Writing for Reason

Get More Clients in Your Writing or Virtual Assistant Business

2010-12-30T04:52:00.000-06:00

If you’re a service provider or coach, you may be looking to grow your business quickly. After all, the fuller your schedule, the more you can be sure you’re financially secure. To get more clients fast, there are three sure-fire ways to go about it.

Referral System

Referrals are when someone, generally a happy client, tells another person about your business. As a service provider or coach you can have an informal referral program or a formal one. An informal referral program is pretty easy. You simply ask your current customers if they know of anyone who could benefit from your services. They may send people your direction or give you a few names to contact. Many businesses grow this way.

A formal referral program is a reward-based program. Anyone who refers a new customer to you would receive a reward. The reward could be a discount on your services or it could be a freebie. For example, if you’re a writer you might offer anyone who refers new clients to you a free ten-page report or $25 off their next order. A formal referral program requires that people sign up for the program. You might send a monthly newsletter to members to remind or motivate them to refer new clients.

Regardless of the system you choose, referrals work quite well to get more clients fast because they’re coming from a trusted source. If you ask someone where to go to eat and they tell you the name of a restaurant they like, you’re more likely to go there than to an unfamiliar place because it’s been recommended to you. You trust the information.

Affiliates

The second way to get more clients fast is to start an affiliate program. Affiliates are people who agree to promote your services in exchange for a commission. It requires a bit more work than a referral program; however, it can be extremely effective. Affiliates market your business for you and they drive traffic to your website. For every new client, they earn a paycheck. It’s a good system. To help them succeed you may provide them with marketing content, advertisements and other information to use on their website.

Partnerships

The third and final way to get more clients fast is to forge a partnership with other complimentary businesses. For example, if you’re a writer you might partner with a website designer. Their clients will need content for their website and your clients may need a website redesign. It’s a win-win situation.

To get more clients fast, take advantage of your current assets. What partnerships can you forge, and what clients can you ask for referrals and recommendations?

Sprints - Wednesday, December 29, 2010

2010-12-28T23:59:00.000-06:00

Good morning Happy Writers!

Are you ready to let the words fly with some writing sprints? Let's get started.

The rules:

There are no word counts. Simply set a timer for 30 minutes and write as much as you can in each half hour segment.

Take a 30 minute break and do it again.

The purpose is to have fun but not feel overwhelmed and to get as much writing as you can while enjoying yourself.

Leave comments:

Let us know a little bit about your story or project and the progress you're making throughout the day.

Have fun!

Happy New Year!

How to Get More Testimonials in Your Writing or Virtual Assistant Business

2010-12-27T04:56:00.001-06:00

Testimonials are an exceptional selling tool. They tell potential buyers that you’re trustworthy. They tell potential buyers that your product or service fulfills its promise. Testimonials tell potential customers that you have credibility. And they tell potential customers what they want to hear – that you really can solve their problems.

Testimonials are an effective buying trigger because they offer information about your product or service that you just can't offer yourself. It’s like a personal recommendation, and it’s worth the effort to get quality testimonials and to use them.

How Do You Get More Testimonials?

It’s quite simple, actually. You ask for them. Most people are afraid to ask for testimonials. They feel it’s pushy or they fear being rejected. The truth is, most customers are happy to give them; they just don’t think about offering. Think about when you have a good or bad experience with a company. If you have a bad experience, you want to shout it from the rooftops. You write reviews; you tell your friends and associates. Maybe you even write a complaint to the company.

When you have a good experience, you say thank you. Generally, we don’t talk as much about the good news as we do about the bad news. However, if someone asks us, we’ll go on for hours about our positive experiences.

So in order to get more testimonials you have to ask. You’ll of course ask all of your happy customers. However, consider also asking experts in your industry to provide a testimonial. Send them a free product or offer a service, then collect the testimonial. It’ll have more power because it’s coming from someone people like and respect. Can you imagine what a ringing endorsement it would be if Martha Stewart wrote a testimonial for your home organization business?

Be Prepared

Many people just don’t know what to say, so consider being prepared with a pre-written testimonial. If they agree that they stand behind the information, they just need to provide a signature and a link. You can then post the testimonial and consider it valid.

