Making $$$ The Write Way A free eMagazine for writers of integrity *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ December 11, 2002 Volume 1 Number 7 *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ To join our more than 3000 subscribers, and receive the FREE eBook, "So You Want to be a Travel Writer," click on: http://www.ebookstand.com It's FREE! *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Like our eMagazine? Vote for our eMagazine! Visit: http://www.ezine-marketing.com/cgi-bin/ezsearch/vote.cgi?ID=1038751909 *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ In this issue: 1.) Letter From The Publisher---On The Home Front 2.) Ask an Expert/Questions and Answers 3.) COMP-ortunity of the week 4.) Online Success-Internet Marketing Tips and Strategies For Writers 5.) The Business of Writing by Duane Newcomb 6.) Editor's Pick/Reviews 7.) Special Guest Article by Gordon Burgett 8.) The Boast Post---Bragging Board of Writers Triumphs and Victories *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Making $$$ The Write Way eMagazine is a division of The Magnum Group ISSN pending. Copyright 2002 Write Spirit Publishing. All rights reserved. *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Start Comping today by purchasing our best selling eBook: "BEEN THERE---COMPED THAT!" Free Travel, Dining, and Entertainment, All for the Cost of Some Ink Available at: http://www.ebookstand.com *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ~*~ On The Home Front Carmel L. Mooney Surviving When Life Gets in the Way: I've had my share of setbacks lately, cancer in the family, surgeries, car troubles, computer traumas---well I won't bore you. But bottom line, I've learned throughout the years that as a writer you must be resilient to succeed. Realizing the holidays just compound the struggles, I thought I'd offer some suggestions and encouragement along with my thoughts on the subject. I don't have a lot of sympathy for whiners. Maybe because I used to be one when it came to never having time or resources to do my writing. I've had just as many problems, challenges, and setbacks in the past as the next guy. But I've learned that no matter what life throws my way, I have to get back on track and be even more determined to succeed at my passion: writing. Sure, I may get temporarily diverted with a serious issue that arises and takes all my energy. But I get back on course. I don't give up my dreams or goals, and I find a way. I truly believe that with enough creativity---and writers tend to be creative---there is always a way. Try when life happens, as it will, to remain as positive as possible and not to beat yourself up about it. Be patient with interruptions and try to keep a sense of humor and a mood of cheerful acceptance. Instead of wasting valuable energy rebelling against the inevitable, get back to work when you can and keep plugging away. Joy, wonder, blessings, health, holiday cheer, energy to rise above the obstacles, and COMP-liments to all, Carmel *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ~*~ This week's newest COMP-ortunity Vacations By The Sea Website: www.vacationsbythesea.com Address: 215 Monterey Ave., Capitola, CA 95010 Phone: 831 479-9360 X12 Contact: Keith Merritt Description: Numerous ocean-front vacation properties:long and short term and corporate, most with pool, spas, ocean views. Studios to five bedroom. Location: On the California Coast Coverage desired: Short term, long term, corporate, family getaways throughout Santa Cruz and Capitola area. Prefers writers with: professional writers Possible comp: Comped accomodations *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ~*~ "Ask a Pro" Publishing/Comping/Writing Q&A "Your Questions---You Always Wanted To Ask," answered by professional writing consultant/coach/instructor, Carmel L. Mooney To ask Carmel a writing, publishing, or comping question, email her at: Carmel@ebookstand.com. Questions may be edited for length or content if necessary. Question: I'm a new writer and I get so discouraged with all my notes, queries, papers, manuscripts, etc. everywhere. I can't seem to get focused. Does being a writer really have to be this chaotic? I seem to spend all my time just trying to bring it all together. ---Fay D., San Antonio, TX Answer: You're not alone. Only when I became highly organized and seriously focused, did my writing career really take off. Unless you want your writing to become a "non-profit disorganization," you will need to keep some sort of organizational or filing system to keep track of query letters, contacts, articles in progress, correspondence, comp referrals, leads, ideas, clips, media kits, and other related materials. It may be as simple as a well-marked filing cabinet or labeled folders. It may be as fancy