Some of these simple tips may be familiar to you, and some may not. They can make or break your ability to be considered a serious writer by an agent, editor, or publication.
Use spell-check but don’t rely on it completely. This feature won’t highlight the misuse of their, they’re, and there (as commonly miswritten as you’re and your).
Go to the dictionary to make sure certain word choices are the right ones. It’s easy to misuse words because others do or think we know what a word means but don’t.
Pay attention to underlined words or segments your document program provides when there’s a problem that needs to be addressed. (Note: Most everyone requires you submit what you’ve written as an MSWord document.)
Learn how to punctuate or let Word guide you. Some writers believe punctuation isn’t needed and that exclamation points are to be used and used often!!!!!!!
When you use the name of a real person or organization, check the spellings and the correct name of the organization.
Don’t misquote quotes; look them up and include the person’s name.
If you quote people word-for-word or paraphrase their comment(s), be sure to attribute the comment to the original writer.
Read for consistencies (bald hero combs his hair).
If writing a short story or novel, include enough steps that take a character from one action to the next . . . not every action, but enough to move characters from one activity to the next. Create a movie in readers’ minds.
Aim not to leave questions unanswered or assume readers know as much as you do. Don’t allude or hint, explain.
If you think of something you forgot to include, place it where it belongs rather than add it in parentheses wherever you are in the content.
Avoid run-on sentences. Two sentences are better than one long one.
Learn how to format dialogue.
Make sure there is order or proper sequencing applied to the content.
Separate manuscripts into chapters, or sections, if it’s nonfiction (novels always use chapters). Nonfiction needs each chapter or section to focus on a particular topic.
It’s not okay for one paragraph to fill an entire page or more; and believe it or not, an entire manuscript.
Place only one space between sentences. It used to be you hit the space bar twice, but that’s no longer the standard. Using one space also reduces the total number of pages which affects (lowers) printing costs.
Coaching questions for writers:
What is it that you intend to write?
When you read, do you pay attention to how it’s written?
What do you hope your readers will experience or get from your material?
One of the best ways to build skills is to read a book in your genre and pay attention to the technical side of how it’s written, as well as if it’s written as a good read.
Become intentional about your writing. And, decide to have fun while you learn and grow as a writer.
Excerpted from “Write, Get Published, and Promote: An Easy e-Guide for New and Aspiring Writers.”
Joyce Shafer is a writer and empowerment coach. Buy Write, Get Published, and Promote at Lulu.com and contribute to global literacy or buy direct at a discount and get her gift, How to Have What You REALLY Want. Email her at jls1422@yahoo.com or Ctrl + click on link
http://www.freewebs.com/writegetpublishedandpromote
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Friday, July 25, 2008
How Can You Say What I’ve Written Needs Work
You must fall in love with editing and rewriting or with your editor if you want what you write to be a good read for others. There really is no way around this. You can choose to improve your skills or you can choose to find a freelance editor you trust and work well with.
Some new writers don’t realize that what they’ve written needs more than words spelled correctly. They write it, read through it once, and consider it done. They may even think, “Maybe someone needs to look at it just in case I missed a comma or two.” Here’s another quote you might wish to take to heart:
When something can be read without effort, great effort has gone into its writing.
Enrique Jardiel Poncela
. . . Or, it’s at least a fair number of hours spent on revisions. It’s rare that I don’t spend several hours revising a 600-word (or less) article I’ve written, after I’ve put it aside overnight. The more you do this, the better and somewhat faster you become; but a fact is a good job takes as long as it takes.
A few words about editing: we usually write to either entertain or inform. To even consider becoming a writer, we have to feel passionate about what we choose to share with others. This means in some way, we write from our heart. This is why our egos might feel bruised if an editor suggests we change something (or lots of somethings) about what we’ve written and poured ourselves into. With publishers, if you don’t follow their suggestions, they may drop your contract. If you self-publish, you have total control over everything; but you really do want to make sure you offer a quality product.
I helped one client with a non-fiction book that ended up being nearly 400 pages long. He felt it was ready to go to the formatter, though he understood I needed to read through it with my editor’s cap on. He said, “I read it in about four hours, so it shouldn’t take you longer than that to work on it.”
Well, it took 43 hours to go through that draft and make all the (necessary) changes. The total number of hours it took to get it to publish-ready copy might astonish you, so I won’t tell you (he added new content until the day before it went to print). Consider this: When was the last time you read a comprehensive 400-page book in 4 hours, or 6? And, that didn’t involve looking at it for ways you could or needed to improve it.
I can’t fault him for this assumption. It’s tempting to read narcissistically (in love with what you’ve written and yourself for writing it) rather than as an editor would and must. This is why I recommend putting your piece aside for at least a day before you read it again. Sometimes what thrilled you when you wrote it causes you to cringe when you read it. It’s also called evolving; and you and what you write evolve together.
Once you write and publish your first creative or professional work, you’ll begin to appreciate this part of the writing process because your goal will be to do the most excellent job you can with your material.
