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10 Websites Every Writer Should Know
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Here are some
usefl websites
Absolute Write
- www.absolutewrite.com
- If you're interested in freelance writing, screenwriting,
playwriting, writing novels, nonfiction, comic book writing, greeting
cards, poetry, songwriting, this website offers useful resources.
Freelance Writing - www.freelancewriting.com
This posts writing jobs, writing conteser ts, writing events, and
more. "Contest Announcements" also advertise
photography contests as well.
Freelance Writing Jobs - http://www.freelancewritinggigs.com/
- You will find a list of freelance writing jobs. It also
provides other websites that advertise employment vacancies. Also
available are writing tips.
Funds for Writers - www.fundsforwriters.com
- Here you'll find grants that cover a simple conference fee or a
six-month retreat to write and get away from it all. Some pay
thousands for projects and others exercise your ability to match
writing with a social cause.
Gifted Hands Writing - www.giftedhandswriting.com - An excellent website
for writers, artists, students, and professionals. It provides
information on grant writing, finding financial aid
for college, getting
books published, listing of writer conferences, and more.
Journalism Jobs - www.journalismjobs.com
- This is a warehouse for individuals seeking jobs in writing ,
editing, and publishing. Its specialty is to post jobs and to
provide a venue for employers to advertise their job openings.
My Writer Circle -www.mywritercircle.com - This gives writing jobs,
information on how to get your book published, writing
contests and more.
Each field is under specific "advertisement" type of topic.
Viewers have to click on the area of their choice to access the
information.
Once Written - www.oncewritten com - This is a useful site
for writers and author wanting to make their first publication. It
also gives a listing of writing contests organized by Once.Written A
free book giveaway monthly contest is available as well.
Query Tracker - www.querytracker.net- - Gives listings of specific
authors and the agent that represents them. This also gives complete
contact information of literary
agents listed on the
website.
Urban Muse - www.urbanmusewriter.com
- The Urban Muse gives tips on how to write magazine articles,
attending writer conferences, websites to freelance writing jobs, and
more.
Writers - www.Writers.net/agents/html-
This provides information on how to find writers, agents, publishers,
and editors-anywhere in the world.
Writer Beware - www.sfwa.org/beware
- Writer Beware shares information on writing scams, problematic
agents and publishers, and more. It gives warnings about literary
frauds and other schemes, scams, and pitfalls that target writers.
For hundreds more websites, visit
Gifted Hands Writing's "Websites
Not to Miss."
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The Key to
Getting Published Is Not Giving Up
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An Author
Shares Her Writing Journey - From Struggle to Triumph
By Preethi Burkholder
It took me three years to get my first article published in a
reputable American magazine. The lengthy time was worth
the persistence. It was a single achievement that exploded
doors of writing opportunities to open for me.
Today, I have
published three books and working on a fourth. That's not all. I
write for magazines, host writing workshops, travel the
world on book tours, and run a writing company. My journey
has only just begun.
Here are my recommendations for those writers wanting to getting
their first article published:
1.Don't get discouraged by rejection
2.Don't get too demanding about how much you make on your first
article
3.Study the magazine first
4.Write to several magazines simultaneously
5.Cultivate associations with people who have some knowledge about
publishing
6.Use your first article as a springboard for the next 1000+
1. Don't get
discouraged by rejection
During those
first three years of trying to make my first magazine sale, I endured
a great deal of rejection, disappointment, and frustration.
It is only now
that I realize that every rejection that I endured during that
time brought me closer to success. During that time I learnt that the
word 'No' is actually an extension of the word 'Yes'- if you could
just train your mind to see it that way. And I did force my
mind to see it as a positive thing. My determination to succeed left
me with little choice.
So, here is
the critical step of getting your first article published: Get used
to hearing "No" from editors. You have to,
whether you like it or not. Even if it is not in writing and
publishing, eventually you will hear the word "no" in other
areas of your life. So, get used to it early, and use it to your
advantage.
2. Don't get
too demanding about how much you make on your first article
Don't get too
ambitious about payment on your very first article. Actually, you
cannot afford to be picky an your very first sale. In fact, you ought
to be grateful for anything that you can get. Even if the
magazine does not offer payment but only gives a byline, I'd say,
take it. Of course it would be nice if you can paid some money for
it, but as the saying goes "beggars can't be choosers." It
is harder to negotitate on payment when you don't have any previous
publications to show. Therefore, the main thing is to get your name
out there, even if the payment is negligible, and use it as a
springboard for subsequent publications in larger magazines.
