3 More ways to know your market

Imagine trying to sell apples to a stranger off the street. You don’t know who he is, whether he likes apples, or if he even wants apples. You don’t know how many he’ll take, what kind he prefers, how much money he has in his pocket to spend on your apples, and if he needs a little left over to buy his dinner too. You don’t know whether he wants the apples now or later, if he has any allergy to apples, what he plans to do with them in turn (sell, eat or throw away), if he has a friend who is equally hungry for apples, or whether apples are in season in his part of the world. Heck, you don’t even know if he knows what...

Read the full article in the March 2016 post of Walrus Publishing

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Request to read the original article via email for just 99p! (T&C apply)

1040 words
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Words from the Wise

"It has some good tips"

Moira Allen
Publisher
Writing World


"I really liked your article"
Brian Scott
Editor
Freelance Writing


"This looks great. I'd love to run it in our (upcoming) issue."
Bill Kenower
Editor
Author Magazine

"I like this."
Lisa Miller
Editor
Walrus Publishing

3 Quick and easy ways to know your market

Imagine trying to sell apples to a stranger off the street. You don’t know who he is, whether he likes apples, or if he even wants apples. You don’t know how many he’ll take, what kind he prefers, how much money he has in his pocket to spend on your apples, and if he needs a little left over to buy his dinner too. You don’t know whether he wants the apples now or later, if he has any allergy to apples, what he plans to do with them in turn (sell, eat or throw away), if he has a friend who is equally hungry for apples, or whether apples are in season in his part of the world. Heck, you don’t even know if he knows what...

Read the full article in the November 2015 post of Walrus Publishing

or

Request to read the original article via email for just 99p! (T&C apply)

680 words
Nonfiction
US publication

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Words from the Wise

"It has some good tips"

Moira Allen

Publisher

Writing World

"I really liked your article"

Brian Scott

Editor

Freelance Writing

"This looks great. I'd love to run it in our (upcoming) issue."

Bill Kenower

Editor
Author Magazine

How to advertise yourself effectively

Your dream magazine, with its worldwide readership, vast inexhaustible coffers, quick acceptance-to-publication turnarounds and generous word counts, is probably just that—a dream. So you decide to compromise: you can live with lower pay rates, slow issue releases, and tight space constraints. But if it ain’t being seen by the right people, what’s the point?

Every freelance writer needs to get noticed. You need to go out and let the world know about your existence so that you can get more assignments and commissions.

What if I told you there is a way that does not require you to stand in long...

Read the full article in the August 2015 post of Walrus Publishing

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Request to read the original article via email for just 99p! (T&C apply)

880 words
Nonfiction
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Words from the Wise

"The 'how-to' part itself is excellent"

Moira Allen

Publisher

Writing World

"It's a great article"

Brian Scott

Editor

Freelance Writing

Top 12 sure-fire ways to make yourself an unpopular freelance writer!

Virginia Howard, editor of Thema, has done it. Linda Formichelli of TheRenegadeWriter.com recently did it. Angela Hoy, editor of Writers Weekly does it all the time. What is it?

“It” is riff about how a writer messed up big time.

Most editors are calm, sensible, well-balanced people. They need to be, if they’re going to have to deal with the complexities of publishing – from reading submissions to getting that highly coveted periodical out, time and time again. Every once in a while, though, editors get a query that forces them to tear out their hair and abandon the air of restraint to vent their...

Read the full article in the June 2015 post of Walrus Publishing

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Request to read the original article via email for just 99p! (T&C apply)

2030 words
Nonfiction
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Words from the Wise

"This was very good. Thank you for your submission."

Lisa Miller

Editor

Walrus Publishing

"I enjoyed your article... I enjoyed reading your articles at your website which focused specifically on the freelance writer."

Brian Scott

Editor

Freelance Writing

"I wouldn't mind sending a copy to a writer who just queried me with perhaps the most insulting query I've received to date ("I am the most wonderful, experienced, fabulous writer in the world and you don't pay enough, BUT, I'm so desperate, I'm willing to grace your pages with a column..." I'm summarizing, but that was the gist)"

Moira Allen

Publisher

Writing World

"Your article certainly has an interesting topic. Also the headline made me curious."

Elleke Bal

Editor

Ode magazine

How to deal with overzealous editors

Take an egg. It can be consumed raw. But it is as likely to poison you as it is to satiate your hunger. So the chef drops the egg into hot water. A boiled egg is delicious. The shell is peeled away and the flesh is full of yummy goodness. The chef knows tastes even better with a pinch of salt and pepper sprinkled over it. Or the chef breaks the shell, draws out the juices within and sizzles them in fat over a frying pan to create a scrumptious omelette. With some filling like mushrooms added, the chef can make the omelette even more delectable.

A writer is like an egg. An editor is like a chef. The editor can...

Read the full article in the April 2015 post of Walrus Publishing

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Request to read the original article via email for just 99p! (T&C apply)

885 words
Writing/Nonfiction
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Words from the Wise

"I love that you interviewed Sigrid on this one, and I agree with everything you say."

Moira Allen

Publisher

Writing World

8 Simple ways to maximise your earnings

If only we didn’t have to pay tax! Now that would maximise my meagre earnings as a writer by as much as 20% – a significant growth indeed. Luckily for us, though, there are some simple ways in which we can ensure that we are squeezing as much value out of the dollar as the law of the land will allow. 

1. Stay away from non-paying markets Bit obvious, really. It’s a lose-lose situation for you and a win-win situation for them, so why should you even bother with markets that cannot compensate you for your work? Forget the ‘for the love of literature’ and ‘amass glory and prestige’ rubbish. If you wanted...

Read the full article in the March 2015 post of Walrus Publishing

or

Request to read the original article via email for just 99p! (T&C apply)

1095 words
Nonfiction
US publication

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Words from the Wise

"This (is) a very nice article."

Lisa Miller

Editor

Walrus Publishing

"I enjoyed your article... I enjoyed reading your articles at your website which focused specifically on the freelance writer."

Brian Scott

Editor

Freelance Writing

"This one looks right for us."

Dana Cassell

Editor

Freelance Writer's Report