An editor’s role, and this includes you as the writer, is to focus attention on content from the perspective of readers and the writer. When I work on behalf of a client (and their readers) I can’t afford to speed through it the way my client did. Since you’re serious about your writing career neither can you.
Joyce Shafer is a writer and life coach. When you get Write, Get Published, and Promote: An Easy e-Guide for New and Aspiring Writers direct from her, get the free pdf of How to Have What You Really Want: An Easy Guide That Can Take You to the Next Level in Any Area of Your Life. Ctrl + click on link
http://www.freewebs.com/writegetpublishedandpromote
Some new writers don’t realize that what they’ve written needs more than words spelled correctly. They write it, read through it once, and consider it done. They may even think, “Maybe someone needs to look at it just in case I missed a comma or two.” Here’s another quote you might wish to take to heart:
When something can be read without effort, great effort has gone into its writing.
Enrique Jardiel Poncela
. . . Or, it’s at least a fair number of hours spent on revisions. It’s rare that I don’t spend several hours revising a 600-word (or less) article I’ve written, after I’ve put it aside overnight. The more you do this, the better and somewhat faster you become; but a fact is a good job takes as long as it takes.
A few words about editing: we usually write to either entertain or inform. To even consider becoming a writer, we have to feel passionate about what we choose to share with others. This means in some way, we write from our heart. This is why our egos might feel bruised if an editor suggests we change something (or lots of somethings) about what we’ve written and poured ourselves into. With publishers, if you don’t follow their suggestions, they may drop your contract. If you self-publish, you have total control over everything; but you really do want to make sure you offer a quality product.
I helped one client with a non-fiction book that ended up being nearly 400 pages long. He felt it was ready to go to the formatter, though he understood I needed to read through it with my editor’s cap on. He said, “I read it in about four hours, so it shouldn’t take you longer than that to work on it.”
Well, it took 43 hours to go through that draft and make all the (necessary) changes. The total number of hours it took to get it to publish-ready copy might astonish you, so I won’t tell you (he added new content until the day before it went to print). Consider this: When was the last time you read a comprehensive 400-page book in 4 hours, or 6? And, that didn’t involve looking at it for ways you could or needed to improve it.
I can’t fault him for this assumption. It’s tempting to read narcissistically (in love with what you’ve written and yourself for writing it) rather than as an editor would and must. This is why I recommend putting your piece aside for at least a day before you read it again. Sometimes what thrilled you when you wrote it causes you to cringe when you read it. It’s also called evolving; and you and what you write evolve together.
Once you write and publish your first creative or professional work, you’ll begin to appreciate this part of the writing process because your goal will be to do the most excellent job you can with your material.
An editor’s role, and this includes you as the writer, is to focus attention on content from the perspective of readers and the writer. When I work on behalf of a client (and their readers) I can’t afford to speed through it the way my client did. Since you’re serious about your writing career neither can you.
Joyce Shafer is a writer and life coach. When you get Write, Get Published, and Promote: An Easy e-Guide for New and Aspiring Writers direct from her, get the free pdf of How to Have What You Really Want: An Easy Guide That Can Take You to the Next Level in Any Area of Your Life. Ctrl + click on link
http://www.freewebs.com/writegetpublishedandpromote
Thursday, July 17, 2008
I’ve Started to Write (or Finished); Now What?
Whatever you were writing, you’ve completed it. Are you really, actually, finally done? Not if you haven’t done this.
When I interact with new writers, they often have the misconception that because they’ve created something with a beginning, middle, and ending they’re done. They’re ready to publish and get out there. Not quite.
You’ll enjoy the writing process, or at least understand it better, if you realize there are more steps involved than just completing your pride and joy. They include
· Use the spell-check feature and go through your document to see where the program underlines errors that need your attention. Remember that spell-checking is handy, but not perfect.
· Print out a double-spaced copy.
· Sit down with the print copy, a pencil, and an eraser.
· Read it aloud. Yup, that’s what I said.
· Be prepared to make notes to move text; delete paragraphs you wept over as you typed them because they were lyrical, profound, deeply moving, brilliant (save them in case they really are and can be used in something else); rewrite entire sections; make notes of areas that need expansion.
· Make the changes to your computer document.
· Walk away for a day or two or a week.
· Repeat steps above until your copy flows and I mean flows.
New writers tend not to believe me when I tell them writing isn’t the most challenging (or rewarding) part of a project . . . editing is.
Some writers feel fairly or extremely confident in the technical side of the art so usually do their own editing and rewriting. They then rely on either someone they know who’s equally skilled to proofread what they’ve written or pay a proofreader to go through it before they publish it. After you work on a piece for a while, especially a longer while, you stop seeing certain glitches. It happens to everyone.
Never underestimate how important proofreading is, real proofreading, not re-reading what you’ve written. If you can write but don’t have a clue about punctuation, grammar, formatting dialogue, and so forth, and you don’t care to learn, be prepared to pay a proofreader/editor to handle this for you.
