hockey Magazine" and "Indy Men's
Magazine" also use fiction. Even a few trade publications use
fiction pieces: "Stitches" pays as much as $375. "Traders Magazine"
and "Church Educator" both use fiction as do several writers'
magazines. Of course literary magazines publish fiction. While they
don't typically pay much, you could conceivably make enough take a
Hawaiian vacation at the end of the year if you sold enough stories
to enough magazines.
Get writing gigs with higher paying literary magazines such as "The
Paris Review," "Tin House" and "Zoetrope: All Story" and you can
fly to Paris for the weekend.
Consider writing things other than fiction while you're
establishing yourself. Write nonfiction articles for magazines on
some of your favorite topics: gardening, raising puggles,
child-rearing, family finances or fitness, for example. This is
also a good way to become acquainted with the magazine editors
you'd like to work with. Add to your salary by writing ad copy and,
if you're qualified, edit fiction works for clients, teach writing
or develop a workshop to present locally.
5: Understand and respect the business of writing. When you find
that magazine that pays the big bucks, get a copy of their
guidelines for writers and follow them. If they want a 1,000-word
inspirational fiction, do not send them a 3,000-word dark mystery.
Laugh if you must, but this is one of the major mistakes that
would-be writers make--not adhering to Submission Guidelines.
Always submit the absolute best manuscript possible. Don't expect
the editor to fix your mistakes. The competition is not impossible
to overcome, but it is fierce. You must present the most polished
submission possible in the most professional way.
Do you need an agent?
---------------------
Some of the highest paying magazine markets, such as "Good
Housekeeping" and "Ladies Home Journal," are now requesting that
writers submit fiction through an agent. While most literary agents
will not represent writers of magazine articles and stories, a few
will. Here's a site that lists 39 agents for fiction and short
stories: http://www.writers.net/agents/topic/31/0
How much can you make?
----------------------
If you can discipline yourself to write and if you're a fairly
prolific writer, you have the potential to make some real money.
But you'll most likely have to change your ways. Instead of writing
something and then tossing it aside to go on to the next story, or
endlessly changing the same story, you must actually complete it
and submit it.
If you can write three short stories per week, for example, and
place three new stories and three reprints with paying publications
per month, there's the potential for you to make $1,500 to $2,000
(or more) per month. That's $18,000 to $24,000/year. Submit several
of the older stories in your portfolio each month and perhaps
you'll double this annual income. Here are some additional markets
to help you get started:
"Orion" will pay as much as $800 for a good fiction piece with an
environmental slant. "Disciplesworld" pays around $250 for an
uplifting fiction piece. "Albertaviews" (a Canadian magazine) pays
$1,000 for fiction by Alberta writers. "Atlanta Magazine" offers
around $200-$2,000 for short stories related to the south.
"Pockets" will pay as much as $140 for a fiction with a moral
lesson for children. "Friction Zone" pays up to $400 for fiction
pieces featuring motorcyclists.
Now, I don't want to hear any more excuses. No more complaining
that you can't make any money with fiction. Use some of the 50
resources, ideas and markets listed here and you, too, can get paid
for doing what you truly enjoy.
>>--------------------------------------------------<<
Copyright (c) 2009 by Patricia L. Fry
Patricia Fry is a full-time freelance writer and the author of 28
books including "The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your
Book" and "A Writer's Guide to Magazine Articles."
http://www.matilijapress.com. Visit her writing/publishing blog at
http://www.matilijapress.com/publishingblog.
You'll find over 650 paying markets for fiction and poetry,
including dozens of high-paying literary magazines, and nonfiction
publications that you might not expect to be fiction markets, in
Moira Allen's "Guide to Paying Fiction and Poetry Markets." Visit
http://www.writing-world.com/bookstore/index.shtml for details.
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ONLINE COURSES FOR WRITERS! Let 35-year-veteran writer Patricia Fry
help you increase your book sales or supplement your income.
Courses on Magazine Articles, Self-Publishing, Book Promotion and
Book Proposals, available "on demand" (when you're ready) at
http://www.matilijapress.com/courses.htm for more info, Click on
"how does an online course work" or contact PLFry620"at"yahoo.com
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WORLDWIDE FREELANCE WRITER - You can download a free list of
writing markets if you subscribe this week. Discover almost 2,000
writing markets from USA, Canada, UK,
Europe, Australasia. http://www.worldwidefreelance.com
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THE WRITE SITES
=================================================================
A NEWBIE'S GUIDE TO PUBLISHING
------------------------------
If you're looking for a highly readable guide to the world of
publishing - this is it. You need to scroll down through the blog,
but it is very entertaining, well-written and insightful.
http://jakonrath.blogspot.com/
MOONTOWN CAFE
-------------
This is a lovely poetry site where you can also post your work for
review. Note that to have your work reviewed you must review two
poems first. Moontown Café also carries poetry contest listings
and an active forum.
http://www.moontowncafe.com
PUBLICITY HOUND
--------------------
If you need publicity for your book and have no money to pay for
it, (and these days we all need to save every cent) - then check
out this fantastic site.
http://publicityhound.com
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CAN'T GET PUBLISHED? Be a Well-Fed Self-Publisher and make a
living! Control the process and timetable. Keep the rights AND most
of the profits. Here's the step-by-step blueprint used to create a
full-time living from ONE book! By the award-winning author of The
Well-Fed Writer. http://www.wellfedsp.com
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AUTHOR'S BOOKSHELF: Books by Our Readers
=================================================================
Delicious Little That, by Denise Harrington
The Journaling Life, by Shery Russ
The Legend of Albion, by Joseph Sherman
Writing to Win, by Moira Allen
Find these and more great books at
http://www.writing-world.com/books/index.shtml
Have you just had a book published? If so, let our readers know:
just click on the link below to list your book.
http://www.writing-world.com/books/listyours.shtml
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ADVERTISE in WRITING WORLD or on WRITING-WORLD.COM! For details on
how to reach 60,000 writers a month with your product, service or
book title, visit
http://www.writing-world.com/admin1/adrates.shtml
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Writing World is a publication of Writing-World.com
http://www.writing-world.com
Editor and Publisher: MOIRA ALLEN (editors"at"writing-world.com)
Newsletter Editor: DAWN COPEMAN (editorial"at"writing-world.com)
Copyright 2009 Moira Allen
Individual articles copyrighted by their authors.
Back issues archived at
http://www.writing-world.com/newsletter/index.shtml
Writing World is hosted by Aweber.com
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Subscribers are welcome to re-circulate Writing World to
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Copyright © 2010 by Moira Allen. All rights reserved.
Copyright to individual articles held by authors.