Money The Write Way a free eMagazine for writers of integrity *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ April 7, 2004 Volume 2 Number 7 *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ To join our more than 4000 subscribers, and receive the FREE eBook, "So You Want to be a Travel Writer," click on: http://www.moneythewriteway.com It's FREE! *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ In this issue: 1.) Letter From The Publisher---On The Home Front 2.) Ask an Expert/Questions and Answers 3.) COMP-ortunity of the month 4.) The Business of Writing by Duane Newcomb 5.) Editor's Pick/Reviews by Victoria Beninga 6.) The Boast Post---Bragging Board of Writers Triumphs and Victories *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Money The Write Way eMagazine ISSN pending. Copyright 2004 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.moneythewriteway.com *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ~*~ On The Home Front Carmel L. Mooney Spring is here. Have you done your spring-cleaning? I don’t mean around the house. I mean as a writer we must de-clutter and organize our offices, notebooks, file cabinets and minds every so often or we become overwhelmed, disorganized and ineffective. I know it’s not just me. Everyone I know is inundated with papers, bills, statements, solicitations, records. And it’s all time consuming, draining, fragmenting, and frustrating. So I recommend that this month you take an hour or two and totally organize your writing records, writing notebooks, ideas, journals, and even your personal stuff so that whatever time you have to write is maximized. You will be so happy you did because whether or not you’re writing the great American novel or marketing your eBook, you’ll find your creative juices and your time are maximized. I know you will be glad you did. May your pen and creativity both flow freely, Carmel *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ~*~ This week's newest COMP-ortunity Long Valley Resort Website: http://www.longvalleyresort.com email: longvlly@inreach.com Address: 59532 Highway 70 / P.O. Box 30121 Cromberg, CA 96103 Phone: (530) 836-0754 (800) 887-6653 Contact: Bryan and Stephanie Sprague Description: Long Valley Resort in Cromberg, CA is in the center of the great outdoors. Graeagle and many world-class golf courses are minutes away. The hiking is superb in the Lakes Basin Region. Fishing, kayaking, cross-country skiing, snow mobiling, horseback riding and hunting are popular outdoor activities in the area. Coverage desired: Promote this fantastic travel destination and family reunion spot. Promote bed and breakfast. Prefers writers with any of the following: Letter of assignment or writing samples/clips for review. Possible comp: Overnight accommodations when available *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ~*~ "Ask a Pro" Publishing/Comping/Writing Q&A "Your Questions---You Always Wanted To Ask," answered by professional writing consultant/coach/author/instructor, Carmel L. Mooney To ask Carmel a writing, publishing, or comping question, email her at: Carmel@moneythewriteway.com. Questions may be edited for length or content if necessary. Question: How much money can I make as a freelance magazine writer, part time? S. Holliday Lawrence, KS Answer: I can’t tell you without polishing my crystal ball but I’d say that a reasonable goal for part time magazine writing would be about $1000 a month for 10-15 hours a week of work. That is simply a good beginning ballpark figure/estimate. It may take 6 months to accomplish this goal so don’t be discouraged in the beginning. Good writers who make a living, hold masters degrees in patience and persistence. Good luck! Question: Do I need to copyright my newspaper and magazine articles I write as a freelancer or columnist? v. Dickinson Malone, New York Answer: Generally, no. Most publications have a copyright notice in the masthead or body of the publication, coupled with the fact that when you create anything you automatically have the copyright to it. But if you are concerned and want extra protection you can download the form off the Internet and send in a collection of your works to the US Copyright Department. The last time I checked, this cost $35. *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ To ask Carmel a writing, publishing, or comping question, email her at: Carmel@moneythewriteway.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@moneythewriteway.com or call her at: 916-205-4763 *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ~*~ The Business Side of Writing Duane Newcomb Breaking The Psychological Barrier Like everybody else, writers somehow seem to fall into a rut. I know writers who have written hundreds of articles to the minor and specialty magazines but never seem to be able to hit the bigger ones. Some of them tell me that they feel like there is a solid barrier between them and the bigger markets. I do know from personal experience that the more you become entrenched in the lower pay markets the more unobtainable the majors seem to be. I'm not sure I can tell you why, but I know that this is true. In most cases, I find this can be overcome by becoming as comfortable as possible with the idea of writing for these markets. If you also have this problem, I suggest you immerse yourself in the major magazines you would like to write for. Read these publications from cover to cover several times. Finally, pick out an article or two that you think you could have written, then try to imagine what you would have gone through to write that particular article. What sources would you have tapped to do the research? Would you structure your piece the same way? Would you have used similar anecdotes or could you have improved on the ones in the article? What would you do to improve this piece? Next, schedule some time each day to work on nothing but the major magazines. This can be as little as fifteen minutes a day. The important thing is to actually create article ideas designed for these magazines, to write queries, and send them out. Some writers also find they can break the psychological barrier with simulated experience. That is, they see themselves writing articles for particular magazines, see the published articles in the magazine, and try to feel what it's like to negotiate with these editors and actually have their articles appear in print. Use whichever method works best for you. The important thing is to try to become comfortable with the idea of publishing in the major magazines, so that you don't create a mental barrier for yourself. No matter what you do, there are some magazines that you probably will never hit. I