Writers Unbound

In my last entry, I whined about scheduling issues. Some of you were kind enough to leave comments- - thank you!

In an attempt to realign my priorities and deal with these types of issues more pro-actively, I did a little research. Sue LaPointe of Working Writer, Happy Writer wrote a great ebook which I recently reviewed, and it had a few great tips. I think that Freelance Switch may have also touched upon this solution.

Time for some realignment.

What do you think of the practice of letting some of your lower-paying clients go as your business booms?

Do you have any other tips for aligning/scheduling your work?

Happy Thursday. Read these blogs. (Short and to the point, right?)

• Writer Beware: “Literary scams, schemes and pitfalls.” Got a question about a publisher or agent? Wondering if you’ve been scammed? This is a great place to start looking.
• Grammar Girl: Study up! My personal recommendation for better grammar? Add a second language to you repertoire.
• MFABitch: “A litblog for all those bitches who survived their MFA.” I’m guessing if you weren’t a bitch going in, you’ll become one before you get out?
• GalleyCat: Rhymes with allycat (which is mynickname, no stealing!) Keep up with the ups and downs and superdowns of the publishing industry.
• Workerette. I read this blog but don’t communicate in it much, but don’t let that fool ya- it’s really a good read for working mothers (ie writing mums like myself).
• Well, let’s not leave off working men- check out Men With Pens. They recently dived into Why Your Novel Isn’t Written Yet. 
• Indigenous Issues Today. Ok, so this is a personal interest of mine. Simply replace this suggestion with your own personal interest. The point here is to read a blog about something that interests you- not having to do with your work!
• Meagan Francis. This is a local(ish) writer whose columns I tend to read. She also has a book out.
• Inkthinker. Follow this freelance writer’s quest for 100,000 in one year. (My husband, the tax accountant, is frowning over there at her goal. Hope she doesn’t let ‘the man’ take too much of it!).
• Plagiarism Today. If you’re a writer, you need to have a clue what plagiarism is (and what it’s not, which comes a little harder for some apparently).
• The author of Write For Cash has a PhD in feminism. Sounds GREAT to me!
• Here’s one that will make you LOL: Nice Mommy, Evil Editor.
• Last, but certainly not least, Mom Writers Lit Mag.
• Bonus Blog: Like books? Who doesn’t? Visit The Bookstacks.

Happy reading, don’t forget to bookmark!

Hello Allena, thanks for the link and the frequent updates. I’m entering a contest and it asked if my piece had already been published. Parts of it have appeared on my blog. What do you think? There’s no additional clarification.

This is a great question, and I’m going to answer it for all the readers! I myself ran across this very thing recently when I entered the Erma Bombeck Humor Essayscontest on a whim. (Side-note: I found out about this contest through the fine writer’s community at WOW: Women on Writing.)

The Bombeck contest clearly defines what they consider published and unpublished. But, in a circumstance like yours, where no hints are given, we had to take our question to the experts at Writer’s Digest. The verdict ? “It’s considered unpublished if it’s appeared on your blog or someone else’s, though the rules are changing…”

A similar question comes along when freelance writers want to include samples on there site- a good practice- but worry that publishing samples on their site constitutes giving up “first rights” and therefore hesitate to publish the sample. At the same time, posting previously published materials on your sample site may be stepping on your editor’s toes- not to mention your contract. The solution to this last dilemma is simple: ask permission. Most editors will either allow your article to be re-posted , or will provide you a link to an internet version. 

As for the original question, I would go ahead and enter the contest with your piece. If you are very worried, an email to the sponsor may be in order.

So, sometime in the last month I read a blog suggesting that probloggers keep a yearly calendar with a schedule of important blogging days on it… For example, sports bloggers would have the Superbowl and Whatever logged in, political bloggers would have primaries and etc. Seemed like a great idea.

I took it a little further and added in important magazine query dates in it- for example, you would query winter-specific articles three to four months ahead of time, in September…

Then, I added in important dates to my freelance business. I have a recurring customer who needs me every November- January, so I made a note on October to call her.

