The Heymarci Blog

Farmer/Writers - A new breed of slash

2011-02-01T13:36:00.001-08:00

Yesterday's New York Times had a great story (by Dana Bowen) on a new breed of slash: farmer/writers. And it had a killer headline "Old Macdonald Now Has A Book Contract." The story begins with John Peterson, a farmer in Illinois, who spends the winter in Mexico writing:

Over the years he has written plays, short stories, a cookbook and a newsletter he sends to his customers. While his sideline may seem unusual, it places Mr. Peterson smack in the middle of an emerging literary movement: farmers who write.

What's Going on With Women?

2011-02-01T13:35:00.001-08:00

This week my Shifting Careers column, "Women Build Businesses Their Way," will appear in two places, its traditional online home at the New York Times online, and as the Thursday Small Business feature in the print edition of the paper. It's about Ladies Who Launch, a social networking group for entrepreneurial women, and the bigger subject of whether women run their businesses (and their lives) differently than men. As I reported this story, I could have taken quite a few detours since the topic was rich. And I have a feeling it's a subject I'll be circling around for a while.

A few interesting links I stumbled on while working on this story:

A great post at Blogher, about different approaches to corporate women's networks: "BusinessWeek Takes a Second Look at Women's Networks"
"The Real Reason So Few Women," a post from Marty Nemko (who has appeared in my Coach's Roundtable) about why there are so few women at the top. Perhaps it's just that women want different things than men, or that we have differing definitions of "the top." Marty's archives are encyclopedic. He's got an article or a handful of articles on pretty much any work-related topic you've ever thought of. And often, they are smart and provocative, like this one.
Penelope Trunk, whose archives are also rich with smart posts, wrote this post last week about male CEOS.
Commentary from The Center for Women's Business Research, that ". . . both sides (of the opt-out debate) ignore what at least some of these women are doing at home in addition to raising their children: they are starting businesses. Read more here."

I have a feeling we are closing in on a time when referring to a feminine style of doing business might be seen as a compliment.

Slash Record (Category: Book Subtitles)

2011-02-01T13:34:00.001-08:00

I just stumbled on this little gem, which so far holds the record of slash usage in a book subtitle:

I, California: the Occasional History of a Child Actress/Tap Dancer/Record Store Clerk/Thai Waitress/Playboy Reject/Nightclub Booker/Daily Show Correspondent/Sex . . . Character/and Whatever Else.
If the slashes have piqued your interest, you can learn more about Stacey Grenrock Woods' new book in this post at Mediabistro's Galleycat.

Bet you never thought you'd see girlie photos on the Heymarci blog.

Pondering a change?

2011-02-01T13:33:00.001-08:00

Businessweek has a pretty comprehensive online package about second careers this week. You can read the whole group of articles here. They cover the usual ground -- networking, informational interviews, inspiring stories of successful changes. But if you're in a rut you might get some ideas. Most of the stories include a photo slideshow, a nice touch (except when the photos look like stock photo art or mutual fund ads.)

Good Self-Promoter, an Oxymoron? (www.nytimes.com)

2011-02-01T13:32:00.001-08:00

This week my Shifting Careers column at the New York Times online talks about getting comfortable with self-promotion, something we all need to do these days. Read the column here.

Last week, my friend Gretchen over at the Happiness-Project, wrote about reframing. That post helped me to figure out that my biggest problem with being called a good self-promoter was the language. I know I'm good at self-promotion. Just not sure I like those words. It's a lot like how I feel about networking -- essential skill, bad image.

Getting your first byline

2011-02-01T13:31:00.000-08:00

A friend just asked me how she can start publishing her articles in newspapers and magazines. Since many people have come to me for advice about this, I've decided to answer her via a blog post so that it can help others as well. Below are the questions I'm most commonly asked.

How does the process work? In most cases, proposing an article for publication goes something like this. You have an idea for an article. You identify the publication you want to write for. You write a pitch letter (also called a query letter), trying to get the editor interested in your idea. You find the email address for an appropriate editor. (For magazines, Masthead.org, is a terrific site for locating editorial email addresses. For newspapers, you can usually find email addresses on the company website or by calling the switchboard.) And then you email your pitch letter and pray for a response. Note what is missing from this description; you do not send the whole article. How you write the article will vary based on what the editor asks for after reading your pitch.

Does it always work like that? Pretty much, except when you've written a personal essay or an Op-Ed. In those instances, you should write the whole piece and send it in, following the publication's writers' guidelines. Writers' guidelines are exactly what they sound like, guidelines for how the publication wants freelancers to behave. Often, the guidelines are available on a publication's home page, or by contacting the publication and asking for a copy. These days, the best information on what publications are looking for is on Mediabistro.com's "How to Pitch" series. You can also read writers' guidelines for a lot of publications at Writersmarket.com. Both Writersmarket.com and Mediabistro charge an annual subscription fee. I use Mediabistro ($49 per year.)