Position Your Testimonials Well

There are some key places to position your testimonials. One such location is on your sales page. The testimonials will serve to support a prospect’s buying decision. You can also use them in your newsletter and in email communications. Consider also creating a separate page on your website with testimonials. Place the strongest and most compelling testimonials prominently where they’re sure to be read. To your success!

Sprints - Wednesday, December 22, 2010

2010-12-21T23:59:00.000-06:00

Good morning Happy Writers!

Are you ready to let the words fly with some writing sprints? Let's get started.

The rules:

There are no word counts. Simply set a timer for 30 minutes and write as much as you can in each half hour segment.

Take a 30 minute break and do it again.

The purpose is to have fun but not feel overwhelmed and to get as much writing as you can while enjoying yourself.

Leave comments:

Let us know a little bit about your story or project and the progress you're making throughout the day.

Have fun!

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Sprints - Wednesday, December 15, 2010

2010-12-14T23:59:00.000-06:00

Good morning Happy Writers!

Are you ready to let the words fly with some writing sprints? Let's get started.

The rules:

There are no word counts. Simply set a timer for 30 minutes and write as much as you can in each half hour segment.

Take a 30 minute break and do it again.

The purpose is to have fun but not feel overwhelmed and to get as much writing as you can while enjoying yourself.

Leave comments:

Let us know a little bit about your story or project and the progress you're making throughout the day.

Have fun!

Building Your Portfolio

2010-12-13T04:47:00.006-06:00

If you’re a service provider or a freelancer, it pays to have a solid portfolio. Your portfolio will show potential clients that you have the experience and skills to handle their project. However, one of the challenges to creating a quality portfolio is gaining the experience. Here’s how to build a portfolio the right way.

* Courses - There are a number of quality skill-building programs online. These programs often offer homework assignments along with professional feedback. This is an exceptional way to create a portfolio. It gives you the opportunity to work with experts in your craft. Additionally, you’re able to use the class as a source of credibility on your marketing materials.

* Spec work – Spec work is work that you essentially do for free. The agreement between you and your client is that if they like your work, they will pay you for it. If they don’t like your work, they won’t pay you. It’s a good way to get around the fact that you may not have a solid portfolio just yet, because it reduces the risk for your client.

Additionally, once they’re pleased with the work - and they will be because you’re going to knock their socks off - then you can use the work in your portfolio. Don’t forget to also add their testimonial to your sales page. And if they don’t like the work, you can still use it in your portfolio if you’re proud of the results.

* Volunteer work – Volunteer work is another opportunity for you to build a portfolio and to do good at the same time. Many non-profits can benefit from the work of freelance service providers. They get a service for free and you get quality samples for your portfolio. It’s great when you can reference something and show potential customers where they can find your work online too. It’s instant credibility.

As you build your client base, ask clients if you can use your best work in your portfolio. They’re most often quite proud to be shown off and it’s good exposure for them as well. Display your work in the most professional manner. If you have print samples, scan them onto your computer and save them as an image. Don’t just link to sales pages and content because those links will change. Actually, save the work you’ve done as an image or a document so your prospects can see your work first hand.

Have confidence in your work, whether you’re just starting out or have a portfolio full of professional samples. Confidence and the courage to take a few risks will help you build a portfolio the right way.

Sprints - Wednesday, December 8, 2010

2010-12-07T23:59:00.002-06:00

Good morning Happy Writers!

Are you ready to let the words fly with some writing sprints? Let's get started.

The rules:

There are no word counts. Simply set a timer for 30 minutes and write as much as you can in each half hour segment.

Take a 30 minute break and do it again.

The purpose is to have fun but not feel overwhelmed and to get as much writing as you can while enjoying yourself.

Leave comments:

Let us know a little bit about your story or project and the progress you're making throughout the day.

Have fun!

Write Your Way Into Business and to the Bank

2010-12-03T04:59:00.000-06:00

Did you know that writers are in high demand? In fact, there are many writers that easily take home six figures a year. And they get to make that money from their own home, the beach, the coffee shop – anywhere they can take their laptop. The writer’s life is a good one. Here are a few tips and suggestions to write your way to the bank.

#1 Choose a lucrative writing field - Some writing opportunities pay more than others. For example, copywriting pays more than blogging in general because you’re selling a product or a service. Ghostwriting books pays more than article writing. And business to business writing is in high demand simply because there just aren’t enough writers providing the service.

