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Be Your Own Literary Agent and Get Published

So you're one of 20 million Americans who want to write a book. If you've already written a manuscript, chances are you're looking for agent representation. In the past few years, as an editor and literary consultant for www.TheOmnibus.org, I've had the opportunity to read more than 1,000 book proposals. Most, I'm sad to report, were inadequate because the author did not follow a few, very simple guidelines. Before you complete your manuscript and send it on its way to prospective literary agents or publishers, take the time to make sure you have a professional query letter and (short)... Read More

How to Catch the Writing Bug

----------------------------------------------------------Permission is granted for the below article to forward,reprint, distribute, use for ezine, newsletter, website,offer as free bonus or part of a product for sale as longas no changes are made and the byline, copyright, and theresource box below is included. ---------------------------------------------------------- How to Catch the Writing Bug By Stephen Bucaro If you earn income as a writer, or use writing as amarketing tool, you know how difficult it can be at timesto write. I started writing for my website and newslettera few years ago. Sometimes it would be two or three weeksbetween articles. Sometimes writing would be torture. Thenone... Read More

Keys to Characterisation

Far too many inexperienced writers create flat, stereotypical characters: the brave fireman, the damsel in distress, the strict schoolmistress. The best characters are those who evoke emotions within the reader ? fear, admiration, affection, laughter, horror? If the writer fails to make us care about the characters, no matter how ingenious the plot, we will toss the story aside without a second thought. Every character should be unique. There are no two people in this world exactly the same. Each of us has an individual personality; everything we do derives from the governing aspects of that personality. The following factors... Read More

Balance Your Life

Balance your life ----------------------- Writing is a solitary task. Writing needs concentration and quiet. Writing requires absolute commitment. Are all there scary statements true? What is more, is it possible to balance your writing career and family without turning yourself into... Read More

Persisting With Bulldog Determination

Persisting With Bulldog Determination [Book excerpt from Successercising} by Rick Gettle © 2003-2004Ninety-five percent of all new businesses go out of business within the first five years or less.Why Do They Fail?There are many starters in life - but very few finish what they start. When the going gets tough, most people fold. They don't persist hard enough or persevere long enough. They don't have a red-hot flaming burning desire to succeed. They don't make it their definite major purpose. They don't take enough personal initiative to make it happen ? they don't go the extra mile. They don't want... Read More

Want to start a publishing revolution?

Calling all publishers, editors, journalists and freelance writers. It's time to breathe more life into your copy. Turn your articles into living pieces that spark measurable debate, get closer to your readers and engage their mind andsoul - we're talking revolution. As it was in the beginning Publishers have for many years relied on letters to get feedback from their readers and although email has opened up this method of communication it is still time consuming and difficult to process with only a fraction of the received correspondence ever being used. Let's face it, as well as being an... Read More

Writing About Writing

What am I going to write about?Which topic is the best?Who is going to be interested in my article? You can ask yourself endless questions on 'what' is going to be the subject of your article. Don't despair! This is not a problem . Any topic will do, and a lot of people will read your article as far as you pay attention to the top rule of the internet: Give away information. This is the reason why people read articles, and that's why you are reading this article in the first place! Think for a moment: Why am I... Read More

Hunting for Markets Over the Holidays

Chances are, you'll be busy over the next several weeks. Between preparing for, celebrating, and unwinding from the holidays it may be difficult to maintain your regular writing routine. And if researching potential homes for your work is part of that routine-as it is for many of us who regularly submit stories, essays, poems, articles, and reviews for publication-you may be worried about falling behind.But it's time to put those worries to rest. In truth, there are many ways to keep up with your market-hunting over the holidays. Here are just four possibilities:1) When you visit friends and family, peruse... Read More

Boost Your Income With Trade Journals

Why would anyone want to write for trade journals? Aren't the topics are dry? Don't they require specialized knowledge? Not necessarily. You may want to consider trade journals to increase the potential market for your articles ? and for the money. Trade publications make up a significant portion of the hidden source of funds for professional writers. Breaking in can be surprisingly easy ? when you know the tricks. What Can You Write? Use a brainstorming list to begin your search for a specialty. To write for a trade publication, you will need in depth knowledge of a topic.... Read More

Recipe for a Style Guide

Wired Online has recently announced its plans to drop capitalization in internet, web, and net, but Wired Magazine continues to capitalize these words. Which should you do? For the most part, it's up to you. To ensure consistency on such tricky words, most editors will have a style guide. This kind of style is the way you present yourself in words as well as the mechanics of words. Style addresses physical and editorial conventions. If you don't have the luxury of creating one, there are a few excellent resources for your use. The AP Style Guide... Read More