Important note for new writers: Resist the temptation to edit everything you write before you move to the next paragraph, section, or chapter. I’m serious. We can become so enthralled by the fact we’re actually writing, we repeatedly go back over what we’ve written and edit, and edit some more, and . . . we never make progress.
Article partially excerpted from, “Write, Get Published, and Promote: An Easy e-Guide for New and Aspiring Writers” by Joyce Shafer (download available at http://lulu.com/content/2805803). Get a discount at http://www.freewebs.com/writegetpublishedandpromote.
When I interact with new writers, they often have the misconception that because they’ve created something with a beginning, middle, and ending they’re done. They’re ready to publish and get out there. Not quite.
You’ll enjoy the writing process, or at least understand it better, if you realize there are more steps involved than just completing your pride and joy. They include
· Use the spell-check feature and go through your document to see where the program underlines errors that need your attention. Remember that spell-checking is handy, but not perfect.
· Print out a double-spaced copy.
· Sit down with the print copy, a pencil, and an eraser.
· Read it aloud. Yup, that’s what I said.
· Be prepared to make notes to move text; delete paragraphs you wept over as you typed them because they were lyrical, profound, deeply moving, brilliant (save them in case they really are and can be used in something else); rewrite entire sections; make notes of areas that need expansion.
· Make the changes to your computer document.
· Walk away for a day or two or a week.
· Repeat steps above until your copy flows and I mean flows.
New writers tend not to believe me when I tell them writing isn’t the most challenging (or rewarding) part of a project . . . editing is.
Some writers feel fairly or extremely confident in the technical side of the art so usually do their own editing and rewriting. They then rely on either someone they know who’s equally skilled to proofread what they’ve written or pay a proofreader to go through it before they publish it. After you work on a piece for a while, especially a longer while, you stop seeing certain glitches. It happens to everyone.
Never underestimate how important proofreading is, real proofreading, not re-reading what you’ve written. If you can write but don’t have a clue about punctuation, grammar, formatting dialogue, and so forth, and you don’t care to learn, be prepared to pay a proofreader/editor to handle this for you.
Important note for new writers: Resist the temptation to edit everything you write before you move to the next paragraph, section, or chapter. I’m serious. We can become so enthralled by the fact we’re actually writing, we repeatedly go back over what we’ve written and edit, and edit some more, and . . . we never make progress.
Article partially excerpted from, “Write, Get Published, and Promote: An Easy e-Guide for New and Aspiring Writers” by Joyce Shafer (download available at http://lulu.com/content/2805803). Get a discount at http://www.freewebs.com/writegetpublishedandpromote.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Whack a Few Writing Myths
There’s all kinds of advice on how to write including
· You must write every day.
· Write in the same designated spot at the same time every day.
· Write for at least one hour every day.
· Get up early several mornings or every morning to write.
· You must have complete silence.
· You must eat only blue M&Ms or no blue M&Ms, I forget which.
These bits of advice are not etched in stone I’m relieved to tell you. I choose to be intentional and passionate about writing, not monastic. I’ve written at all times of the day and night, and not every day (well, I do count emails which are excellent practice); on my sofa, at my desk, standing up on the subway; for five minutes and for ten hours at a stretch; with jackhammers and leaf-blowers making a racket outside my window (and a neighbor learning to play drums); and I don’t like losing sleep.
One problem with trying to follow a “One Way” rule is that, more than likely, it’s not the most appropriate way for you. If you don’t follow the rule(s), you get into self-judgment. Then you’re so busy thinking and feeling bad about yourself, you’re not taking the action that will create your desired outcome. If you’re committed to writing, nothing and no one will stop you.
If you don’t know how to get started, start anywhere. Seriously. For fiction, if you have the ending, start there. The beginning and middle will come to you. If you’re writing non-fiction, make a list of what you plan to cover. You can write about any item on your list when you feel inspired to do it, or any section or chapter you want to focus on.
Coaching questions:
If you haven’t started, what’s stopping you?
What might you do to take the first step?
What’s the next step after the first? And the next?
Would it be nice if you were a published writer or do you intend to become one no matter what?
Exercise: Write a page about anything, even if all you write is, “This is stupid. I don’t know what to write. If I knew what to write, I’d be writing.” This will ignite your ability to just get going.
Article partially excerpted from, “Write, Get Published, and Promote: An Easy e-Guide for New and Aspiring Writers” by Joyce Shafer (author/freelance services for writers). Get a discount at http://www.freewebs.com/writegetpublishedandpromote.
· You must write every day.
· Write in the same designated spot at the same time every day.
· Write for at least one hour every day.
· Get up early several mornings or every morning to write.
· You must have complete silence.
· You must eat only blue M&Ms or no blue M&Ms, I forget which.
These bits of advice are not etched in stone I’m relieved to tell you. I choose to be intentional and passionate about writing, not monastic. I’ve written at all times of the day and night, and not every day (well, I do count emails which are excellent practice); on my sofa, at my desk, standing up on the subway; for five minutes and for ten hours at a stretch; with jackhammers and leaf-blowers making a racket outside my window (and a neighbor learning to play drums); and I don’t like losing sleep.
