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Earlier this month, Jodi wrote a great post titled, "Promotion Is More Than Just Bookmarks." If you missed it and the wonderful comments after it, you can
view it here. I've noticed authors doing a couple of what I like to call "thinking outside the box" marketing ideas lately, and so I thought I would share these with you. I don't know, maybe we should make March WOW! Women On Writing Share Your Marketing Ideas Month. With two books coming out sometime this year, I am always on the look out for what works. So, here's what I've noticed:
- Our very own WOW! blogger and columnist, Darcy Pattison, gave away a free e-copy of her new picture book, Wisdom: The Midway Albatross, for 48 hours in honor of the anniversary of the Japanese tsunami. Wisdom, one tough bird, survived that tsunami, and so Darcy tied a marketing promotion with the anniversary. Why give away e-copies of your book? Well, it's smart for picture book writers like Darcy because parents, teachers, and librarians can view the book on their e-readers and then purchase the hard copy for their kids, classes, students, etc. I blogged about Wisdom after reading it because I liked it so much. Sometimes, you have to give stuff away. . .And I found out about this free book because Darcy used the Events feature on Facebook to invite me (and all her contacts) to this book giveaway event. Another lesson learned here--use social networking!
- Currently, WOW! has a blog tour for The Smiley Book of Colors by Ruth Kaiser. Besides doing a blog tour, Ruth is also collecting photos of smiles readers find in nature. She gives money to Operation Smile for each photo, and one photographer (from WOW!) will win a book. (For more details, go here.) How does this help her market her book? She has people EXCITED about finding smiles. She is helping children, which everyone wants to do. She has people going to her website. She has kids and adults talking about her book. "Hey, I see a smile in your tree. Can I take a photo to upload to this author's website?" And imagine the conversation that will follow after that question. So, learn from Ruth. Do you have some way that fans can interact with you or your book on a website or blog or even Facebook page?
- Shhh--don't tell anyone, but this next great idea is from a male author! Mike Pemberton wrote a novel about basketball and mental illness titled, Transcendental Basketball Blues . So, what did he do that was a great marketing idea? He sent his book to different coaches around where he lives. The women's basketball coach from a nearby university liked his book so much that she is going to recommend that all her players read it AND she will use it as a textbook in her coaching basketball class! Time to put on your thinking cap: Who could you send your book to that can get behind it 100 percent? A few free copies sent out strategically while thinking outside the box may create
Congratulations to Laura McCarthy, who won second place in the Fall 2011 Flash Fiction Contest for her short story, "The Encounter." Laura, who holds a PhD in mass communication, has been a radio announcer, a college professor, and a weekly newspaper columnist, as well as an editor and publisher. In 2000, she opened a storefront writers’ center in upstate New York; the core group of novelists still meets weekly. More recently, she has been a sometime blogger (http://stardustbed.blogspot.com) and has just completed her first book (http://www.silkpurse.net). She lives in Miami, Florida.
WOW: Welcome, Laura, where did you get the idea for "The Encounter"?
Laura: I recently returned to Miami after fifteen years in other parts of the country. I was looking forward to seeing old friends and lovers, but a lot can change in fifteen years. It’s often painful confronting our fantasies.
WOW: I think that's something many readers can identify with. Why did you chose the first line that you did? Was the beginning difficult to write?
Laura: Actually, the beginning was there as soon as I thought of the story. Driving across country gives your imagination a lot of time for writing scenarios. And I must confess I had read an excellent memoir written in the second person a month or two earlier. I’m sure that planted a seed.
WOW: Why do you write flash fiction?
Laura: This was my second flash fiction story. The format is a natural for me because I’m much better at editing than at writing. I find the honing and polishing process extremely gratifying. I’m planning to go through my extensive collection of unfinished short stories, to see which of them might be candidates for flash-izing.
1 Comments on Laura McCarthy, 2nd Place, Fall 2011 Flash Fiction Contest Winner, last added: 3/6/2012
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I remember fondly sitting at the dentist's office with my mom and flipping through the latest Highlights for Children magazine. I loved the Hidden Pictures and the comic strip stories. I loved the poems and arts and crafts. I also remember getting my Jack and Jill magazines in the mail and sending in my own poems and drawings. These were some exciting days as a child.
When I decided to write for children, I wanted to publish a book, of course. But all the advice I read and heard at writing conferences was that while I was working on my book, I needed to build a publishing history. I needed to submit to magazines. This was one way I could work on my craft and learn the business at the same time.
So, I started on fiction stories, as most writers do. I thought back to those doctor's office waiting rooms and reading stories with my mom and dad. I remembered using my Jack and Jill magazines to play school, and reading with great expression the stories out loud to my stuffed animals.
This nostalgia got me rejection after rejection--and only one acceptance to a small, independent magazine because I placed in their fiction contest.
What I soon learned was that I needed a critique group. I needed to try my hand at nonfiction, too. I needed to learn about fillers and editors and query letters and more. So, through my correspondence classes at the Institute of Children's Literature and the wonderful members of my critique group (as well as all the conferences they dragged me to), I soon realized there was no place for nostalgia if I wanted a career as a writer. I needed to put away those memories of Highlights and Jack and Jill and face reality.
I see this SO OFTEN with new writers and/or people who have been trying to get a children's book published for years. They want to write a book like they remember from their childhood. They don't want to hear about e-zines or Walter, the Farting Dog or picture book apps. They don't want to hear that nonfiction sells easier than fiction, and that magazine editors are dying for boy stories with humor. They don't want to hear that they have to go study the market and figure out how it is always changing.
As the saying goes, "This is not your grandma's" publishing business any more. If you find yourself receiving rejection after rejection on your picture book or middle grade novel manuscript, take some time t
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A very common mistake writers make in their first drafts is to head hop, or change point of view, between the characters in a scene. This is usually not done on purpose. Here’s an example:
Eleanor wondered what could possibly be in Harold’s box. “That’s a really small container. I thought you were bringing all your old office supplies.”
