3 Quick and easy ways to know your freelance writing 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 April 2015 post of Freelance Writing

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

680 words
Nonfiction/Writing
US publication

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Words from the Wise

"It has some good tips"

Moira Allen

Publisher

Writing World

"This looks great. I'd love to run it in the upcoming issue."

Bill Kenower

Editor

Author 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
US publication

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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

Faith

‘I am invincible!’ cried the King.

The Lord slept in His Heaven. His Gatekeeper stood guard at the gates of His abode and kept a close watch. Nothing should interrupt his master’s rest. A beautiful pigeon, snow-white and pure, fluttered onto the bough of a nearby tree and cooed. The Gatekeeper soundlessly shooed it away. A spider, eight spindly legs splayed, crawled up the Gatekeeper’s leg and began to weave a web. The Gatekeeper did not brush it off. A scorpion skittered across the dry ground, sensed his toe and struck with its venomous stinger. But not a whimper of pain escaped the Gatekeeper’s...

Read the full story in the April 2015 issue of Page & Spine

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

2100 words
Fantasy
US publication

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Words from the Wise

"An ambitious almost epic piece that puts me in mind of Paradise Lost with the Godly motif... The underlying story is engrossing and interesting with definite entertainment."

Elsa

Senior Poetry Editor

Page & Spine

"Tales of wonder, especially those involving religious or metaphysical questions, intrigue us, and we appreciated your story's unique blend of folklore and almost Biblical language. The story is sprinkled with marvelous details and "Easter eggs" that further engage and delight the reader---the Gatekeeper's remarkable request ("Then grant me this...") is a favorite. Congratulations on crafting such a memorable work."

Kristen Marie

Editor

Hypnos

"This is a very good piece... I enjoyed reading it"

RMC

Editor

Phobos

"The idea behind 'Faith' is a very interesting one, and there are moments when the tale comes across as unique..."

Anonymous

Manuscript Reader

Bards & Sages Quarterly

"It is a good story"

Julie Ann Dawson

Editor

Bards & Sages Quarterly

"I found the story original"

Shalene

Associate Editor

Shimmer Magazine

"Your folktale style of narration was done well"

Lillian

Editor

Ideomancer

"Your writing is strong"

Courtney Pondelick

Assistant Submissions Editor

Dark Discoveries

"I like much of this... It's kind of bold and deals with topics that interest me. I do especially like the riddle-solution ending to this tale and the allegorical feel of the prince story."

Stephen Ramey

Editor

Parsec Ink

"I enjoyed the story"

Nick L.

Editor

Bastion Science Fiction Magazine

"This was an interesting story"

Rose Lemberg

Editor

Stone Bird Press

"You've got a strong opening line"

Katrina S. Forest

Manuscript Reader

Urban Fantasy Magazine

Leader or bully - A look at parenting power

We'd all like to be good leaders for our children, and we'd like to teach good leadership qualities to them. Opportunities for leadership crop up in all walks of life--from team captain to office boss. There are many qualities that make a leader and many more that make a great leader. And where our children are concerned, what better way to teach them than leading by example? Yet being a parent automatically puts us in a position of great power and can easily become a setting for bullying. In turn, this can set the stage for our older children to learn habits of domineering behaviour toward their...

Read the full article in the April 2015 issue of Living Education

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2025 words
Non-Fiction
US publication

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Words from the Wise

"It's very well-written and could be of great interest to our readers. This could be a great way to help parents make the connection between their parenting style and their own little tyrant-in-training. :-) I'd enjoy working with you to bring this article to our Oak Meadow community and the wider educational and homeschooling circles. I'm so happy to have your great article included in this issue of Living Education. It was a pleasure working with you."

DeeDee Hughes

Director of Curriculum Development

Living Education

"It's a great piece"

Chris Jones

Editor-at-Large

Fredericksburg Parent & Family Magazine

"Well done!"

Anonymous

Editor

Tidewater Parent

"It looks like a solid piece"

Carolyn Tat

Editor in Chief

Kids On The Coast

"I loved your article and would love to have it featured in (an) upcoming issue."

Susan Koppel

ex-Editor

Today's Child Magazine

"It has some good things to say"

Sherri Langton

Associate Editor

Bible Advocate / Now What?

"It is good"

Kristyn Komarnicki

Editor

Prism Magazine

"Really like it and will definitely include it"

James Cole

Group Editor

Family And Parenting

"The article looks good"

Melody Tan

Associate Editor

Signs Of The Times

"I would love to use this story in our (future) issue."

Brittany Morgan

ex-Editor

Hudson Valley Parent

"The subject matter is great"

Christina Elston

Editor

Los Angeles Parent

13 Mistakes to avoid while writing your bio

Biographies are invaluable to a writer. A strong bio makes a strong impression and is a powerful tool to advertise and sell the writer's writing skills. A good bio can lead to repeat business with editors whose attention is captured, a loyal readership whose interest is retained and new clientele whose imagination is piqued, which is great for your business and credentials. And writing a good bio should be a piece of cake for a wordsmith. Yet writers often stumble at this important task.

Here are some common mistakes to avoid while writing your verbal selfie:

1. Going on and on about it

No epics...

Read the full article in the April 2015 issue of Writers Weekly

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1150 words
Writing
US publication

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Words from the Wise

"It has some solid points and some good humor"

Zachary Petit

Associate Editor

Writer's Digest