This has worked well for me so far, and I am quite glad I did it! If you’re New Year’s resolution had anything to do with being more organized, this would be a great practice to adopt!

Next, I did myself one better and set a blogging schedule. I keep 4 blogs, along with 2 personal ones. That’s a lot of blogging, and it keeps the bills paid, so I need to be dedicated and well organized.

I had tried a system in which I blog for each one on a different set of days. For example, my blog at www.parentingdiva.com needs to be updated 2-3 times per week, so I carved out time on Mondays and Wednesdays to do that.

Well, this system hasn’t been working, mostly because my other projects get in the way.

So, today I decided to try something new. I am going to have one day- a “blogging day”- when I do all of my blogging for the week ahead, and then drip the posts (that is, set them to show up in the future on a specified date).

So, that’s what I’m doing today. In fact, this post was written a couple days ago. I’ll let you know how it works!

Please, do let me know how you plan your days/weeks/years. I obviously need all the help I can get!

WELCOME BACK and Happy New Year! I am well rested and ready to offer you the best blogging year I’ve got in me. Let’s get to work! Ok, I’ll admit that the “top 5 genres” is subjective, but whether you’re a freelancer, biz-tech writer, blogger, novelist, or poet I’ve got something for you today!

Freelancers: Now is the time to find out the editorial schedule of your targeted magazine for the following year! Editorial calendars basically tell you what topics the magazine has planned for the year. Many will also indicate the amount of lead time needed for each issue. You can then tailor your pitch to fit their needs. So, how exactly do you find the editorial calendar? 

The easiest way is to subscribe to a service such as CyberAlert or MediaCalendars. Designed and aimed at PR professionals, these subscription-based services offer a searchable database of thousands of publication’s editorial calendars. Of course, I said it’s the easiestway- it’s not necessarily the cheapest. For example, a subscription for CyberAlert costs $499.

Don’t want to invest $500? I don’t blame you. Another way to find editorial calendars is the old fashioned way- search their website. If you can’t find the info on the writers page, be sure to check the advertising page.

Biztech Writers: Tired of trolling the same old places for jobs? Yes, it sure is convenient, but how about creating your own list of weekly job board bookmarks to check? Advantages include:

• Job searching on your own schedule
• That whole “early bird gets the worm” adage means that your resume and email are in front of the hiring manager’s eyes before he is buried under an avalanche of queries.
• Keeping your bookmarks up to date means that you’ll build a series of multiple leads that are tailored to your preferred job boards. 

Ready to go? Start building your list by checking out my list of 20 Links to Find Your Next Job. (Full disclosure: this link is to my guide site at About.com.)

Continue building your list by bookmarking every job board you happen upon. Soon you’ll have a huge list (like me! 85 and counting!) 

Poets: Do I ever have a great resource for you! Check out this listing of over 25 poetry contests with deadlines coming up soon. (Hurry, some require submission as soon as January 15- how’s that for motivation?)

Novelists: I’d never wish writer’s block on anyone- the frustration level is outright horrific. However, if you suffer from this infliction, there’s a multitude of resources out there. Here’s one of my faves.

Bloggers: How do you get great blogging jobs? Have a great blog! Aren’t bloggers lucky in that we don’t have the chicken and the egg issue that freelancers have? (How do I get clips, no one will hire me without clips!) Just about any literate individual with an internet connection can start a blog.

Now, that doesn’t mean it will be great, or that it will get traffic. Luckily, I can help you with one of those. Submitting your blog to directories is one way to increase the flow. Here’s a couple to try out:

• RSSFeedSubmission.com keeps a huge list of directories.
• Search Engine Watch offers these step by step tips on blog submission.
• Give Best Web Directories a try.

Thanks for reading!

writing tips, writing resources, freelance, poets, poetry, blogs, novels, business writer

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 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.

Please don’t discount this post by the title of it if you are a hobbyist writer, or a novelist who is simply looking to let the novel out, and not looking at this here writing thing as a career, job or etc. Don’t worry, you’ll find a bit of inspiration here, too.