“I am,” Harold said, laughing to himself. Eleanor was such a busybody. He would teach her to mind her own business.
“So, this is some kind of joke, then?” She asked, knowing Harold didn’t have a very good sense of humor.
In this scene, we are clearly in the minds of both characters. The scene has more than one point of view.
So, isn’t this omniscient point of view then? Can’t the narrator know what both characters are thinking? Some may argue yes. But omniscient point of view isn’t used much today; and when used properly, it has to sound all knowing—the narrator has to know everything about everyone. That’s not happening in this short scene. There’s definitely head-hopping going on.
Why does it matter?
Readers want to connect with the main character in a story. One of the best ways for writers to accomplish this connection is to reveal his or her thoughts and feelings—not just action and dialogue. Most readers love character-driven novels, so writers should strive to create a character that readers want to follow through an entire novel. Filter the story through this character’s eyes, so readers experience life like him or her.
How do you fix head-hopping?
To fix the above scene, pick a point of view character and filter everything through that character’s eyes and mind. Pretend to be that character. You know you can’t read another person’s mind. You can only recognize body language, tone of voice, and dialogue. Your characters are the same way. So, try this:
Eleanor wondered what could possibly be in the box Harold carried. “That’s a really small container. I thought you were bringing all your old office supplies.”
“I am.” Harold smirked and shook the box.
“So, this is some kind of joke, then?” She asked, knowing Harold didn’t have a very good sense of humor.
H
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It seems we've gotten a lot of e-mails lately asking us which one of the online classes we offer for children's writers is appropriate for the e-mailer's project. Writers will then describe their manuscripts and ask us to tell them what they are writing--whether it's a picture book, chapter book, or middle-grade novel, for example. This is an important question, and one that you should definitely be able to answer as you finish up your first draft and start working on revisions.So, what type of children's books are out there? How do they differ from one another, and who is your audience? One great way to figure out what you are writing or what you want to write is to spend time in the children's and young adult section of your public library as well as talking to the children's librarians. They are in the know and want to spend time helping others in the community, so pick their brains if you struggle with this topic. Here is a quick list to refer to with an example of a current title to go with it:- Concept book: This is a picture book or even a board book for very young children, preschoolers, that teaches them something, such as colors, counting, or opposites. An example would be Pirate Nap: A Book of Colors by Danna Smith.
- Picture book: The audience for this book is usually preschool through second grade. It is a story that is told with text and illustrations, with an illustration on each page, such as Olivia by Ian Falconer.
- Chapter book: These are for those primary elementary students who are transitioning between picture books and novels. Series like Junie B. Jones and The Magic Tree House are considered chapter books. These books average about 70 to 80 pages and have a couple illustrations in each chapter.
- Middle grade novel: This is a novel for children in fourth, fifth, and sixth grades. It generally has between 35,000 to 45,000 words. A couple of examples are the first Harry Potter, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, or Holes by Louis Sachar.
- Tween novel: Although this is not an official term, many middle-grade writers are writing a little older than their upper elementary grade school audience, but not old enough to be considered YA. These books would have 40,000 to 50,000 words and deal with a lot of middle school/junior high pressure. The Giver by Lois Lowry is an example of a book perfect for tweens.
- Young adult novel: These are usually considered for children 14 and older. They often deal with tough subjects and teenagers trying to navigate through their adolescent years. Books by author Ellen Hopkins would be YA.
3 Comments on What Am I Writing? Children's Books Defined, last added: 2/15/2012
A problem freelance writers and editors often have when clients approach them or they answer an ad is what to charge. If you're a freelancer, how much is your writing expertise worth? If you charge too much, you might lose the client. If you charge too little, then you are working for pennies and not paying your bills.
Luckily, we have a solution, and it's Laurie Lewis! She has written two books about this common problem. She is here with us today to tell us all about her books and how freelancers can use them to figure out what to charge or even to discover if your clients are offering you a fair fee for your work!
Even better, Laurie is giving away one copy of What to Charge: Pricing Strategies for Freelancers and Consultants! If you are interested in winning this book, in either print or digital form, then leave a comment or question below by Monday, February 6.
Here's a little about Laurie: she has enjoyed life as a freelance medical writer and editor since 1985. Her freelance business has been so successful that she can live comfortably in New York, one of the most expensive cities in the country. She has shared her expertise in editing and freelance fee setting in workshops and presentations from coast to coast. We are lucky enough to get to pick her brain right on The Muffin today!So, let's go.
WOW: Welcome, Laurie, to The Muffin. We are so glad you are here with us today to talk about your books. Your subject is one that many freelancers need to know. Tell us, who do you recommend should read What to Charge: Pricing Strategies for Freelancers and Consultants?
Laurie: Every freelancer, whether she is just starting out or has been in business for many years, will find What to Charge: Pricing Strategies for Freelancers and Consultants a useful, even an eye-opening book. I'm not being immodest. This is what readers have told me. I'm especially moved when I hear this from writers who have been freelancing for decades. They'll often say something like, "I wish I had this book when I started out;" or "Thanks to your strategies, my business has really taken off."
WOW: That's great news! No matter what your level of freelancing is, you can find value in this book. Why do you think freelancers have such a hard time knowing how much to charge?
Laurie: If you ask most freelance writers for a one-
It's a small, small world! I'm so happy to introduce you to Denise R. Graham, whom I had the pleasure to interview since she won first place in the Summer 2011 Flash Fiction Contest. She lives a mere forty-five minutes from me; but even stranger yet, she is in the same critique group that I used to be in about six years ago. I am thrilled to introduce you to her. If you haven't checked out her winning piece, "Better Late," you can do
so here.