#2 Hone your skills - The great thing about writing is that you can always improve your skills. Writing is a craft and like most crafts, there is always room for improvement. Be a constant student. Sign up for writing workshops, read books from expert writers and learn your trade inside and out. You’ll be better able to answer your client’s questions and to provide the best service money can buy.

#3 Specialize - In order to become a credible expert it helps to have a specialization. Specialization provides you the opportunity to fine-tune your craft, to offer a better service and to charge more for your time. You can specialize in a topic or field of interest, or you can specialize in a format. You can also specialize in both, for example “self-help sales copy.”

#4 Be ultra professional - While there are many writers selling their services, many of them don’t take their business as seriously as they should. They miss deadlines. They don’t hire an editor and they don’t handle feedback or communication well. As a writer, you’re a service provider and a business owner. Professionalism and customer service matter.

#5 Be more than a writer - That isn’t to say that you should offer additional services; however, you can really write your way to the bank if you act as a consultant. You’re an expert, right? So people will come to you with questions. They’ll want your advice. Be ready, willing and able to give it. When clients are able to count on you as a partner and consultant, they’re more than willing to pay you the big bucks.

#6 Network - One of the best ways to build a writing business is to network. Connect with your clients and ask for referrals. Stay in touch with them by sending information they might find useful, or send them simple notes to say hello. Word of mouth is a powerful marketing device and it’s an effective way to build a writing business.

#7 Be confident - Many writers charge much less than they can. Be confident in your skills and charge what you’re worth, keeping in mind what the market can support.

Writing your way to the bank is possible. Don’t believe the myth that writers don’t make any money. They do. Specialize, hone your skills, network and be confident in what you have to offer. To your success!

Sprints - Wednesday, December 1, 2010

2010-11-30T23:59:00.000-06:00

Good morning Happy Writers!

Are you ready to let the words fly with some writing sprints? Let's get started.

The rules:
There are no word counts. Simply set a timer for 30 minutes and write as much as you can in each half hour segment.
Take a 30 minute break and do it again.

The purpose is to have fun but not feel overwhelmed and to get as much writing as you can while enjoying yourself.

Leave comments:
Let us know a little bit about your story or project and the progress you're making throughout the day.

Have fun!

How to Start Your Own Virtual Assistant Business

2010-11-29T05:30:00.001-06:00

Virtual assistants are in demand worldwide. As a virtual assistant you could find clients in your own community or half way around the globe. It’s a great way to make a living and work from home. You’ll meet interesting people, learn new tasks and responsibilities and perhaps best of all, enjoy the freedom that comes with being your own boss. Here’s how to start your own virtual assistant business.

#1 SWOT - Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. This is a personal assessment. Take a look at what strengths you have that will contribute to a successful virtual assistant business. Communication skills, organization skills, professionalism are some strengths. However, you likely bring a lot more to the table. List your strengths.

Take a look at your weaknesses as well. You’re not looking for reasons to not go into business for yourself. You’re simply making sure you’re aware of all you’ll need to do to run a successful business. If you have a weakness, and we all do, then you’ll want to create a plan to manage it. For example, if your weakness is writing and you need to have sales and marketing copy for your business website, you can learn to write or you can hire someone to do it for you. Knowing your strengths and weaknesses helps you create the best business for you.

Opportunities and threats are the next part of this assessment. Opportunities can be anything from the fact that you have a friend who designs websites to a growing demand for virtual assistants. Threats are things that may challenge you, like competing virtual assistants and a sluggish economy. When you’re fully aware of your assets and challenges, you can plan for them.

#2 Create a business plan. Plan the services you’re going to offer and how you’re going to offer them. For example, will you charge by the hour or by the project? Will you offer a discount for ongoing clients? Research your competition and decide whether you want to specialize.

You can specialize in a certain task, for example transcription. Or you can specialize in an industry like real estate. Specialization is a way to demonstrate expertise and adds credibility to your business. That being said, there are many clients who want a one-stop solution and would prefer a virtual assistant that can do a number of tasks.

#3 Set up your business. You’ll want to create a website to market your virtual business. Most of your clients will be online and they’ll often find you through online searching. A website is also a way to demonstrate your expertise. You’ll also want a business address, a phone number, email and a way to accept payment. PayPal is an easy way to invoice and track your income and expenses.