suggested articles to Family Circle for many years. Unfortunately I never received a go-ahead. I quit trying, then wrote a couple of gardening books that were taken by the Book of the Month Club. After that I began getting requests for articles on this subject from several magazines and soon placed two of these in Family Circle. There are fortunately enough magazines so that if you can't seem to interest the editor of one particular publication, you may well be able to attract the attention of another. Selling to major magazines is really not much different from selling to the smaller publications. Major magazines may be harder to hit, the articles may be longer and often require more thorough research than the articles in some of the smaller markets, but the plus is that the editors of major magazines are always looking for good articles. And once you show them that you can turn out these pieces consistently, you can be sure that the welcome mat will always be out. Lee Roddy, the author of 54 novels will be at the California Writer's Academy April 24 to share his knowledge with you. See what Lee can teach you about writing fiction in a single day. Yes this is the same Lee Roddy who wrote Grizzly Adams. Sign up for his hands-on workshop at www.californiawritersacademy.com. Don't miss the informal discussion session directly after the workshop. 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.nethttp://www.ebookstand.com/cat.grp/besthow-to.html *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~*~ Editor's Pick Book, Magazine, Website, and e-Book Review Victoria Beninga, Editor This Month's Review: WRITE4KIDS.COM Jon Bard and Laura Backes have created a web site for authors who write, or who dream of writing, children's books. WRITE4KIDS.COM offers books you can purchase to help you write your children's books. You can also read free articles under the categories "The Basics," "The Business of Writing," "Submitting your Work to Publishers," "The Craft of Writing," "What Should I Write About," and "The Latest Industry News." It's always helpful to communicate with other writers, so WRITE4KIDS.COM offers message boards. While on the web site, you can also search for events for writers, find helpful links for writers, read answers to frequently asked questions, get advice for beginners, and see a list of current children's books which are bestsellers. If you sign up for the free newsletter, "Children's Book Insider," you receive a free e-book entitled "Getting Started Writing Picture Books." To get to WRITE4KIDS.COM, go to http://www.write4kids.com/. Victoria Beninga Publisher/Editor/Columnist, GOLD COUNTRY FAMILIES, a FREE e-mail newsletter and FREE eMagazine of Sierra Nevada Gold Country family-friendly activities, http://www.goldcountryfamilies.com Associate Editor/Columnist, MONEY THE WRITE WAY, a FREE eMagazine for writers of integrity, http://www.moneythewriteway.com *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ~*~ 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@moneythewriteway.com (may be edited for length or content) Boast: Here's a link to my new e-book, How To Make A Living As A Freelance Sportswriter & Publicist http://www.booklocker.com/books/1522.html J.Raia Sacramento, CA Read my new story, a nifty teen & adult sci-fi http://home.earthlink.net/~mimibelle/StoryLRD1.htm RD Larson Pacific Northwest My boast is I was invited to read "My Friends" at West Nicoles Hills Elem. School for a celebration of Dr. Suess’ 100th birthday and reading across America!!! Best time of my life and it's on video! Announcements will be sent to the homes of the children attending with more info on the book! G.Spigner USA *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Women¹s Poetry Competition First prize £1,000, second prize £500, third prize £250. Entry fee £5 for up to five poems. Closing date 31 May 2004. The 25 best entries will be published in Mslexia, the best-selling magazine for women writers. For conditions of entry, please contact: Mslexia (PC), Freepost NEA5566, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE99 1BR; 0191 261 6656; poetrycomp@mslexia.demon.co.uk; www.mslexia.co.uk Mslexia, the magazine for women who write PO Pox 656 Newcastle-upon-Tyne NE99 1PZ 0191 261 6656 www.mslexia.co.uk *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Websites for Writers! ---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 Turnkey 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 *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Now you can access a invaluable writing information at: www.californiawritersacademy.com http://www.californiawritersacademy.com *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Receive a free copy of Marco Polo Magazine. This is a great magazine to read or write for. Call: 727-735-9455 *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ It's FREE ---List your inn, resort, restaurant, entertainment venue, business, or destination seeking written coverage---contact the publisher: Carmel@moneythewriteway.com *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ www.travelingadventureswithchildren.com is looking for writers to submit travel stories. For more details write Kim Lopez at: marketing@carriagehousepublishing.com *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Money The Write Way eMagazine TO SUBSCRIBE: Simply go to: http://www.moneythewriteway.com/free_emagazine.htm and check the SUBSCRIBE BOX (You'll also get a free eBook gift as our way of saying thank you.) TO UNSUBSCRIBE: Simply go to: http://www.moneythewriteway.com/free_emagazine.htm and check the UNSUBSCRIBE box Changing email addresses? Simply go to: http://www.moneythewriteway.com/free_emagazine.htm and subscribe under your new address *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Have something you'd like to offer more than 4000 writers and authors? Place YOUR ad in Money the Write Way today! It's affordable and effective. Email for rates and details: Carmel@moneythewriteway.com *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Write Spirit Publishing P.O. Box 3405 Auburn, CA 95604 Contact us at: Carmel@moneythewriteway.com We welcome your: comments/suggestions/requests/contributions Carmel L. Mooney, Publisher Victoria Beninga, Associate Editor http://www.moneythewriteway.com Should the links we provide not work, this may mean your E-mail program doesn't like our code. Simply go directly to our current online archived issue at: http://www.moneythewriteway.com You may freely distribute this eMag to friends, discussion lists, and writing groups as long as the issue is included in its entirety. *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~