One problem with trying to follow a “One Way” rule is that, more than likely, it’s not the most appropriate way for you. If you don’t follow the rule(s), you get into self-judgment. Then you’re so busy thinking and feeling bad about yourself, you’re not taking the action that will create your desired outcome. If you’re committed to writing, nothing and no one will stop you.
If you don’t know how to get started, start anywhere. Seriously. For fiction, if you have the ending, start there. The beginning and middle will come to you. If you’re writing non-fiction, make a list of what you plan to cover. You can write about any item on your list when you feel inspired to do it, or any section or chapter you want to focus on.
Coaching questions:
If you haven’t started, what’s stopping you?
What might you do to take the first step?
What’s the next step after the first? And the next?
Would it be nice if you were a published writer or do you intend to become one no matter what?
Exercise: Write a page about anything, even if all you write is, “This is stupid. I don’t know what to write. If I knew what to write, I’d be writing.” This will ignite your ability to just get going.
Article partially excerpted from, “Write, Get Published, and Promote: An Easy e-Guide for New and Aspiring Writers” by Joyce Shafer (author/freelance services for writers). Get a discount at http://www.freewebs.com/writegetpublishedandpromote.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Writing Tips
Motivate Your Writer Within
“You don’t have to get it right you just have to get it going.” – Mike Litman
I’m a huge fan of this quote, and believe new or aspiring (and even experienced) writers can benefit by repeating it as often as needed. Wherever you are on your path as a writer, there’s a temptation to believe you have to write “it” right, right from the start or you can’t start; or if you start without doing it right, you’re not writing right. Yikes.
Take a deep breath, release it, and hear this loud and clear: This is not realistic thinking.
Know that if your passion to be a writer is in place
Creativity can be nurtured. If you look at any writer with a long list of books in print, read their last one then read their first one and you’ll see how their writing evolved over time.
You can either develop your writing skills or find an editor/rewriter who helps you create the book you want to put your name on.
If you believe writing doesn’t fit into your schedule, look at your schedule. If there’s anything you ever wanted to get done, you probably found a way to do it. Just as the joke about eating an elephant gets done one bite as a time (Note: I am not in favor of doing any harm to elephants), the way anything gets written is one word at a time.
Don’t hesitate to read and analyze something similar to what you intend to write or have started to write. You can turn to resource books or online, no-cost e-newsletters for writers. It’s not necessary to swamp yourself with information, but you can spend some time glancing at books and articles to carefully select several that will provide more of what you need to know right now. There’s a wealth of information and services all around you to nurture and motivate you to live the writer’s life you desire and choose.
Accept that once you complete the writing stage, you have to enter the edit and rewrite stage. One of the worst things you can ever do is either publish or submit what you’ve written in its first draft form. Maybe Rex Stout was able to submit manuscripts to his publisher that were ready to go with no further editing, but I’d be willing to bet cash that they didn’t flow out of his fingertips in final, publish-ready form.
If you’ve been holding off on starting to write or feel blocked, keep the quote at the top handy and repeat it as many times as you need to. Then kick yourself into gear. Fall in love with the process of being a writer, not just the image or the response you get when you tell people you’re writing a book. Eventually, they’re going to want to see a result. So do you.
Happy Writing!
Learn more about “Write, Get Published, and Promote: An Easy e-Guide for New and Aspiring Writers” (see special discount) at http://www.freewebs.com/writegetpublishedandpromote. Joyce Shafer is an author; article writer; and offers freelance critiques, proofreading, editing, and rewriting services for writers (http://www.freewebs.com/editmybookandmore).
“You don’t have to get it right you just have to get it going.” – Mike Litman
I’m a huge fan of this quote, and believe new or aspiring (and even experienced) writers can benefit by repeating it as often as needed. Wherever you are on your path as a writer, there’s a temptation to believe you have to write “it” right, right from the start or you can’t start; or if you start without doing it right, you’re not writing right. Yikes.
Take a deep breath, release it, and hear this loud and clear: This is not realistic thinking.
Know that if your passion to be a writer is in place
Creativity can be nurtured. If you look at any writer with a long list of books in print, read their last one then read their first one and you’ll see how their writing evolved over time.
You can either develop your writing skills or find an editor/rewriter who helps you create the book you want to put your name on.
If you believe writing doesn’t fit into your schedule, look at your schedule. If there’s anything you ever wanted to get done, you probably found a way to do it. Just as the joke about eating an elephant gets done one bite as a time (Note: I am not in favor of doing any harm to elephants), the way anything gets written is one word at a time.
Don’t hesitate to read and analyze something similar to what you intend to write or have started to write. You can turn to resource books or online, no-cost e-newsletters for writers. It’s not necessary to swamp yourself with information, but you can spend some time glancing at books and articles to carefully select several that will provide more of what you need to know right now. There’s a wealth of information and services all around you to nurture and motivate you to live the writer’s life you desire and choose.
