Angela Booth's Writing Blog

Ebook readers: will yours arrive in time?

Barnes & Noble signaled relatively early in the holiday season that customers who wanted the Nook for a holiday gift should order promptly. Amazon, too, had difficulties keeping the Kindle in the stock; supplies ran out in November 2008, and none were available for the holidays. The $259 Kindle is in stock now, however, and available for delivery by Dec. 24, according to Amazon's Web site.

via online.wsj.com

Are you getting a Nook or Kindle in your Christmas stocking? The WSJ reports that some Nooks may not arrive in time for the big day.

It looks as if there's a growing market for these devices. 

I'm looking forward to Apple's tablet device however. After owning my Kindle for a couple of months, I'm ambivalent. My initial enthusiasm has waned. 

Yes, it's great to read what you want instantly (as long as it's available in Kindle format), but I'm obviously too fast a reader, because my thumb hurts from constantly pressing the Next button.

Until Apple's device appears; paper books are still my preferred format. :-)

Freelance Writing Kickstart 2010

How's 2009 treating you? In the final issue of Fab Freelance Writing Ezine for 2009, we look at how to kickstart your writing career in 2010.

Here's an excerpt from the Editorial:

At this time of year, we're all busy. Please take a few minutes today, to think and dream, so you can kickstart your freelance career in 2010.

Let's see how you can do that. Here are some simple steps.

Writing for money: who's buying what?

Your first step is to think about your buyers. Who are they, and what are they buying that you could write? (Or could learn to write?)

Judging from the experience of my writing students, web content is in huge demand. This is solely due to the economic downturn. Business are realizing that whereas advertising costs are an endless black hole, online content is the gift that keeps on giving.

Businesses want lots of content to attract traffic and sales, and even print publications have realized that the name of the game is getting content onto their websites. In 2010, more publications will move online, as the cost of print becomes too high.

Enjoy. This issue will be out tomorrow; then we take a holiday break, and the next issue of Fab Freelance Writing Ezine will be in your Inbox on January 5, 2010.

Happy holidays. :-)

Writers' Christmas Treats: Writing Gifts for You, Dear Writer

This is for you, if you're looking to increase your web writing skills. Enjoy. :-)

Writers' Christmas Treats: Writing Gifts for You, Dear Writer

It's that time of year again: time to celebrate the holidays with your loved ones, and to give and receive gifts...

Another year has zoomed by. I hope you achieved all the writing goals you've set for yourself.

I know that for many people, 2009 has been a hard year, with financial struggles. If you've had a difficult time, the financial gloom is lifting, so you'll have a brighter 2010.

To ensure that 2010 is much brighter for you, I've compiled a special holiday bundle of writing guides.

If you're not already making an income online, these guides will help you to make the most of your writing skills. The big benefit is that once you know how to make money online, you won't fear downturns. When you're your own boss, no one can fire you, and the income you make is solely up to you. :-)

My gift to you: three writing guides, with a one-time special offer. Happy holidays to you, and yours, from me and mine. :-)

A Christmas Carol: it's that time of year again

It's the season of peace and goodwill, so dig out your copy of A Christmas Carol and read it to the deserving young in your life. Or you can read it again, just for yourself. :-)

You can download a copy here, if you don't have one.

If you just want to listen, you can buy a copy of A Christmas Carol at Audible, read by the wonderful actor Paul Scofield.

The ending always brings a tear to my eye, no matter how many times I read it:

Scrooge was better than his word. He did it all, and
infinitely more; and to Tiny Tim, who did NOT die, he was
a second father. He became as good a friend, as good a
master, and as good a man, as the good old city knew, or
any other good old city, town, or borough, in the good old
world. Some people laughed to see the alteration in him,
but he let them laugh, and little heeded them; for he was
wise enough to know that nothing ever happened on this
globe, for good, at which some people did not have their fill
of laughter in the outset; and knowing that such as these
would be blind anyway, he thought it quite as well that they
should wrinkle up their eyes in grins, as have the malady in
less attractive forms. His own heart laughed: and that was
quite enough for him.

He had no further intercourse with Spirits, but lived upon
the Total Abstinence Principle, ever afterwards; and it was
always said of him, that he knew how to keep Christmas
well, if any man alive possessed the knowledge. May that
be truly said of us, and all of us! And so, as Tiny Tim
observed, God bless Us, Every One!

Want to start a family tradition? Reread A Christmas Carol each year. As a writer, reading the master is  good for your soul.

