Jul 30
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Recent Posts
- Can You Really Afford NOT to Have a Coach?
- Writers, Do You Have a Marketing Plan for the Coming Week?
- Promotion! Promotion! Promotion!
- The Locket - Trailer for My New Book
- The Rule of Twelve: Unlock the Door to Your Freelance Writing Career
- Coming Soon - The Lieurance-King Summer 2008 Article Challenge!
- Writers Who Don’t Write - a Question for You!
- Some Excellent New Blogs & Websites to Visit
- Tips & Hints for Finding Writing Jobs Online
- The iPod & ITunes Handbook by Contel Bradford
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Jul 30
Is there some secret number that will unlock the door to your freelance writing career?
Well, if there is, that number is probably “twelve.”
INCREASE YOUR CHANCES FOR SUCCESS
Most writers who have been freelancing for a while are familiar with what is known as “the rule of twelve.” This rule suggests that you will greatly improve your chances of getting published if you manage to have at least twelve manuscripts and/or queries making the rounds at all times. Of course, you still need to study the markets and make sure you are sending your queries and manuscripts to appropriate publishers. But, if you have at least twelve pieces circulating at all times (to appropriate markets) and you have taken the time to develop your craft (by that I mean, you can write well), you can’t help but land some acceptance letters and publishing contracts.
KEEP THOSE MATERIALS CIRCULATING
The tricky part is consistently keeping twelve pieces circulating. Just as you manage to get your twelfth piece out in the mail, one of the first eleven comes back with a rejection slip. Dang!
Well, don’t waste time feeling bad about it. Find another market to target and send the piece back out again.
If a single manuscript receives five rejections (from five different targeted markets), then carefully reread those rejection letters to see if they offer tips for rewriting this piece. If they do, then think about using those tips to revise the story or article, then send it out again to another appropriate market.
CREATE SOME MOMENTUM
If you’ve never followed the rule of twelve, try it and see what happens. For the next twelve days, write something every day that you can submit - a query, a short article, a short story - then send them all out. When one piece is published, write something new to send out. When a rejection letter arrives in the mail, find a new market for that piece and send it out again, so you always have twelve pieces circulating.
Follow the rule of twelve and it won’t be long before you’ve created enough momentum to unlock that door to your freelance writing career and make it fly wide open.
Jul 24
Article marketing should be part of any freelance writer’s marketing plan.
But not every freelance writer knows how to do this.
If you need help making article marketing part of your overall marketing plan, sign up for the Lieurance-King Summer 2008 Article Challenge, which will start August 1st.
It’s free to take part in this challenge, and you might win a prize (the Golden Pjs Award). Plus, you receive a free e-book (21 Tips - a 21 Day Course in Effective Article Marketing) just for signing up.
Find out more and sign up here today!
Jul 23
Okay, the big question has always been - “If a tree falls in the forest and no one is there to hear it, does it still make a sound?”
I don’t have a definite answer for that one.
But here is my question for you today: If a writer doesn’t write, is he/she still a writer?
As a writing coach I must hear every excuse in the book from people who SAY they are writers, yet they just never seem to find time or have the energy or enthusiasm to write.
What gives?
If these same people wanted to become professional tennis players for example, and make a living playing tennis, if you asked them, “Played any tennis lately?” could you expect them to say, “Oh, no. I just don’t have the time. One of these days I’m going to start playing, though. And the first thing I’ll do is enter a big tournament!”
If they said that you’d think they were nuts!
How could they expect to enter a tournament when they hadn’t spent months, even years, practicing, getting better and better at playing?
Yet, how many writers don’t write but have big plans to someday write a novel.
Yep. Their first work will be a novel - not some dinky little short story or an article. They will START with a novel.
But, right now - they don’t write.
So - are they writers?
My answer to that is - ONLY if we can HEAR the computer keys tapping as they type out their story!
Or, ONLY if we can HEAR the pen as they scribble words down on paper.
What do you think?
Jul 20
Wow! As part of my Working Writer’s Summer Bootcamp, I’m having everyone create a blog and/or website for their writing.
The “grunts” in bootcamp have come up with some amazing sites!
Check these out. And, when you do, please leave an encouraging comment.
All of these writers have worked very hard to create quality information and resources for their readers.
Each writer is also posting articles to ezinearticles.com, so look there if you need some quality content for your own website or blog.
Carma’s Window
A site for children’s book authors and anyone interested in children’s writing
Heartfeltwords4Kids
A site for parents of seriously ill children, with access to a website for kids and parents, too
FamilyFunandFood
A site for families with recipes and other resources to make family time fun and enriching
LocalFoodConnections
A site that encourages buying and eating locally grown foods - includes recipes and tips for eating local foods.
PeaceandLaughter
Articles, essays, and resources to help women everywhere live life with peace and laughter
Stress-Free Parent
Tips to help all parents and their kids live together stress-free!
