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Why You Should Think Differently When Formatting Your Next Ebook

Though many publishers and authors have welcomed the advent of ebooks, there is still much debate between consumers who prefer traditional paper books and those who have opened their arms to digital books.

While some of their customers may be reluctant to switch from paper to electronic reading devices, ebook creators are continuously coming up with ways to win them over.

One of the major factors affecting an ebook’s success is formatting. After all, this is a whole new ball game compared to paper books, where the format you create and produce is exactly what your readers receive. With an ebook, readers can change the format to fit their preferences, from shifting file formats using ebook conversion services to changing the appearance of the text using in-app features.

In order to keep up with the growth of ebook publication, publishers must recognize the differences between producing paper books and digital books. The growing range of tablets and ereaders means that the look and presentation of your ebook could change depending on which devices are used to read it. Here are three reasons why it’s important to approach ebooks differently.

4 Tips to Keep in Mind for Your Ebook Formatting

Original formatting and file types

Ebook conversion services allow readers to convert their files for use in different devices, but this opportunity can be a challenge for ebook creators. While you may publish your ebook in a certain file type (XML, MOBI, EPUB, or simply PDF), readers are likely to convert your file to their preferred format.

To simplify the conversion process, it’s important that ebooks are developed cleanly, without stylization, and with only elements that you intend to keep for the final product. Since most ebook formats are based on some kind of HTML, it’s advisable to format your work using that language.

Device compatibility

The wide variety of tablets and ereaders means that size is also a factor to consider. Some devices, like tablets, are larger in size versus an early e-reader or a mobile phone. This physical difference alone is enough to affect the reader’s experience.

It is no longer as simple as knowing the dimensions of a single page of paper and then managing the physical construction of words and paragraphs within that page. With ebooks, developers must be prepared to make provisions for small, medium and large screens.

App compatibility

There are many different reading apps available today, and many of these apps pride themselves on offering opportunities for user customization. Most allow readers to change the font and background colors, or to choose from different font types and font sizes. Some make provisions for smaller or larger spacing.

Two different ball games

With users able to tweak so many elements, ebook formatting cannot be done in a fixed and final manner. Developers must leave room for further customization by readers, especially for those who will use conversion services to suit their device and app requirements. Ebook creators must ensure that their original formatting is open to possible modification.

It’s important to ensure that reading your ebook is a practical, comfortable, and enjoyable experience for your readers, even for those who are used to paper books. Keep in mind that ebook readers expect much more in terms of flexibility and compatibility, therefore formatting your work as an ebook should remain a completely different task from formatting it as a hard copy.

The rise of the ebook is a great opportunity for writers. While there may be kinks to be ironed out, there are also many opportunities to broaden your audience while maintaining your connection with your earliest readers.

For even more book formatting tips, check out the guide over at Kindlepreneur.

October 14, 2013
How Smart Writers Deal With One-Star Reviews (Hint: Not By Crying Yourself to Sleep)

I’d written the manuscript for my novel, Willows, about two years prior and promptly abandoned it, leaving it to lie dormant in my Dropbox. One day my writing partner discovered it and blew the dust (or whatever digital files gather when they’re abandoned) off it.

“Get it out there,” she said.

“It needs to be seen,” she said.

“Publish it on Amazon,” she said.

So last year we embarked on our self-publishing journey, and soon the book was ready and uploaded to Amazon and ready to set the world on fire.

After initial sales from friends, family, and well-wishers, Willows settled into a groove. I’ve had more sales than I thought I would, and on my free days the book was downloaded more than 2,000 times and earned a few good reviews. I wasn’t quite in Lee Child or Stephen King territory just yet, but for my first effort I considered it an OK start.

All in all, I’ve loved my first foray into self-publishing. Despite my complaints and some infuriating moments (like MS Word somehow reversing all my changes and auto correct reversing my edits and changing a character’s name mid-novel), I’ve enjoyed it.

However, the thing I looked forward to, more than anything, was my first review. After all, I wanted what all writers want: to know if I’m any good. I needed to know if I was just fooling myself with this writing jazz. Should I chuck the whole thing? Would people enjoy my work? We would see.

When those first reviews start trickling in

I expected some initial good reviews. Family and friends eager to support you will give you five-star reviews and say things that make you sound like the next big literary star. I truly appreciated these, but the reviews I treasured the most were the ones from complete strangers, who gave honest, constructive criticism.

So, when I got my first one star review, I was shocked! I reread it a few times to make sure I’d read it right.