How much work should I do when writing my pitch letter?
In the beginning, writing that pitch letter will feel as challenging as writing the article itself. This is normal. A good pitch letter should grab the reader from the start and it should answer these three questions -- why this idea? why this writer? why now? Click here to read the pitch letter I used for the first story I wrote for The New York Times. I got the assignment even though I had no prior clips, probably because I answered those three questions.

What do I do after emailing the pitch? How should I follow up and how many times?
One of the hardest things about freelance writing is that many of your pitches won't be answered. That doesn't mean the pitches are bad. It mostly means that the editor hasn't even read your email. Editors are drowning in email, much of it from colleagues and writers they already know. So it is hard to get their attention. Which is why your pitch should have an intriguing subject header (and mention that it's a pitch.) Often, it takes a little nudging -- an email or a phone call -- to get an answer. And often, even with a little nudging you might not get an answer. I usually give it three tries in some combination of email and phone calls before I give up and send the pitch somewhere else.

Some of the books I have tell me to use regular mail. Should I ever pitch by regular mail? If you have any books that say that, they are out of date. Never pitch by regular mail. (One exception might be for obscure literary journals, but the overwhelming majority newspapers and magazines conduct all business by email today.)

What should I expect when/if the editor replies?
You'll probably have a conversation or email exchange about how long the piece should be, when it will be due, and how much you'll be paid. The editor will then likely send you a contract. If she remembers. (I've written many articles where the contract only shows up after the article has been published.)

What are some ways to break into a publication if you're unknown?
At the beginning, you'll do better pitching ideas in your areas of expertise. If you don't have any published articles (a.k.a. "clips"), but you are the go-to person for pet-training tips, vegan restaurants, or nudist colonies, then start pitching articles about pet-training, vegan restaurants, and nudist colonies. Your expertise will help. Trade publications (publications that serve a professional community) are easier to break into than consumer publications (the glossies you see on the newsstand). Online versions of consumer publications are often easier to break into than the print version of glossies. Community newspapers and publications distributed for free are always looking for content. As are many web sites. Alumni magazines are also a great place to get started. Of course, with any of these outlets, if you know someone and can get an introduction, use the connection!

How much do publications pay for articles?
Pay rates for freelance submissions haven't gone up in decades. The "standard" for years has been a dollar a word, but many publications (especially newspapers) don't pay more than .50 a word. Glossy mags can pay more than $2.00 a word, but I know very few veteran freelancers who are earning more than $1 a word on a regular basis. Many publications don't pay at all. At the beginning, don't write for the money. Write for the experience. Eventually, if you're good, you'll start to get paid. Meantime, you'll hone your skills.

Note to any publicists reading this:
Now that I'm on the receiving end of lots of pitches for my "Shifting Careers" column, I'm noticing that the same principles of successful pitching apply for publicists as for freelance journalists. I'm not sure if all media folks would agree, but I am partial to pitches that show someone has read my prior columns and has customized the pitch letter to appeal to my interests. It helps if it is an idea I haven't heard before or a new take on an old idea. Following up once or twice is nice. Any more than that starts to feel stalky. I seldom write an article based on a press release, though I do read them.

Keep in mind that this is a pretty basic overview. Once you start writing and publishing articles, you'll hit a whole new set of issues. I'll tackle some more advanced questions in another blog post.

Workaholism... who me?

2011-02-01T13:30:00.000-08:00

I had a brief appearance on CNBC this morning talking about the rise in workaholism. As my mom commented, my piece is so short that you can miss it if you blink. But it was great practice. You can watch it here.

Ironically, I left my Blackberry in a taxi on the morning I taped this segment. It wasn't returned and I was Blackberry-less for about four days that week. Aside from the initial few hours of withdrawal, those were the best four days of the past year. The Blackberry wasn't returned and I had insurance so I got a new one within a week. Wish I could tell you I stayed off the wagon.

Creating buzz around your ideas (NYT.com)

2011-02-01T13:29:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, my Shifting Careers column at The New York Times online focused on ways to create buzz about your ideas. Based on the flood of reader emails I've been getting, I'm not the only one interested in this subject. If you have any tips to share -- especially ideas for those who are uncomfortable about self-promotion and/or who can't afford outside p.r. help, please share them in the comments. (There's no way to comment on the NYT website yet, so leave your comments on the blog.)

Here's the article, "Tools and Tips to Create Buzz Around Your Ideas."

Note: Through some weird URL glitch, the link to the 360 Profiler mentioned in the first paragraph was published incorrectly. If you want to try the tool, click here.

Is self-promotion a women's problem?

2011-02-01T13:28:00.000-08:00

The avalanche of emails responding to my Shifting Careers column on self-promotion continues. When I wrote that column, I didn't think self-promotion was a women's issue and I know that many men -- and many folks who were just raised to think being humble is good manners -- also have a problem with it. But a lot of the experts and commentators believe that women have a harder time with it than men.

Lisa Cullen, Time.com's workplace blogger (the unidentified friend who called me a "master of self-promotion"), blogged about my column. For her, it all came down to the estrogen factor. Read what she has to say here.