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Writing Etc. – February 15, 2005

ISSN: 1545-5580

Make Your Writing Sparkle. Write Killer Queries, Get Published.

Join the brightest, most ambitious, and talented group of writers on the ‘net.

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

http://filbertpublishing.com

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

For easier reading and red hot links, surf to http://filbertpublishing.com/current.htm

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In This Issue:

Notes from Minnesota

Five Tips to Get Published by Beth Ann Erickson

2005 Action Plan to Jumpstart Your Writing Career

Writing Markets

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This issue is sponsored by:

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If you want to jump ahead of the pack and start snagging great paying assignments, read more here:

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Notes from Minnesota:

Thanks to everyone who e-mailed me wishing me best as I underwent eye surgery a little over two weeks ago! I apologize that I haven’t had a chance to reply yet… the computer screen still irritates my eyes to no end.

All is going according to plan and the healing process is well underway. My left eye still struggles, but the doc told me to expect this. We may have to work a little more on it later this year. I hope not. Despite its incredible outcomes, eye surgery still sucks.

Reading is little tough so I’ve been catching up on a few DVDs. I recently fell in love with Napoleon Dynamite. Great movie.

So I’m keeping this issue short and sweet today. Life is good. I’m seeing well… not perfect but well. Lucy (the Rat Terrier Wonder Dog) is behaving and enjoying her agility classes. Peder (our dear son) is gearing up for mid-terms. And my dear husband really came through this Valentines day. What a sweetie! He gave me my very own copy of Napoleon. Ahhhhhh….

Enjoy your week everyone! Hopefully I’ll be totally up to speed by March first so we can hit the ground running.

Beth

P.S. Here’s our updated 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.      Timecross’d: A Love Story Out Of Time by Sean Thompson http://filbertpublishing.com/timecrossd.htm

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

FIVE TIPS TO GET PUBLISHED – ASAP!

By Beth Ann Erickson

There are hundreds of variables that can determine how quickly you’ll get published.  The economy and financial condition of a publication can determine how many freelance articles they purchase.  Maybe you can hit an editor on a bad day and he/she hates everything he/she reads, even your manuscript. 

As you can see, many of these variables are out of your control.

That’s the bad news.  But here’s the good news.  There are variables you control, and how you treat these variables will have a direct influence on how often you get published.

Here are five basic tips you can use on a daily basis that will enhance your chances of hitting pay dirt.  Here they are:

1. Learn everything you can about your craft.

Attend classes.  Read writing books.  Subscribe to e-mags that will help your career.  Just like a carpenter who must purchase tools so he can practice his craft, you must invest in the tools that will make you a better writer than your competition.

2. Read everything you can get your hands on.

Read fiction, nonfiction, direct mail, read everything you can find.  When you become a voracious reader, you become a better writer.  There are no short cuts.  So turn off the television.  Crack open a book.  And have a ball.

3. Target the publications you want to write for – then become familiar with them.

Subscribe to the magazines you want to write for.  Purchase books in your genre.  Get on GOOD direct mail mailing lists.  If you’re short on cash, visit your library on a regular basis and read books and magazines there. 

When you’re paging through your target magazines or books from a publisher you’re planning on contacting, try to visualize their ideal reader.  Then as you write, write directly to that reader.  An editor who knows you’ve taken the time to research their company will be FAR more willing to give your manuscript a read-through.

4. Read EVERYTHING you send out aloud.

You’ll catch typos, grammos, and generally dumb sentences when you read EVERYTHING you write aloud.  I read The Almach aloud at least three times.  Jumpstart went through the same process.  Reading your manuscripts aloud will not guarantee that they’ll be perfect, but you’ll discover that your writing is much easier to read after this exercise.  It takes time but it’s worth it.  Just purchase some throat lozenges (I use Jolly Ranchers) and get going.

5. Never give up, never give up, never give up.

Write on a daily basis.  It’s easy to get discouraged when a rejection letter flows in.  But having a number of queries floating around in cyberspace keeps that little flame of hope burning bright.  I’m thoroughly convinced that the only way we can fail as writers is if we give up.  As long as you don’t give up, you’ll definitely be published.  Eventually.

If these tips sound like a lot of work, they are.  But the work you put into honing your writing and researching your target publications will be reflected in the number of acceptance letters you receive.

These simple tips will make your writing absolutely sparkle when the editor reads your words.  You’ll outshine your competition.  And when you outshine your competition, you’ve just enhanced your chances of getting published.

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Beth Ann Erickson is the publisher of Writing Etc. You can contact her via http://filbertpublishing.com

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Master Copywriter Vicky Heron and Copywriter/Publisher Beth
Erickson prove that when you put two Copywriting Masterminds
together... powerful things happen and you get to reap the benefits!

Recently Vicky and Beth got together at the Filbert Publishing headquarters in Kandiyohi,
Minnesota to work on the new book they're co-creating when something far out happened...

You see, they were taping conversations to include in their book when they started getting
way off track. Suddenly they found themselves talking about copywriting, getting clients,
building their E-zines.  When they played the conversations back they discovered they had…

Click this link to read more:

http://filbertpublishing.com/copy.htm

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2005 Action Plan to Jumpstart Your Writing Career

Last time we talked about press releases and a few of you asked for a little more info on how to create an effective one. Here’s what you can do:

Practice creating press releases using the guidelines in the last issue of Writing Etc. You an find the article here: http://filbertpublishing.com

After you’re finished writing, imagine that you work in the news room of your local newspaper office. Now read what you’ve written.

Have you included a clear news angle to the release? Why should the paper publish this?

Have you included a clear benefit to your reader/listener? Why should a reader read this? What’s in it for them?

Did you include your contact information (in case a reporter needs to contact you for more information).

Is your release easy reading? (Read it out loud to check this.)

Did you include lots of white space? Nothing kills readership faster than long blocks of text.

If you do all this, your release will stand a greater chance of getting published.

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Writing Markets

Writing markets will be back next week after Beth can (hopefully) look into her computer screen for more than ten minutes at a time.

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We Recommend:

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

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

Don’t Forget to pick up your copy of The Almach. Reviewers are calling it “Haunting,” and “A Great Read.” http://filbertpublishing.com/Almach.htm

E-Mag And Web Site Owners! Did you know that Filbert Publishing has an entire cache of articles you can use FREE. Copy and paste these articles straight into your web site or publication. Here’s the URL: http://filbertpublishing.com/articles.htm

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Writing Etc.

Box 326

Kandiyohi, MN 56251

Maurice and Beth Erickson, Publishers

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© 2005 Filbert Publishing