October 25, 2006
Will Write For Chocolate
Will Write For Chocolate has been updated.
Posted by Debbie at 01:25 PM | Comments (0)
Seth Chong: pricing e-books
Seth Chong recently posted an article of interest to e-book authors and those considering publishing e-books: The Greatest Way On How To Price Your E-books.
Posted by Debbie at 11:15 AM | Comments (0)
October 18, 2006
Will Write For Chocolate updated
Will Write For Chocolate has been updated. Click on above image to see a bigger version.
I'll be out of town until next Tuesday. Have a great weekend, everyone!
Posted by Debbie at 04:12 PM | Comments (0)
October 16, 2006
NaNoWriMo cartoon
I've been adapting some Inkygirl cartoons for NaNoWriMo; the above is one sample. Starting November, the NaNoWriMo site will be posting one of my cartoons for writers every weekday.
Posted by Debbie at 08:49 AM | Comments (0)
October 13, 2006
Deborah Ng: paid vs free job listing services
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In a recent Finding The Right Words post, Deborah Ng compares paid market listing services to free services like her own.
As Deborah pointed out, paid writers' market listing services often do list jobs that can be found in free services. . . which can be frustrating.
In my experience, however, I've found that paid market services are more likely to be motivated to spend time doing research, keeping job listings updated, and having the funds to add useful tools to make it easier for writers to find the information they're looking for. When I maintained my Telecommuting Jobs For Writers blog, my paid work always had to come first.
Not all paid job/market listing services are equal, of course. As Deborah advises in her post, try out the service for a trial period first to make sure that it does offer more than what a free service could give you.
For those interested, I interviewed Deborah Ng for Will Write For Chocolate a while back.
I'd be interested in hearing opinions from those of you who have used both paid and free services, and promise to keep your name confidential unless you say otherwise. Please e-mail me.
Posted by Debbie at 05:58 PM | Comments (0)
Susan Marie Groppi, Editor-in-Chief: Strange Horizons
I recently wrote an article about webzines for Writer's Digest, but some of the material had to be cut from the final version because of length reasons. Susan Marie Groppi, editor-in-chief of Strange Horizons, was kind enough to give me permission to post the info here instead. Strange Horizons is a weekly magazine of speculative fiction. URL: http://www.strangehorizons.com/.
What do you do when you're not working on your webzine?
I'm a lecturer at the University of California, Berkeley. I received a Ph.D. in history last spring, and this year I'm teaching some history of science courses in the history department here. Between the magazine and the teaching work, I don't have time to do much else. :)
Is editing for an online publication different from editing a print publication?
I've never edited a print magazine, but I did work for a small press publisher for a while, and I get the impression that most of the editing process is very similar, but the production process is entirely different.
Your submissions guidelines for articles, fiction, poetry and reviews are online, but could you possibly offer any "insider tips" to freelance writers?
One thing that a lot of people don't realize is that each of our departments operates independently, so if you have a history of dealing with the articles department, that doesn't mean that the fiction or reviews editors know anything about you. I'm not sure that counts as an insider tip, but it's definitely something that I've seen confusion about.
What are your current editorial needs?
I know that we're always on the lookout for good nonfiction articles (science, history, culture, literary criticism, that kind of thing), and that we'd love to have more reviewers covering comic books, video games, and movies.
What is the best way for a freelance writer to break in at your publication?
For the nonfiction departments (articles and reviews), the best way to break in to this market is to be open to working with editorial suggestion. It's not uncommon for people to submit pieces that don't quite work for us, but that our editors would like to have the author revise. Writers who are flexible about that process are more likely to eventually be successful with us.
What webzines do you enjoy reading?
As far as webzines go, I like Ideomancer (www.ideomancer.com). ChiZine also has a stellar reputation, but I'm not so much of a horror reader, so I don't personally read them.
Posted by Debbie at 04:33 PM | Comments (0)
October 12, 2006
Rob Rummel-Hudson: Epiphany
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I've been following Rob Rummel-Hudson's blog regularly since someone directed me to this moving entry. Though Rob doesn't maintain "Darn Tootin'" anymore, he does update My Beloved Monster and Me. Recently Rob announced that St. Martin's Press was going to be publishing Schuyler's Monster in 2008.
