Rejection slips. Is there anything worse than those humbling, preprinted letters, too light to trick you into thinking your SASE might contain an acceptance, too impersonal to tell you why? Rejection slips are the writer's gremlin, the nagging suggestion that we don't measure up. What can we do about them? How can we live with them? How do we make them stop? Unfortunately, … [Read more...]
Writing to Win
Excerpted from Writing contests offer more than just the joy of being published. They offer not only the sense of being accepted, but the sense of having won. They are the ultimate affirmation of one's ability as a writer. But what does it take to be a winner? Every year, thousands of writers enter competitions -- but only a small percentage of those entrants have a chance … [Read more...]
Setting Effective Writing Goals
One of the greatest challenges we face as writers is the lack of "structure" in our job. There's no one to tell us what to do, when to do it, how to do it -- or even whether we've done it well. (While acceptances are certainly a sign of success, rejections are not necessarily a sign of failure.) One way to overcome that challenge is to learn how to set goals. Goals, by the … [Read more...]
Can I Self-Publish My Book and Then Sell it to a Commercial Publisher?
Many writers believe that by self-publishing a book, they make it more attractive to a commercial publisher than a mere manuscript. I suspect this is because they believe that a publisher will be impressed by the sight of an actual, published book. The sad fact is that this is not the case. Publishers are not in the business of buying books. They are in the business of … [Read more...]
Pseudonyms, Pseudonyms, and More Pseudonyms
A letter to the Inquiring Writer drew a flurry of questions about pseudonyms. In response, we ran three separate "Writing Desk" columns on the topic -- so here's a host of tips on writing under a name other than your own! How do I copyright my pseudonym? I write under a pseudonym. I am currently unpublished. In the event that I do become published, I want to know what steps … [Read more...]
Finding Time to Write
Are you wondering when you'll find enough time to start writing? If so, I have good news and bad news. The good news is, you'll never have more time than you do right now. The bad news is... well, that is the bad news. Time is never "found." Time can only be "made." If you decide to wait until your kids are in school, or in college, or you have enough money to quit your day … [Read more...]
Becoming Your Own Editor
Writers speculate a lot about what editors really do. Some firmly believe that editors are the final barricade between writers' excellent manuscripts and publication. Others seem to believe that the job of an editor is to clean up after writers and tell them what to do next. To a certain extent, the latter is true. When a manuscript comes along that is so magnificent that no … [Read more...]
Why Self-Publish?
Many people choose to self-publish a book because they are unable to find a commercial publisher. Often, this is because a book is tightly focused toward a specific niche market, so that it doesn't have sufficient audience to attract a commercial publisher. Others choose self-publishing because it provides them more control of the finished product. A commercial publisher may … [Read more...]
Conducting E-mail Surveys and Interviews
E-mail can be an effective and convenient way to conduct an interview, and is often appreciated by busy experts who don't have time for a face-to-face or telephone interview. It enables you to compose questions carefully rather than "on the fly," and gives your interviewee time to respond carefully as well. E-mail also offers a good way to follow up on a traditional interview, … [Read more...]
What Is Involved in Self-Publishing?
Self-publishing involves an extensive list of tasks. Before you embark on a self-publishing project, be sure that you're willing to take on the following: Prepublication: Edit or obtain editing for your manuscript Proofread or obtain proofreading for your manuscript Obtain any artwork or illustrations you wish to include Take any necessary steps … [Read more...]