Denise is the author of two young reader fantasy novels: Eye of Fortune and Curse of the Lost Grove (Mirrorstone, 2004 and 2005). Her stories have appeared in such publications as A Cup of Comfort for Writers, a number of Magic the Gathering® anthologies, and Woman’s World. She lurks in her supervillain secret lair deep in the heart of darkest mid-America with her co-supervillain, the inimitable Ron Morris, and their henchkittens, Kafka and The Morrigan. Her passions range from reading to 80s alternative music to all things Caribbean and beyond. She’s a grateful Scribes Tribe groupie. Her current projects include a YA novel rewrite, a screenplay rewrite, and more flash fiction.
WOW: Congratulations, Denise, on your first place win. How exciting! What was it like to get the news that you had won first place with your story, "Better Late"?
Denise: Thank you! I rarely enter contests, and I thought my lack of experience might work against me. So finding out my story took first place was a fantastic surprise.
WOW: Where did you get the idea for the story?
Denise: I read about an appeal of a murder conviction. I wondered about the victim's family and friends. How they might feel, what they might do, how the emotional scars might change them. The story grew from that.
WOW: It's always so interesting to discover where writers get their ideas for stories. Is it difficult for you to write an entire story in 750 words or less? Do you tend to write more than enough--and have to CUT, CUT, CUT? Or do you have the opposite problem--never enough detail or enough words? In other words, what are your strategies for a flash fiction piece?
Denise: I generally don't try to fit a story into any specific size or format. I just write, and then I see how the work can be improved, whether that means expanding or
Social media is a great marketing tool. It's a chance to connect with writers, readers, publishers, editors, and agents like never before. It's easy, and it's fast; but in order to use it effectively, you still have to follow old-fashioned, pre-social media rules of networking and building relationships and connections. You have to give before you can take. You have to be personable, and you have to share something of yourself. If you forget this, in your quick use of social media to promote yourself, then you will not be as successful. You cannot constantly ask people to do something for you without sharing yourself and giving to others.
Joel Comm, author of Twitter Power, which is a book I highly recommend, states on his website, "Whatever your industry, make sure that you're not just building followers but building those relationships and networks, too."
So, how do you do this? How do you stop ONLY promoting yourself and start interacting?
- On Facebook, you can visit other writers' pages and leave comments. You can follow your writing friends' links to their blogs and or book pages. You can leave encouraging words on their walls. Respond to their book signing and blogging events, even if you cannot attend.
- On Twitter, you can retweet a friend's interesting tweet that links to her bog. You can recommend another author's book as a holiday gift. You can get involved in a hashtag chat and share your opinion and ideas with other writers.
- On Linked In, you can recommend friends whom you have worked with personally or whose books you have read. You can answer questions in the QUESTIONS section of the site. You can also participate in group discussions in the groups that you are in, especially if someone is asking for people's advice and/or experience.
I know what you're thinking. This is going to take more time, and you're right--you could spend hours on this. But you have to limit yourself, and you have to look at it as marketing/networking time, which in today's publishing world is as equally time-consuming and important for the author as creating new work. Devote thirty minutes a day to social media for a couple weeks, and make sure you are sharing and building relationships--not just promoting yourself. See if you notice a difference. Are you gaining more followers or fans? Has your blog traffic increased? Have you sold any more books? Be honest with yourself. Are you being as consistent as you can? Are you sharing bits of yourself while also selling your work? A final note--if all you do is constantly put up links to your blog and your books on the three major social networks, people will stop reading your tweets and status updates. They gloss right over it--at le
Besides impressing others by being able to say, "Oh, I'm a freelance writer," or "Yes, I've been published in Family Circle," there are other reasons why pursuing a freelance writing career or even working part-time as a freelancer are good for you as a writer.
- Flexibility: One of the best benefits of being a freelancer is the flexibility. I'm not going to tell you it's easy--because it's not. You'll work hard, and you'll work long hours; sometimes just to get one article finished or five query letters researched and sent in. But you can generally do this work at 5:00 a.m. or 5:00 p.m.--whatever your schedule calls for. Freelancing is perfect for stay-at-home parents who have a different schedule almost every day or even writers working day jobs but hoping some time to freelance full time. I would say my favorite thing about freelancing, besides how interesting it is to write different articles and meet a wide variety of people, is the flexibility!
- Extra income: That's the joy of freelancing--you get paid--or at least, you are supposed to. And in real, live money--not copies and not t-shirts or other merchandise. Whether you write for small or large markets, glossy magazines or your local paper, a paycheck should accompany your hard work. It's hard for me to tell you how much you should get for your submission--until you break into the national magazines, you are probably not going to be funding your child's college education. But you could easily fund next year's Christmas purchases or that cruise vacation that you wanted to take with consistent querying of small to medium-size markets. And I always encourage my students to go for the glory--why not send in that query to O the Oprah Magazine first before you send it to a regional woman's magazine? You never know when an editor might love your idea.
- Your resume: If you're freelancing while you're working on your memoir, a nonfiction book proposal, or your novel, you're also building your resume or platform and collecting clips. You also probably have a bio included in several of these freelance publications, where you can list your blog, your website, your upcoming work, and so on. Any exposure you can get for your upcoming work is great. Any networking you can do while freelancing is doubly great. And finally, you are getting all types of writing and publishing experience that is invaluable during these experiences.
If I haven't convinced you yet, then here's a reason I know will convince you to give freelancing a try. (smiles) You become better at TRIVIA! (Think of all the trivia nights you can attend--people will be fighting over you to be on their team.) You are bound to learn interesting tidbits of information about your community, history, sports, and so on while researching and writing articles. In other words, you are building your trivia knowledge.
Recently, I had a Twitter conversation with one of our followers and she asked how she could get more involved with WOW! I'm asked this question by several of my WOW! online students also; and so I thought I'd take a little time today to highlight some of the ways you can interact and connect with other WOW! fans, readers, and team members. You want to stay connected!
- Newsletter: We have a free newsletter when a new issue comes out and periodic e-mail blasts about special opportunities for WOW! subscribers. To sign up, go to our home page at http://www.wow-womenonwriting.com . On the top right-hand side, you will see a box that says, "Sign up for our free newsletter." If you were already signed up, you would have been notified about our new issue, our special offers from our sponsors, and what we are looking for from freelancers this week!