The reviewer had downloaded my book on a free day, read it (I assume) and was not thrilled. I was flabbergasted. Willows was my first novel; I knew I would be no danger to the authors on the bestseller list, but I never expected that kind of review.

I laughed it off and chalked it up to someone who didn’t give the book a chance or maybe didn’t care for the genre, and resolved to ignore it. Twenty minutes later… okay, two minutes later — when I was supposed to be writing — I read the bad review again.

Does one bad apple spoil the whole bunch?

Then, just like we do in many other areas of life, I totally disregarded the sincere encouragement and kind words I’d received from friends, family and complete strangers and concentrated on my one bad review.

Was there something I could have done to make the book better? I went back to the manuscript and pored over it to see if there was something I missed, or if there were there any edits I could have made to win this lone reviewer over.

I tried to return to writing but the review was on my mind. It buzzed around my head like flies at a picnic, distracting me from my work.

Too distracted and annoyed to write, I picked up my favorite book about writing, Stephen King’s On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft. I opened the book and my eye fell on this quote:

“You can’t please all of the readers all of the time; you can’t please even some of the readers all of the time, but you really ought to try to please at least some of the readers some of the time.”

That is exactly what I tried to do: please some of the readers. I had tried my best, and it pleased some of the readers. Reading King’s quote took me out of my bad review funk and focused my attention on where it should be: on my work.

Dealing with a negative review

If you’re a writer, especially a newbie, and you’ve received a bad Amazon review, here are my three steps to deal with it:

1. Ignore it

2. Ignore it

3. Use it as motivation to make your next article or manuscript even better

Thanks, Ms. One Star Reviewer, for your message. I’ve gotten you out of my system and used your words as inspiration. I hope I don’t ever encounter you again, but if (when) I do, I’ll know how to handle you.

Have you ever dealt with a negative review? How did you respond?

October 9, 2013
Twitter Tips for Writers That Will Help You Get the Most Out of the Network

Twitter is a great tool for connecting with others and sharing your work, but how can writers make the most of it? How can you maximize your return from the time you take away from writing to devote to social media?

We asked the TWL community to share their best tip to help writers use Twitter most effectively. Here are their answers:

Use tools to maximize your impact

I like using the free version of Social Oomph to schedule tweets for different periods of the day. This helps me extend my reach, prevents me from flooding everyone’s feed, and keeps me from spending too much time on Twitter.

–Elizabeth S. Craig, author, blogs at Mystery Writing Is Murder and tweets @elizabethscraig

Pay it forward

Be generous — retweet, comment, favorite. You can’t expect support if you don’t give it. And make an effort for folks that include you on a #FF and other trending tags.

–Laura Rossi, PR & social media expert, blogs at Laura Rossi Public Relations and tweets @bookprgirl

Be yourself

Treat Twitter like a cocktail party or a bar; what works at the local watering hole will work on Twitter, and what doesn’t won’t.

Many Twitter users pad their updates with a much healthier dose of exclamation points and shameless and uncreative self-promotion than they’d be bold enough to unleash in person. All conversations aren’t wonderful just because they are conversational; some are created more equal than others.

–Menachem Wecker, freelance reporter, blogs at Menachem Wecker and tweets @mwecker

Practice brevity

Use Twitter to help you get to the point quickly. Paste a lead into Twitter and if it’s longer than 140, consider how to tighten it.

–Steve Buttry, Digital Transformation Editor at Digital First Media, blogs at The Buttry Diary and tweets @stevebuttry

Be real

My best tip is to treat Twitter the way you would treat a real space, with real people in it, including — but not limited to — people who might want to buy (or publish) your books.

Don’t be afraid to show your interest in other people, to engage in conversation and to share what you find useful, inspiring or entertaining. Have fun!

–Marianne Elliott, author, blogs at Marianne Elliott and tweets @zenpeacekeeper

Make it a party

One way to promote your book is through a Twitter Party. Find a relevant topic, offer a few books for prizes, and have fun!

–Peggy Frezon, author, shares her work at Peggy Frezon and tweets @peggyfrezon

Pursue genuine connections

Twitter is about conversation & connection — if you use it to just syndicate links, you’ll get no return on your investment.

Turn off anything automated. Look for people who are interesting to you: potential new clients, collaborators, like-minded souls. Say hello. Strike up a conversation. You might be surprised at who you find!

–Andy Hayes, Chief Creative Producer at Plum Deluxe, tweets @andrewghayes

Find your voice

Consider how you want to engage with people. What can you offer you followers? Are you funny, informative, chatty, or are you just spamming your book links?

