A major reason many self-publish is control of the publishing process. Another strong reason is the long, hard experience of rejection from traditional publishing houses. Sometimes I think writers profess the former when the truth is more likely the latter. Rejection is painful. A lot of writers fuss about the arrogance of traditional publishing, or the unjustified ignorance of debut and novice authors by traditional publishers, as if traditional only likes certain types of personalities. These complaints ring hollow to me. Traditional presses want a book that generates serious money. In other words, they buy and sell to make a profit. The items being bartered just happen to be books. But they don’t give new authors a chance. . . or so many say. If you hire someone to fill a vacancy in your business, you seek experience. If you are a small enterprise, you might need someone more niche experienced, or you will accept someone with fewer years in the business. If you have a strong brand and a larger enterprise, you can be more selective. You have the power to choose those most seasoned, most awarded, and most talented. Writing and publishing are no different. Sure there is More
How to Use Google Alerts to Get Assignments and Build Your Career
/ 2020-12-11People might think of Google Alerts as something once upon a time helpful but not anymore. I’ve been using Google Alerts for quite some time. It’s enabled me to find submissions I wouldn’t ordinarily find, follow some successful authors, and make contacts to further my career. By customizing Google Alerts, you can be notified for . . . well . . . just about anything you crave to know that will help build your career and your wallet. Once you are logged into Google, go to Google Alerts (https://www.google.com/alerts) and get started. Set up alerts for publishers and sites that are closed to submissions. When they open, you’ll get notified quickly, and won’t forget to check back. I followed several publishers and sites and was able to sell a guest post to a blog often closed to outside submissions because I had an alert set for an open submission period. You can simplify the alert with something like “The Writer submissions” or “Re:fiction open submissions,” so when the publisher updates the submissions page, you’ll get an alert. Alerts can let you know when there is a special call for submissions at your dream publisher. For instance, you’re trying to publish a young More
Writers and Singers
/ 2020-12-11You hear a singer. Instantly you picture them, maybe recall that song or others they have sung. You remember where you were when that song impacted you. You know that singer is not like any other. You might not even remember their name, but in this day of smartphones, you instantly look it up. That is the type of writer you want to be. Someone reads something you’ve written and remembers you as being original . . . or leaving a mark on their life. It isn’t about the number of books you’ve published . . . or how you published . . . It’s about the mark those words leave on the world. It’s about being original. It’s about being memorable. It’s about taking time to mold your phrasing into its best form. You don’t want people to have just read you. You want them to absorb you such that they are thankful they took the time to take in what you’ve written. You want them to remember that impact well enough to keep your book on their shelves, tell their friends, and want to reread those words over again.
Seven Commercial Writing Job Titles Explained
/ 2020-11-21If you’ve looked at any recruitment pages recently, you may have noticed a lot of jargon creeping into job titles. Here we strip the acronyms and buzzwords away to reveal the – often quite straightforward – roles that lie underneath. UX Writer UX stands for user experience. What a UX writer does is craft the little bits of copy that steer users through key journeys on an app or website – opening a bank account, for example, or completing an insurance quote form or upgrading your access to a product. You’ll be writing the little bits of “microcopy,” such as button names, navigation labels, and calls to action. This is a growing specialty and often involves working alongside specialists who are testing customer behaviour, but a lot of it is common sense for the right kind of writer. More here B2B CRM Copywriter B2B just means business-to-business, so you’ll be writing for a company that sells to other businesses (rather than individual consumers). For writers, CRM (customer relationship management) generally means email. You’ll be providing the words for sales and marketing emails, plus landing pages: the page that people land on if they click on a link in the email. Bid More
Training Your Writing
/ 2020-11-21I learned some time back to write in snippets no matter how small. Made myself write 500 words in a day. Doesn’t sound like much, but it became habit. . . but it also was easier to justify in my busy day. Think about it. . . sitting down and pounding out 500 words and then being allowed to get up and return to your life. But you know what that turns into? Writing 1,000 words. Because once the 500 words become entrenched, you find the urge to throw a few more in there. Soon you feel like you didn’t brush your teeth or your hair that day when you miss your 500 words. You can write 500 words before bed, during lunch, waiting in line somewhere in your car. . . even with a meal (like breakfast) at your left and your keyboard in front of you. This morning I ate my omelet at my keyboard while editing three chapters. It’s a matter of squeezing in the short times, because once you become eager to reach that daily goal, you push to find those moments. As for family. . . they can throw you on a guilt trip, for More
How to Find Freelance Clients in a Recession