Read More ...
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8 Mistakes Every Magazine Writer Should Avoid
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8 No No's
for a Magazine Writer
Writing for
magazines is an excellent way to find a market for your penmanship and
also to earn a steady income, especially if you are a staying at-home
type of person.
Whether you are new to the trade or a veteran, here are some things
to avoid:
1. Don't Boss the Editor
The editorial community is fairly tightly knit. Some of these
editors, especially those from well established magazines, tend to
stay in the same job for years. Burning your bridges with them may
not be a smart thing to do, especially if you plan on cultivating
your craft as a writer. If you get a rejection letter from an editor,
don't fight back with them. They are on the higher end as far as
selecting or rejecting your piece is considered. Editors are
often over worked and underpaid individuals. They are always on a
time crunch. Respecting their time is important. For some editors,
every second counts.
2. Don't Pitch
Queries without Studying the Magazine First
Pitching a
story idea on tropical fruits to a real estate magazine is probably
not a smart idea. It may in fact, ruin your future chances of getting
your foot in the door with the real estate magazine. Read the most
current back issues. Reading back issues that are three years old is
fine, but not in terms of crafting a cutting-edge query for one of
the upcoming issues. Sometimes the publishing company or the
editor-in-chief may have changed since then and along with that, the
focus of the magazine, too, may have changed. Therefore, it is very
important to study the magazine first. Go to a newsstand, library, or
a bookstore and browse through some back issues.
3. Don't call
the Magazine Publisher without being Prepared
Inexperience and over enthusiasm often lead novice writers to pick up
the phone and pitch an exciting idea to an editor. Nothing wrong with
that but this seldom leads to an instant acceptance over the phone.
Most likely, the editor might ask you to send the idea in a query or
to write the manuscript, which may never get read. Should you decide
to pursue this method, then be prepared to have a well thought out
interview. You may have just a few seconds to pitch your story idea.
Read the Remaining 5 No No's
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2009 In-Flight Directory Contest
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Are you a travel writer? Do
you like to fly? Here is an exciting opportunity for all travel
writers.
Don't allow that in-flight magazine from your travels go unused. Pick
it up or ask your friends who are traveling to save you a copy on
their next flight, and hand it to you. Provide us with some useful
information and get a free prize in return.
Submit 5 (five) in-flight magazine listings and get a free
prize.
Send us an e-mail at info@giftedhandswriting.com that includes:
- The name of the in-flight magazine
- The country it represents
- The complete name of the editor
- Editor's e-mail address
- Payment methods to writers
- Name of the publishing company (if available)
- Areas of writing interest covered by the in-flight magazine
There is something in it for you. If you send 5 entries that we don't
already have, you will receive:
- A free prize (Yes, you don't pay anything)
- Recognition on our website. (Yes, we write a formal acknowledgment
to you on our website, where everybody appreciates your contribution.
Visit our "Thank You" section to see readers who have
helped us raise the bar in the past)
- Unlimited networking opportunities that will aid you in your writing
career
- The possibility of creating openings for doing future assignments
for Gifted Hands Writing
- Personal tips on travel writing from Preethi Burkholder, President,
Gifted Hands Writing, author of three books and hundreds of travel magazine
articles
So, start now. It's fun; exciting.
Read More details on In-Flight
Directory Contest Gifted
Hands Writing's In Flight Directory Contest
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Please allow me to thank every one of
you who signed up with Gifted Hands
Writing in September
2008. We appeciate your presence. We welcome you to link to us by
mentioning www.giftedhandswriting.com on your website.
Members and non-members alike qualify
for free prizes. Take a few minutes to peruse through our website.
On some pages, we invite readers to suggest websites they would like
us to include, submit in-flight magazines for
our "In-Flight Magazine Directory 2009, make suggestions
about improving our website, and more. In exchange, you qualify
for free giveaways. In September, for example, Clara Freeman of Illinois, won a free
prize. The freebie was a pleasant surprise for her.
You can be the next winner! Get
involved with the Gifted Hands Writing community.
Happy
Halloween!
Preethi
Burkholder
President, Gifted Hands Writing
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