–Janice Hardy, author, blogs at The Other Side of the Story and tweets @Janice_Hardy

How do you use Twitter to contribute to your writing? Share your tips in the comments!

October 3, 2013
Yes, Fiction Writers Can Develop Awesome Online Platforms, Too

You know you should create your own online home and “develop a readership” before your book comes out. But what exactly does that mean? How do you actually do that?

When I first started building an audience for my book, I wanted to find examples of individuals who were doing it well. There are lots of great examples from the non-fiction world, but how are fiction writers accomplishing this? How were they structuring their online presence? How were they interacting with potential readers? And what the heck were they writing and talking about?

Stellar examples of authors with engaged readerships

If you spend any time on various online platforms, you’ll find a lot of marginal content: individuals who are purely self-promotional or websites with poor design. To give you some great models to emulate, here are some examples of authors who are engaging their readers in a meaningful way.

Blogging

Many of us know Joanna Penn from her popular blog, The Creative Penn, but she is also an accomplished mystery/suspense author.

Joanna has successfully made the leap from self-published to traditionally published author. At her author site, JFPenn.com, she blogs about ancient books, cities, and the psychology of religion — all common themes in her novels. She also interviews other authors in the same genre.

Joshilyn Jackson also provides a great example of what to write about on a blog. She’s had her blog since 2004 — eons in the blogging world. Joshilyn makes a big distinction between blogging for writers and blogging for readers. She blogs for her readers and mostly blogs about “ridiculous stories of the messes I tend to get myself into.” Joshilyn’s blog has the same strong voice and wittiness that she’s known for in her novels.

Facebook

Dana Stabenow is a mystery author with more than 20 published novels. She’s a master at cultivating an engaged readership. A group of dedicated fans dubbed themselves the “Danamaniacs” over twelve years ago. They have their own Facebook page to discuss Dana’s work and hold online chats.

Dana has offered a digital newsletter, the “Roadhouse Report,” since 2004. Dana is also active on Facebook and posts frequently about life in Alaska — her home and the setting for all of her novels — and other topics she finds interesting or intriguing. With more than 11,000 Facebook fans and 1,200+ Danamaniacs, she has a loyal and engaged group of readers.

Pinterest

The tagline of fantasy author Justine Musk’s site is “because you are a creative badass.” She has two traditionally published novels and an active presence on Twitter.

What makes Justine unique is she’s using Pinterest as a planning tool for her next novel. The images she pins range from tattoos to quotes that hint at a troubled soul and a dark side. I know I’m intrigued. (Inspired by this idea? Click to tweet it!)

Online forums

Neil Gaiman’s work ranges from comics, short stories and novels to films. He posts frequently in his online journal but he has also created a message board where readers can interact and discuss his work. Go check the forums to see how they work, but beware the rabbit hole: there are over 250,000 posts.

Twitter

Maureen Johnson, a UK-based author dubbed the “Queen of Teen,” has an active presence on Twitter. She’s recently taken up knitting and has promised a badly knitted scarf for anyone who could help her gather 8,000 Twitter followers after a snubbing by @Huffpostbooks.

Whether that was an ill-willed or in-jest comment, Maureen isn’t afraid to let herself be seen and she posts witty comments about current events and quirky things that catch her eye. She’s funny, relevant and her followers love her.

Google+

John Scalzi writes sci-fi fantasy and graphic novels. He’s active on Google+ and often posts upcoming book covers for his graphic novels. He also engages his readers in photo caption contests and posts teasers of first lines of his work-in-progress.

Finding common themes in your writing is a great place to start engaging your audience for a fiction writer. Much in the same way that it takes some trial and error to develop your voice as an author, it will also take some time to find your online voice on your platform of choice. You may even need to experiment with several platforms before you find one that’s the best fit for you.

Five steps to developing your own engaged readership

So how do you follow in these great authors’ footsteps? Here are a few places to start.

1. Observe some fiction authors with great engagement. You can start by following our list, but aim for 10-15 different authors to see a wide variety of examples.

2. What do you like about how they engage their readers?

3. What do you dislike?

4. Model the style of the authors whose engagement resonates with you on the platform of your choosing.

5. Continue to hone your voice and find your own style.

Bonus points: Eventually you’ll want to provide your fans an opportunity to not only interact with you but also interact with one another.

Most importantly? Be yourself.

Regardless of which platform you choose for concentrating your energies, building an online engagement with your readers is time well spent. You’ll be building loyal fans, one reader at a time.