Writers' Christmas Treats: Writing Gifts for You, Dear Writer

Lazy writer's guide to goal setting for 2010

I first posted this article on lazy goal setting for writers back in 2007.

I've had many messages about its usefulness; so here it is again, updated for 2010.

This goal setting process has worked for me for many years, and it's worked for my writing students too.

It's the lazy person's way of goal setting; I prefer to let my subconscious mind work out the details. You'll find that using your imagination to set goals is much easier and more effective than using will-power. It's a right-brained process, so it's ideal for creative types. :-)

I set three kinds of goals for each year: creativity goals, productivity goals, and financial goals. You can set goals in any area of your life; these are the writing-related goals I set.

When you're following my lazy writer's process, setting your goals for the year takes around half an hour for the basic process.

The basic lazy writer's goal setting process - it's fun

You'll need a large sketch pad, pencils and pens.

Choose a time when you're alone; close the door and turn off the phone. Play some relaxing music. I like Early Music - that is, Medieval / Renaissance / Baroque music, so I put on a CD, and set the volume low.

Write "2010" as the title on a blank page in your sketch pad.

Now close your eyes, and imagine yourself on today's date in 2010. (You can lie down if you wish, so you can really relax.)

You're daydreaming, and reviewing what you've accomplished in 2010. Just let your mind drift. Take several deep breaths, and listen to your music.

Relax, and dream... It's today's date in 2010. Where are you? Are you at home? Somewhere else? Just follow wherever your imagination leads you. Perhaps you're having a conversation with your partner or a friend, and are discussing your writing achievements in 2010. Perhaps you're at a dinner party...

You may be surprised at what you hear. Just pay attention to what's happening in your imagination, listen to who's talking, and what they're saying about your writing successes in 2010.

Without breaking the connection to the scene you're imagining, draw balloons on your sketch paper, and write your accomplishments in the balloons - "completed my novel", "sold an article to X magazine", "my Web site attracts copywriting clients", "sold a nonfiction book proposal"...

Just relax, listen to your music, and let yourself imagine. The scenes may change several times; you're daydreaming. Just go with it - don't try to direct this process, just let yourself imagine.

After ten minutes or so, sit up and look at the balloons and read what you've written in them.

How do you feel? Are you inspired?

If you don't like what you see, turn to a new page in your sketchpad, and do the process again. You can repeat this process as many times as you like.

If you're feeling a little scared and excited at what you see in your balloons, that's great! That's what you're aiming for. Often what's in your balloons amazes you.

Next: write ABOUT your goals

Put your sketchpad aside for a few days. When you have time, look at your balloons again. This time, set some goals for 2010 based on your balloons.

Write each goal at the top of a sheet of letter paper, in this form - "I choose to__________"

Viz:

* I choose to complete my novel in 2010

* I choose to write articles for X magazine in 2010

* I choose to sell my novel to a major publisher in 2010

* I choose to become a successful Web writer in 2010

For each goal, write 250 words about the benefits that achieving this goal will bring you. Don't censor yourself - write whatever comes to mind. As you're writing, you're imagining your achievements, and are making the goals real to yourself.

So there you have it: my lazy writer's guide to goal setting and writing success. Try it. It's very easy and it works.

Enjoy - you'll be amazed at how many of your goals you've achieved when you look back on 2010.

Develop a great income writing for the Web - start by writing simple articles

I've developed "Sell Your Writing Online Now" (SYWON) to help you to start making money writing online in 24 hours or less.

Each week, for one full year, you'll receive a lesson, with an assignment which will build your Web writing income – you EARN as you learn.

SYWON is totally unique, and if you want to write for the Web, it's your ticket to success.

Writing for pennies: please don't

Please take yourself in hand, and realize that there’s much more to a writing career than writing for content waste dumps.

This kind of writing-by-the-numbers is bad for you, because it teaches you bad habits.

via www.fabfreelancewriting.com

I just wrote the above post on my freelance writing blog. If you're writing for pennies, read the post, and stop it. There's no need for it.

Freelance writing: search, and find

Search for freelance writing information

I've just added a Search page to Fab Freelance Writing -- just enter your search term, and find the information you want fast. :-)

The page searches the Fab Freelance Writing site, and a couple of my writing blogs.

Enjoy. :-)

Therapeutic writing: writing to fix problems

Writing heals writing. If you have a challenge, whether it's writing-related or not, writing ABOUT the challenge helps you to fix it, over time.