/ 2020-11-13I panicked when I lost my job earlier this year. The current jobs market is not exactly stellar amidst COVID-19 and the resulting recession. In the last few months, though, I’ve grown my freelance business from a side-hustle to a sustainable, full-time source of income. I love it and can’t see myself returning to traditional employment. Contrary to understandable fears, 2020 does not have to be a terrible time for freelancers. Here are four strategies that have helped me find freelance clients during this period of recession. Feel free to use them to find yours. Join a networking group Many business networking groups are meeting online during the pandemic. I joined a regional group that hosts weekly Speed Networking sessions via Zoom, and have gained one regular client and several one-off jobs. Check out large organizations like Business Networking International, look for relevant meetings on Eventbrite, or use LinkedIn and Facebook to find smaller groups in your region. Visit a few groups to see which one works for you. Many will let you attend as a guest for free before you commit to joining. Expand your focus: think global One of the biggest mistakes freelance writers make is only targeting prospective clients in More
Amazon Reviews Can Be a Treasure Trove
/ 2020-11-13Many hate Amazon, and some small enterprising companies have tried to take a chunk out of it, a mouse trying to nip the beast, so to speak. I am not for or against those small entities doing something they feel the need to do. I, however, have always been an Amazon fan. Why? Because I remember a world without it. Whether reader or writer, imagine not having Amazon. You might cope just fine, but you know what? You’d be coping. So, instead of fighting it, consider using it to your advantage. In this essay, let’s consider using its reviews to assist you as an author. 1) Reviews can tell you what worked in a book. If readers repeatedly mention the same strengths or same weaknesses in the story, you now know what readers prefer or hate. . . to either adopt or avoid. 2) Look for repetitious keywords in the reviews. They can help you find like books or properly keyword your own. They also might help you identify with certain styles, certain subgenres, certain settings so that you can use those words for readers to find your book better. 3) Do the reviews show a book heavy in plot, character, or More
Writing the Wave
/ 2020-11-06Niche markets perform like waves. Freelance writers benefit from plunging into the right market at the best time, even when the niche is far removed from their usual work. Here’s how to take advantage when the wave is high – and how to find your way back after. Wait for the Boom A ‘hot’ niche is indicated by its increased appearance in mainstream news, busier message boards, and higher search-engine rankings. When people start talking, chase the market. Seek out popular markets for this specific niche. When Bitcoin-values boomed, I pitched Crooks & Crypto – and it hit the mark for multi-market syndication thanks to the right timing. Selecting Niche Samples A niche portfolio takes a while to build, so choose your most relevant samples when pitching. When first writing about cryptocurrency, I only had general financial writing samples to show, but they were close enough to get a cryptocurrency gig for a few months. Use Strong Sources A popular niche doesn’t have to be within your scope of writing experience for you to take advantage of the topic. If you aren’t familiar with the niche topic (like yoga or cryptocurrencies), use authoritative interview sources instead, who know it well. More
Boost Your Writing Income with Themed Merchandise
/ 2020-10-23Merchandise that highlights your writing, freelance work, or author brand can boost your writing income in multiple ways. The most obvious is through selling those products. Beyond that, people showing off your wares become your “street team,” shoring up the personal connections and word-of-mouth critical to book sales and freelance referrals. “As human beings, we have an innate drive to belong to groups,” explained Joanna Penn in her book, How to Market a Book. She writes nonfiction for authors and is a best-selling thriller author as J.F. Penn. “Providing merchandise for fans of your work offers them a way to feel a part of the tribe. You must have at least one rock’n’roll t-shirt in your wardrobe! In the same way, authors can provide their fans with a way to connect more deeply with the books and characters they love.” Displaying mugs, shirts, or posters at author signings, book fairs, and writing events helps draw people to your table. That, in turn, creates opportunity to generate a mailing list and future sales. “As a writer, it’s always good to have more than one source of income,” said Jon Acuff, a motivational speaker and New York Times bestselling author of six books More
One Question You Do Not Ask an Editor
/ 2020-10-23When referencing “editor,” I’m talking about the ones who make the decision whether to publish your editorial, essay, feature, short story, or even book. These are gatekeepers. These folks decide if they like what you submitted. So what is the criminal question you’re banned from asking? What topic do I write about? This is about as close to an instant rejection that I can imagine, short of submitting in all CAPS or all lower case. This flies in the face of an editor putting together a publication. They are not paid to create content (usually). They are paid to correct, edit, arrange, and prepare to publish content. They are also paid to pick through submissions to find the best compilation of writing and subject matter. Good writing is part uniqueness, part proper English, and part voice. Writers must endear themselves to editors by proving they come loaded with thought, style, and quality. These days, way too many writers pitch to editors by simply asking, “What topics are you looking for?” Editors are not looking for writing machines! They are looking for good material. But they are looking for something else. . . a writer with a work ethic. Coming to More