Urban Intelligensia
Information and resources about today’s urban public schools
FoodforBeginners
Recipes and cooking tips for beginning cooks
NewTeacherResourceCenter
A resource center that provides articles, tips, and resources for new classroom teachers
KidsBooksUK
A Look at Children’s Books and Children’s Publishing in the United Kingdom
Jul 17
Join Writers on Call, weekly teleclasses for freelance writers, and attend this week’s teleclass this morning at 11:30 central time called Tips & Hints for Finding Writing Jobs Online.
During this 55-minute teleclass, writers will learn how to shorten their online search for jobs, how to tell which jobs are worth applying for, and how to write effective cover letters and queries in response to the job ads that look interesting and promising.
Join Writers on Call now to receive an email invitation to this event. As a Writers on Call subscriber, you will also receive a link to the recording of this event, so you can listen and learn at any time.
Jul 12
As a writer, writing coach, and podcast and radio show host, I am often asked to write blurbs for other authors’ books and to contribute content to other books, as well.
Yesterday, I received a copy of a new book by Contel Bradford called The IPod & iTunes Handbook.
I had forgotten that several months ago I answered some questions about podcasting and writing for Contel Bradford, so it was fun to see that I’m the featured case study on pages 101-102 of the book.
Here’s a short synopsis of this book:
The iPod & iTunes Handbook also contains many tips and tricks, including how to transfer music, photos, videos, and audiobooks to your iPod and vice versa, how to make playlists, how to convert video for the iPod, how to integrate your car, how to burn a CD in iTunes, how to sync your tunes, how to add album art, how to use all the features of iTunes, how use your iPod as a hard drive, how to share your iTunes music, and much more. In addition, this book provides you with information on buying accessories and software for your iPod, such as cases, chargers, docking stations, portable speakers, earphones, cables, headsets, and car kits. Furthermore, you will discover the best places to buy accessories for your iPod and the Web sites that have the best pointers and free add-ons. Whether you have an iPod or are planning on buying one, whether you have no idea how to use your iPod or think you have mastered it all, you will learn all there is to know about iPods and iTunes.
Order this informative and helpful book here from amazon.com.
Jul 08
Join Writers on Call, weekly teleclasses for freelance writers, and attend this week’s teleclass Thursday night at 7:00 central time called Self-Confidence for Writers 101.
During this 55-minute teleclass, Business Coach Devon Plumberg, and Suzanne Lieurance, The Working Writer’s Coach, will talk with participants about the many issues that affect the self-confidence of writers. They’ll also provide several action steps for writers to take right now to build their self-confidence AND their writing businesses.
If you’ve been struggling with self-confidence issues that are keeping your writing career from being all that it could it, join Writer’s on Call NOW, so you won’t miss this important call.
Jul 04
If you’re striving to become a fulltime freelance writer who makes a living from your work, you should know that at different points you will “hit the wall” so to speak with your career.
I see this happen all the time with my coaching clients.
At first they are moving along making progress with their work without too many distractions or problems.
But then they start to develop what I call, “the dog ate my homework” stories as to why they can’t keep their writing careers on track.
These stories can vary greatly. But no matter how imaginative and creative they may be, these stories are nothing more than excuses for not moving forward.
Are you creating “the dog ate my homework” stories as a way to excuse yourself for NOT living the life of your dreams as a freelance writer?
Check for these signs:
First, just as you begin to create some momentum, you start having family or personal emergencies that divert your attention and focus.
Sure. Emergencies are legitimate excuses. But the actual emergencies aren’t the problem as far as your career goes. The problem there occurs when you don’t work through these emergencies and stay focused and actively continue toward your goals.
Second, do you find yourself using statements that begin with any or all of these phrases - I can’t, I don’t, I’m sorry, I won’t, I’ll try but….
Third, when you do manage to do a little writing or work on an assignment, are you unfocused and in a rush, so you are NOT producing your best work?
Then, do you try to convince yourself and others that this IS the best you can do?
These are all part of “the dog ate my homework” strategy to remain in your comfort zone, and your family wants to remain in that comfort zone, too.
But is that really what YOU want?
Or, do you want to finally move ahead to the life you have always dreamed of?
You can’t do what you have always done and expect to get different results.
That’s the definition of “insanity.”
Let go of “the dog ate the homework” stories and expect more of yourself now.
Try it!
Jul 01
You don’t have to be a children’s author to enjoy the interview with my guest this afternoon on Book Bites for Kids, live on blogtalkradio at 2:00 central time.
Elizabeth Lyon a mentor, editor, and popular writing instructor who has contributed to The Writer and Writer’s Digest will be the guest.
Today she will talk about her new book Manuscript Makeover: Revision Techniques No Fiction Writer Can Afford to Ignore.
A copy of this book will be given away to the fifth caller today who calls - 1-646-716-9239 - during the live show to ask a question or make a comment.