- Facebook: Like us on Facebook! We allow fans to post information about their blogs, books, or businesses once a week. We let you know about all our new classes. We respond to questions on what type of submissions we are looking for and when contest notifications go out. Our Facebook page is a great place to ask us questions and let us know what YOU are up to with your writing. You can also meet other women writers here for networking and support. Anytime we have a special offer or new blog tour with a book giveaway--we post it here.
- Twitter: We have two Twitter accounts you can follow--our general one at http://www.twitter.com/womenonwriting or one specifically for WOW! blog tours at http://www.twitter.com/WOWblogtour On both, we interact with followers; on our general account, we tweet links to helpful articles and contests as well as updates to our class lists and the freelance job board. We point out our sponsors whom we have checked out, and we encourage writers through the hashtags #amwriting and #nanowrimo. Our WOW! blog tour account lets readers know where our authors are appearing and when people can win a prize or learn important information.
- The Muffin: Our blog, which you are reading now, can be subscribed to through e-mail or RSS feed. We update The Muffin each day, so you don't want to miss one thing our bloggers have to say. You can also become a part of our blog through the Friday Speak Out program. For more information, click on a post written on ANY FRIDAY, read it, and then contact Marcia at marcia (at) wow-womenonwriting.com
Finally, don't forget about our
quarterly flash fiction contest, judged in the final round by a literary agent, or the
WOW! classroom, where the 2012 classes are now listed--there are some new ones to check out. And if you are freelancer, we are accepting queries (send them quick!) for our January/February issue--it's an open theme, but anything about beginning a new year, edit
A semi-weird conversation I had with a non-writing, former classmate the other day led me to believe that many people in the world still find blogging to be unique or unusual. It went something like this.He said, "So, I thought I'd spend time blogging.""Cool," I said. "I love blogging.""I know," he said. "That's why I said it. I'm not really going to blog. But you should blog about ________ and ________ and ______. I mean, you have your blog. You blog!" I wasn't really sure what he was getting at. And then because we were in a big group of people, he was pulled away from the conversation, and we never really got back to it. I kept thinking about his comments, and then I realized a couple of things. 1. Because I am around so many writers and mommies, I think nothing of blogging. Doesn't everybody blog? Shouldn't everybody blog? Isn't it a great way to network, communicate with others in your field, share information, and create a platform for yourself? (By the way, the answer to these questions are YES, YES, YES, and YES.) 2. Other (regular, normal) people think blogging is a big deal. They think it is important to blog and that we really have something interesting to say. I have people tell me all the time, "I love your blog. I read it to find children's books. I love the activities you provide. How do you find the time?" and so on. But when I hear people say these things, I still think blogging is no big deal. It's like I don't believe them. Blogging is just something I do because I think it's important,and I have something to share with parents, teachers, and librarians. I want to meet other people in the children's book world, and blogging is a great way to do this. I blog for WOW! because I have information to share with writers, and I love being a part of this community. 3. So, in conclusion, I decided I should think blogging is more of a big deal than I do. I should be more proud of the fact that I have kept a blog going for over three years now and that I have made money from it. I have authors and publishers contacting me to review books, and I have regular readers who really use my suggestions at home and in their classrooms. I should not be so amazed when people comment on my blogging posts for The Muffin or when they retweet my link. Blogs are amazing, and bloggers are hardworking writers--and I am one of them!Thinking about this conversation with my former classmate also made me contemplate how as writers and bloggers, we ge
I recently read an issue of The Writer Magazine at the library, and one of the articles caught my attention. The main point of the article was that you should spend most of your writing time on what you write for money like magazine articles, business newsletters, blog posts, or whatever writing income stream you have found. According to the article, about 80% of your writing time should be spent on pieces that will make you “instant” money, instead of royalties later on down the road.
The other 20% should be reserved for your creative side—that poem you’ve been thinking about since you went for a walk in your old neighborhood, the novel you’re rewriting, or a short story to send to a contest.
This “theory” makes perfect sense until I try to put it into practice. One of my main problems is that I want the pieces I write during my 20% “creative time” to be my main income stream, but I don’t feel like I spend enough time on them. How will these stories and novels ever be successful if I’m only spending 20% of my time on them? The real problem is that this creative time is probably more like 3 to 5 percent of my writing time, instead of 20, when I figure in e-mail, marketing, and networking, too.
So, as writers do, I decided to make a list, full of tips and tricks to make sense of balancing my writing income work with my creative, hopefully-someday-income-gathering, writing. I hope that some of these tips and tricks can help you if you face this same dilemma, and together we can become more balanced writers.
Plan With Your Daily Calendar
If I sit down at the computer without a plan, I waste a lot of time. So, this year, I invested in a calendar with large spaces for each day where I can clearly write what I want to work on. The calendar has two days on every page, so a two-page spread shows four days of the week. This calendar’s organization really helps me see if I’m planning to write for money and creativity in the same four-day spread.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I enjoy writing, any writing. So, I’m not saying this 80% "business writing" is not fun and enjoyable--it’s just a different type of writing. If you write fiction and poetry AND you write non-fiction articles, you know what I’m talking about. I just love writing!
On each day of my four-day calendar spread, I make a note to work on some sort of creative, currently non-income writing, such as writing a chapter of my YA novel or revising and sending out a picture book manuscript. This is my 20%. Now, I haven’t mathematically figured out if m
I am currently teaching WOW!'s Social Networking online workshop, and it's made me think more and more about how important it is to have goals for your social networking sites. I know what you're thinking: I already have goals for my personal life. I have goals for my novel and some for my daily writing tasks. I don't need another set of goals--especially for Facebook and Twitter. But I believe this is a mistake many of us make. This is why sites like Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook become overwhelming and a time-suck. So, what kind of goals should you make and how do you use them to help you with your social networking skills?