Here's how I use therapeutic writing:

* To clear my mind

* To help me to strategize

* As a pre-writing tool on projcts

* To help me to find ideas

* For fun and creativity

Try therapeutic writing yourself.

Start a sentence with: The three things I don't realize about (insert whatever you like here --myself/ a person/ a situation/ a project) are_________"

You'll be shocked at what you know, but don't realize that you know. You're much smarter than you think you are. :-)

A tip: much of the work on the subject of writing as therapy focuses on writing about feelings. While this may be useful in a clinical situation, it's useless outside of it.

When you're using therapeutic writing, focus on describing situations... write about what's happening. Never try to solve a challenge, that will happen automatically.

Just describe, without focusing on emotional reactions. Your emotions are just energy, they come and go, and only have the meanings you ascribe to them. If you focus on your emotions, rather than description, it's useless self-indulgence, and won't help you to change anything.

Weekly reviews: have you set goals for next week?

Currently I'm doing my weekly #writing review; did I achieve my goals? I'm also deciding what's most important for this coming week.

I keep my daily word counts in a spreadsheets, so I know exactly how productive I've been. I commend the process to you, it's fun and also important, because your success depends on your productivity.

And speaking of productivity, this week's theme in the writing tips ezine is: "Article Cash".

Here's an excerpt from the Editorial:

Whether you're a new writer, or are a web professional, you can make great money with articles.

As a new writer, the articles you write will give you confidence in your writing skills (and a small amount of cash).

As a web pro, you'll write articles primarily for your own sites and blogs, as well as for others – if they're willing to pay you well for your time. You'll quickly build an excellent income, as residual cash streams into your PayPal account from your online properties, and from your steady clients who hire you to write.

But why articles?

Read the rest on Tuesday -- it will increase your income, and will make you more productive.

Writing prompts and writing tips: daily

The major secret to a successful writing career's laughably simple: write every day.

Before too long, writing will become a habit, and once it's a habit, nothing can stand in the way of your success -- success (however you define it) becomes inevitable.

Unfortunately many writers hobble themselves. They find it a real challenge to write every day. If this sounds like you, follow me on Twitter. You receive daily writing prompts and writing tips.

Enjoy. :-)

Follow Angela Booth on Twitter

Writing career: what should you give away for "free"?

"Free" is a great marketing tactic for writers, but there are dangers.

Here's the biggest danger: no one values what they get for free.

As How To Say No To People who Want information for free says:

"Many service-related business owners these days are 'giving away' their business services - and then wonder why people aren't hiring them in droves. In the name of 'marketing,' business owners are providing way too much information for free. Some shifts in thinking are necessary if these business owners expect to be in business years from now."

(Read the entire article, it gives excellent advice, especially if you're in the habit of giving free consultations.)

Marketing your writing on the basis of "free" can be extremely seductive. It releases you from having the ask for money... you just wait, hoping that people will give you money. (Um... that's called begging...)

Listen up, now. If you're a freelance writer, too much "free" will kill your business.

Remember, no one values what they get for free.

If you want to get paid for your writing, you need to charge real money for it, and your clients have to value what you do enough for them to pay you.

What should you provide for free?

My basic tactic is to give away, quite freely, basic education for writers, as well as basic education for business. I've got many free blogs for writers, and the ezine will continue to be free.

However, when it comes to specifics, to get a particular writer to where he wants to go for example, I charge for coaching. Remember, no one values what they get for free.

If you're using "free" as a marketing tactic, keep an eye on your time. You need to spend most of your time writing for money, not for free.

"Go From Zero To Making $250 Per Hour For Web Writing - Kick Off Your Web Writing Career In 24 Hours!"

There's great money in Web writing. Some Web writers are making $20,000 a month by blogging for a stable of sites. Others are writing articles or ebooks.

Want to jump on this opportunity? No matter what your level of writing skill, you can make great money writing for the Web too.

Get a full year of weekly assignments; become a Web writing pro with Sell Your Writing Online NOW.

Want to write a book?

I've received several questions this week about freelancing fiction.

These kinds of writing jobs are available on the outsourcing sites, but if you want to write a novel, just write it, and sell it. You just may get lucky. Writers hit the bestseller list every year.

Start by writing a genre novel. Readers of these novels have certain expectations, and if you can meet those expectations, there's a real market for your writing.

