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Writing Etc. – January 1, 2005

ISSN: 1545-5580

Tips, Techniques, and Resources to Transform You From An Average Freelancer to A Highly Paid Professional.

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To subscr*ibe to Writing Etc. and receive the fr*e e-book, “Power Queries,” surf here:

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Forward Writing Etc. to all your writing friends! They’ll be glad you did.

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In This Issue:

Notes from Minnesota

Filbert’s Guide to “Resolutions”

Recommended Resource

2005 Action Plan to Jumpstart Your Writing Career

Paying Markets

We Recommend

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This issue is sponsored by:

While many freelance writers struggle to earn a living wage, Bob Bly has proven again and again, year after year, that it’s not only possible to earn far more, it’s possible to to transform words into a $100,000 per year freelancing business.

And he shares all his secrets within these pages. Secrets like:

• The hidden market most freelancers overlook that can boost your income to unbelievable levels
• The “quiet” magazine market that’s easy to break into and often pays very well
• How to ask for (and get) the fees you deserve
• How to use Bob’s “positioning” techniques to set you apart from your competition
• How to write a “bullet proof” book proposal
• 22 rules for successful self promotion
• Insider secrets to effectively use the Internet to reach your income goals
• How to do more... in less time

Bly goes on to list resources... books, websites, organizations and magazines... that are designed to help you succeed as a freelance writer.

Bob Bly’s Guide to Freelance Writing Success is an indispensable resource for the serious freelancer. Bly’s track record is impeccable. And today he’s sharing his secrets.

http://filbertpublishing.com/bob.htm

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Greetings from Minnesota!

My oh my, what a week!

It began with what was supposed to be a simple transfer of the Writing Etc. list from Topica to Aweber. All went slick as could be… until the Aweber software recognized everyone as “new” and sent out our “Welcome to Writing Etc.” letter willy nilly.

You probably received it. And for that I apologize.

However, be sure to store it in a safe place because it’s got all your top secret links to get into the Writing Etc. vault and download Power Queries.

At least a little good can come from a snafu, eh?

Onward and upward.

Last week my dearly loved computer decided to spontaneously freeze without warning. And this wasn’t your average “freeze” this was a repeated freeze that instantly transforms you from a “zen” writer swinging through the “zone” of creativity to an insane shrieking berserker as you scramble over furniture in the numb realization that you hadn’t hit the “save” option for far too long.

My dear husband mentioned that we probably needed to invest in a new computer.

Dang.

OK. I know. It’s old. The “e” key long since lost any identifying markings. New downloads make it literally creak as it chugs through code, struggling to make new images emerge on the screen.

But hey, after writing four books, countless articles (including this one, cross your fingers that we won’t hit a freeze-up), dang near every issue of Writing Etc., and at least a gazillion e-mails, I’d start getting a little frosty, too.

But alas. My little romance with this fine machine is about to end.

As I type, a hot sleek, cyber-wizard sits at my feet purring, waiting for me to embrace her keyboard and start writing.

Not gonna do it though. Not for a while at least. I’ve put off switching machines for an entire week.

I just can’t seem to drop this old buddy of mine.

“But the flat screen will give you more room on your desk,” Peder (my dear son) begs.

He’s right. But what am I going to do with all that extra space? Pile more papers? I’ve got enough on my desk already thank-you-very-much.

I know the inevitable will descend upon me soon. Within the next couple days, I’ll be well on my way through the transfer. I’ll have filled out all the rebate forms. All my sticky notes will soon adhere to the fancy dancy monitor.

And my dear friend will hum on the floor beside the desk patiently waiting for me to finish the big transfer and turn off her power for the last time.

Totally, totally sucks.

So here’s to my old computer. May she find a new, productive life as she’s put out to pasture.

And here’s to new beginnings and a brand spanking new desktop wizard designed to make me more productive than I’ve ever been before.

May I wear out your “e” key as well.

Til next time,

Beth

P.S. Here’s our best seller list… be sure to pick up a copy of each of these titles. They’re awesome.

1.      Jumpstart Your Writing Career and Snag Paying Assignments by Beth Erickson http://filbertpublishing.com/jumpstart.htm

2.      Bob Bly’s Guide to Freelance Writing Success: How to Make $100,000 a Year as a Freelance Writer and Have The Time of Your Life Doing It. http://filbertpublishing.com/bob.htm

3.      Weekly Writes: Exercises in Creative Writing by Shery Ma Belle Arrieta http://filbertpublishing.com/Weekly.htm (You’ll get a ton of fr** writing/freelancing tools direct from Shery at http://WeeklyWrites.com when you order this title!)

4.      Writing Wide: Exercises in Creative Writing by Billie A. Williams http://filbertpublishing.com/WW.htm

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~~~~~~~~~~~~ Feature Article ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Filbert’s Guide to “Resolutions”

By Beth Ann Erickson

I don’t make resolutions. Total waste of time if you ask me. After all, well over 90 percent of New Year’s resolutions are history within a few days of January 1.