Ask yourself this MAIN question: Why am I signing up for Facebook/Twitter/LinkedIn/GoodReads/Google Plus and creating a profile?
Your answer may be something like some of my students:
- I want to promote my book.
- I want to find clients for my life coach business.
- I am trying to build a network of writers because I plan to host an online writing conference.
- I am new to the writing world and am going to be trying to find an agent for a YA book. I need to make contacts and educate myself.
- I am trying to drive more and more readers to my blog, which is the platform for my self-published e-book.
You get the picture. These are specific reasons why these writers have signed up to use social networking. I'm not saying that they aren't also going to connect with high school friends or follow Ellen on Twitter, but this is the main reason why they are on the sites.
Once you know WHY you are on, now you can set some goals for the use. If you are on Facebook to promote a book, then contact everyone you've ever known that could be a potential reader and re-connect with them. Create a Facebook business page for your book. Join a Facebook fan page that has members who will want to read your book. Create events that surround your book--either in person or online--and promote them on Facebook. With the goal of promotion in mind when you log on, you will use your time more wisely.
One final note, you should never ONLY promote yourself on any site--even LinkedIn. The best way to connect with others and get them to buy your book/hire you/read your blog is to take a personal interest in others. Spend five minutes one day responding to your friends' Facebook status messages. Spend five minutes another day reading tweets and re-tweeting or replying. This is what causes people to notice you and want to help you with your goals.
The Muffin welcomes third place winner, Lauri Griffin, for her story, "The Universe's Weird Sense of Humor." If you haven't had a chance to read it yet, please do so
here.
WOW: Welcome, Lauri, to the Muffin--for the second time. You were also a flash fiction contest winner in Spring 2007! What gave you the idea for this contest's winning story "The Universe's Weird Sense of Humor?"
Lauri: My boys were watching Transformers at the movie theatre; I was in a coffee shop, waiting for the movie to be over. Three women beside me were talking loudly, complaining about their kids. One had a college freshman daughter who wanted to drop out of school and get married because she had met her soulmate. The other women laughed at that. And one said she wouldn't know what to do with a soulmate if he showed up finally. And my brain said "hmmmm."
WOW: Eavesdropping is a writer's best friend! How were you able to tell a complete story in so few words?
Lauri: Thank you! I tried to just hint at things, so the reader would know this is a woman who has lived a full life. Usually I wouldn't put backstory into flash fiction piece because you just don't really have the time or words. But this woman's past was the story, the hunt for someone she was convinced was there and that full life.
WOW: Why do you enjoy writing flash fiction?
Lauri: I like the challenge of getting a story into such a tiny space, Plus, writing novels is a huge time commitment--you are going to be living with that story and those characters for years. With flash fiction, you can experiment with different characters and types of stories. You can play with it. And I think it makes all writing tighter, when you try to get so much packed into so little.
WOW: All terrific points! You have also written a novel, for which you are seeking representation. Can you tell us a little about your novel?
Lauri: It's about a young woman who wants to save the world's stories, but she doesn't know her own. She has memories that don't seem to be hers and scars on her leg that no one has ever been willing to explain. She doesn't want any more stories to be lost or forgotten because she is convinced that somewhere in our fairyt
When Philip Martin asked me to tell you about his new book, How to Write Your Best Story, I agreed wholeheartedly. I've known Philip for a long time--since he was a literary agent at the Oklahoma Writers Federation, Inc. conference several years ago. He has years of experience in the writing and publishing world, and he has combined them to bring you some great advice. It's just what many of you, readers of The Muffin, may be looking for to help with your writing. So, here we go. First a brief bio. . .
0 Comments on How to Write Your Best Story as of 1/1/1900
Amy Lamphere, writer and senior team leader for Jockey Person to Person, was worried she didn't have a retirement plan, as she supported her writing career--waiting for her big break. She had been working retail to "support that habit" when she decided to go for something with more security. This is when she got into "social selling" with a company you've probably heard of before--Jockey. I'll let Amy tell you in her own words about her business, about her writing, and about how you can get super comfy clothes or even a new career to support your writing until it takes off. WOW: Hi Amy, I know that you have a business and a writing career, so we'll talk about both today. First, please share with The Muffin readers about your business, Jockey Person to Person. What is it exactly? Amy: You know the underwear company, right? Person To Person is their leading direct-to-consumer division. We have shaken up the social selling marketplace with a super functional, super fashionable line of clothes that women love to layer on. I am a sales rep and coach for a national team of fabulous women who have found great money and great balance between their Jockey business and their life passion--whether that's family, education, volunteering...or writing!WOW: So, what are some Jockey styles that you can suggest for writers? Do you have any particular pieces that you LOVE to write in?Amy: My blog is The Lady in Leggings, so you know what I like to wear! Jockey P2P's active wear is simply the best, perfect for yoga class, then settling down to the computer. I love our Convertible Wrap Cardigan--it can be worn twenty different ways, and the fabric is delicious. And our Modern Pants--fondly known as The Butt Pants (because they make EVERYONE's butt look good)--and Jacket are my writing "uniform": I put them on when I need to get some serious pages done, and the fact that I FEEL great really comes through in how I approach my work.WOW: Some people think it doesn't matter what they wear when they write. Do you agree with this or do you think the way you look and/or feel makes a difference for your creativity?Amy: I swing a little old school on this topic. I was brought up with "you never get a second chance to make a first impression" mindset, and that sentiment has served me well. I don't think you have to obsess or overdo; but if you are confident in your appearance, it does reflect in your work, whether it's alone with your laptop or at a conference with potential colleagues, readers, or collaborators.WOW: Or what if some of our writers are also speakers? Do you provide some good wardrobe choices for speaking and presenting, too?