Did we miss any fiction authors who have great reader engagement online? Let us know in the comments.

October 2, 2013
7 Fulfilling Writing Careers You Should Know About

Making a living by your writing wits can be a daunting challenge. In this age of competition, finding your niche is essential to break out from the pack.

The good news? If you’re willing to venture a little further off the beaten paths of freelance journalism, blogging, and Great American Novel writing, you can find some pretty cool gigs.

Check out these seven unconventional writing jobs:

1. Ghostwriter

When celebrities, politicians, and other fancy people want to publish a book, blog post, or tweet, they often don’t want to go to the trouble of actually writing it. That’s where a ghostwriter comes in.

This gig is great for privacy, solitude, anonymity — and a decent paycheck. Plus, the people you write for usually have a solid platform of readers built up, so you usually don’t have to do any marketing, pushing, or promotions. (Check out this great post on The Art of Manliness for more insider ideas from a professional ghostwriter.)

2. Game Writer

Game writers create the dialogue and narrative arc of video games. You probably won’t be winning any prizes for your incredible prose (“I took an arrow to the knee!” is a typical line), but this job has a major bonus: it’s collaborative.

“You have to work with game designers, level designers, and the artists,” said Haris Orkin, a writer on Dead Island: Riptide. “It’s really a collaboration between all of it, because the story is told by every part of the game, as much by the level design and the art as it is by writing.”

So if you like writing but aren’t fond of languishing at home, alone, in your pajamas, this could be a good match.

3. Technical Writer

Technical writers take complicated information and put it into simple-to-understand language for instructions, user manuals, and more. Demand is high (8,500 new positions by 2020) and the pay is good ($65,000 on average). You won’t get many opportunities to craft flashy dialogue or intense prose, but you will use your creativity to solve the puzzle of how to communicate in the clearest way possible.

4. Translator

If you know a second language — especially if it’s a widely spoken one like Spanish, Chinese, or Arabic — you can make bank translating technical, business, or government documents. (You can also try your hand at literary translation, but the competition is often tough and the pay is often low.)

In terms of location and hours, translation gigs are extremely flexible. But you’ve got to have intense attention to detail. “The kind of person that makes a good translator is the same kind of person that makes a good librarian: someone who’s a little (or a lot) obsessive-compulsive,” writes Sarah Lindholm of the Detail Woman blog. So if you love those picky details, consider this career. (Or be a copy editor. That’s a good choice too.)

5. Advertising Copywriter

Mad Men got you hooked? Well, it’s true: Advertising is a seriously creative field. “Advertising copywriting is a career in which you can be creative and work with creative people,” writes John Kuraoka, a 20-year veteran of the ad industry. “Advertising agencies attract creative people because the industry appreciates and rewards creativity. Therein lies the challenge: copywriting is a career in which you must be creative, on demand.”

Writing ads is fun, but not because it’s easy. It’s because it’s very, very hard.

6. Content Strategist

Content strategists wear many different hats, but their work boils down to one big task: figure out how content (blog posts, images, white papers, web pages, social media conversations, email newsletters) can help a company reach its goals. Content strategists do a lot of things that don’t involve writing — like content audits, editorial calendar management, and outreach strategy — but without a firm understanding of what makes great content (Storytelling! Drama! WIIFM!) you’re sunk.

This is a great gig for writers who crave variety.

7. PR Specialist

To attract the eye of the media, a PR specialist must think like a journalist. Clients hire you for your ability to listen to their needs and then craft a story that media organizations deem newsworthy.

If you love writing, but want 1) a steady job at a firm, 2) a regular paycheck (average salary is $58,000), and 3) a people-person work style, consider PR.

Would you go after one of these gigs? Why or why not?

September 30, 2013
Why Writers Should Love Twitter (Hint: It’s Not Just About Selling Books)

When I launched my ebook A Writer’s Bucket List in early 2013, I had a Twitter bonanza. The platform is my favorite way to connect with colleagues and readers, so I naturally lean on it for self-promotion. However, I knew not to expect much for direct sales, even from directly-promotional tweets.

Many authors are struggling to figure out how to use Twitter to sell books. That’s because Twitter doesn’t sell books.

Instead, the social medium is part of the long game of building your author platform so you can engage with readers elsewhere and, eventually, possibly sell books to some of them. (Like this idea? Click to tweet it.)

It may seem counter-intuitive for a platform with a limited character count, but I’ve made some of my closest professional connections through Twitter. Users are open to meeting new people when they’re there. Compare that with networks like Facebook and LinkedIn, where people often restrict their connections and information to people they already know, and Twitter is your obvious launching point for building a community around your brand as an author.