Accept that once you complete the writing stage, you have to enter the edit and rewrite stage. One of the worst things you can ever do is either publish or submit what you’ve written in its first draft form. Maybe Rex Stout was able to submit manuscripts to his publisher that were ready to go with no further editing, but I’d be willing to bet cash that they didn’t flow out of his fingertips in final, publish-ready form.
If you’ve been holding off on starting to write or feel blocked, keep the quote at the top handy and repeat it as many times as you need to. Then kick yourself into gear. Fall in love with the process of being a writer, not just the image or the response you get when you tell people you’re writing a book. Eventually, they’re going to want to see a result. So do you.
Happy Writing!
Learn more about “Write, Get Published, and Promote: An Easy e-Guide for New and Aspiring Writers” (see special discount) at http://www.freewebs.com/writegetpublishedandpromote. Joyce Shafer is an author; article writer; and offers freelance critiques, proofreading, editing, and rewriting services for writers (http://www.freewebs.com/editmybookandmore).
Monday, June 30, 2008
Write, Get Published, and Promote
- Write, Get Published, and Promote: An Easy e-Guide for New and Aspiring Writers ─ By Joyce Shafer
Do you dream of becoming a published writer of articles or books? Are you ready to make it your reality now? Then please keep reading to discover how you can get the information you need to go for it.
Have you asked yourself or others these questions:
How do I get started?
I’ve written “it,” now what?
What about getting published?
How do I market and promote?
Can I make money as a writer?
Get a solid start from writing the first word to promoting anything from articles to books in Write, Get Published, and Promote (includes life coaching aspects to move you forward, as well as lots of active links to help you succeed). Available at http://www.lulu.com/content/2805803; see Reviews and take a look inside the e-book at Preview This Book on that page. For more details, visit http://www.freewebs.com/writegetpubishedandpromote .
I’m a published author; article writer; life coach; and offer freelance critiquing, proofreading, editing, and rewriting services to fellow writers. Learn more at http://www.freewebs.com/editmybookandmore.
This e-guide came about from critique and writing clients asking me the same questions . . . and the questions they didn’t ask, but should have. As a new or aspiring writer, you can enjoy the process more if you understand what’s involved. Not only is writing the first word to promoting yourself covered, but this e-guide has lots of active links to help you expand your experience and success potential.
The e-book is 55 pages long, but that’s because I didn’t include a lot of space as other e-books do just to make it longer. If I’d done that, it would be well over 100 pages long and I didn’t think you’d want to use that much paper to print it out.
Whether you write articles, short stories, e-books, novels, non-fiction . . . anything you want to publish, you’ll find Write, Get Published, and Promote offers valuable information such as …
…Never let these beliefs hold you back from writing.
…Do this to sharpen your writing skills. It’s also one of the best and simplest, free ways to promote yourself as a writer (for pay and/or exposure) and reach potential readers by the thousands, hundreds of thousands, or more─immediately.
…Use these techniques to help you proofread and edit your writing.
…Discover why you want time to be on your side and what you can do if you need to speed it up to get into the marketplace.
…Do this to have multiple free retail pages.
…Learn when “mistakes” can be deliberate.
…Know how to protect yourself when you write for pay.
…Inform yourself with these important facts (and mistaken beliefs) about the publishing industry.
…If you’re not aware of it, learn about the event that shocked the self-published world─and how you can aim to succeed (and do so) in spite of it.
…”Technical” facts you may not be aware of but need to be.
…Get your book into print and available to buyers around the world in an hour or less.
…See easy ways to boost your sales income and promote yourself, including big-earner techniques.
…Use these simple tips to keep everything organized.
…Click onto active links for exceptional resources that put you into the water and swimming.
This and more is included in Write, Get Published, and Promote: An Easy e-Guide for New and Aspiring Writers.
Go now to www.lulu.com/content/2805803 and move from new-writer status to published, today.
Article:
Write, Get Published, and Promote
The title of this article is the reality of writers culled down to five words. You want to see your article available online or in print or hold a copy of your book in your hands. The next desired reality is to see a response to all the energy, time, creativity, and passion you put into what you’ve written.
As a new or aspiring writer, you can feel delightfully excited about writing or feel stalled about how to start. Once you get going, fingers fly as thoughts and ideas flow through you. Maybe you know the technical side of writing that involves punctuation, grammar, sentence structure, formatting (including dialogue in a novel), plot or theme development … and maybe you don’t. One of the easiest ways you can familiarize yourself with these aspects is to read what someone else published.
You get through the writing stage and feel proud of what you’ve done, and you should. What many new writers don’t realize is there’s another, more critical stage that comes next: editing and rewriting. This is the “brutal” part. It’s brutal because you have to be honest with yourself or engage an editor who is honest with you on your behalf. James Michener said it well, “I’m not a very good writer, but I’m an excellent rewriter.” Rewriting is the most creatively challenging part of writing. It’s where you get to make everything smooth, flowing, and effective for readers. At some point, your focus must shift from satisfying your desire to write to making it a quality experience for readers. An important step in this process is to walk away from what you’ve written for a period of time so you return to it with a fresh perspective.