2 Comments on Jockey Person to Person for Writers: Wardrobe and Income, last added: 8/31/2011
Recently, I judged a personal essay contest for a regional writing group. I love judging contests as it exposes me to some great writing and some not-so-great writing. With most of the entries, I found myself being able to tell in a few paragraphs whether or not to put the essay in the possible winners pile or the sorry pile. Everything I’d heard from editors and agents at conferences was true—in most cases, you can tell whether a piece of writing works or doesn’t from the first page. While judging the personal essays, I came up with some criteria for the winners that I thought I’d share. Writing personal essays has become popular—so what makes them successful?The Topic An interesting and unique topic was one of the first criteria I used to separate the winners from the rest of the batch. Personal essays can be about anything—your childhood playmate, a vacation gone wrong, a favorite teacher. When judging the entries, I found the best essays to be about topics that other writers left alone—a trip into the past that featured an ice truck, a daughter and father that grew grapes for wine, and a summer job in a factory with an opera-singing Sicilian. Sure, all of these were also well written, but the topic caught my attention and kept me reading until the end of the essay.When you are writing, think of unusual events, activities, and even people in your life—could you write a personal essay about them? If you are writing for a themed anthology—such as Chicken Soup for the Dog Lovers’ Soul—then you’re a bit limited on your topic choices; but you can still brainstorm unusual topics or angles within that theme. The VoiceLike all forms of writing, the voice of a personal essay is extremely important. It is your voice since you’re telling a personal story. It shouldn’t sound stilted or like the reader opened an encyclopedia. It should sound like the writer is sitting on the front porch, telling this story to someone else. The StructureWhen judging the essays, the structure I found that works best is the circle structure. The author starts the essay with a general statement or a scene that leads into the rest of the essay. At the conclusion, the writer wraps up the essay with a mention of or some tie-in to the beginning scene.Besides the circle structure, another type of ending that works well for personal essays is the twist or surprise. If the writer chooses to use a twist at the end, it’s usually something clever or funny that happened that readers will not expect. These types of endings usually work better with short stories or even children�
I'm not the kind of person who generally worries about security or fraud. I always think, That will never happen to me. I listen to authors who are afraid their work will be stolen when they send it in and wonder how I can get that kind of confidence. They are basically saying, "My work is so good, people will want to steal it and claim it as their own." WOW! That's a statement. I know this kind of stuff does happen, but as I said--not to me.
But then. . . the other morning, I got up at 5:00 a.m. to write; and instead of writing, I spent my time dealing with an iTunes mess. Someone used my iTunes account to purchase $80 worth of video game crud. My iTunes was connected to my PayPal, and there weren't enough funds in my PayPal, so my back-up method was used to charge these items. I was LIVID. I was SICK. And I was basically watching it happen right in front of my eyes because the person just happened to be hacked into my account, while I was also on the computer. He/she had changed my address to theirs and my security question and my password. LUCKILY, everything worked out--I was reimbursed almost immediately, and now NO payment method is connected to my iTunes. (By the way, I suggest if you have an iTunes account, that you do this immediately--have nothing or an iTunes card with a low balance connected to your account--lots of people are a victim of this iTunes/PayPal fraud right now.)
Then I read an interview with a screenwriter (that will be published in the next issue of WOW!). In the article, she discusses how to protect your screenplay or play with the U.S. Copyright Office before you are submitting it. I never really thought that was important until what happened to me the other morning. Once you've had anything stolen--money, words, Facebook password, ideas--you become skeptical--and maybe that is a good thing for me. I have changed my passwords to all my accounts and made them more secure with capital letters and numbers. I have checked my privacy settings on Facebook, Twitter, and my e-mail accounts. I will make a note to be careful of the kind of information I post on my blog. I will consider registering manuscripts with the copyright office, depending on what it is and where I am sending it.
Basically, I plan to be more secure in my writing life and personal life--and especially my social networking life. When I teach the social networking class for WOW! (starting September 14) , I always bring up ways to protect your privacy with social media, and I plan to do even more of this now. How do you make sure your writing and personal lives are secure in an insecure world? Any tips to share?
I realized I worry about freelancing all the time. I worry if I’m using my time wisely, if there’s something else I should be trying, or if I’m working smarter. I've read wonderful advice from WOW!'s instructor Nicole LaMarco about how we should focus on the writing and sending out instead of the worries. And you know what? She's right! I made a list of FIVE common freelancer concerns, and how to combat them. I'll share three today and the rest next week on Thursday.
Concern #1: Running Out of Good Ideas
Many writers worry that they may run out of good ideas. Without ideas that editors want, a freelance career may be hard to sustain. That’s true. However, I know many writers, and most of them have more ideas than they will ever have time to write. But if this is a concern of yours and you worry you won’t come up with a saleable idea ever again, then try these solutions:
• Keep a notebook with you, and any time you see anything of interest—jot it down. Refer to this notebook when you feel stuck.
• Talk to family and friends about ideas or what they are currently interested in.
• Scour through newspapers, magazines, and anthologies for ideas.
• Take a broad topic like dogs or weddings, and create a mind map. Narrow the topic until you get a new and unique idea.
Concern #2: Health Insurance:
This is a huge concern for freelancers, especially if a writer is not married to someone with health insurance. You need to educate yourself on your current options, and what you can do to cover yourself. It’s important to have health insurance. Here are some sites where you can find information. Talk to other freelancers you know, and ask them what they do.
Concern #3: Time Management
Congratulations to Gayle Beveridge, who was one of our runners-up in the Winter 2011 Flash Fiction contest. If you haven't had a chance to read her story, "Unnamed," you should click over there and read it now!
Gayle is passionate about writing and keen to showcase Aussie culture to a global audience. She has a bachelor's degree in business and a diploma in company directorship and earns her living as an accountant. After allowing her career to consume her for nearly thirty years, she started to write in earnest just prior to turning fifty. Gayle writes short stories and flash fiction for relaxation and uses writing competitions to help maintain momentum. She participated in NaNoWriMo last year and is currently editing her first novel, Petals in the Dust. Also an avid fan of Twitter fiction, very short stories told in 140 characters, Gayle tweets a story daily @GayleBeveridge on Twitter.