Here’s how you can use Twitter to grow your community and, indirectly, increase interest in your books and services:

Make it easy to opt in

Tweeting is an easy way for someone to support you. You can even provide pre-written tweetable messages and a Click to Tweet link, so that all they have to do is click.

Even if they don’t expend much effort, once someone has supported you or your product, they feel more invested in you, more interested in seeing what you do next, and more likely to stick around.

Send thank-you notes

Whenever someone shares your book — or anything else you’ve written — on Twitter, they also probably @mention you. Since you’re directly notified of their support, you can easily follow up with a thank you.

This isn’t always the case if they share via email, Facebook or another channel. This opportunity to say, “Thanks for sharing!” creates an extra point of contact, prompting conversations and deepening your connection with loyal readers.

Boost your morale

Tons of @mentions streaming in throughout the day can fuel you with the positive attention you need to keep active, especially during an exhausting book launch or major promotion. This is a little vain to admit, but I definitely appreciate (and sometimes desperately need!) those virtual pats on the back that remind me people are enjoying and supporting my work.

Utilize lists

Using Twitter lists is not just a neat way to organize your social and professional connections; it’s also a simple reminder to connect with certain people, and a way to showcase those you love. Most important for me are two private lists: a “Notice Me” list (prompted by Alexis Grant) to forge connections with leaders in my industry, and a “Helpful Besties” list to keep up with and support people who have been particularly supportive to me over the years.

I also have public lists for “DIY Writers” and “About Writing” that serve to both keep me connected to my community and help show them off to my other followers.

Hop into Twitter chats

An awesome way to help members of your community connect with each other, plus regularly revive momentum around your author brand, Twitter chats are one of my favorite “promo” activities. Join existing chats for bloggers or authors in your genre, or host one of your own that gets people talking about your unique message. They’re the perfect way to connect with tweeps who already love what you love!

Become a go-to resource

You may already know the “80/20 Rule” of social media: spend 20 percent of the time talking about yourself, and 80 percent talking about others. Not only is it a good practice to promote the blog posts, books, and resources of others in your niche or genre, but it’s also a way for you to make your Twitter feed a must-read for your followers by ensuring they’ll always find something valuable there.

Ask questions

Want to get people talking to you? Ask them something! Your Twitter followers might not speak up when you share your brilliant thoughts or latest articles because they’re intimidated or afraid to intrude. But if you reach out to them and welcome their comments, they’ll be happy to share — sparking a conversation and letting you get to know a little about what makes them tick!

Share life and biz updates

This one is pretty obvious, and it’s probably what you’re already doing on Twitter if you’re trying to sell books or grow your platform there. I’ll add that talking about yourself on social media doesn’t have to be all about you.

Share updates and tidbits from your life as a burgeoning author as another way of connecting with followers, not promoting yourself. Show not only your victories but also your vulnerabilities, setbacks, even–gasp!–failures, so your followers understand they’re connecting with a real human, not a promo-bot.

How do you use Twitter to connect with your community and grow your author platform?

September 25, 2013
Ali Luke’s The Blogger’s Guide to Freelancing: Review

We review ebooks, courses and tools for writers, so you can make good decisions about how to invest in your writing career. Thanks to Ali Luke for sharing a review copy of this ebook.

Product: The Blogger’s Guide to Freelancing

About the Creator: Ali Luke is a professional freelance blogger who writes at her own site, Aliventures, as well as for sites like Problogger, Copyblogger, Men with Pens and Write to Done. She’s written several books on blogging and runs the teaching and community group Writer’s Huddle.

Price: $29

Who It’s For: Writers interested in finding steady, fun, well-paid jobs blogging for other people — specifically, by working as a staff blogger (writing regular posts for someone else’s blog). But also useful for freelance bloggers looking for projects here and there.

What It Will Help You Do:

Learn how to find (and then get) jobs. Learn what staff blogging is and whether it’s right for you. Discover the various ways to find staff writing jobs and how to apply for them, including: 1) how to leverage guest posts to create a paid blogging relationship; 2) how to maximize your chances when applying “on spec”; 3) which job boards are actually worth your time and how to make sure your application stands out from the crowd; 4) how to network with existing contacts to find job leads; and 5) how to market yourself through your web presence.

Learn how to nail those jobs once you get them. There’s a great rundown on basic guidelines for writing for the web: post structure, style, selecting images, etc, as well as tips on how to come up with post ideas, how to keep yourself organized, and how to follow up on posts once they’re published.