If you’re an article writer, your next step is to look for venues to publish and distribute what you’ve written to as many readers as possible. Book writers seek to get published. The number of free article sites on the Internet is huge. A search will lead article writers to more venues than they might imagine. Book writers face the choice of whether to find a major publisher willing to take a chance on a new writer, to invest in vanity publishing, or find the right self-publishing option. This is the stage that needs research; but once you’ve moved through it, you’ll know what to expect the next time you aim to publish.
Now in print, it’s time to promote. Every writer is different. Perhaps you’re ready to hit the road to do book signings, willing to set up speaking engagements or seminars, send out press releases, or explore the myriad ways you can promote yourself. One thing writers discover is if they want to see real income from their writing, it takes more than just having a book or article in print.
Then there’s the matter of promotion. You can’t start planning to promote too soon. Many book writers wait until the book is in print and anticipate that once this happens, sales will start rolling in without their having to do anything else. This isn’t realistic. There are many options to plan and strategize how you will promote and when to get started. As a writer, if you haven’t looked online for the numerous free e-zines and Websites for writers, this is something you should do, even if for a couple of hours each week as you’re in the writing stage. These freebies offer a wealth of information for writers from writing tips to publicity and promotion.
Everything described above are all important threads in a writer’s tapestry; however, the single most important thread is attitude. As a writer, you’ll have a better experience if you embrace the creative process in all its facets. The more positive, intentional, and inspired you are the better tapestry you’ll weave.
If you’re a new or aspiring writer, welcome to an incredible world where you can discover more aspects of yourself, resources, and people than you ever imagined. It can be a wild ride, but an awesome one, as well.
Monday, June 23, 2008
How Do I Get Published?
This is a question my clients who are new and aspiring writers always ask me.
We write for different reasons: Enjoyment, challenge, and to share information or our creative effort. If you’re going to share what you’ve written, you’ll need a means or venue to get published. But you knew that, of course.
But do you know enough about how to do this?
If you’re an article writer, you can find venues that publish what you write (such as this one). One of the best options to find such a venue or venues is in “Writer’s Market,” a couple-inch thick book that strives to provide users with as much current information about markets as possible; and you can find lots of good e-zines for writers you can subscribe to online at no cost that offer other markets. You can also search online for sites that allow you to publish for free. You can create your own blog or use one of the social networking sites.
Perhaps a fiction or non-fiction book is your creative focus. Many people have dreams of landing a major publishing house contract. They imagine what this is like and what it will do for them, but they don’t do the research to learn how feasible it is. Some believe printing their own copies with a vanity press is the answer; yet they don’t give thought to how they’re going to market themselves or sell copies nor other important matters such as obtaining an ISBN. Others know about print-on-demand services, but they aren’t sure which service is right for them. Two things you can do to learn more is visit the site(s) and contact some of the writers who published with the print-on-demand service(s) you’re researching and ask them to share their experiences.
These days, it’s quite easy for you to get your name and message out to the world. Just be sure to learn enough about what’s involved so you maximize your efforts. Then watch your dream become your reality.
Learn more tips in “Write, Get Published, and Promote: An Easy e-Guide for New and Aspiring Writers (available end of June 2008 at www.lulu.com). Read more about it at http://www.freewebs.com/editmybookandmore. Joyce Shafer is an author; weekly columnist; and a freelance proofreader, editor, and rewriter, who also provides writing critique services.
We write for different reasons: Enjoyment, challenge, and to share information or our creative effort. If you’re going to share what you’ve written, you’ll need a means or venue to get published. But you knew that, of course.
But do you know enough about how to do this?
If you’re an article writer, you can find venues that publish what you write (such as this one). One of the best options to find such a venue or venues is in “Writer’s Market,” a couple-inch thick book that strives to provide users with as much current information about markets as possible; and you can find lots of good e-zines for writers you can subscribe to online at no cost that offer other markets. You can also search online for sites that allow you to publish for free. You can create your own blog or use one of the social networking sites.
Perhaps a fiction or non-fiction book is your creative focus. Many people have dreams of landing a major publishing house contract. They imagine what this is like and what it will do for them, but they don’t do the research to learn how feasible it is. Some believe printing their own copies with a vanity press is the answer; yet they don’t give thought to how they’re going to market themselves or sell copies nor other important matters such as obtaining an ISBN. Others know about print-on-demand services, but they aren’t sure which service is right for them. Two things you can do to learn more is visit the site(s) and contact some of the writers who published with the print-on-demand service(s) you’re researching and ask them to share their experiences.
These days, it’s quite easy for you to get your name and message out to the world. Just be sure to learn enough about what’s involved so you maximize your efforts. Then watch your dream become your reality.
