Notes in the Margin

by Sarah E. White

It’s the holiday season once again, and whether you’re looking for gifts for your writer friends or wanting to fill out your own wish list, odds are you could use a few ideas. Here are some of my favorite gifts for writers and others, for the holidays and beyond.

Lighted Pen

Writers (and those who live with writers) will appreciate a gift that allows them to scribble down the brilliant thoughts that come to them in the middle of the night without the inconvenience of turning on a light. The Lighted Gravity Pen ($25.00) from Brookstone features an LED light that is activated simply by pressing the top of the pen. This pen also has magnets in it so the pen seems to float in its included base, which both looks cool and makes it easy to find in the dark. As a bonus, this pen includes the three button cell batteries it needs and has five refills, so you can keep writing in the dark for a long time.

Washable Keyboard

We all know why we shouldn’t eat at our desks. It’s bad for our work, bad for our digestion, and worst of all gets crumbs and grease all over our keyboards. But now you can get a wireless keyboard that claims to be dust-free (and, presumably, crumb-free) and that you can wash under the tap or spray with cleanser. The SpillSeal washable keyboard ($74.99) from Unotron is marketed as a great tool for hospitals, where errant germs could collect on computer equipment. But I think it’s brilliant for writers and others who spend a little too much time eating at their computers. It’s a fully functioning wireless keyboard with programmable multimedia keys and a removable wrist rest for those long hours of composing.

Digital Recorder

There are all sorts of cool digital voice recorders on the market these days in just about every price range. You can find recorders with removable memory, ones that will record telephone conversations (always check with the person you’re talking to before you record), take pictures, ones with voice-recognition software so you can transcribe your interviews automatically, machines with voice-activated recording or that can record more than 24 hours. For an idea of the range of models out there, check out the Olympus Web site .Even if you or your writer friend don’t do a lot of interviewing, a digital recorder is great for recording thoughts while you’re driving, cooking, or somewhere else you might not have paper handy.

A Christmas Story

If you’re buying specifically for Christmas, consider the tiny, inexpensive and totally adorable A Visit From St. Alphabet by Dave Morice ($9.95), published by Coffee House Press. This whimsical little book is a retelling of “A Visit from St. Nicholas” with the alphabet as the star (it’s not really a Christmas story any more). A sampling: “‘Twas the night before X, when all through the Y / Not a letter was stirring, not even an I; / The S’s were hung by the T with care / In the hopes that St. Alphabet soon would be there.” This is a writer’s Santa, magically filling on the blank pages and wishing “Happy Alphabet to all, and to all a good write!”

And may I wish the same to you, whatever winter holidays you celebrate!

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Sarah E. White is a freelance writer, editor, and creativity coach. Her home on the Web is http://www.sarahewhite.com. Contact her at sarah@sarahewhite.com.

Although this article was published by Kristen King, the original author retains all copyright and should be contacted for reprint requests.

by Matt Haldeman

I’m not a famous writer. I don’t have an agent. The money I make in one year of writing is about enough to cover my rent for a few weeks.

So why should you listen to me?

Well, you can be the judge of whether I have anything helpful to say about getting published. I know that when I was just starting out, I would have loved to have someone like me offer advice.

When I made my decision to freelance, everything I read on the subject was written by someone who had clearly made it. Most of the things they wrote about didn’t concern me.

Now that I am, I’d like to share the things that I’ve learned. Obviously, I haven’t learned everything, or I’d be a lot wealthier. Still, I think there are a lot of traps that beginning writers fall into and I think I can help you avoid many of them.

So I’ll take you through my first year as a freelancer. When it began, I had zero publishing credits. When it ended, I was a columnist for three publications (one of them paying), I’d been published in the Washington Post, I’d seen my work performed on a professional stage, and I’d made slightly over $400. I certainly wasn’t going to quit my day job (I teach public school in the Bronx), but it was a good start.