Tricky issues you’ll face along the way. How to navigate the waters of negotiating terms for a new gig, how to invoice for your work and (every blogger’s nightmare) how to collect on invoices that aren’t being paid. How to juggle writing for multiple blogs (including when working a day job!). How to stay inspired and motivated and deal with blogger’s block. How to (fairly and legitimately) rework a post idea for several blogs.

What’s Included: Worksheets (how to determine your freelancing goals, how to come up with headline ideas, templates for various post types, etc.). In-chapter advice from web pros like Glenn Allsopp of ViperChill. An appendix of posts for further reading around each chapter’s topic. And a $10 discount code on Ali’s The Blogger’s Guide to Effective Writing.

The Best Part: You emerge from the book feeling like you’ve just gotten a comprehensive 101 course on staff blogging from day one to day-infinity. With easy to understand, actionable steps and smart, real-world tips from someone who’s been there and learned from that, this book is highly digestible and full of things you can do today to grow your blogging career, no matter what stage it’s at.

What Would Make It Even Better: Honestly? I can’t really think of anything it’s missing. It’s a thorough review of all the need-to-knows and packs in a lot of info for an affordable price.

Our Recommendation: While aimed at aspiring staff bloggers in particular, most of the knowledge and tips in this book could easily be parlayed into freelance blogging in general. Topics like finding and applying for jobs, networking, negotiating your rate and handling your workload are things all professional bloggers need to know. If you’re looking to break into the world of paid blogging (or grow your current presence), this book is a great resource.

This post contains affiliate links. That means if you purchase through our links, you’re supporting The Write Life — and we thank you for that!

September 20, 2013
What You Must Do If You Truly Want to Make a Living as a Writer
As editor of FundsforWriters, hardly a day goes by that someone doesn’t ask: “Where do I find money to fund my writing habit?” It’s an innocent enough question, especially to an editor who professes to making a living at this craft and aids other writers with her weekly missives on the how-tos of earning an income.

My mind reels with snarky responses, silly, sarcastic, school-marmish, and third-grade-level replies because I’ve answered the question so many times. I ultimately answer in a positive, mother-hen manner, wanting to motivate the emailer, not chastise him. After all, writers run into enough negative responses already! The business is crazy complicated, and new people often spin in place hunting for the best advice, needing some sort of direction to get started.

But my answer to this question is always the same.

You find funding for your writing by writing for people who pay.

That answer induces laughter when I speak at conferences, but it’s the gosh-honest truth. The best way to make money writing is to write only for markets that pay. (Click to tweet this idea.) And the more they pay, the more you make. The more you pitch paying markets, the better the chance you’ll land a paying gig. The more you pitch higher-paying markets, ultimately the higher your income.

For some reason, we fear presenting ourselves as writers to professionals in our business, and that often interferes with the boldness needed to pitch. We take our work seriously, but we fear others will see us as frauds. I’ve had those thoughts, just like every other writer who’s ever penned a paragraph. But query we must, and if we must query, it might as well be to a good publication.

I dare you to “Keep 13 in Play.” That’s been my mantra for a decade. Keep thirteen pitches outstanding, whether they are contests entries, magazine features, paying blogs, or freelance copywriting gigs. Choose another number if you like, but I enjoy the in-your-face of number thirteen, daring bad luck to take me on. It takes some time to initially place that many queries, but once you’ve reached your magic number, you buckle down and write. Not because you’ve wasted a lot of time querying, but because you probably have a positive response by the time you reach your number. (And no, thirteen is not too many for even the part-time writer.)

That’s the fun part of “Keeping 13 in Play”. You’re so busy shooting queries out into the world that you don’t see the acceptances coming — and then they pop up and slap you in the face. I’ve even forgotten about submissions before, all because I was so preoccupied pitching stories.

And it gets more fun…

When you receive that acceptance, your thirteen has dropped to twelve, right? So you stop what you’re doing — stop in your tracks. And you pitch to another market to maintain that thirteen. When you receive a rejection, you’re in luck! Take that rejected query and slingshot it to another market. Then pitch another story to that person who just rejected you, while you’re fresh on his mind. Sure, he remembers you as a rejection, but truth is that he remembers you. Study his publication harder and throw another letter under his nose. Not only will he pay you more attention as you repetitively remind him that you are still interested (and prove you’re quite prolific), but you’ll probably improve your writing, your pitching, and your knowledge of the publication. And you’ve just added two more pitches to your “Keep 13 in Play” spreadsheet.