Once your business is established, the next step is to spread the word. Consider social networking, advertising, SEO and article marketing to market your business. A blog is also a good way to demonstrate credibility, enhance your brand and drive traffic to your website.

Virtual assistants are in high demand. Whether you’re looking for full-time work or a part-time income, it can be the perfect solution. Create your business and start making money from your skills.

Fun Days and Challenges for Writers

2010-11-27T19:14:00.000-06:00

Hi everyone,

Recently, Milli started hosting her fabulous 10K Days for Writers again. She's had awesome response. I wanted to share it here so you can get involved in January. They are a lot of fun.

Here at Writing for Reason, I'm bringing back Wednesday Writing Sprints. This is one day per week when you challenge yourself to writing in sprints.

The rules:

There are no word counts. Simply set a timer for 30 minutes and write as much as you can in each half hour segment.

Take a 30 minute break and do it again.

The purpose is to have fun but not feel overwhelmed and to get as much writing as you can while enjoying yourself.

Leave comments:

Let us know a little bit about your story or project and the progress you're making throughout the day.

The idea is to mostly have fun but if you've had a day or two in your writing week that you didn't make your daily word counts and need to catch up, or work on a freelance writing project or just enjoy sprinting against a timer--this is the day for you.

Any kitchen timer will do or you can find some really cool computer timers for free online.

NaNoWriMo is almost officially over. That doesn't mean we need to stop writing, although it is time to start revisions. Maybe we'll start something fun for that too. :)

Hope you join us for these fun days for writers.

Plagiarism

2010-08-24T14:15:00.000-05:00

Plagiarism is plagiarism, regardless of the manner in which it occurred. You may hear new words such as 'splogging' and 'scraping' - but these are simply new ways to explain a very old problem. A problem so old in fact, there have been laws in place regarding online content for over a decade. The law is called the DCMA. This stands for the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, and a full description and definition can be found on Copyright.gov. In a nutshell the DMCA is what protects your rights when publishing material to the internet. Once you have a general understanding of your rights under the DMCA, let’s move on to the different courses of action you can take.

Cease and Desist Letter - This is a simple, but very to the point letter, that alerts the infringer or plagiarizer to the fact you’ve found what you to believe to be unauthorized use of your work on his/her website or blog. It requests that they immediately remove your work from their website or blog, and further advises that in the event they chose to not comply to your request - legal actions may ensue. Click here if you would like a fill in the blanks Cease and Desist letter (PDF Format).
DMCA Notice To Host - This is one of the most effective ways to ensure that plagiarized work is removed for the internet in a timely manner. This is a relatively simple, but detailed, letter that you send to the internet service provider (Host) of the person whom you believe to be infringing upon your rights. This notice serves as the official notification to the Host that there has been a possible violation, and allows the Host to use their rights as assigned by the DMCA to remove the offending content themselves if necessary. Click here if you would like a fill in the blanks DMCA Notice (PDF Format).
Other steps you can take include alerting major search engines to the infringement by locating their DMCA guidelines and following the steps they list for reporting abuse. For example, you can read about Google’s AdSense DMCA here: http://www.google.com/adsense_dmca.html
Yet another form of action you can take, is to alert the offender’s Advertisers and Affiliates to their practices. Almost all affiliate banners contain the unique user ID number in the code, and sometimes it’s just a matter of running your mouse over the graphic and looking in your progress bar for the user’s number. It will generally look like this: http://www.advertiser.com/?aff=(number) That number is unique to each of that Advertiser’s affiliate members, and it is what they use to track their member’s affiliate activity. They can easily contact this member via the contact information they supplied during their sign up process. Some Advertiser’s will immediately upon proof of plagiarism or Copyright infringement, cancel the member’s account.
Determining Who You’re Dealing With

Sometimes figuring out who is actually behind the offending website or blog is quite difficult to do, this is why we suggest you start with the website blog or Host service first. To find out who the Host is, simply go to www.whois.com and use their search box. Type in the full URL of the offending website, and you should be able to see who the Host is. Unfortunately, in some cases this information is kept private. So the next thing to look for on the offending website is the source code. You can view this, if it’s public, simply by visiting the offending website and in your browser’s window click on VIEW > SOURCE. Sometimes the person will actually put their real name between the Author tags. You can also view where they are linking to such things as images and files and sometimes determine if they have more than just the offending website or blog. Check all of these URL’s on Whois.com as well.