as a separate office or room. Organization isn't all about tangibles either. Time must also be organized. Looking back, I'm amazed at how I succeeded at all with small children whom I refused to enroll in full-time daycare, while working part-time at other business ventures. I realize now, that time organization had everything to do with it. My golden words of advice: start out organized from the beginning. To ask Carmel a writing, publishing, or comping question, email her at: Carmel@ebookstand.com. Carmel Mooney is also available by phone and/or email for private consultation, editing, and coaching. Carmel has helped hundreds of writers achieve writing and publishing success. Email her at: Carmel@ebookstand.com or call her at: 916-205-4763 *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ~*~ Internet Marketing Tips and Strategies For Writers How to sell your publications online by Hazel Nieves, Our E-business Marketing Expert and Consultant The Final Part of The Series: Your Seven-Step, One-Day Marketing Plan Step 5 - Determine Your Marketing Medium(s) Remember, when I said that it's critical to choose a niche that you can easily contact? When you go to choose your marketing medium(s) you'll understand why that was sound advice. Your marketing medium is the communication vehicle you use to deliver your marketing message. It's important to choose a marketing medium that gives you the highest return on your marketing dollar. This means that you want to choose the medium that delivers your marketing message to the most niche prospects at the lowest possible cost. The following is a sampling of medium tools you have at your disposal to get your message out: - Newspaper ads - Website - Posters - Contests - Card decks - Seminars - Television ads - Signs - Sweepstakes - Door-to-door - Teleclasses - Radio ads - Banners - Trade shows - Yellow pages - Articles - Classified ads - Newsletter - Charity events - Networking - Infomercials - Billboards - Take-one box - Telemarketing - Magazine ads - Special events - Sales letters - Flyers - Email - Movie ads - Ezine ads - Postcards - Doorhangers - Agents - Media releases - Fax broadcasts - Brochures - Gift Certificates - Word-of-mouth - Sign picketing - Business cards - Catalogs - Air Blimps - Public speaking - Window display The trick is to match your message to your market using the right medium. It does you no good to advertise your retirement community services or products using a fast-paced, loud radio spot on a hip-hop radio station. This is a complete mismatch of the market, message, and medium. Success will come when there is a good match of these three elements. Step 6 - Set Sales and Marketing Goals Goals are critical to your success. A "wish" is a goal that hasn't been written down. If you haven't written down your goals, you're still just wishing for success! When creating your goals use what I call the SMART formula. Write this down! Ensure that your goals are, (1) Sensible, (2) Measurable, (3) Achievable, (4) Realistic, and (5) Time specific. Your goals should include financial elements such as annual sales revenue, gross profit, sales per sales person etc. They should also include non-financial elements such as units sold, contracts signed, clients acquired, articles published etc. Once you've set your goals, implement processes to internalize them with all team members such as reviewing them in sales meetings, displaying charts & posters, awarding achievement prizes etc. Step 7 - Develop Your Marketing Budget Your marketing budget can be developed several ways depending on whether you want to be more exact or develop just a quick-and-dirty number. It's a good idea to start out with a quick-and-dirty calculation and then to support it with further details. First, if you've been in business for over a year and tracked your marketing-related expenditures you could easily calculate your "cost to acquire one customer" or "cost to sell one product" by dividing your annual sales and marketing costs by the number of units sold (or customers acquired). The next step is to take your cost to sell one unit or acquire one customer and simply multiply it by your unit sales or customer acquisition goal. The result of this simple computation will give you a rough estimate of what you need to invest to meet your sales goals for the next year. Conclusion Ok, there you have it, The Seven-Step, One-Day Marketing Plan. It's really simple & can be done in one afternoon. Of course you'll need to study up a bit more about your marketing medium(s) of choice, their appropriateness for your message, and their associated costs. But try not to make the development of your plan a laborious, drawn-out task. This could very well be the most important document you ever create! ---Hazel Nieves, expert on Internet