Learn more tips in “Write, Get Published, and Promote: An Easy e-Guide for New and Aspiring Writers (available end of June 2008 at www.lulu.com). Read more about it at http://www.freewebs.com/editmybookandmore. Joyce Shafer is an author; weekly columnist; and a freelance proofreader, editor, and rewriter, who also provides writing critique services.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
One Way to Make What You Write Better
Anytime you decide to write anything, whether it’s an article or a manuscript, you should congratulate yourself. Some people find writing easy, while others feel less sure about the process or their skills. Either type of writer is courageous. You know that when you write, especially if you intend to share it in any way, you open yourself to comments from readers.
One of the best things you can do for your writing is to have someone read and critique it. You may feel hopeful the person will like the story, perhaps even anxious that she or he may not; but your primary goal is to get feedback that will help you create a quality result.
You want someone who will take this effort seriously, and need to expect that what you get back may have a lot of notations and questions. At first, you may not be thrilled about this. As you read through the notes, you should see tighter ways to write sentences, inconsistencies brought to your attention, and some things you didn’t give thought to as you were writing. No writer thinks of everything during the first draft, and every writer edits and rewrites.
When we write non-fiction, we sometimes forget that readers don’t know what we know and we leave things out or don’t put things in the best order. In fiction, we may get so caught up with the story we miss inconsistencies or leave questions unanswered. We hopefully concern ourselves with punctuation, grammar, and the technical aspects of writing, but miss something or several things that could make our writing go beyond good and become excellent or, at the very least, accurate. One definite benefit is that you learn and hone your skills as a result of getting such feedback.
The thing you want to do is rely on someone who not only has the skills to do this but is objective enough to do it so that you get what you need. Writers sometimes ask the wrong people to do this for them and it often results in frustration. Many projects get shelved because of this. Do everything you can to nurture your creativity and move your project forward until you get your desired outcome.
Get what you’ve written critiqued or learn more about services for writers offered by Joyce Shafer, author; weekly columnist; and freelance proofreader, editor, and rewriter at http://www.freewebs.com/write-onwriting.
One of the best things you can do for your writing is to have someone read and critique it. You may feel hopeful the person will like the story, perhaps even anxious that she or he may not; but your primary goal is to get feedback that will help you create a quality result.
You want someone who will take this effort seriously, and need to expect that what you get back may have a lot of notations and questions. At first, you may not be thrilled about this. As you read through the notes, you should see tighter ways to write sentences, inconsistencies brought to your attention, and some things you didn’t give thought to as you were writing. No writer thinks of everything during the first draft, and every writer edits and rewrites.
When we write non-fiction, we sometimes forget that readers don’t know what we know and we leave things out or don’t put things in the best order. In fiction, we may get so caught up with the story we miss inconsistencies or leave questions unanswered. We hopefully concern ourselves with punctuation, grammar, and the technical aspects of writing, but miss something or several things that could make our writing go beyond good and become excellent or, at the very least, accurate. One definite benefit is that you learn and hone your skills as a result of getting such feedback.
The thing you want to do is rely on someone who not only has the skills to do this but is objective enough to do it so that you get what you need. Writers sometimes ask the wrong people to do this for them and it often results in frustration. Many projects get shelved because of this. Do everything you can to nurture your creativity and move your project forward until you get your desired outcome.
Get what you’ve written critiqued or learn more about services for writers offered by Joyce Shafer, author; weekly columnist; and freelance proofreader, editor, and rewriter at http://www.freewebs.com/write-onwriting.
Monday, May 19, 2008
Write-on Writing: Spell-Check Won’t Catch These “Wrong” Words
Mark Twain said, “The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug.”
Spell-check is really handy, but doesn’t let us know we’ve used an incorrect word. Sometimes we think we know what a word means, but we don’t and use the wrong one. A typo can cause us to leave in a wrong word; and sometimes we misuse words because others do.
Here are some of the more common mix-ups that happen, and spell-check misses, along with examples of how to use them.
Accept, Except: I will accept all of your gifts except the elephant.
Affect, Effect: How you affect people is evident by the effect you have on them.
Among, Between: If the vote were among three people, we wouldn’t have this tie between the two of us.
Anxious, Eager: I wish you were eager to skydive instead of anxious.
Bad, Badly: Anne played the piano badly which was too bad since she intended to play well.
Desert, Dessert: As the heat of the desert caused Jason to hallucinate, he imagined a cool sorbet dessert yards ahead of him.
Earth, earth: Darker earth grows the best vegetables on Earth.
Farther, Further: George didn’t realize that his health had failed further until he walked farther than he had in a while.
Foreword, Forward: Many authors use a Foreword to move readers’ enthusiasm forward.
Irregardless, Regardless: Regardless of what you’ve heard or read irregardless is not a word.
It’s, Its: It’s okay for your dog to wag its tail; just get it away from my delicate crystal.
Lead, led: Tom wanted to lead those who wished to be led.
Passed, Past: When John passed by Amy, reflecting on their past caused her to swoon.
Than, Then: I’d rather leave then than risk missing the flight.
