Writers Unbound

In a past post, one reader said they’d like to see more information on finding markets for your writing.

Today, I’m starting a blog series on selling to the consumer and trade magazine markets.

I was fortunate to intern under a magazine with a decent circulation in college, and found my editor/supervisor to be a wealth of knowledge. I also write and edit for a local magazine, and although the publisher himself actively seeks out our writers, I have a sense of what he likes to see from them.

However, unfortunately (or fortunately I guess), I haven’t needed to go through the process of querying very much, as I’ve found these contacts to be enough- for now ;) So I did some digging for you, dear readers, so that you can benefit from those actually in the trenches of querying. I think that viewpoint is equally as important as the editor’s viewpoint for those just beginning the query process.

The Beginning 

My first and foremost question was the very beginning of the process. Do you begin with the idea, or begin with the audience?

 Of the few times that I did query, waaay back, I was..ahem…pushed to it by a professor who particularly liked an article. So, I had an article in hand, and had to match it to a publication.

However, I figured this may not always be the case, and did some research and poking. Sure enough, there are writers who are inspired by a particular magazine or type of magazine, and may write a wholly targeted article to/at that magazine.

Honestly, I think that either approach has the potential to work, as long as the end product is a polished article and a polished query.

So, let’s begin at the beginning. What approach do you take in marketing to magazines? Do you have an article in hand? Or do you simply have a targeted publication? Or, perhaps you’re somewhere in between, as one of the community members I polled said- having more of a rough idea of an article that is then pushed, pulled and mashed to the magazine’s specifications?

magazine writing, magazine markets, getting published

A couple weeks ago, I asked what you neededto talk/read about that WritersUnbound could help you with.

Two replies I got were cold calling (freelancers/copywriters) and researching markets (magazines and books). First, I’m going to address cold calling, and then you can pop back after that where I begin a series on finding markets (tomorrow)!

I also asked for some blogroll suggestions, and I am working on that, too. So, if you have anyone you’d like to see blogrolled, let me know.

My goal with WritersUnbound is to build one of those great, clickable writing communities where you can once in a while garner those little gems of wisdom that go a long way in your writing career. You have a lot of say in that building, so please do leave your input.

And now……ON TO COLD CALLING:

•  Cold calling isn’t always completely cold. You’ll want to start with your past clients. This will make the task a little easier on freelancers who hate picking up the phone, as you’ll at least have a sense of the customer. Heck, maybe you can pick up enough new work to just stop there. But, if not…
• Another way to warm up that cold call, making it a little easier for the shy freelancer: send some materials beforehand. Warm up your prospect by sending a small press kit, or a cold email with a direction to your website. Your prospect then knows a BIT about you, thus alleviating all those clumsy introductions.
• Get recommendations or introductions first. By using your existing network, you can garner an introduction, or at least some positive word of mouth buzz, meaning that you again avoid the chilliest part of the cold call.

Using these suggestions not only helps you get more business, but moreso, they take the pain out of cold calling, making it an activity that doesn’t drain your reserves.

Best of luck, and be sure to share your cold calling tips!

cold calling, blogroll

I must send out a massive THANK YOU to PGARDAPEE- a super sweet woman I know from the Work At Home Moms forum for this great tool.

Read Me Please is a free download trial software that will provide a (computerized) voice to read any text you paste into its screen. I used it this morning for a final proofread before I sent a project to a client, and I did find one mistake that I had missed from multiple other read-throughs!

Bonuses:

• Reads numerals out loud
• Reading speed is adjustable
• Cost is VERY affordable after the free trial

Some issues:

• Won’t help you with word confusions such as are/our
• Doesn’t get some newer words (example: geocache)
• When you write “and/or” it says “and slash or” (a little distracting)

Overall, I’d say this is a great investment to add to your arsenal of proofreading/editing tools. It’s very important to always send your best work on to the client!

software, proofreading

I spent a massive portion of last week running the Scholastic Book Fair at my child’s school. Overall I think I spent upwards of 30 hours between prep, marketing, set up, working at it, and tearing it down.

So, on top of that, I figured I’d give Scholastic a little extra boost (as if the sweat of my labor wasn’t enough) and feature them in a market profile:

Scholastic Inc.

 Imprints/Divisions: Scholastic Press, Scholastic Library Publishing, Grolier, Children’s Press, Franklin Watts, Grolier Online.

Accepting:  Agented queries on children’s (up to middle grades) fiction and non fiction. (Also accepting non-agented queries on professional books only).

Offers: Variable advance, royalties on retail price.

Not currently interested in: fairy tales, retellings, board books or series fictions.

Best of luck! 

(Oh, and  by the way, my weekend wasn’t ALL work. I did get to see Love in the Time of Cholera, the movie based on Gaby Garcia Marquez’s novel. I loved it! Two thumbs up!)

scholastic, gabriel garcia marquez, love in the time of cholera

Directly before the passing of acclaimed novelist and journalist Norman Mailer, I happened upon an article about him in Playboy’s current magazine. (I won’t say WHERE I happened upon this, but needless to say, it wasn’t at the library or anything!)

Anyway, it’s honestly a really prolific article/interview and I’m glad I got to read it. Mailer’s death wasn’t entirely surprising, according to the blogosphere, but it’s still a blow for writers and readers everywhere.

Meanwhile, I am anticipating the movie release of my NUMBER ONE FAVORITE BOOK of ALL TIME by Gabriel Garcia Marquez: Love in the Time of Cholera, due out this weekend.

