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We put a lot of attention into being very visible through logos, brands, websites, and book covers. Rightfully so, to a point, because a bad first impression is pretty permanent, especially with all the competition out there. Introductions are important. We might want someone to be attracted to our bright lights and spin, but that […]

It took me many years to give in to the idea that I was a writer, and a few more to discover the secret to my success. The first happened for me on an auspicious occasion: passing the hours beside my husband’s hospital bed. He was on a respirator after a massive heart attack, and […]

A website shows who you are, where you’ve been, and what you offer to make someone’s life sweeter. Many writers think that having published someplace validates them. Some think that promising the moon will entice someone to hire them. You’ve got to give them something to study about you, and without a website or a […]

Starting my freelance career writing for content mills instilled the mindset that I had to say yes to every job and put up with anything my clients threw at me. Now after three years, I see the benefits of saying no and the opportunities this can lead to. It was frightening at first, but here […]

Magazines use regular “contributing” writers for many reasons. They love having writers already on board who understand the needs of the readership and the publication.. To ask a publisher to give you a chance is to say you don’t feel you are valuable enough to earn markets on your prowess. . . and it says […]

When you write and publish, whether an article or a book, the reader wants to walk away from the reading with the knowledge they were educated or entertained thoroughly. The experience should be memorable. A lot of writers make the mistake of thinking that writing in quantity or just getting the grammar correct or just […]

Years ago, I was a freelance writer who had run the gamut regarding content mills. I was overworked, underpaid, and something in me kept saying that I deserved better. Working for $0.03 per word didn’t pay the bills. After hundreds of Google searches, I found the method to the madness was pretty easy. I had […]

As writers we make promises. We forget that sometimes. -We promise to write a great article that fits the readership, giving it our absolute best, delivering it on time. -We promise to write a solid book, published professionally. -We promise to spin a tale that entertains while tickling the intellect. -We promise to provide a […]

A variety of skills are needed to earn a consistent income as a writer. Next to writing aptitude and business proficiency, relationship building rounds out the top three. In more than 30 years as freelance writer, I’ve grown to appreciate the power of personal. Building authentic, mutually-beneficial relationships with editors, business clients, and fellow writers […]

I have yet to attend a writer’s group of any kind without someone fussing about submitting and only hearing crickets in return. They’d prefer an acceptance, but if that’s not in their cards, they want a rejection, and on top of that, they want to know why they were rejected. My questions then become: – […]

Writers make a living in different ways. I am lucky enough (and struggled hard enough) to have a job that includes writing: an anthropologist who works in academic research. And yet I found myself wanting to write more and differently, to be creative, to produce fiction and creative nonfiction in addition to peer-reviewed manuscripts describing […]

The world is grappling with adopting AI in all aspects of itself. We, of course, are concerned about it infiltrating our writing. All over the web, we see writers bragging about using AI to write better. They are claiming that putting their ideas into a program, and accepting what comes out, even tweaked, is their […]