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I read a site called Letters of Note that posts common letters from famous and uncommon people, and this week they posted one from Norman Lear who recently died at 101. He wrote and produced fantastic material way ahead of his time, dealing with the social mores of society and making it comical with a […]

The question asked most of me is: How do you organize your day to accomplish what you do? I probably never answer it the same any two times. There isn’t an A-B-C or step-by-step response to that. However, I will try to list how I get things done and see if you can find some […]

In my job I write emails on behalf of businesses to try and generate leads from other businesses. Here are some things I’ve learned that we could apply to writing query emails and subs… Make it easy for the recipient  When emailing an editor or agent, remember the relationship is asymmetrical: the message matters far […]

In the early days of my freelance travel writing career I realized how difficult it was to earn enough money to travel to all the places I wanted to visit. Magazine pay rates vary tremendously from as little as 10c/word to $1/word. Thus, travel perks became important to defray my travel costs. Travel writing perks […]

I recently read an essay by an author who earned out her $20,000 advance in two years, which is amazing. What does that mean? They paid her a $20,000 advance when the book was sold to a traditional press, which meant she received no royalties until her advance earned itself out with sales. She did […]

My 17-year travel writing journey mantra is, “presell your travel stories before you visit your destination.”  Many travel writers go on trips without assignments. Then they’re faced with the uphill grind of selling their ideas after they return. I’m always surprised at this random approach, because it’s not good business. It’s difficult to sell stories […]

By Orrin Konheim Considering I’ve devoted a significant portion of my life to writing about entertainment, I’m especially agog at the prospect of getting to meet a celebrity face-to-face (or on zoom or the telephone or whatever) and pepper them with questions. Even if I didn’t care about the cult of celebrity, interviewing a famous […]

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 […]