Wednesday Writing Sprints

2010-07-22T07:33:00.001-05:00

Each Wednesday a small group of writers devote the day to writing. It's not a massive spree like the 10K Day, this is just about setting time aside each week to devote to your craft.

The time can be spent outlining characters, plots, scenes, etc. or it can be spent using it for a writing marathon. The focus is to simply devote more time to your writing.

It's often difficult to schedule a chunk of time each day for personal writing. We keep making plans to do it, keep telling ourselves to do it, but something always comes up. Setting aside a whole day just for personal writing projects works better because you can plan for it and make preparations. You can schedule other work for another time so you aren't leaving any clients in limbo.

Make it a part of your weekly work schedule and I'm sure you'll not only have a good time and feel good about finally spending time with your personal writing, you'll also make progress.

Check back for more news on Wednesday Writing Sprints!

Hope to see you here!

Free Writing Courses vs Paid Writing Courses

2010-07-19T12:31:00.000-05:00

Many people opt to take free online writing courses, and there's nothing wrong with that. Many colleges and universities are offering some decent free materials and free is good...but...

It's been my experience that you get what you pay for. Taking free classes is a good way to get some experience and find out if this is the life you want and to hone your skills some, but free classes also have some drawbacks.

Drawbacks of free writing courses:

No interaction with other students and fellow writers.
No feedback from a teacher or course presenter.
Nothing to hold you accountable and cause you to "show up" for class.
The learning materials are very basic.

Advantages of paid writing courses:

Interaction with other students and fellow writers.
Feedback and comments on your work from a teacher or course presenter.
Paying for something usually guarantees you'll "show up" for class and take it serious.
More advanced materials and a real person will work with you.
Much more FUN than going it alone and not having other writers to communicate with.

If you're looking for a great, FUN, creative writing course check out our offerings. Our base course is to help you get over your fear of writing and give you honest encouragement to help you feel comfortable in your writing life.

We will be adding advanced courses in the near future. If you want to stay up-to-date with our progress, simply sign up for the newsletter. The Fear of Writing Gazette is sent out monthly and will contain all the updates and new additions as they become available.

You can go ahead and sign up for the Fear of Writing Course if you'd like. This is an 8-week course of FUN! It's designed to get you over the fear that may be hindering your creativity. It's also designed for the "closet writer".

The presenters at Fear of Writing take great measures to make sure you're having fun and get the support you need to embark on this passion we call writing.

New Directions

2010-07-14T10:45:00.000-05:00

DISCOVERING YOUR WRITING FOR REASON

First of all, Welcome to WRITING for REASON. If you read through the archives and notice the sporadic posting dates, have no fear. This blog has gone through many changes over the years and finally found its home, its purpose and its mission. If you look at my profile, you'll notice I've been here since 2005. This was my first blog on Blogger even though the posting dates here only date back to about 2006, I think.

Milli Thornton, author of Fear of Writing: for writers and closet writers, and I have teamed up on some new and exciting projects. For this reason, this blog has taken on a new direction and everything that didn't relate was removed. Over the years of changing this blog to my writing whims (fiction to non-fiction to freelance), I have removed over 500 posts that became irrelevant or obsolete.

Milli also owns and runs the Fear of Writing Online Course. When she asked me to become a part of it, I was honored. I felt like I had found a life-long friend and business partner--it just took all these years for us to finally catch each other.

We have brainstormed many great ideas, improvements and additions to the current course. We feel these new beginnings and directions will fill a great need in writers who may feel out of place in the world of writing.

It is our mission to get writers (and closet writers) over their fears and help them find their purpose and meaning in their writing life--give them Writing for Reason. We will also be implementing future courses to help writers improve their writing skills and take their writing further. Getting over the fear is the first step. We want to help writers beyond that as well.

This blog is open to anyone. You do not need to enroll in the course, but we highly recommend that you do. I had a blast taking the course and it opened up and reignited my passion for writing.

So follow us on this journey of being a writer and helping others.

Be Our Guest

2010-06-01T21:14:00.001-05:00

You have a REASON FOR WRITING. You have a passion for writing and putting words together.

You have a story to tell.

We want to hear it and share it with our readers.