The reality of being a writer is that you aren’t easily discovered. You have to climb your way up this tall, rickety ladder, sharing the space with other climbers all around you. You seek paying markets and pursue them. They don’t come looking for you.

No paying market “discovers” you when you write for content mills or SEO sites.

No paying market “discovers” you when you write on your blog.

No paying market “discovers” you for having ten thousand Twitter followers or Facebook fans.

Writers must be proactive, and that means setting their sites on markets that pay and chasing them. Get your hands on market guides like these and use them:
Now, go out there and fund your writing.
September 16, 2013
Red Flags That Your New Freelance Client Will Be Trouble

As freelancers, we’re always thrilled to bring on a new client. It means an extra revenue stream, potentially greater exposure and (if all goes well) more work down the line.

But sometimes, it can be clear from the get-go that all will not go well. When you’re just starting out and eager to get work, it can be easy to ignore some of the red flags that tell you a client may not be the best person to work with. But you only need one or two horror story experiences to learn to pay attention to those red flags, and quickly.

In the hopes of saving you from learning the lessons I learned the hard way, here’s a quick cheat sheet of warning signs that should have you politely saying, “Thank you, but I don’t think this business relationship will work.”

They’re as cagey as a CIA covert op

Minimal project descriptions, unclear guidelines and disappearing from the grid for days at a time are all signs that a client will be more trouble than they’re worth.

If they take forever to get back to your emails but always have really good, emergency-level reasons for it, ditch them.

If it takes more than one or two email exchanges to get clear on any detail about the project, ditch them.

If they try to slip in additional work that wasn’t included in the original project scope, ditch them.

Oh, and if they refuse to sign a formal agreement as to what that project scope is? Ditch them, twice.

Shady and unreliable clients are a dime a dozen. Your billable time is not. Only dedicate it to clients who appreciate that. (Do you agree? Click to tweet this idea.)

They tell you their entire life story

On the opposite end of the spectrum is the client who won’t stop talking (or typing). You ask, “How many blog posts will you want on a monthly basis?” They come back with a three-page stream-of-consciousness rant about how tough it is to be a business owner, the five other fantastic ideas they have to talk to you about once you’ve started working for them, how their daughter’s name is also Kelly and isn’t that fate…blah…blah…blah. Blech.

Or, you ask for an outline of what they want on their product page, and they send you back the virtual equivalent of their mind spewed on paper—random excerpts from sites they like, stick figure drawings you’re supposed to be able to decode, the occasional commentary like “I want something like this, but more WOW!” (Don’t laugh; I’ve seen it all. Okay, maybe not the stick figures — yet. It’s only a matter of time.)

Run, don’t walk, from clients like this. They either a) don’t know what they want (and you will kill yourself trying to figure it out), b) are way too busy to give you coherent directions, which makes project completion kinda impossible, or c) are simply flakes hoping you can jump into their brains and create something coherent through sheer mental magic. Sometimes, it’s all of the above.

Either way, run.

They want stuff for free

With very few exceptions, no legitimate client will ask you send them a free “sample” of your work. The only samples they should need are already-published examples of work you’ve done in the past. If they want you to write a free post for them “to see your style,” it’s most likely a scam.

My only exception for this red flag would be if, by some chance, it’s a seriously big company you want to have a shot at working for. If Forbes ever asked me for a free sample, you better bet I’d be on it! But even in this case, make sure to protect yourself by getting it in writing that you’ll be compensated should they choose to use your work — or, if not, that you’ll retain full rights to submit it elsewhere.

They won’t let you do your job

It’s one thing to get an occasional “Hey, how’s it going?” check-in. But if your client is constantly shooting you “one more thought!” emails, that, my friend, is “scope creep.” Either they start paying you an extra hourly fee for fielding all their communications, or they stop bombarding you with phone calls and emails and trust that you know how to get the job done.

Even if they do agree to the hourly fee, it might not be worth it. Chances are you became a freelancer to escape the constant interruptions, shoulder-peering, and hand-holding of the 9-5 world. So you don’t need to put up with it now.

What other warning signs have you received from potential “problem clients”?

September 11, 2013
How to Avoid the 5 Biggest Time-Wasters in Freelance Writing

Ever gotten to the end of your day and realized you didn’t get a single useful thing done for your writing career?

It’s so easy to do.

But if you’re going to earn well as a freelancer — and not end up clocking 100-hour weeks — it’s important that you use your time productively and wisely.

You’ve got to learn to say “no” to the activities that don’t really move your writing career forward. (Click to tweet this idea!)

