Thursday, November 23, 2006

Tips for Writing Letters That Pay

Q: Can you provide some tips for writing letters that pay?
A: Writers regularly ask how they can increase their chances of being published on a readers’ letters page to win cash or prizes. You might find the following tips useful:

1. Research! This is the first rule in writing for potential publication in any magazine. In this case, take a look at the readers’ letters page and study those letters that have been chosen for publication. Is the content of the letters funny or serious? Is it family orientated or aimed at an older or younger reader? Do the letters refer to previously published articles? All this detective work will give you a clear idea of the type of letters you should be writing.

2. Consider Your Topic! You can draw upon every-day experiences for the subject of your letters. If you refer to previously published material in the magazine, remember to include the article title and issue date. Act quickly on any topical material as today’s news will be history tomorrow. When drawing on true life, do make sure that you’re not going to regret anything that you’ve written!

3. Work on Your Delivery! Once you’ve decided on your subject matter, write concisely in a no-nonsense style and make every word count. Consider your delivery carefully. Be clear with your sentence construction so that you put your message across loud and clear. Write in a language that suits the target readership.

4. Read Aloud! You should always read through your work aloud - this applies to everything you write for publication whether letters, fillers, articles and chapters. This will help you iron out any weaknesses in the pace, style and delivery.

5. Write as a Reader! Remember that readers’ letters pages are aimed at the readers so there’s no need to send in your business letterhead declaring yourself as a freelance writer. Just send in a clear handwritten or typed letter with your name and address. Keep it plain and simple.

Writing for Magazines - Some Useful Info for Beginners

If you’re starting out as a freelance writer, the magazine market can seem daunting and full of uncertainties. Although there are plenty of opportunities to be published and paid, having a better understanding of the industry will enhance your chances of success. To help you on your way, here are a few pointers:

(1) Freelancing is all about numbers - the more projects you apply for, the better your chance of success.

(2) Gaining a commission depends on being able to offer material that will capture the editor’s attention.

(3) Your writing style needs to suit your publication’s requirements. This is why you should always study the magazine before you start writing the article.

(4) Editors prefer to commission material from writers who are familiar with the magazine and have followed the contributor guidelines.

(5) It doesn’t matter if you’re a new or firmly established writer; If you have the right material, the editor will buy!

(6) Good writing is crucial but you also need to pay attention to detail. Your copy should be free of typos and be well-presented.

(7) Do not expect a reply to every approach you make. Many editors will only respond if they are interested in taking things to the next stage.

(8) Instead of waiting for a response, move on to the next opportunity. Don’t waste time complaining about editors who never respond. Keep sending your work out!

(9) If you want a reply or the return of material submitted, send a stamped s.a.e. Bear in mind though that this is no guarantee that you’ll receive a response.

(10) Keep cover letters brief and professional in tone. Don’t forget to include your contact details.

(11) Submit your material for publication at the magazine’s usual rates. If you have an `exclusive’ however, you may command a higher fee. Make this known in your cover letter and mention that you’re happy to negotiate the fee.

(12) Keep a copy and a record of the material that you have submitted. Some articles do go astray.

(13) By all means, follow up on work submitted. Some magazines are inundated with material from freelance writers so expect to wait anything from between four to eight weeks on average to gain a response. After this time, send a polite email, letter or make a brief phone call to the magazine to follow-up.

(14) Some magazines may wish to hold-on to your work to consider for a future issue. Whether you wish to accept this arrangement is up to you. Most writers might agree to this realizing that it is a possible future commission.

Friday, November 3, 2006

Is ePublishing the Answer to your Dreams?

When dealing with the traditional publishing world, many writers invest a lot of time, submitting their work to publishers, then they play the waiting-game. While the rules are different with epublishing, there is still a considerable investment needed to be successful. But is it right for you?

While the rules are different with epublishing, there is still a considerable investment needed to be successful.

When I finished my first ebook, I joked to a colleague that writing it was the easy part ~ and I was right. The hard part was learning and developing a workable ebook format, building a functional Web site and launching an ongoing marketing campaign.

And that's true, even for authors who are handled by a third-party epublisher. Often, they will be responsible for not only providing the ebook in a professional, published format, but also arranging reviews, publicity and online marketing.

Epublishing is, however, an exciting, evolving industry. It's a wonderful experience to be in complete control of your e-destiny.

It is also the great leveler of literature.

For the first time in history, wordsmiths of all genres and all calibers have the opportunity to write for the masses.

Technology provides a tremendous opportunity for everyone from the rising talent to mid-list authors to step out from the shadow of the big-name writers.

Traditional publishing no longer has the will nor the ability to showcase the talents of the ordinary scribe. Epublishing has that ability, and that's why it is currently one of the fastest growing sectors of the Internet.

Having said that, it's important to understand that epublishing is a double-edge sword. Yes, it has made it easier to get published and, consequently, there are more inexperienced or 'non writers' producing ebooks. But technology has removed the traditional gatekeepers of the industry ~ impartial editors ~ who, to a large degree, have maintained high standards for publishing.

Now, anyone can ~ and does ~ produce ebooks. So that quality has dropped dramatically. And, the bulk of e-authors are responsible for their own marketing and promotion, so that means that only a fraction of ebook authors are actually make a living on the Internet.

Like the Internet in general, epublishing gives you and every other author access to a global market.

To give you an idea of the potential of this market, after just one month of promoting my first ebook, I had readers from my native Australia, New Zealand and theisland of Vanuatu to the US, UK, Canada and even Denmark and Russia. That used to be the domain of best-selling authors, but now it's within the reach of newbies on the Net.

Whenever I write for the Internet ~ be it an ebook, a Web article or a blog ~ I remind myself of three things. You should too:

1. The world is listening.

You may be hammering away at an article in the wee hours of the morning, but the world is listening, waiting and maybe hanging on your every word.

Epublishing gives every writer access to a global market. For the first time in history, writers truly control their words, and they can reach anyone, anywhere ~ around the clock and around the world ~ from a simple Web site.

2. Doctors bury their mistakes; we print ours.

That was something a sub-editor told me when I started out as a young newspaper journalist.

Take a close look at the next Web site you visit. Look beyond the dazzling graphics and consider the words. How well is the message communicated? Are there any typos? Does the copy make sense? More importantly, does the site achieve its aim of enticing you to buy or convincing you to subscribe or some other objective?

Too often, sites miss the mark, and that's the main reason why less than 5% are profitable.

3. I love what I do, and I want to continue doing it.

Let's face it, you don't write for the money or for the celebrity, you write because you like writing. And the best way to continue this practice is to do it as well as you can.

Make your passion a business. Take the time to re-skill so that you can offer a wider range of services to the industry. Take care in your choice of words; take the time to read writers you love and learn from others.

Your investment will be rewarded for the rest of your writing life.