As child, I had two dreams. One that I articulated, and one that I held in. The one that I articulated, and the one that people liked to hear around me, was to be a veterinarian. This always made people happy, as I’m sure they envisioned higher education and job security.

But you know what I really wanted to be all my life, don’t you? I wanted to be a writer. I just wanted to write. Anything, really: books, reports, poetry, journal entries.

In fact, I kept a journal from the time I was in 6th grade until…well.. the present day, really. That’s 20 long years of journaling. In high school I would fantasize that someday my journal, the story of my life, would be published, like Anne Franks. Of course, what kind of story did I have, other than the normal angst of teenagehood? But still, writing was my dream.

Where am I going with this? How cliche is it for me to write that “you need to follow your dream.” I can barely bring myself to tell you. I hate cliches!

What I can tell you, though, is that I ran into this post at Women on Writing’s blog. And in it, they’d embedded the short, 8 minute lecture below from Randy Pausch.

How many times a day do you run into “watch this”, “read this” or “click on this”? I know it’s a lot. I do it myself, and I apologize.

However, watching this short clip was the most productive 10 minutes of my life in the past month. I am urging you, here, practically begging. Click on that triangle. Just do it. You won’t regret it!

It’s a new day here at Writers Unbound and I  am quite happy to be sharing it with you. Let’s get this community started!

 To  begin with, I’d like to add to the list —-> of blogs. Do you have a suggestion? Please add it via COMMENTS below. Where do you go for your dose of writing chat?

I’ve also been thinking extensively about the concept of inspiration. For example, I’ve had a novel sitting dead for years on my hard drive, because I couldn’t figure out where it wanted to go. This past summer I was fortunate enough to get a jolt of inspiration while visiting family in the mountains of Mexico.

Yesterday, I ran across Rachel M.’s new site aimed at getting writers and graphic artists together. She invites phtographers or designers to submit visual media, hoping it provides some creative inspiration for poets. Great idea!

I liked Rachel’s idea so much that I dug up a couple of photos from Mexico that have always inspired me. It’s hard to find this “untouched beauty” in everyday life, but I know us writers need it. We may not be visual people, per se, but our verbal descriptions often reside in a viual place. Don’t you think?

Where do you get your inspiration?

With an eye on the upcoming Olympic Games, the organization Reporters without Borders hopes to increase awareness of China’s repression of freedom of speech.

A new letter campaign for jailed Egyptian blogger Kareem Amer, 23, invites people to send letters to him at the prison. Kareem was convicted and sentenced to four years in prison for criticizing Islam and Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak.

Letters may be sent in English or Arabic.

Kareem was arrested shortly after writing a scathing article about an attack on a Coptic liquor store. “The naked truth about Islam as I saw it” was posted October 22, 2005. He told how thugs broke into the store, vandalizing and stealing. He explained their actions were not because of Islam’s prohibition on alcohol—a liquor store owned by a Muslim merchant was untouched.

The Free Kareem Web site was hacked in June, but content is now restored.

It’s hard to imagine being imprisoned for something you write on a blog. In America, we have a proud tradition of criticizing the government. Here blogging drives the news and citizen journalism is a trend turned institution.

Although Mubarak promised to reform laws governing the press in his country, a 2007 report from Reporters without Borders called the president’s efforts “just a show,” pointing out at least seven journalists were arrested during the year and dozens threatened or physically attacked.

Kareem’s family has disowned him, according to advocacy site Free Kareem.

Recommended links:
http://www.freekareem.org/
Advocacy site for Egyptian blogger Kareem Amer.

http://www.freekareem.org/2007/06/05/updating-kareems-prison-address/
Kareem’s prison address in English and Arabic at Free Kareem.

http://www.rsf.org/rubrique.php3?id_rubrique=20
Reporters without Borders

http://creativewriterus.blogspot.com/2007/02/media-alert-egyptian-blogger-kareem.html
The first story I wrote about Kareem, at Creative Writer US.

Word Press, Technorati, Tags, Kareem Amer, Freedom of the Press, Freedom of Speech, Reporters without Borders, jailed Egyptian blogger, Egypt, Olympics