Gayle lives in Narre Warren North in Australia with her husband Roger. She has two step children and three wonderful grandchildren. She loves her family, dogs, sunsets, chocolate, and bird watching. More about Gayle and links to some of her award-winning stories can be found on her website, www.ficklefiction.com.
WOW: Congratulations, Gayle, on your win in the flash fiction contest. "Unnamed" is such a cute and touching story. Where did you get the idea for the story?
Gayle: I'd been reading some half page stories in an over 50s newspaper--most of them about some aspect of people's lives in retirement, and I wanted to write a story dealing with retirement issues. Being alone and isolated is a common problem for the elderly, and this was the spark for the story. I love dogs, so solving the problem with a pet was a natural progression.
WOW: This is actually a pretty long story for you, huh? I noticed that you like to write 140-character stories for Twitter every day. How did you get started with these? Can you give us an example of one?
Gayle: I became involved with social media to promote my writing, which I'm s
Last week, I wrote about considering business writing as part of your freelance career--especially with the number of magazines and newspapers folding. I talked about external and internal opportunities and about contacting businesses and letting them know about your services. But Craigslist (www.craigslist.org) is also full of business writing opportunities. The hope is that you find one, get your resume in quickly before the other one hundred writers, do a great job, and the business hires you again. I have applied for Craigslist jobs before--some have worked out; some have not. Once, I received a phone call from a business owner who was looking for writers who could write on a variety of subjects for his event planning business. While he quickly interviewed me and I translated his heavy New York accent, he told me he received over one hundred resumes for that job. So, the competition is tough, and you have to be quick on Craigslist. Let’s talk about some tips on using Craigslist, so you don’t get lost in the shuffle.• Many of the large cities that you first see listed on the Craigslist home page have the most job openings for writers—even telecommunicating jobs. Use the local angle, though, to make yourself more desirable to an employer. For example, if you live near Chicago, search for jobs there first and mention your location in your first response to the job ad. • Click on your state and find your city on the list. I live in Missouri; so when I click on my state, I am taken to a page that lists several medium- and large-sized cities. I look at the jobs in those cities first and again mention that I am a local writer or editor. If I am familiar with the business, I will also mention that in my first e-mail. • Don’t answer ads that are general and don’t give much information about the business. These are often ads for sites that want you to subscribe to them to view jobs or make a very small amount of money for a very large amount of work. • On Craigslist, if it sounds too good to be true, it is too good to be true. It won’t hurt you to answer ads like this if you are not sure if they are legit or not (and everyone has different goals for their careers), but don’t waste a lot of time on them. With Craigslist, I usually put a couple sentences about myself, attach my resume WITHOUT my address (just my phone number and website), and send it. If the company is legit, then they will get back to you. With Craigslist, it is a good idea to set aside one or two hours once a week to look through ads and respond to them. Start with your state, and then move on to bigger cities such as New York and Los Angeles. Look for ads from businesses, so you can develop a relationship with them and
With the economy in a tailspin, we all know that freelance writing gigs can be tough to get. Some magazines and newspapers have closed their doors; others are only working with staff writers to keep costs down. So, to pick up some freelance work and put some of that green stuff back in your pocketbook, you might consider business writing. You’ve probably heard the old pros mention that they do quite a bit of business writing, and it’s often more lucrative and easier to find than magazine and newspaper work. But what does this term business writing mean exactly? External CommunicationOne of the most common types of business writing is when a company hires a freelance writer to create materials for public viewing. The writer’s job is part writing and part public relations as she produces materials that communicate with potential and current customers. Small- to medium-sized businesses are more likely to hire freelancers for these jobs because they don’t have the budget to pay a staff writer (or provide benefits like health insurance), or they don’t have enough regular work to keep a writer busy forty hours a week.If a company hires you to work on external communication projects, you could be writing:• Newsletters• Letters• Brochures• Press Releases• Blogs• Website copy• Ads• E-mails• Presentations• Reports• Social Networking ProfilesFor example, I’m currently working with a psychologist who is creating a parenting brochure for her clients. I’m taking her technical jargon and making it more parent-friendly, as well as adding practical examples that parents can relate to. Many businesses today create newsletters or brochures full of helpful tips, projects, recipes, community information, and more to create a relationship with their customers. A hardware store could hire you to create a bi-monthly newsletter full of do-it-yourself projects and highlighting ways the store is helping in the community. A photographer might want to create a newsletter or brochure around the holi
You have a blog, a topic to write about, even a schedule for your posts. You’ve found ways to monetize it and even hosted a few blog tours. But how do you drive traffic to your site? What can you do to let readers know about the wonderful information you are sharing on your blog? Here are a few tips to get you started.
Add a Share This Button to Your Blog
You’ve probably seen this link or button on several blogs. I added it to my blog if you want to see an example. Scroll down to the bottom of any post, and you’ll see where it says: “Share this.” This button allows people to easily share a post on your blog in any of the major social networks from Digg to Twitter to Facebook. Readers just click on a link, and a menu pops up. Then they choose which social media outlet to send your post to. “Share This” also shortens the link, so it is not a long URL address for Twitter or Facebook.
To add a “Share This” button to your blog, go to ShareThis.com and follow the simple directions. You can use this button for any website or a Wordpress, Typepad, or Blogger blog. Make it easy for people to share your words with the world. Readers are busy—giving them the ability to push a button and share a link is crucial to getting publicity for your blog.
Guest Blog and Blog Comments
Another easy way to drive traffic to your blog and get people to read what you are posting is for you to visit other blogs with similar topics. You can do this in one of two ways. You can visit another blog as a guest blogger, where the blog owner allows you to write a post on a topic. The hope is that your post is enjoyable or informative, and people will want to read more. So, they check out your blog, which you provided a link to in your guest post.
