Ever Learning

As freelance writers, we should never become so "experienced and wise" that we fail to see opportunities to learn something new. So many people these days believe they are so genius that there's nothing left for them to learn.

This theory/opinion couldn't be further from the truth! We can always learn something new, no matter how old we are, how long we've been writing (or whatever you do for a living/hobby), or how much we've studied a topic--keyword "study."

Writing for Dollars newsletter is one of the resources I use to enhance my writing. One such instance is the article that was just published in today's issue, written by Denise Vitola. It is titled "It's The VoiceThat Sells."

I took away a feeling that I can improve upon my own writer's voice. We can always improve. I know that some of my articles are "flat" as she mentions, because I've failed to put my "voice" out there.

Writing for Dollars also has paying markets listed in the high, medium, and low-paying range.

I subscribe to other newsletters, e-zines, and magazines as well. I buy writer's reference books and study study study. I read anthologies, magazine articles, other writer-related blogs, and articles online. I study English and grammar and spelling and I glean from "this and that and the other." I rejoice when the advice I've taken and the enormous amounts of time spent studying results in yet another (paid) sale!

So, by refusing to have an "I'm so smart" or "I'm not willing to learn" attitude, I'm growing as a writer. I'm ever learning and I'm finding continued success as I write the cyber highway!

So Many Stories!

Think about it... You have memories of your childhood, good or bad. Most have memories of a wedding/marriage, good or bad. There are memories of crummy jobs, horrific dates, taunting school years, the ups and downs of teen life, your first apartment/house.... How about memories of grandma or grandpa? What about girl scout/boy scout summer camp? Or some other camp?

There's the interesting old man that lives down the street and creates art from junk, or the lady that volunteers her time to comfort the sick at hospitals, nursing homes, or in their home...

If you really, really think about it, there are stories everywhere! If you hear someone chatting (not eavesdropping, just passing by!), you may even hear a word or phrase that sparks a great story or article.

What about the new restaurant in town? Or the elderly couple having to close their business after years of quality service to the public?

Keep your eyes, ears, taste buds, sense of touch, and nose open for great stories, they're everywhere!

Writers Weekly

What a nice surprise! I just checked my email and found that writersweekly.com has published my article, Writing, Obesity, and Me in this week's newsletter.

Every clip along the way of our writing journey is exciting, especially if you've battled illness and conquered obesity like I have.

Be encouraged, keep writing the cyber highway!

Interviews abound

Yesterday was a great day for me. I pulled off two successful interviews. My sources kindly answered questions, gave me great quotes to use, gave me their business cards and told me to call or email if I had anymore questions. Great interviews!

A third source, the biggest, most successful source, was in a rush but was very generous in giving me his number telling me to give him a call in a few days and he'll have some time and answers for me.

Overall, I couldn't be happier. I've got wonderful, solid information, facts, and expert sources that will for sure make great articles.

I'm so glad I had the camera, my trusty pocket sized notebook and pen, and was able to attend the outdoors event that brought me in close proximity with so many "walking stories"....

Interviews abound, just open your eyes and look around!

Thanks to blogging!

Today has been great.... I have been in contact with three editors--wow! All contact was great and encouraging and promising.

One editor actually asked for another story for an anthology I've already sold a story to. Who knows, I'm going to send a second story but it may or may not make it to the final cut. Still, it was an honor to be asked for a second story....

Another editor really gave me the encouraging boost I needed to query a great magazine about my personal story of weight loss... (Thanks!)

Also, I sold an article today that I queried an editor about. I got like a newsflash with the title and went from there. I wrote this piece in about 15 minutes, printed it out, scanned over it, got a second opinion before I sent it over cyber space and wrote a very casual query and included the article (just in case she wanted to read it) and bingo! A few hours later, I checked my email to find I had not only received a reply (QUICK!) from that editor, but she thought it was great and wanted to buy it. And, the pay is nothing to cry about!

Sometimes we just have to jump in and go for it!

A New Month, New Opportunities

Well, August has finally arrived. This is a new month full of new opportunities.

I'm always on the lookout for new writing opportunities. That is how I sold a recent article, "Want to Get Published? Get Organized!"

Link here:

http://write-from-home.com/want-to-get-published-get-organized.html

It is an article I wrote with some organizational tips that I personally use.


I'm honored to have my work featured on http://write-from-home.com/


Write-from-home has become my favorite website on writing. Amy Derby, the editor and owner of the website and e-zine, always has new (paying) markets posted. She also maintains four blogs that are most interesting to follow. There are numerous, very helpful articles, on the site to lead new freelance writers in the "write" direction. I've learned a lot by reading them.

So, be encouraged and don't give up hope. Wade through those rejections and all the criticism! Keep skipping and writing the cyber highway and keep your eyes open for all those road signs with writing opportunities!

Your next sale could be just a hop, skip, or jump away....

Watch Out for Mistakes....

I recently queried an editor for an ad I saw seeking writers for articles on their site.

I thought I had created a pretty good query email and hit send. A few days later, I received an email from the editor herself, quite a lengthy email I might add, saying she couldn't feel the passion or direction from my email... that I had not been very clear in my email...but that she had read my clips and heard my voice and saw my talent... and she asked me some specific questions. She felt like the answers to those questions were statements I should have included in my initial query.

Basically, I feel like she asked me to step up to the plate. I'm so shy in a lot of ways--most writers are, aren't we?--and sometimes, well, a lot of the time, I don't speak up or step up to the plate when I should.

This editor told me one thing she clearly saw was my talent (hurray! Isn't that what we want as writers?) and I feel like she challenged me to prove myself and bring my talent to surface in a more relevant manner, relevant to her website, to the topics she requires--which I thought I had, but looking back realized I was far from it--and so I tried again (thankful for the second chance).

There is a point to my rambling... watch out for mistakes... what I thought was a great query was a flop. My only hope in this writing gig is that the editor read my clips, realized I do have talent, and she liked my style (I think) or she wouldn't have emailed in such depth and taken time away from her busy schedule (which I sincerely appreciate!)....

If you don't have clips (samples of your writing) that are on the subject of the magazine, e-zine, newspaper, etc., that you are trying to get a writing job with, write some... Just sit down and write one or two or three samples of articles on a topic relevant to that publication. That way, the editor can at least have something to compare to, to judge a decision on.

That's what I did. I stepped up to the plate and focused. I wrote an article that could easily fit on the particular website I am trying to write for and replied to her email, answering her questions, and when I felt at peace with it all, I hit send.

Watch out for mistakes as you write this cyber highway!

Until next time....