Nope. Resolutions don’t work for me. However, goals… those are another story.

So with 2006 upon us, I think it’s an appropriate time to take a peek at how you can construct some quick and easy goals to propel you towards the success you desire.

Ready to get started? Here we go:

1. Keep your goals simple and super-specific.

“I want to finish my novel.”

OK. Fine. But how do you plan on achieving this vague, broad, aspiration? It’s like asking someone how to eat an elephant. The answer, by the way, is “one bite at a time”. And that’s exactly how you should approach this huge, complex goal.

To create a far more manageable goal is to decide how many words you’d like to put to paper each day. Something like…

“I plan on writing 2,000 words every day. That way I can easily churn out a first draft in a couple months.”

See the difference? The first goal doesn’t include a discernable road map. The revised one undeniably  outlines a very doable plan that’ll result in the same goal… a finished manuscript.

2. Make each goal attainable.

I understand. Perhaps you don’t have time to write 2,000 words a day. That can be a pretty unrealistic goal if you’ve got a gaggle of kids and a gazillion responsibilities coupled with a full-time job.

You’re probably better off writing 3,000 words a day. (Just kidding.)

Take a good look at your schedule and decide on a realistic number that’ll work for you. Do this right now.

The point of creating goals is not to write something on paper but to generate action. A goal that’s unrealistic will soon become a scrap of garbage.

Instead, take an honest inventory of your time and jot down your goal. It’ll take just a few moments, but could trigger a tidal wave of productivity.

3. Make each goal a stretch.

Yup. I just told you to keep your goals attainable. That being said, you also need to make sure your goals stretch your comfort zone.

For example, suppose you decided you had time to write 100 words per day.

For most of us, that would be utterly simple. Easy. No sweat.

Heck, you could probably do that with one finger tied behind your back. J

But you probably wouldn’t grow as a writer. In fact, I’d venture to say that at a 100 words a day, you’d probably lose interest in your project and soon dump it.

As sad as it sounds, most writers produce best when they’re just a little bit uncomfortable. A state of pure bliss isn’t great breeding ground for great writing.

Nope. We all need a little thorn in our side. A little angst can add just the right energy we need to really get those words on paper.

The trick is to ride the slippery slope between a “doable” goal and “stretching your limits.”

I’ll tell you how you can ride that slope in just a minute. But first… here’s something else to consider:

4. Mind the numbers.

Simply stated, don’t create an entire page of goals. Just a few will work nicely.

Make a gazillion goals and you’ve got a ton of work on your plate. And if you’re like me, a ton of work equals a state of overwhelm. Once I’m overwhelmed, my productivity tanks.

Just a few, three at the most, goals work best for me. That way I can jot them on a Post-It® and glue it to my computer screen.

Each morning I sit at my computer, smile as I glance at my screen, and then get to work.

And finally…

5. Write ‘em in pencil. Don’t be afraid to revise, allow your goals to evolve.

Remember when I mentioned riding the slippery edge between “doable” goals and “stretching your limits?” Here’s how you can do this in a quick and easy way.

Write your goals in pencil. If you find out one of them isn’t working, flip that pencil around, erase, and revise your goal.

It’s as simple as that.

Someone very wise once told me that “flexibility is the hallmark of mental health.”

Flexibility means you recognize techniques, projects, goals, that aren’t working for you and either tweak or dump them completely.

Perhaps your schedule changes. No problem. Just revise your goal list to reflect this change.

Maybe a project you’re working on isn’t panning out. Pull out your eraser and revise.

Suppose you stumble onto a lucrative project that doesn’t fit well in your goal. Now you need to really evaluate whether earning a few bucks is worth revising your list.

Never write your goals in indelible ink.

After all, this is your life and you get to choose how you live it.

Quick caveat, though.

Be sure you always, and I mean ALWAYS, keep a list of goals right in front of your nose. Without goals, you’re career will run like a rudderless ship meandering here, there, anywhere. Never know where you’ll wind up. Or worse yet, you’ll find someone else steering your ship to places you’re not sure you want to be.

Jot down your ideas right now, before you forget.

Construct a short list of three goals (in pencil) and stick ‘em to your computer screen. Then glance at them every time you sit down to write. Examine them whenever a “great” project pops up and threatens to divert you from your personal goals. Tattoo them in your mind when life’s current threatens to draw you off track.

Do this and you’ll be amazed at where you’ll find yourself next year at this time.