We readers of his blog were all delighted for him, of course. I love Rob's writing; he can be funny and incredibly moving in the same entry, and his style is simple and direct. I'm looking forward to buying his book when it comes out! Rob recently started Monster Notes, which follows the progress of his book. It's a well-designed book site with all the essential info plus an interesting blog that offers a glimpse into what happens after a book contract is signed.
Anyway, the main purpose of this post is to direct you to a recent entry in his "My Beloved Monster And Me" blog called Epiphany. I love this entry; for me, it captures so much of the joy and pain of writing, and why some of us write.
Posted by Debbie at 07:42 AM | Comments (0)
October 11, 2006
NaNoWriMo: a creative kick in the pants
Will Write For Chocolate has been updated. Click image above for a bigger version.
For those who don't know, next month is NaNoWriMo, or National Novel Writing Month. The event is a very casual approach to novel writing, in which the goal is to write a 50,000 word novel by midnight, November 30th. You're allowed to make notes and outline before November, but you aren't supposed to actually start writing until November 1st. NaNoWriMo was created by Chris Baty, who recently published No Plot? No Problem! : A Low-Stress, High-Velocity Guide to Writing a Novel in 30 Days.
I participated in NaNoWriMo a few years back, to help jump-start my novel-writing, and I wrote the rough copy of a fantasy novel for young people during that month. The event was exactly what I needed; I tend to over-edit as I write, wanting each sentence to be perfect before going on to the next. This makes for slow writing and a lot of frustration.
NaNoWriMo helped me get past the perfectionist block. The first draft of the novel was VERY rough, but at least I had something to work with. Now my NaNoWriMo novel is out circulating at publishing houses, and I keep my fingers crossed. Part of the fun is the commiseration with other writers participating in the event, on the discussion forums and (depending on your location) in person.
The event isn't for everyone. I'd recommend it most strongly for any writer who needs a creative kick in the pants, to get them out of a rut. Yet I've also noticed that published writers are also using NaNoWriMo to get a headstart on new projects, like Michelle Rowen. Previous NaNoWriMo participants have had their novels published by major publishing houses. Hopefully mine will be added to that list soon. :-)
This year, I'm opting to draw cartoons for NaNoWriMo instead of writing a novel; my tendinitis is well under control these days, and I'd rather not push my luck since my current writing is already going well. You can find out more about NaNoWriMo at the official Web site. Starting next month, there will also be a NaNoWriMo cartoon by yours truly on the site every weekday.
(A version of the above has been cross-posted to Will Write For Chocolate)
October 10, 2006
Strong Bad writes a children's book
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October 05, 2006
J.A. Konrath: Five Habits Of Highly Neurotic Authors
I recently came across Five Habits Of Highly Neurotic Authors by J.A. Konrath and loved it. Maybe a little too much. :-D
Posted by Debbie at 12:13 PM | Comments (0)
October 04, 2006
Evan Hansen and Wired Online
I recently wrote an article for Writer's Digest magazine about webzines, but some of the material had to be cut for length. Evan Hansen, editor-in-chief of Wired News, has kindly agreed to let me post the information here instead.
Evan says that though Wired News sometimes republishes content from the print publication, Wired Magazine, they also rely on freelance contributions.
What do you look for in a freelance submission?
"Scoops and ahead of the curve news, original thinking and point of view, voice, great writing."
What are your current editorial needs?
"We cover science and technology and are always looking for unique unreported gems in both areas. I am specifically looking for colorful tech trends from outside the U.S., for example, Japan, China, Brazil, South Korea; space and aeronautics; politics and tech policy."
What is the best way for a freelance writer to break in at Wired
News?
"Send us great pitches and deliver clean, well-reported copy."
What are your pay rates?
"We start new freelancers at 50 cents/word with increases based on performance. We may consider underwriting some or all story-related expenses on a case by case basis and we may commission photos at a flat rate of $50 for up to 3 pictures and captions published and $100 for four or more."
Send all pitches via the online form.