You need to spend the bulk of your time on the stuff that matters. Writing. Marketing. Building your network of friends and colleagues who might know somebody who needs a writer.

How can you cut through the distractions and concentrate on what’s important?

Here are the five biggest time-wasters writers complain to me about, and tips for getting rid of each:

1. Social media

You could spend all day on Facebook or YouTube or whatever you frequent, watching funny videos and supporting your friend’s charitable campaigns… but you need to climb out of this time sinkhole to get some writing done.

The fix: Consider writing on your desktop instead of in the cloud on a dashboard — I use MarsEdit for blog posts, for instance — and then turning the browsers off. If you don’t have the discipline to do that on your own, use a tool such as Freedom to make them shut off for a period of time. If need be, lock your computer in a safe and write first drafts on a pad of paper and use the telephone to call prospects.

2. Overthinking

Many new writers end up frozen and not moving forward because of two super-unproductive head trips: worry and overthinking.

You’re worried you’ll make a misstep and then your career will be ruined. Or that you’ll waste time going in the wrong direction. Or that you’ll come off as a noob to that editor. So you do nothing.

You keep reading and reading about freelancing until your head is spinning and you can’t decide on anything. There are so many options! Paralysis sets in.

I often hear from new writers:

“I’m still figuring out my niche. Once I do, I’ll start marketing my writing.”

Wrong, wrong, wrong.

The fix: Realize that everything you write builds your career, because it gives you experience writing and dealing with clients. I’m hard-pressed to look back and think of a gig I did that proved to be a total waste of time. Also, as you gain writing experience, you’ll learn where your best-paying opportunities are. The marketplace will point the way — some types of writing gigs will pay better than others, and you’ll go in that direction.

So pick a path that interests you, get out there and start writing, even if it’s on your own blog to start. You can improve and course-correct as you go. The only mistake you can make is not writing and marketing.

3. Waiting

Writers love to wait for things to happen. Wish I had a dime for every time a writer told me:

“I sent a query letter, and it said to allow 6-8 weeks for a response, so I’m waiting to see what happens.”

OR

“I have a conference coming up I plan to do some marketing at, so I’m waiting for that to come. Then maybe I’ll be able to get some gigs.”

The fix: Be a writer, not a waiter. Don’t wait-and-see about anything, ever. It is just a waste of your precious time.

Instead, move forward immediately, as if that thing you’re waiting on is never going to happen. Send that same query letter to three more places right now — yes, even though it said not to do simultaneous queries. Or write the next query letter.

Do some quick online or local in-person marketing while you wait for that big conference date to arrive. Your career will move forward faster, guaranteed.

4. Battered-wife syndrome

It’s easy to get all excited about new-prospect nibbles and spend lots of time on them. Then, when they drop the bomb that they’d like to pay $5 an article, it’s too late to turn back. You want to take the gig just to justify the time investment.

It’s all too common for freelancers to latch onto the first client who comes their way, and then never let go. Even if they’re obnoxious, or it isn’t the type of writing you really want to do, or they don’t pay well.

It’s easier to take the abuse from the devil you know than face the scary-scary unknown of finding that next client. Meanwhile, precious time is being wasted that could be spent finding better clients and making more money.

The fix: Realize that there are lots of users out there, and that it’s up to you to set healthy boundaries. Qualify prospects carefully when you first meet, so you don’t waste time and end up feeling you ‘have’ to work for a client you know won’t be a good fit.

If you’ve got a loser client, start laying your escape plan. Start with the low-hanging fruit of marketing — tell your existing network you’d appreciate client referrals (LinkedIn’s InMails are great for this), ask former and current clients for referrals, or go to live events to broaden your circle. As soon as you can replace them, give notice and say goodbye.

5. Ignorance

While I’m a strong proponent of just putting it out there, sometimes you really don’t have the knowledge you need to pursue some aspect of freelance writing.

Maybe you want to be a direct response copywriter, or do technical writing for software companies. But you have no samples, need to up your writing skills for that particular writing type, or don’t know how to find clients.

The fix: You can take forever trying to figure out these kind of things on your own — or you can take a shortcut and get some help. Find a book, a Webinar, or a mentor you trust and learn what you need to know. It’ll really pay off in the long run.

If you’re frittering the days away and can’t figure out where all the time goes, consider logging your activities for a week. Get some hard data on how you spend your time. That will give you a starting point for identifying and eliminating your biggest time-wasters.

What do you waste time on? Leave a comment and share your top time-waster — bet you’re not alone!

September 4, 2013