In First Steps To Write A Novel: Pick A Genre | Write a novel | Write A Nonfiction Book or Novel and Get It Published I wrote:

"These expectations that readers (and of course publishers) have for a genre give you a handle on how to write that particular genre of novel. You start by deciphering what those expectations are, and how the elements of the book meet those expectations. Tip: many publishers offer ‘writer’s guidelines’ for their books. While these are useful, your own thoughts about WHY readers like a genre are much more valuable to you, because everything you write is filtered through your own experience."

Happy writing. :-)

If you're interested in kicking off your freelance writing career quickly, check out next week's ezine, in which our theme is Mastering Freelancing FAST.

Writing: manage your time with ticklers

The more effective you are at managing your time, the more time you have for writing.

It's easy to fritter time away, obsessing, or wondering what you should be doing -- how do you choose the ONE item that you should be doing from the 1001 items on your To Do lists?

Try a tickler file.

As Quick Tip: The Stress Reducing Power of Ticklers | D*I*Y Planner says:

"Never underestimate the stress-reducing power of a tickler. If you don't need to think about doing a particular task now, you don't need to see it now. You also don't need to worry about remembering to do it in a few weeks time."

I use Things (Mac and iPhone) as my tickler file.

Each day, the Today screen just shows me what I need to do today. I just tick tasks off as I do them, and if I manage to zoom through everything quickly, I can move items from the Next screen to Today.

Get a tickler file; the better you are at managing your time, the more you'll write.

Want to make great money writing? Discover the secrets of high-selling, highly paid writers, for free. Each week, Angela Booth's Fab Freelance Writing Ezine is delivered in easy-to-print PDF format.

Join the thousands of other writers who are using the information to change their lives. You'll learn how to write, and how to sell. Angela's been writing for 30 years, and shares her knowledge with you.

Twitter for writers: make connections, get hired

Have you discovered the power of Twitter?

This week I've received a couple of messages from writers who are excited about using Twitter to make connections.

One writer tweeted his annoyance about a magazine editor who seemed to be ignoring him; the editor got in touch right away.

A new writer asked whether a company was a legitimate buyer of writing services -- and yes, the marketing manager got in touch.

People might not respond to email (often your messages end up in a Junk folder), or they just never find the time to respond, but they usually respond to tweets which mention their company name.

In this article, Angela Booth's Writing Blog: Freelance Writing: 5 Reasons You Should Be Tweeting I wrote about the power of your tweets:

"Twitter Helps You to Make Connections and Contact People Fast Once people know you exist, and what you write, they need a way to get in touch with you -- fast. Like most freelance writers who are visible online, I get many offers of writing gigs which I don't have the time to accept. (Note: lots of job offers are a benefit of online reach.) So if I'm aware of you, and that you might be a good fit with someone who needs a writer, I'll let you know, often via Twitter."

If you're new to Twitter, yes, it can be frustrating, but you'll pick up the rudiments quickly, and you may be amazed at the results you get from your simple tweets. Follow me on Twitter.

Befuddled by Twitter? You'll be amazed at how many writers, editors, agents and buyers of your writing use it

Be where the action is with "Twitter for Writers: Achieve Writing Success 25 Words at a Time", your guide to micro blogging for writers.

Make money writing: keep the cash flowing in

How's your writing career? If you've been writing for money for a year or more, you should be booked solid, into January and beyond.

If you're not, chances are you're not paying enough attention to customer service. Anyone who's hired you to write once, will hire you again, and once you have a client list of a hundred clients, you'll be fully booked.

In this article Make Money Online Everyday Just by Writing - 5 Tips — Angela Booth's Fab Freelance Writing Blog I suggested:

"Keep Your Clients Forever - Use Permission Marketing When you get a client, ask their permission to stay in touch with them. Once you have 50 to 100 past clients, you’ll never need to hunt for writing jobs again - they will keep you very busy."

If you haven't been staying in touch, remedy that today.

Check the writing projects you've completed over the past year, and contact the clients. You can keep the contact simple -- just pick up the phone.

I guarantee you that if you do this, new projects will flow in.

Here's what you need to understand about your writing clients:

* They're busy -- they put things off;

* They're making do with less staff, so they use freelancers much more extensively;

* They'll love you and will recommend you to others if you help them out.

So, as I suggested in this week's writing tips ezine -- help them, and you'll be amply rewarded.

Create the perfect writing business: become an ebook entrepreneur

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