Marketing and Online business success is owner of Web Development Company, Sierra Technology Solutions, Inc. She has 20 years experience in sales, marketing, and technology and is a committed crusader in helping take the confusion out of taking your business online. You can Contact Hazel at 530-367-2915 or customerservice@sierratechnologysolutions.com Special Offer! Writers Special E-biz Website Package Turn-key Package Includes: *5 Custom Pages *Shopping Cart (up to 10 products) *Secure Server *One year hosting service *Uses your own domain *Up to 15 Email accounts *Attractive Professional designs to choose from *Copyright Statement page Special Price: $ 600.00 complete Get started today with your Affordable Professional E-business website here: http://www.sierratechnologysolutions.com/writers/writers_special.htm Learn more from Hazel at: http://www.sierratechnologysolutions.com *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ~*~ The Business of Writing by Duane Newcomb Do Magazines Pay Expenses? You bet they do. When I started writing articles I did everything on speculation and had to pay all expenses. If I had to travel to the San Francisco Bay Area from my base in Sacramento, I paid for everything including overnight expenses. I can't quite remember when all that changed, but I know it was after I had established myself with 6 or 7 magazines as a regular contributor. Then one day I got a telephone call. Could I go to Los Angles on assignment and do an interview and an article? Of course I could. The editor and I negotiated a fee, then I said, "and that will be plus expenses." I didn't get any opposition. From then on any time I had to go 15 or more miles out of Sacramento I billed for expenses. Expenses included mileage (at the IRS rate) meals, lodging, if any, and all phone calls. Once you establish yourself with a magazine, most editors expect to pay expenses, for all assignments. An assignment means anytime they call you and ask you to do a story. It also means any story you query on and they give you a go ahead. You can only do this, of course, after you have established this as a precedent. Some editors, of course, try to take advantage of your regular travel schedule. I have had a number who have tried to piggyback on another magazine's assignment. I discouraged this as much as possible, although sometimes I welcomed it because it doubled and tripled the amount I would get paid for that trip. I always had an editor or two that pushed it to the limit. I had one trade journal editor who would call and say, "Some afternoon when you are down in San Diego, would you drop in and to this interview for me? No! I wouldn't. I never did decide whether this editor was cheap or he didn't understand California because San Diego is 600 miles from my home base in Sacramento. So now let's see if we can figure this out. After you have established yourself with a magazine, ask for expenses anytime an editor calls and gives you an assignment or anytime you query and the editor confirms he wants the article. Sound hard? It isn't. Most magazines pay expenses for their established contributors. It's usually just a matter of asking. Duane Newcomb is a literary consultant with 36 non-fiction books to his credit, over 5000 articles and more than 150 client books in print. He has taught article and non-fiction book courses at numerous colleges, universities and writer's conferences across the United States. He welcomes new clients that need a manuscript evaluated. dnew@thegrid.net . Subscribe to his free, monthly professional author newsletter at: dnew@thegrid.net. Visit Duane Newcomb's websites: Duane has three websites which represent his interests, profession and published books. For Authors (published and unpublished) The Booksite at www.bookforce.bizland.com offers a cornucopia of information on writing, publishing and promoting your nonfiction book. For Gardeners: The Postage Stamp Gardening site is for every gardener who wants to grow more vegetables in a small space with less work and less watering. It will also include pocket gardening for people with apartments or tiny lots. Buy our best selling Postage Stamp Gardening Book on site. Access the site through www.bookforce.bizland.com For Do-It Yourself Home Builders: Visit the Owner Built Adobe Home site through www.bookforce.bizland.com The site shows you how to build all the adobe bricks you'll need on site and construct either a post adobe or a double wall reinforced adobe home. It includes everything you need to know. Buy the Owner Built Adobe Home (published by the University of New Mexico press) on site. Visit my writing, gardening, and adobe websites through www.bookforce.bizland.com Writers: subscribe to the free, monthly Professional Author Newsletter at dnew@thegrid.net *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ~*~ Editor's Pick Book, Magazine, Website, and e-Book Review by Victoria Beninga, Editor This week's review: Writing for Magazines A Beginner's Guide By Cheryl Sloan Wray How wealthy would you be if you had a dollar for every time you saw a magazine article that you had thought about writing? WRITING FOR MAGAZINES might be the book you're looking for in order to turn those good ideas into published articles. Cheryl Sloan Wray has used her experience of having more than 350 magazine articles published to create one of the top-selling books on magazine article writing. In fact, this book is so good that it has been a Writer's Digest Book Club selection. In WRITING FOR MAGAZINES, she covers everything you need to know to get your article published in a magazine. She lists 49 different types of magazine articles, such as how-to and humor. She discusses grammar and style. She talks about the importance of perseverance. She includes a valuable section with advice from magazine editors. My favorite section was entitled, "Twenty Ways Not To Get Published." Throughout the book, she offers "Jumpstart Exercises." She even offers tips on how to start your own writing group so you can meet other people interested in magazine article writing. There is much more to this book, so I highly recommend buying it if you are an aspiring magazine article writer. After you've read WRITING FOR MAGAZINES, you may stop wishing you had a dollar for all those articles you thought about writing. Instead, you may be selling your very own articles and making lots of your very own dollars. Victoria Beninga, Travel author/columnist/Associate Editor eBook, RV PACKING SIMPLIFIED, available at: http://www.ebookstand.com/m/victoria *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Special Guest Article: Those Gilded Bio Plugs By: Gordon Burgett "Ah, those wee bio tags, there's money there, my friend!" I was reminded at a writer's gathering years ago by a veteran Scottish author early transplanted to Chicago. His point is well shared. We might get paid a pittance for an article but a princely purse from follow-up buys can come from the last line of our identification tag. (A poor prince probably, but it is found gold.) A case in point. About ten years back I wrote a how-to primer called Empire-Building by Writing and Speaking. A writer's magazine asked if I would provide a summary article of 600 words. If the editor paid at all, it was so little I've since forgotten the amount. But they allowed me to add a short bio plug telling who I was, my credentials in a line, plus the name of the book, ordering address, and price. We put a suite number on the address to test it. I stopped counting at $1,400 in sales. Bingo! Now that website addresses are openly accepted, all we must do is insert that link, then make our website quick to load, professional, receptive to those wanting more information, and a one-stop store (of more information, products, or both). The trick is to pack a lot in the bio plug, after asking the editor of any taboos. (Most won't let you insert prices with products.) Mine might read as follows: GORDON BURGETT's third, updated edition of The Travel Writer's Guide was just released. Twice it was a Writer's Digest Book Club top choice. Gordon now has 23 books and 1,700+ articles in print. He also speaks nationwide about "How to Create Your Own Super Second Life." See www.sops.com for more details. Then we must write the accompanying article so well, with so much usable content, that the reader can't help but read our bio, then check our link. They want more good things from that source—they may even be willing to pay for them! The plug above gives them the basics: my name, credentials, the book that will help them the most, and (in this case) another interesting fact they may wish to explore (a speaker for their group?), all found at the invaluable website link. If the publication uses photos, send one as well. Just make certain that the editor uses bio plugs and will include your website. All the rest is gravy. *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ~*~ The Boast Post Don't be modest—we applaud you! Whether it's an assignment victory, a publishing accomplishment, comp, or a writing goal achieved, we'd love to hear it. Please include your full name or initials, and your city and state. Send your boast in 75 words or less to: Carmel@ebookstand.com (may be edited for length or content) Here's a kid's Christmas Story from me: Santa's Magic Bag RD Larson, Penn Valley, CA Stacie Spielman's new e-book, Betrayed by Her Guardian Angel, is a 151,000 word novel based on actual events. Spielman's qualification for writing the book is that she lived it. She is the Eve Tarlton in the story. To access her website for a free preview of Betrayed, click to highlight the line at the top of the internet screen that says http://www.