Hey, did you know you can get your hands on 150+ webpages of fre* writing info? Just head to http://FilbertPublishing.com and dig around. Be sure to sign up for one of our fre* writing courses. Here’s to some great high profit writing.
Forward Writing Etc. to all your writing friends. They’ll be glad you did.
It's bitter sweet watching someone you love walk across a stage to receive his high school diploma.
It's pure sweetness knowing he's done so well with his life, it's pleasant knowing he's well prepared to enter this big bad world.
On the other hand, I'm going to miss him like gangbusters when he decides to move away.
I've kinda gotten attached to that kid these past 18 years.
So it's with pride and just a bit of sadness that I'm writing this today. I'm sure I'll get over it.
It's like a page turn; the beginning of a new chapter. Characters change, stories evolve. If they don't it gets pretty darned boring.
And it's on that note I launch this issue of Writing Etc. I hope you enjoy it.
I've got tons of new stuff... quirky blog entries and a fre* inspiration video. Gimme feedback, folks. I can't wait to hear your comments.
Talk later!
Beth
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Do you want a handy little book with some thought-provoking tips and techniques for turbo charging your freelance writing business? Do yourself a favor and pick up Erickson’s newest book. There’s a CD included featuring a High Profit Writer’s Kit.” – Patricia Fry, SPAWNNews
Whether you thrive on cold calling or are a die-hard introvert who can’t handle rejection… these 101+ battle-tested, utterly simple techniques will utterly turbo-charge your freelance income.
Now available as an extremely affordable, instantly downloadable e-book.
“Don’t feel guilty if you don’t know what you want to do with your life. The most interesting people I know didn’t know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives. Some of the most interesting 40 year olds I know still don’t.” Baz Luhrmann’s “Something For Everybody” CD, Track 5 “Everybody’s Free (To Wear Sunscreen) Mix.”
How can anybody take a lifespan… 80, maybe 90 years… and decide at the tender age of 18 (give or take) what they’re going to “do” for the next half a century?
It’s an awesome task. Huge, in fact.
Looking back, I’m not surprised it took me so long to find my path. Dubbed the “Walter Mitty” of the family, I could perform the most mundane task with pure delight because my imagination could entertain me for hours on end.
However, EVERYBODY knows, you can’t make a living using your imagination, right?
That’s why I tossed aside every whimsical dream I had of earning a living doing something I truly loved and concentrated on finding a career that allowed me the solitude to let all my inner ramblings to breathe.
That’s how I got into tailoring. I spent a good fifteen years altering everything from wedding gowns to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle costumes. Although the money was OK, I wasn’t truly happy. After years of weaving stories in my mind, there were days I felt as though my head would explode. The frustration built until I realized I had begun to merely endure my time at the sewing machine.
That’s when I decided to make a change.
One day, out of a pure need to feel a semblance of happiness in my life, I sat at the computer and began to write. It was probably one of the defining moments in my life. The incredible release of words on paper is a sensation I’ll never forget. I instantly knew how I wanted to spend the rest of my life.
But I had something I wanted to do first. I wanted to go back to college and earn the degree I never finished. I enjoyed university life. It’d been so long that I’d been mentally stimulated, I felt like a sponge soaking in everything I could. Finally, in March of ’95 I earned my bachelor’s degree in Communications.
Now, I was ready to get writing. Armed with my computer, the Writer’s Market, and a desire to succeed, I began querying… and querying… and querying.
Unfortunately, I didn’t realize that the starting wage for freelance writers is pretty dismal. But, thanks to a very patient husband, I kept writing. My yearly income that first year didn’t touch the money I made tailoring. But I didn’t give up.
I floundered for a few years until I received a letter claiming I could make a living wage as a writer by writing advertising copy.
I was skeptical… very skeptical… because after four years as a struggling freelancer, I’d come dangerously close to chucking my dream and going out to find a “real” job.
As a last resort, I took the class described in the letter and discovered I could easily make a living wage writing for businesses. In fact, writing ad copy turned out to be a fantastic way to finance my fiction writing habit.
Today I’m the published author of five books. I own a thriving e-mag. I continue to write long fiction. Of course, I write copy for companies all over the nation. But best of all, I feel as though I’ve found my place in this world. All the stories bouncing around in my head appear to have tamed somewhat… probably because they know they’ll someday find their way to the printed page.
Sometimes I look back and realize I always knew what I should do with my life. Problem was, I listened to my head. I listened to people around me. I listened to everything but my heart.
Hang tight to your dream… you know which one. It’s the one you THINK is stupid. It’s the one that doesn’t make sense. It’s the one that will NEVER earn you a living wage. Take that dream and turn obstacles into opportunities. Never be afraid to invest some time, talents, and resources into achieving that dream.
If you do this, perhaps you’ll gaze into your future with a fulfilled and hopeful heart.
~~~
Beth Ann Erickson is the publisher of Writing Etc., the free e-mag that will make your writing sparkle. Help you write killer copy and get you onto the road to publication ASAP. Get your hands on her latest book right here: http://filbertpublishing.com/101.html
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Check This Out!
I've been harping that our success in this biz remains largely based on the conversation that happens between our ears. To that end, I thought I'd share a couple of my favorite... well... click “play” and you'll see what I'm talking about.
Oh! And you can download this and watch any time you need a little boost. My treat. :)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Industry News and Interesting Info
OK. I've got some fun news this week starting with some funky Amazon reviews, a dog eating (yes, you read right) protester, “elevator speech” info, a job op, as well as a very wily water buffalo. Enjoy!
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 -*-
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
Information Marketers! Discover the copywriter who knows the unique demands of your industry and can help you sell a ton of product. http://BethAnnErickson.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Feel free to forward Writing Etc. to all your writing friends. Just be sure to include the entire issue. Thanks!
We strive to make Writing Etc. an invaluable resource to writers. If you have any comments or suggestions please send them to mailto:filbertpublishing(a)filbertpublishing.com
You are receiving this e-mag because you (or someone who has access to your computer/e-mail account) entered your e-mail address into our subscription form at http://filbertpublishing.com AND confirmed your desire to receive this fre* subscription via e-mail.
If you feel you are receiving this publication in error, we want to know about it. E-mail us at filbertpublishing(a)filbertpublishing.com so we can investigate how your e-mail address arrived into our double-opt-in system. Also, you can easily remove your e-mail addy from this list at any time by clicking your personalized link at the end of this e-mail.
To receive Writing, Etc. surf to http://filbertpublishing.com and insert your e-mail address into the form.
Please recommend this newsletter to anyone you know who'd like to learn how to make their writing sparkle.
PRIVACY STATEMENT: We will not distribute your email address to anyone. Ever. Period.