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Beth Ann Erickson is the “Queen Bee” of Filbert Publishing. She’s also the author of Jumpstart Your Writing Career (http://filbertpublishing.com/jumpstart.htm ) and the upcoming 101 No Cost and Low Cost Techniques To Promote Your Writing Biz. Keep your eye out for it in early 2006. She’s also a busy copywriter, speaker, and publisher of Writing Etc., the free e-mag for writers. 

~~~~~~ Recommended Resource to Jumpstart Your Writing Career ~~~~~~~

I’m wandering through the local bookstore. Humor section. As a writer, I never dreamed I’d find anything useful there. Heck, I usually have to hang out in the “resource” area (next to the dictionaries, thesauruses, and college guides) to find anything written to help me string words together in a compelling way.

And then my eye stumbled over this little gem. “Stories from a Moron: Real Stories Rejected by Real Magazines” by Ed Broth. Foreword by Jerry Seinfeld.

Jeepers, who could resist a title like that? I picked up the 250 page tome and started paging through.

Next thing I knew I was rolling my eyes. Then smiling. Finally chuckling. I knew I’d hit a winner when I found myself in line, wallet in hand, ready to pay the full retail price for a book I’d never heard of written by someone I didn’t know.

Ed Broth is a goofball extraordinaire.

I don’t know if this guy’s a horrible writer or one slick marketer/writer. My bet’s on the latter because I literally couldn’t put this book down.

Now, I help run Filbert Publishing and you wouldn’t believe the queries that land on my desk. Seriously, some of them really take the cake.

But not so much as those found in Broth’s delightful odyssey to see how far he could push publishers before they cracked.

His short story entitled “The Fencer Who Returned Shorty Pajamas to the Store” is utterly priceless. Its evolution throughout the book is quite an interesting read and the repeated rejections for this utterly inappropriate submission from Fencers Quarterly Magazine is an utter hoot.

Clearly, these publishers had no idea who they were dealing with.

Booth’s collection of rejections (each reproduced and prefaced by his query and actual article) most certainly rivals my rejection collection.

After all, it takes a very persistent writer to submit a cartoon of “Juan, The Pair of Shoes” to Dog World. (Little note here: Dog World doesn’t run cartoons.)

And to share this extremely odd journey with the rest of the writing community is priceless.

If you want a great read guaranteed to make you smile and give you great hope as you slog through this sometimes perplexing profession, pick up your own copy of “Stories From A Moron: Real Stories Rejected by Real Magazines” by Ed Broth. 

You'll love it.

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Think It’ll Take Forever To Earn A Great Living As A Writer?

Think again.

With Jumpstart Your Writing Career, you'll discover how easy it is to:

• Think like a writer so you can turn every opportunity into a writing assignment
• Hone your writing skills until they're razor sharp
• Tackle the most lucrative branch of writing
• Learn secrets of fiction to make your story lines sing
• Organize your nonfiction articles so editors will happily publish your work
• Write powerful queries that’ll open new doors of opportunity
• Promote your writing business for little or no money 

Absolute Write calls Jumpstart “a marvelous tool for novice writers and often published authors alike. It’s refreshing, easy to use, and applicable”.

Pick up your copy today so you can jump ahead of the pack and start snagging great paying assignments, read more here:

http://filbertpublishing.com/jumpstart.htm

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2006 Action Plan to Jumpstart Your Writing Career

Here’s a quick message from Dan Case of WritingForDollars.com:

Bulletin: Did you get the last issue of Writing for DOLLARS!? You may need to re-subscribe. (Fill out the form on the website listed below.) Due to SPAM concerns, we are changing to a new mailing service and everyone must re-subscribe to the newsletter.

http://writingfordollars.com

‘Till next time!

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Paying Markets – check ‘em out!

Caribbean Beat

http://www.meppublishers.com/resources/contributors/beat_writers.php

e-Magazine

http://www.emagazine.com/view/?1512

Alternatives Journal

http://www.alternativesjournal.ca/contributing/

Bear Magazine

http://www.orlo.org/bear_submit.htm

Country Connection

http://www.pinecone.on.ca/MAGAZINE/writers.html

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We Recommend:

Writing For Dollars! The FREE ezine for writers featuring tips, tricks and ideas for selling what you write. Receive the FREE ebook, 83 WAYS TO MAKE MONEY WRITING when you subscribe. Email to subscribe@writingfordollars.com -*- http://www.WritingForDollars.com

WRITERS FIND MARKETS EASILY - Worldwide Freelance has a NEW fully-searchable Markets Database. Discover writing markets from North America, Europe, Australia and other places. It's free, so come and try it out here: http://www.worldwidefreelance.com

Book sales in a slump? http://BethAnnErickson.com

Instantly Download Jumpstart Your Writing Career and Snag Paying Assignments Here:

http://booklocker.com/bookpages/jumpstart.html

E-Mag And Web Site Owners! Did you know that Filbert Publishing has an entire cache of articles you can use FREE. Just click the “Freebie” link to your left.

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Writing Etc.

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© 2006 Filbert Publishing