… Then type in www.staciespielman.com . Instead of hitting Search, hit Enter. Stacie Spielman, California The Breast Cancer Book of Strength and Courage (released by Prima Publishing in October, 2002,) by Judie Fertig Panneton and Dr. Ernie Bodai, went into its second printing just after two weeks on the market. The book contains about 45 first-person, inspirational stories by women who have had or have breast cancer and how they found the inner strength and courage to fight the disease. It's the first book for Fertig Panneton, an award-winning journalist who has experience in TV, radio, and newspapers. It's one of several for Dr. Ernie Bodai, a surgeon and director of Breast Surgical Services at Kaiser Permanente in Sacramento. He is also the driving force behind the US Postal Breast Cancer Stamp. Judie Fertig Panneton, California I self-published my guide to having fun cheaply, The Penny-Pinching Hedonist: How to Live Like Royalty with a Peasant's Pocketbook, with the wrong title, the wrong price, and a few other problems. Nonetheless, using only no-cost marketing tools like media coverage and Internet discussion groups, I've managed to nearly sell out my run of 2200 copies. I also established the FrugalFun.com website, which offers hundreds of articles on how to have fun cheaply, including travel and arts magazines. Once I run out of the printed book, I'll convert it to an e-book that I can sell for less money. And meanwhile, I'm working to break it up into a series of smaller guides, each one covering one aspect of cheap fun. The website offers a free monthly newsletter on Frugal Fun, and another on Frugal Marketing (my other area of expertise--see http://www.frugalmarketing.com ) - and sometimes I get book orders from people who've been reading my newsletters for months! Shel Horowitz, USA *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Coming Soon/Around the Corner: -Guidelines, rules, topic, and prize listings for the upcoming winter writing contest Carmel Mooney's Upcoming Writing and Publishing Classes/seminars: 1/11 Making Money The Write Way Seminar/Intensive-Part One, Auburn, CA (Making Money The Write Way For Magazines and Newspapers in the morning and Travel Writing and Comped Travel in the afternoon.) 1/18 Making Money The Write Way Seminar/Intensive-Part Two, Auburn, CA (Writing and Selling eBooks and Print on Demand Publishing in the morning and Freelance Writing for the Internet in the afternoon.) (These intensive full day seminars combine Carmel's most popular courses and are designed specially for those individuals serious about Making Serious Money as a Writer NOW)---to learn more or to register go to: http://www.ebookstand.com Or call; 530-823-7075 These other weekday evening and weekend seminars are at various organizations throughout California. You may email Carmel at Carmel@ebookstand.com for specifics on registering: 3/9 Ebooks/Print on Demand, Always Learning, Elk Grove, CA 3/23 Travel Writing/Comped Travel, Always Learning, Elk Grove, CA 3/24 Ebooks/Print on Demand, Placer School for Adults, Auburn, CA 3/29 Effective Business Writing, Sierra College, Rocklin, CA 3/31 Travel Writing/Comped Travel, PSA, Auburn, CA 4/5 Ebooks/Print on Demand, Sierra College, Rocklin, CA 4/12 Ebooks/Print on Demand & Travel Writing, Butte College, Chico, CA 4/26 Travel Writing/Comped Travel, Learning Exchange, Sacramento, CA *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ It's FREE---List your inn, resort, restaurant, entertainment venue, business, or destination seeking written coverage---contact the publisher at: Carmel@ebookstand.com *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Making $$$ The Write Way eMagazine TO SUBSCRIBE: Send an e-mail with "subscribe" as the subject to: subscribe@ebookstand.com TO UNSUBSCRIBE: Send an e-mail with "unsubscribe" as the subject to: unsubscribe@ebookstand.com *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Write Spirit Publishing P.O. Box 3405 Auburn, CA 95604 Contact us at: Carmel@ebookstand.com We welcome your comments/suggestions/requests/contributions Carmel L. Mooney, Publisher Victoria Beninga, Associate Editor http://www.ebookstand.com Should the links we provide not work, this may mean your E-mail program doesn't like our code. If this occurs, please go directly to our current online issue at: http://www.ebookstand.com/newsletter_archive.htm You may freely distribute this eMag to friends, discussion lists, and writing groups as long as the issue is included in it's entirety. Like our eMagazine? Vote for our eMagazine! Visit: http://www.ezine-marketing.com/cgi-bin/ezsearch/vote.cgi?ID=1038751909 *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~