Ten years ago, I would have told you to review Cliff Garstang’s ranking of literary magazines for nonfiction and begin by submitting to the best. I did that for many years, dutifully submitting my short memoirs and personal essays to a prioritized list of literary magazines, with limited success. Thankfully, I eventually realized there was […]
Can I Write About Parenting When I Don’t Have Kids?
/ 2021-08-07A friend recently emailed a link to an essay that he had published in Motherwell, an online parenting magazine. The essay was about an old dish and how it got passed down through the family and repurposed over the years. I could write something like that, I thought, but shoot, Motherwell is for parents, and I am not […]
Success as a Disability Writer
/ 2021-07-17Successful authors seem born to write. Masked by the ability to put words on paper, (or on screen) it seems these authors have never struggled at all. But in fact, many writers have a disability. Sometimes it’s even the reason they write. According to online blog Mental Up, people like George Bernard Shaw and Jules Verne, […]
Repurposing Content
/ 2021-07-02I’m talking fiction, nonfiction, copy, blog material….all of it. When it comes to fiction, it’s called the backlist. When it comes to commercial copywriting, it’s called repetition or repurposing. Whatever you write, because you released it once does not mean that others saw it or shouldn’t be used again. ClearVoice.com is a savvy site about writing […]
The Monologue Market
/ 2021-05-22As with many industries across the country and around the world, theater was dealt a devastating blow with the escalation of COVID. With actors unable to rehearse plays, producers unable to fill their performance spaces and audiences deprived of live entertainment experiences, it seemed that it wasn’t just Broadway that would go dark indefinitely. While […]
Synchronicity
/ 2021-05-10All writers have experienced synchronicity—two or more people coming up with the same idea at the same time. If you write long enough, synchronicity will happen to you, too. Historically, many inventions and theories have surfaced simultaneously, often from people on opposite sides of the globe. For example, two scientists came up with the theory […]
How to Find and Pitch Websites that Actually Pay
/ 2021-05-10Freelance writers know to pitch articles regularly to get their name out into the ether and gain recognition. But when many publications pay little or nothing for your work, where do you start? Which publications are worth the time and effort? Here’s how to find and pitch high-paying websites. Narrow Your Focus Find the right […]
Writing Listicles for Fun and Profit
/ 2021-04-02Listicles are not only great staples for seasoned freelancers, but are also a good way for new writers to break into print. I have been writing these bite-sized, easily digestible articles for years. Listicles used to be called refrigerator articles, because folks would cut these short informational pieces out of the newspaper and hang them […]
Selling Your Unemployment
/ 2021-02-26How do you find the good in the bad when you’ve lost your job? Whether that job was your dream job or a paycheck, it paid the bills. Now that you’re unemployed, however, you’re thinking about how much you’ve always wanted to write. You never had the time, though. Well, the time is here, you […]
Want to Make Money Writing? Try Social Media Management
/ 2021-01-29When old friends ask me what I do now, I laugh. No one’s more surprised than me! I fell into social media management by accident. Back when I promoted my books online, I noticed opportunities. Then a local cafe owner and I started kicking around ideas one afternoon, and it happened—she hired me for a […]
Four Ways to Build a Business Case for Your Content Writing
/ 2020-12-19While content is a multimillion industry for big brands worldwide, there are still many business sectors – especially smaller businesses – that don’t see that content as worthwhile. They’re not necessarily against content; they may in fact quite like the idea of having a blog or publishing regular articles or ebooks. It’s just that their […]
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 […]