Applying KISS Principle in Writing

I have added a new word to my vocabulary. Logorrhea. We've all been touched by it. What is it? The Word Spy defines it, "excessive verbosity and long-windedness. Also know as verbal diarrhea."Basically, you'll see plenty of examples of logorrhea in online blogs and content. Do you read every online or email content word for word? Most people quickly scan such content. Jakob Nielsen and many other experts confirm this theory.It's best to keep it short 'n sweet. There are online Web sites that require 1000+ word articles. This does not mean running free and writing wordy. Ezine editors require... Read More

10 Tips To Help You Pack More Power Into Your Business Writing

1. Before you write anything down define not what you want to say, but what your message must achieve. Keep that firmly in focus at all times and use it as the main goal for everything you write. Ask yourself "does this concept/approach /clever headline/earnest mission statement/ really help the message achieve its objectives?" If the honest answer is no, alter it or rethink it completely.2. Identify your target audience and get to know them very well. No matter how beautifully structured your message is if it doesn't take into account the real circumstances and needs of the audience, it... Read More

How To Be A Published (Non-Fiction) Author

1. Turning your idea into a bookWith non-fiction books the question of whether or not to write one has to be a business decision, rather as you would take over any new product or service.With general non-fiction there is usually room for a good new book on the market, provided it's likely to attract a substantial group of readers because:·It's about something entirely new and very interesting that no-one has written about before, or...·It's about something that's not new, but to which you contribute something entirely new and very interestingSo why write a business book? Well, there aren't many more... Read More

How To Write More Powerful Reports

There is one key difference between reports and most other forms of business writing, and we get a hint of that in the word, "report." Whereas with many other forms of written comms you can be a little creative and put your own slant on your words, in a report you must not. Not in theory, anyway.In a report, you're supposed to report - not embellish, embroider, influence, etc. Just the facts and nothing but the facts.This does not, however, mean that reports need to be dull and boring. It does, however, mean that you can't make the content more... Read More

Five Golden Rules for Writers

Regardless of what sort of writer you are and how much you love to write, there are probably days when you'd rather clean ditches than face another blank page.As writers, we face common challenges; staying motivated and confident, avoiding "writer's block," and meeting goals (on time!) are some of the toughest. Here is some of the best practical advice I've come by, or discerned myself, for becoming and remaining productive, creative, and content while traversing the writer's path. Try implementing these "Five Golden Rules" and see if they work for you.Golden Rule #1: Avoid dwelling on past work: get on... Read More

COULD YOU (not) REPEAT THAT PLEASE?

I recently read a book where everything was akimbo. Arms were akimbo, legs were akimbo. Akimbo appeared on every page. Okay every page is a slight exaggeration, but akimbo was in every chapter more than once. I started thinking of the hero in the book as Adam West's posturing Batman persona. Every writer is guilty of the akimbo type of repetitiveness once in awhile. Most of the time we're not even aware that we're echoing ourselves. How do these unconscious akimbo dittos creep into our work? The English language is so rich with descriptors, why would we... Read More

Ferreting Out Work

FERRETING OUT WORK You keep hearing that there's work out there, but so far you haven't found any. Well, where is it? That depends on what you're looking for. Are you looking for a freelance writing JOB? Or a MARKET? Or both? First let's concentrate on JOBS. Online Job Sites (in no particular order): John Hewitt's Writing Center ? This site also has a lot to offer writers. For job information, see Freelance Forum. http://www.poewar.com News Jobs http://www.newsjobs.net Media Bistro ? This site offers daily media news and updates. You have to register with the... Read More

Gaining Writing Experience

GAINING WRITING EXPERIENCE Some Catch-22, huh? In the writing business, you can't get published until you have some experience. If you can't get published until you have experience, how do you get experience? How do you get publishing clips to show all those publishers who want to see "previously published clips"? It's almost as if Lily Tomlin's telephone operator character came up with this: "Is this the party to whom I'm speaking? Are you the unpublished writer who has published clips I can look at? (Snort, snort!)" What's an unpublished writer to do? Get published, of course!... Read More

Amazing Ways Writing Articles Can Improve Your Business

How to get a lot of traffic to your website FREE? Writing articles. This is one of most cost effective way to promote your website - it saves you a lot of money, in the meantime, you get a lot of valuable visitors. The following are a few tips for your reference. 1. Submit them to e-zines and web sites for publishing.Include your resource box at the end of the article to getfree advertising. 2. Combine your articles into a free e-book. You can placeyour business ad in the e-book. Give it away to visitors andallow them to do the... Read More

Write With Passion: 4 Steps To Emotionally Charge A Nonfiction Article

You have just completed a draft of an article. It seems flat, even to you. It needs some spunk. Needs to be more alive. Possibly you're at a loss on how to spruce it up so that it creates an emotional connection with the readers.A flat fiction character is easier to fix with emotional language than a nonfiction article. Especially if the nonfiction article doesn't include a character or an emotional story. Keep in mind that if you have written the article from a personal experience perspective, then there is a chance you have already included some emotionally charge language.... Read More