How do you become a guest blogger? Find blogs that you like, see if they have guest bloggers, and write to the site owner about doing a guest blog. Remember to always be professional and approach the site owner the same way you would approach an editor. You can also ask a friend if you can guest blog on each other’s blogs.
You can also visit blogs and leave comments pertaining to the posts on that blog. Make sure your comments are relevant and interesting; and always, always, always leave your blog’s URL with your comment. That way people can read your intelligent and heartfelt comment and think, “Who is this wonderful person? I want to read more of her thoughts.” Then they click on your link and visit your blog.
I always visit the blogs or websites of people who leave comments on my blog, and I try to leave a comment on theirs. It is important to support each other and to build a community with the readers who are taking the time to leave comments on your blog. These people will be more likely to subscribe to your blog or visit again if you also show an interest in their work, too. Besides, blogs are interesting, and you never know what you might learn from someone.
One final note. . .
Don’t forget to share your posts on your Facebook page and with your Twitter followers. You might want to do this only a couple times a week, but your friends, family, and followers want to know what you’re up to and hopefully will support your blogging adventures.
7 Comments on Share Your Blog With the World, last added: 7/7/2011
You won’t believe how much time you can spend on a social media site if you don’t set a time limit, say 30 minutes a day at the most. One of the problems is you can easily get distracted by personal messages, tweets, and status reports. For example, you might spend 30 minutes commenting on your best friend’s photo album of her daughter’s 4th birthday party instead of finding links about writing and posting them to your Facebook page. I agree that Facebook is great for keeping in touch with friends and family, but you can make it a point to do these personal interactions on the weekend IF you have a limited amount of time for writing during the week.So, what are ways to use your time wisely on Facebook?
• Set up a fan page—this would be a page on Facebook where people could join and become a fan of your work• Invite people to an event—events can be real world events such as book signings or conferences. They can also be cyber events such as blog giveaways.• Update your status to say something about your writing career. • Find other writers and comment on their statuses or "like" their fan page. • Post links of writing articles or blog posts that you find helpful.• Write notes about writing contests, issues you are having with your novel, or a hot topic such as book covers.What are ways to use your time wisely on Twitter?
• Take part in one of the groups/chats such as #amwriting, #writegoal, or #kidlitchat. • Tweet about your recent blog post. Make sure to write a headline with your link that catches people’s attention such as: “Here’s a book that kids will talk about long after they’re done reading it” and then attach the link.• Find other authors’ and writers’ promotional tweets and retweet them. If you know writers personally, then do an exchange. Ask them to retweet information to their followers, and you will do the same for them.• Go to people’s links that you see on Twitter and leave comments on blogs. Always, always, always leave either your blog’s URL or your Twitter ID, so these people can find you and repay
Recently, I taught a telecourse for the Children's Writers' Coaching Club on writing for parenting and family publications. One comment that was made during the course was from a children's writer. She said, "I never thought about writing for parenting magazines as a children's writer, but now I see how it makes perfect sense." Exactly. There are two things we can learn from her comment as freelancers. 1. We often get stuck in one genre or with one age group, and we don't think about how we can expand our career. 2. If you are a children's writer, there are a lot of magazines that seem to be folding up; but parenting, family, and teaching magazines are a natural audience, too. This is especially true if you are a children's book author. Who buys these books for children? Parents, teachers, and librarians--the same audience you are writing to in these magazines. No matter what kind of writer you are, parenting and family magazines are a big market. Go to www.thenewmagazinecity.com, and click on this category to check out the most well-known and national magazines. But besides these, almost every region has a parenting magazine like Indy's Child or Georgia Family . Here's another website to check out: Parenting Publications of America. You don't want to subscribe to the organization necessarily, but look around the site to see different names of parenting publications. Once you find some you are interested in writing for, do a Google search and find their websites to find writers' guidelines and past articles. Once you have your market, what do you write about? Look at your own family--you could write a how-to article about a recent problem you and your toddler solved. How about a travel article on a cheap but fun vacation in a magazine's region? Does the publication take book reviews? Do you like to read new parenting books? Then this may be the niche for you. Study your potential market carefully, and then make a list of the types of articles included in the magazine as well as topics. Use these as a starting point for brainstorming ideas. You have an idea, you have a market, so write that query. Make parenting publications a part of your resume, starting today! Post by Margo L. Dill; Margo will be teaching FREELANCE WRITING: Querying and Writing Non-fiction Articles through WOW!'s online classroom, starting on August 19. For more information about the class and to sign up, please visit the classroom here.
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Margo, thanks for the Shout Out on Wisdom, the Midway Albatross. The free giveaway of the book had 1776 downloads and generated over 100 sales. Sometimes, I am sad there were so many FREE downloads, but I doubt any of those would have bought the book. Hopefully, there will be more word-of-mouth from those giveaway, exactly like you just did! I'll repeat the promo around Earth Day, since this is a science/nature book for kids and hopefully do even better.
Darcy
Darcy, thanks for sharing how it all worked! :) All those downloads show a definite interest in the subject matter--it's a great addition to an Easter basket, if I do say so myself. :)
Great!
Thanks for sharing these great ideas. My book, HOSPICE TAILS, for which you arranged a blog tour last November, will be turning one year old in June, and I've been looking for some creative ways to market it.
Debra: I remember your book and your blog tour. The first thing that pops to my mind is something with veternarians and/or humane societies or even Love on a Leash. I'm not sure what you could do, but those are some people to consider giving a free or discounted book to--maybe for waiting rooms? We would love to hear what you come up with.
Debra,
To expand on Margo's thought...Maybe you could team up with some of the pet rescue organizations. Non-profit orgs often run donation drives, walk-a-thons, or contests and need prizes donated. As a sponsor, you/your business gets a lot of exposure. (and you hit the "animal-lover" market)
The other "up" side to this is...the more people realize that the retired race dog, the three-legged cat, etc... still have so much love to offer, and a purpose, the more people will think twice before euthanizing them.