I wanted to be a writer. I loved to write and I believed I was good at it. So why not make a little money on the side and see my name in print?

So I took a class.

In retrospect, it seems like a silly idea. What I should have done, since I wanted to be a writer, was to write. But I thought there was some secret to the whole process and so I attended a lecture entitled, “How to write an effective op-ed.” Luckily I didn’t pay for it. When it comes to writing, “Don’t ever pay for anything, ever!” is the maxim I live by.

The teacher’s comments were simple and obvious. Find something you’re passionate about, write on it, and then submit.

He gave us time at the end of the lecture to craft our own op-eds. My friend and I (both school teachers) opted to write on school choice vouchers.

When the class was over, our teacher dismissed us with these words, “Now go home, add a few lines, correct your mistakes, and go submit your op-eds to a local paper.” I was confused. Didn’t you have to be well known or important to get an op-ed published?

Our teacher explained that newspaper editors are people just like us who have too much work to do and not enough time to do it. Editors are often in need of some sort of filler. If your topic is timely and it arrives in his inbox at just the right time, you just might get published. He suggested sending articles on Saturday morning for two reasons. One, Sunday editions are the biggest and most likely to need extra articles. Two, editors like to go home early to be with their families on the weekend.

And so we did exactly that. We went home and turned our two paragraphs into two pages. We edited and revised every night that week, and then sent it off that Saturday to our favorite local paper, the Washington Post.

It was easy. Three minutes of browsing on their website and we found an e-mail address (OPED@washpost.com). We sent the article and waited. About a week later, we got an e-mail telling us we’d been accepted, about a month later we saw our article in print, and about three months later, we received joint checks for $150.

And in a way, that initial success changed the way I approached freelance writing. No, I don’t expect that everything I write will bring in $300 and be published in a major newspaper across from a piece by Henry Kissinger. But I do feel, whenever I write, that anything’s possible.

There are all sorts of websites that actually make you pay to get your work published, or even make you pay for the chance of getting your work published. To me, they’re preying on people who have lowered expectations, and think this is the only way to get into the business.

You do have to pay your dues, but you shouldn’t have to pay to pay your dues. Be wary of anyone (agents, publishers, editors) who ask for money and tell you that’s how the game works. The only thing I’ve ever paid for is my annual copy of the Writer’s Market, which you can now subscribe to online for a fee. Take my word, it’s worth it.

That’s about it. I hope you realize that my point is not that I am such a great writer. I was definitely lucky. And don’t expect to be freelancing to be easy, because it’s not. But if you want to take something away from this article it should be this: reach for the stars. Send your work to the most unlikely of places. You may receive the most unlikely of results.

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Matt Haldeman teaches sixth grade at a public school in the Bronx, NY. He has written for various publications including the Washington Post and Hopscotch for Girls and his plays have been performed in various theater festivals across the country.

Although this article was published by Kristen King, the original author retains all copyright and should be contacted for reprint requests.

by Anne Wayman

Over in the forum at www.AboutFreelanceWriting.com, one member asked if I had ever written about freelance writers and the fear of money. I hadn’t, but as I watched the thread develop, I saw some themes, including fear of success, fear of talking about money, fear of making money, etc., etc., etc.

Of course, not every freelance writer has a fear of success or a fear of making money - far from it. But several people, including me, identified.

Money and Self Esteem

I don’t know how it happens, but for many of us, money - our ability to earn it, our right to have it, our very thinking about the whole subject - gets hooked with our self-esteem or self-worth. Generally, at some deep level, we don’t think we’re enough, or we don’t think we’re deserving. Some of this, maybe even most probably comes out of childhood; other pieces come from society’s messages about self-worth and money.

For the freelance writer, this lack of true self esteem often results in:

• not recognizing and accepting our talents as writers
  

• not charging enough for our work
  

• not following through with invoicing and other money-management necessities
  

• not following through with potential clients
  

Any of these symptoms, and many more, result in under earning, also known in some circles as self-debting.