GUIDELINES:

Your article should be original.
Proofread for spelling errors, punctuation, grammar, etc.
It must be written in first person.
Images are not required, but if you send an image, please make sure it's small and you own the copyrights to it.
Break up long paragraphs. Readers need whitespace to avoid eyestrain and are more likely to read your material if it contains short paragraphs.
There is no word limit, but we suggest keeping your post between 250-1000 words.
Your bio should be short and contain no more than 3 links. Two links are preferred.

TOPICS:

This site is about writing for a reason (of course), it's about a writer's passion and why they write.
You can share your passion for writing, or if you've created a great character and want to share why you're passionate about him/her.
How you fell in love with writing.

These are just some basic guidelines. Please feel free to shoot us an email and pitch a new angle to us.

BEFORE YOU SUBMIT:

Please send us an inquiry about your article before submitting it to us. We only want a brief synopsis describing the story or your passion.

SUBMITTING YOUR ARTICLE:

This should be done in email. We do not accept attachments so please put it in the body of the email, AFTER you have contacted us and gotten permission to send the article.

We will proofread it and if we find any glaring mistakes, we will ask you to correct them or we will inform you that we've corrected them.

We will NOT change your story.

We do reserve the right to REJECT any submission that we do not deem appropriate for this site.

Please read:

Etiquette 101: How to Contact a Writing Website by Milli Thornton

before you submit.

Contact: pattiannstafford @ gmail.com with Writing for Reason guest post in the subject line.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Thanks!

Wrong Words

2010-05-26T18:41:00.000-05:00

Words that are often misused and mixed up
Do you have little pet peeves about the wrong usage of certain words? I do and the two which I hate to see are "then and than". I think more people misuse those in a sentence than any others.

The words I have the biggest trouble with: is and are.
Tense forms of some words get me every time so I have to really watch out for those and still end up missing them.

Other words that are misused:
affect, effect
farther, further
since, sense, cents

Newlywed

2010-05-04T07:50:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone,

As my partner, Angela, mentioned, I've been on sabbatical. This isn't actually true. I've recently married my high school sweetheart from 27 years ago, so it's been more of a honeymoon.

I apologize for such a long hiatus, but the whole year has been a whirl-wind for me. I am happy and content and getting ready to put my writing cap back on.

By the way, I married an awesome musician. If you're from the old school of rock, be sure to check out his music. You can find him on myspace, Mod Krofferd.

Enjoy and see you soon.
Patti Stafford

Feeding Your Blog

2007-09-26T16:12:00.001-05:00

It's taken awhile to get this site feed thing figured out and I still don't have all the answers.

I did recently discover a little (well-known) secret though. I say its well-known because everyone knew except me. I've even read other blogs about doing this but I didn't really find one that explained it well. My explanation may not be any better but here it goes.

You want you blog to be easy to subscribe to through RSS feeds. You notice that everyone else's blog has those little feed icons or chicklets as they are called at Feedburner. So how do you get them?

1. Go to Feedburner, sign up for free. (Or they have a monthly thing that costs)
2. Burn your feeds. You do that just by adding the URL of your blog.
The next thing you want to do is Publicize your blog. At Feedburner there will be a tab called Publicize, click on that and pick which blog (if you have more than one) that you would like those little chicklets on.

At this time you will want to open a new window so you tweak your blog in a seperate window. This is based on the blogs at Blogger so I can't help with any of the others, but at Blogger, you will go into your templates tab. Scroll through the HTML code until you find the ipower by Blogger link. I put my feeds under that---because it's simple to find the code for it.

Back at your Feedburner page you will check the radio button next to the feed that you want to copy, i.e. Yahoo, Newsgator, Google, etc. At the bottom of those icons there will be a text box of code. Simply copy that code, go to your blogger template page and paste that code in. The code changes with each radio button that you check. The page does not reload so this is a pretty quick process.

You will need to do this with all the feeds that you want on your blog. I suggest that you preview it often to make sure it's all lining up. I also suggest that you do all the feeds at once. With Blogger you have to Republish your blog any time you make changes to the template, so it's easier to make all the changes at once.

Handling Rejection

2007-08-30T23:12:00.001-05:00

It never gets easier - regardless of what others may tell you! You'll feel the same disbelief and anger over your 100th rejection as you did over your first - perhaps even more so. But the worst thing you can do in this business is burn your bridges by sounding off to the publisher who rejected your piece. You never know when you may have to deal with this same person again in your line of work.