Your, You’re: If your mother catches you doing that, you’re going to be in big trouble.
Let spell-check make the initial run-through of anything you write. Your program probably has a grammar check that can help you as well. The best way to go over what you’ve written is to print it out and read from the copy. If you can put it aside for a day, that’s even better; you always see more when you take a break from looking at what you’ve put into print. Most writers get at least one proofreader to go through a document or manuscript before they move it towards publication or distribution since another person can do what spell-check can’t. As you probably know, it’s just too easy to miss glitches after you’ve looked at what you’ve written…and looked at it, and looked at it.
Get what you’ve written critiqued or learn more about services for writers offered by Joyce Shafer, author; weekly columnist; and freelance proofreader, editor, and rewriter at http://www.freewebs.com/write-onwriting.
Spell-check is really handy, but doesn’t let us know we’ve used an incorrect word. Sometimes we think we know what a word means, but we don’t and use the wrong one. A typo can cause us to leave in a wrong word; and sometimes we misuse words because others do.
Here are some of the more common mix-ups that happen, and spell-check misses, along with examples of how to use them.
Accept, Except: I will accept all of your gifts except the elephant.
Affect, Effect: How you affect people is evident by the effect you have on them.
Among, Between: If the vote were among three people, we wouldn’t have this tie between the two of us.
Anxious, Eager: I wish you were eager to skydive instead of anxious.
Bad, Badly: Anne played the piano badly which was too bad since she intended to play well.
Desert, Dessert: As the heat of the desert caused Jason to hallucinate, he imagined a cool sorbet dessert yards ahead of him.
Earth, earth: Darker earth grows the best vegetables on Earth.
Farther, Further: George didn’t realize that his health had failed further until he walked farther than he had in a while.
Foreword, Forward: Many authors use a Foreword to move readers’ enthusiasm forward.
Irregardless, Regardless: Regardless of what you’ve heard or read irregardless is not a word.
It’s, Its: It’s okay for your dog to wag its tail; just get it away from my delicate crystal.
Lead, led: Tom wanted to lead those who wished to be led.
Passed, Past: When John passed by Amy, reflecting on their past caused her to swoon.
Than, Then: I’d rather leave then than risk missing the flight.
Your, You’re: If your mother catches you doing that, you’re going to be in big trouble.
Let spell-check make the initial run-through of anything you write. Your program probably has a grammar check that can help you as well. The best way to go over what you’ve written is to print it out and read from the copy. If you can put it aside for a day, that’s even better; you always see more when you take a break from looking at what you’ve put into print. Most writers get at least one proofreader to go through a document or manuscript before they move it towards publication or distribution since another person can do what spell-check can’t. As you probably know, it’s just too easy to miss glitches after you’ve looked at what you’ve written…and looked at it, and looked at it.
Get what you’ve written critiqued or learn more about services for writers offered by Joyce Shafer, author; weekly columnist; and freelance proofreader, editor, and rewriter at http://www.freewebs.com/write-onwriting.
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Tips for Aspiring Writers: Tighten Your Writing
What does tighten your writing mean?
What Blaise Pascal wrote gives you an idea: “The present letter is a very long one, simply because I had no leisure to make it shorter.”
Though Pascal was a mathematician and physicist turned religious philosopher, his point benefits every writer: Take time to edit and rewrite. Aspiring writers, especially, often rush to publish.
Article writing is an excellent form of practice. Give yourself a limit of 350-400 words.
*Choose a topic you feel strongly about and write what you want to share with readers.
*Print a copy but don’t read it until the next day.
*Before you read what you wrote, check the word count (see Tools on your tool bar).
*With pencil in hand, read your article aloud.
*How can you express a thought in fewer words? A quick tip is to remove extraneous words, especially over-usage of “the” and “that.” Example: “He also recommended (that) writers replace (the word) “very” with (the word) “damn” (in order) to break the habit of using it” (22 words; unnecessary words placed in parentheses for emphasis) vs. what I wrote in the next full paragraph (15 words).
*If you have run-on sentences, make them two sentences.
*Strive for “active” rather than “passive” voice, i.e., “When I write” vs. “When my ideas are being expressed in writing.”
*Does a sentence or paragraph belong in a better place in the content?
*Make the changes to your document.
*Check your word count.
*Keep tweaking until you convey exactly what you mean to within your word limit.
Mark Twain said, “The time to begin writing an article is when you have finished it to your satisfaction. By that time you begin to clearly and logically perceive what it is you really want to say.” He also recommended writers replace “very” with “damn” to break the habit of using it. This is very good advice.
Another useful way to practice is with emails. I never send an email, even to a friend, without editing it several times. Follow these tips and you’ll begin to notice a crisp difference in your writing style. You do want to have style, right?
Aspiring Writers: Want your writing critiqued? Joyce Shafer is a published author; freelance proofreader, editor, and rewriter; as well as a weekly columnist published at various online venues. Learn more about her services that assist those new to writing and getting published at http://www.freewebs.com/joyceshafer.
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