Posted by Debbie at 03:03 PM | Comments (0)
October 03, 2006
Will Write For Chocolate updated
To see a bigger version of this comic or see the archives, please visit Will Write For Chocolate. Column this week: "Looking for writing jobs on Craigslist: a caution."
Posted by Debbie at 09:43 PM | Comments (0)
Deborah Ng: Freelance Writing Jobs
For those looking for a daily source of writing job listings and missed an earlier post, do check out Deborah Ng's Freelance Writing Job blog. Deborah includes pay info and uses a number of different sources. Highly recommended.
Posted by Debbie at 12:39 PM | Comments (0)
Francesca Segrè: Are You Cut Out to Be a Novelist?
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There are a ton of "Are You Cut Out To Be A Novelist / Freelance Writer / Poet etc." lists out there, but Francesca Segrè has yet another. I felt compelled to check it out, of course, as I always do. I don't agree with the requirement that a would-be novelist has to be content with obscurity. I believe that a novelist who has a secret (or not-so-secret) hope for recognition and fame and fortune has a better chance of success in the publishing world than one who is comfortable with obscurity. Hope for nothing, and you'll probably get nothing.
If your goal isn't publishing success, however, and just the goal of writing a novel...well then, you don't really need a list to tell you whether you're "cut out" for it, do you? Just WRITE.
J.A. Konrath: conference tips
J.A. Konrath has some excellent tips for writers attending their first conference as well as those participating in panels in his Conference Tips blog entry.
Posted by Debbie at 10:18 AM | Comments (0)
Patricia Storms: Art Imitating Lit
The amazingly talented Patricia Storms has posted a new Art Imitating Lit strip. Read her Booklust entry about the strip and the whole "serious women's fiction vs chick-lit controversy" first. (Warning: comic contains strong language)
Posted by Debbie at 08:19 AM | Comments (0)
October 02, 2006
The $125K Vow
Carson Brackney pledged that he would earn $125,000 in one year through his content writing business. Just over a month later, he has already earned $7,139 (!). You can find out more about Carson's challenge here.
Freelance writers like Deborah Ng have been inspired by Carson's efforts; see this recent blog entry.
Posted by Debbie at 09:42 AM | Comments (0)
Why writers aren't normal
Above: a graphic I created to replace the current placeholder on the NaNoWriMo site; it will be shrunk down, of course. As I mentioned before, I will re-tooling many of my Inkygirl comics for NaNoWriMo this year, but also coming up with a few custom-made for the event. Registration and forums for NaNoWriMo are officially open, for those interested.
My own NaNoWriMo novel is still out there. RECAP: The original version was rejected by an editor at Publisher #1 but she said she'd be delighted to reread it if I made certain revisions.
Meanwhile, my agent had sent the original version to another publisher, where the associate editor liked my mss enough to pass up the chain to the head of the imprint. I'm still waiting to hear back from Publisher #2, and am keeping my fingers and toes and knees crossed. If you have any spare body parts you'd be willing to cross for me, I'd be most grateful.
If Publisher #2 offers me a contract, I will jump up and down. I will run outside and scream and then jump up and down again and embarrass myself in front of the neighbours, who are very likely to call the police. Meanwhile, however, I'm going to keep working on revisions in case Publisher #2 turns down to original version; I feel that the revisions have made my mss that much stronger. When I've finished those revisions and sent it out again, then I'll be able to go back to my next book project.
One of the hardest aspects of freelance writing, I find, is the waiting. Waiting for an acceptance, waiting for a rejection, waiting for edits. Part of you is mad with hope that a particular editor will want to buy your book, but another part is bracing for rejection (and having to tell your friends and family you were Rejected Again). It's enough to drive any normal person batty, which is why most writers aren't really normal, of course.
:-)
I cope by focusing on the writing; the writing keeps me sane. When I'm writing, I forget about everything else. The rest of the world fades, and I can pour myself into what I love doing best. It's why I keep a daily writing notebook...that way, even if I'm swamped in administrivia or waitingstress or other necessary but not favourite parts of freelance writing, I know I can always WRITE SOMETHING EVERY DAY; it reminds me of why I go through all the stuff I'm not so crazy about.
Speaking of which, I should do some writing now...
Posted by Debbie at 09:03 AM | Comments (0)
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