I personally prefer to throw darts and sticky tacky wads at my bulletin board - where I have the logos and photographs of the different publishers that I work with posted. Some have even earned the highest honor of the black marker goatee and horns! But - this keeps me in the unemployed good graces of said publishers - and able to resubmit. I figure the best revenge is to simply make them proof works from me again and again - and again - and again... again... aga... ag...a....

Paraphrasing

2007-08-30T23:05:00.001-05:00

Pharaphrasing means to express meaning in other words; to rephrase; to give a message in another form; to amplify a message.

We normally use paraphrasing for simple things such as repeating telephone numbers when taking a message. The use of paraphrasing is essential in good communication between two cionversing people. When informatuion is not clear - we tend to make assumptions. We need to always confirm with the person whom we're having a convcersation with - that what we think we heard - was indeed what they meant to say. Yuo can do this by repeating blurbs of their sentences to yuo, such as:

"You said, 'nevermind the floor, just sweep the rug'?"

The opther person now has a chance to make clarifications to what they actually said - and what you thought they had meant.

When paraphrasing in print, it's more crucial that be as accurate as possible, and always state your souce, so yuor reader can look this information up for themselves and see if they draw the same meaning or conclusion as yuo did.

Help with the business end of your writing career

2007-08-17T20:40:00.001-05:00

Running a career as a writer is just as difficult as any other career, this is especially true for the freelancer who needs to know all the business ends and outs, be the office manager, the accountant, the supervisor---lets face it, a freelance writer wears more hats than just that of writer.

Sometimes its hard to find the information you need to help your business run smoothly and efficiently. So in my research I ran across the Business of Writing at Writing-World.com. Here you can find numerous articles in several categories to help you find answers.

Enjoy

Get your book promoted

2007-08-17T19:36:00.000-05:00

OnceWritten.com is a resource that caters to and only promotes new authors. OnceWritten offers a variety of affordable promotional opportunities that are sure to get you on the right track and offer online advertising packages starting at $25 plus some free promotional opportunities as well.

They have been a Writers Digest pick for three years in a row.

Generating Ideas

2007-07-24T21:44:00.001-05:00

Sometimes the hardest part of writing is confronting a blank sheet of paper.

Before you begin to write you should get some ideas flowing. This process is often painless and comes effortlessly, but there are occasions that the task seems impossible. There are several strategies that you can try and see which ones work for you.

Some possible suggestions are: Brainstorming, freewriting, doodling and reading.

Brainstorming is starting with a word or phrase and spend a set period of time jotting a list of ideas as fast as possible without editing. It appears a lot like freewriting.

Freewriting is writing a series of sentences without stopping for 10-15 minutes. The sentences do not have to be grammatically correct or even coherent. It's just a simple exercise to get the creative side working.

Doodling seems to have nothing to do with writing, but a lot of people find that just doodling on a piece of paper will get their creativity going. A shape or line may spark some great story.

Reading what someone else has written can also be another way to stimulate your creative side. I find that when I am reading I think of ways that my own characters can grow or change.

This is not an extensive list of ways to get the pen the paper, but it is a beginning. You may find that several work for you or none at all.

Where Do I Start Writing?

2007-07-24T21:32:00.002-05:00

You've decided that you want to write an article or a short story even, but you can't decide where to start. Some writers have no trouble getting started; they find that trouble comes later. But for some of us, starting is the hardest part. We may have a great idea or a great story line but we just can't figure out how or where to start. Most times it's best to start at the beginning, but since you are the writer you have to create the beginning. Well have no fear, you are the writer and you do not have to start at the beginning, you can create the beginning later. You can start with the end if you want and write it backwards.

Here are some tips to help you through the beginning process. Try them all and see what works for you. Sometimes a playful start can get you hard at work before you realize it.

Self timings: Set a timer of some sorts and start writing. Don't stop until the timer goes off. If all you can come up with are jokes you already know or just plain old dribble, then carry on, you can take those out later. The purpose is to just write something.

Crawling: If speed writing doesn't tickle your fancy then slow it down. Write a sentence every five, ten or fifteen minutes.

Scribbling: Just start doodling. Scribble lines, circles, or squares...whatever it is you like to do with doodles.

Write the part that interests you the most: It can be the middle, the end, a favorite scene you've pictured. You can build your story around it later.