I’ve heard that fans of the book will be a wee bit disappointed by the movie, but I’m just happy to relive one of my favorite stories of all time, good movie or bad. I have been looking forward to it for quite a while.

If I can pattern my fiction writing after one novelist, it would be Marquez. He captures setting like no one else. In fact, I haven’t read Cholera in almost two years.

The last time I read it was in the summer of 2005, while in the mountains of Mexico, and while I cannot even begin to tell you much about the characters, I could probably describe the town/setting in intricate detail. It’s his ability to capture place as a writer that has always pulled at me. If only I could do the same. It’s really place, not people, who seem to inspire my own writing.

How about you? What is it that inspires/inspired your novel?

Will you be seeing Cholera with me this weekend?

Any thoughts on Mailer’s passing?

Norman Mailer, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Gabo, Love in the Time of Cholera

Hi all,

Lots going on in the writers world this week!

First, let’s take a look at what other writers have to say about the Writers Strike!

What Does the Writers Strike Mean to Freelancers? In the interest of disclosure, this is my channel at the About.com network. In this article, I explore the possible connections and solidarity between freelance writers and screenwriters.

Women on Writing says “Give the writers a piece of the pie!” This is a great ezine for women writers, by the way.

The Writers Write blog asks “What’s this strike thing all about?” and has a video to clarify the issue.

Meanwhile bloggers are enjoying a couple days of playing the slots rubbing elbows at the Blog World Expo in Vegas. Being a pro blogger myself, I’m more than a little antsy and jealous that I had to miss this years expo, but have already committed to next year’s. (And by ‘committed’ I mean that I t0ld my husband in no uncertain terms that I wouldn’t be missing next year!)

For updates, you’ll want to start at the official Blog of Blog World. Then, head over to About Weblogs for an update from Deb Ng. Seems there should be more pro bloggers/pro writers blogging from Blog World, and I’m sure they’ll pop up soon. But today’s the official start date, so I’ll keep a look out!

If you know of any, please leave a comment do I can live vicariously through them update you all.

blog world, blog expo, las vegas, new media, writers strike, hollywood strike, screenwriters

I must thank Write From Home for this one!

The Parenting Publications of America Association will charge you 50 bucks if you wish to have a listing of their parenting publications who are members….Sounds like great thing to have for us writers, right? Sure…but who wants to spend 50 bucks on it? (not me, thanks, I’m saving for a new printer that works with my Vista).

So, as Write at Home explains, you can get around that by visiting the site, clicking on ‘Find a Member’ in the left navigation, and then plugging in your state and searching. POP! You’ve got all the parenting publications in your state, just waiting for your well thought out query!

Many people answered my post from yesterday about what you NEED in yet another writing website, and I will most certainly get on that soon. Items mentioned were blogging and cold calling, among others. So let’s start brainstorming!

Hump day’s near done everyone!

I spend so very much time on the internet. Given that my work is 90% virtual, that’s probably obvious & expected. Since I tend to surf a lot, I’ve noticed that there’s a million writer’s websites out there. Any info you want can be had, and quite easily.

With that said, I really am wondering how I can help readers of WritersUnbound. I know you’re out there! SiteMeter told me you’re visiting!

If you’ve happened along here looking for something in particular, would you kindly let me know what it is? Potential markets, jobs, advice, a peek into another writers world, maybe? I’d really like to help ya out!

As you can see, my last couple of blogs have spanned many topics and resources. I hope you’ve found them usable!

So, leave me a message. What do you  need out of a good writing blog?

Meanwhile, so that I can be the best blogger I can be, I’ll be following up on this story about blogger blindness.

So you wanna be a travel writer? (Me too!)

While updating my bookmarks, I’ve dug up some some potential markets for your latest travel copy. All of the following sites are currently accepting submissions or queries. I wish you the BEST OF LUCK!

The Cultured Traveler is currently accepting reprints of any travelogues to which you have full reprint rights. Although this won’t work for new writers looking to break into the market, those with previosuly published articles, or perhaps even old blog posts will benefit.

Adventure Journey is looking for the “soul” of your trip. Only features are paid, though.

The Matador Bounty Board is consistently updated, and I can personally vouch for David, one of Matador’s editors- a great guy with a great little addition to his workload ;). The Bounty Board includes postings from Matador and from other travel sites looking for writers. I check it weekly, you should too!

Literary Traveler wants to know if you’ve ever taken a journey inspired by literature. As usual, it’s recommended that you read their current articles to get a feel for tone.

Brave New Traveler isn’t interested in reading your travelogues, but instead seeks current news, travel related reflection and tips. Since they are specifically blog-based, be sure to follow their length and style guidelines.

Looking for a little writing inspiration before you tackle all those queries? Be sure to check out Write Anyway.

writing markets, writing, travel, travel writing

Publisher’s Weekly reported that Harper Lee will be receiving the Presidential Medal of Honor on Monday for her literary contribution To Kill a Mockingbird.

NaNoWriMo is definitely well under way. Their website is backed up like crazy The forums are also hopping.

Hollywood Writers Strike latest is available at WritersWrite.

NPR interviews a writer who writes about a ghostwriter who writes about a man who may or may not be Tony Blair. Huh?

JK Rowling sues a small Michigan publisher over intellectual property rights. She also finished her first book after the Harry series. What a busy week!

You can now read Gone With the Wind from Rhett’s perspective.

MySpace gets into the book business.

Slate Magazine is having a special fiction week for our reading pleasure.