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What does it take to become a scopist (legal proofreader) and transcriptionist? I’ve worked for legal agencies and registered court reporters — and with training, so could you. Legal transcription is technical and detailed, however, also lucrative as a part-time income or career. What a scopist does Scopists work with court reporters and judicial services, turning raw […]

Since the popularity of DNA testing, millions of people have sought information about their ancestors. However, not everyone wants to do the research or write about their family history once uncovered. This opens a huge market for those who enjoy looking for dead people and an opportunity to turn a hobby into a paying gig. […]

True crime is an interesting topic, and the niche is more multifaceted than a diamond. Authors with a knack for research and interviewing could make this genre their best friend. I’ve written about crime scene cleaning and true crimes, interviewed reformed criminals, and learned about law. Here’s how (writing) true crime pays. Crime Scene Cleaning: […]

In the last three weeks, I’ve been asked to look at four books that came with great story ideas and very nice premises. The covers immediately hollered self-publishing, but, hey, there’s great writing in self-published books. I gave up that prejudice a long time ago. Truth be told, I’m still reading two of them, so […]

Did you know there are grant opportunities for those with disabilities, including those in the neurodivergent community? One came from my home state, Colorado, through the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR). After years of struggle as an independent author, a glimmer of hope emerged when I learned about the DVR grant. You see, I have bipolar disorder. […]

I was in my forties when I started a new career in writing, and it took me a little while to realize the importance of saving everything. My first published piece was a 900-word essay for a publication called the Dana Literary Society. I proudly saved the link but deleted the essay from my documents. […]

When we feel things aren’t fair, when we feel someone got a step up that we deserved, when we feel we write better than someone else yet they got published, we stand at a crossroad. At that point, we have a decision to make. To feel we should get what someone else got, or to […]

Formal and informal writing groups have been around for hundreds of years. Hybrid authors clubs are newer, rising in the 2000s and are becoming a staple of how authors connect with professionals and readers today. “Hybrid” writing groups exist IRL (or in real life), but also connect with other communities online – often internationally. Find […]

I make a point of walking up to an author’s table and talking to them, often buying their book. Having spent many an hour in their shoes, I understand the difficulty of sitting there (they ought to be standing, but that’s another article). Invariably, I’ll look at the book, and if I cannot tell who […]

Novel writing software and word processors are faster, fancier, and more feature-filled than your old typewriter. However, are they any better than your old word processor for getting jobs done? Here’s a look at various writing software, what they cost, and how they work. Scrivener Scrivener gets rave reviews, and it’s a favourite of bestselling […]

Many writers are afraid to throw away work. It could be something they can’t seem to sell, or it could be the original version of a chapter rewritten. It could be that perfect sentence that someone told you to cut out, that you can’t see to let loose of. It could be a scene you […]

Google crawls, scores, and then ranks all online content. Search results are based on these rankings. Writers can have an advantage by understanding how Google scores their online writing. Here’s how search engines read. What Google Scores   Google uses more than 200 ranking factors to score online content for searchability. Readability and keywords, domains […]