You Are Not Alone With Money Crazies

If money makes you crazy, the first thing to recognize is that you’re not alone! You’re not crazy, either, although it sure seems like it sometimes.

Implicit in recognizing that you’re not alone is also the acceptance that you’ve got a problem. Denial, or waiting for the big score won’t solve it.

Solutions

There are all sorts of solutions to lack of self-worth and it’s resultant money problems. Sometimes just naming it and talking it through with a close friend is enough to create a shift. Often, however, more specific action is required.

My own approach is through Debtors Anonymous - yep, another 12-Step Program, and yep, I’m breaking anonymity… but I’ll never break yours. DA doesn’t deal only with debt, but also addresses causes of debt, and under earning is certainly one cause of debt.

Professional help is also available and can certainly be worth the price. And there are professional counselors who are well equipped to help you deal with money issues.

Fear of money, fear of success, self-esteem and self-worth issues won’t go away simply by wishing they would… I know. Reaching out, however you choose to do it, is the solution. My suggestion is simply go for it.

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Anne Wayman has been freelancing successfully for more 30 years. In addition to writing, she also coaches writers, helping them focus, break through blocks and be accountable. Information about Anne can be found at www.annewayman.com; she is the creator of www.aboutfreelancewriting.com where, in addition to articles about writing, she posts freelance jobs twice a week, and www.thegoldenpencil.com - a daily blog about writing.

Although this article was published by Kristen King, the original author retains all copyright and should be contacted for reprint requests.

Q: I have written a collection of short stories, and I was in the process of submitting them to a small presses. But I noticed that many do not want short stories and also most are closed for the year because of high volume submissions. So I was thinking about doing self-publishing with a company I found on Publishers Weekly (so I know they are reputable).

I wanted to know your thoughts on that. Should I do self-publishing to test the market and see how I do and also see if I get noticed?

A: I think there are pros and cons to self-publishing: it can go phenomenally well or it can make things worse, and it really depends on the publisher you choose and, frankly, how good you are.

Before you make a financial commitment toward self-publishing, I recommend that you enlist a good editor who will give you an honest assessment of your manuscript and can help you clear up any errors in grammar, spelling, usage and punctuation that may mean the difference between a mediocre book and a great book. No matter what your budget is for publishing, hiring a pro is an investment that will pay for itself over and over.

If you’re not ready to go the self-publishing route, you may consider submitting individual stories to literary magazines and reviews and to reputable contests. That’s a great way to get your name out and get some publishing credits. And if you’re lucky, you may get some feedback from editors or judges along the way.

- Kristen

Do you have a question you’d like Kristen King to answer in her Notes in the Margin newsletter or award-winning Inkthinker blog? Send an e-mail to kristen@kristenkingfreelancing.com!

Q: I keep reading these books about freelance writing that say I should join a writer’s group, but I don’t know where to find one. What should I do?

A: You’ve got a couple of options when it comes to writing groups: meeting face to face with a group of people; meeting one on one with another like-minded writer; joining an online writers’ forum or critique group; and getting a critique partner are just a few of the options.

If you’re a face to face kind of writer, you may want to check your local library to see if a writing group already exists in your area. Coffee shops and college English departments are also a great place to start.

For outstanding online support, check out the forums at a few of your favorite sites. My personal favorite is the forum at www.aboutfreelancewriting.com, which is moderated by the former Guide to Freelance Writing at About.com, Anne Wayman. You can find other good forums at The Rose & Thorn Literary E-zine and WritersWeekly.com.

I just learned about the critique partner option at eHarlequin.com, which may be perfect for you if you’re writing anything that could be even loosely described as women’s fiction. From what I understand, the eHarlequin program is a good one, but you can always get a critique partner on your own by getting in touch with other writers either in person or online to trade critiques.

If you check these sources and come up dry, another option is to start a writing group yourself. Lisa Rosenthal’s The Writing Group Book: Creating and Sustaining a Successful Writing Group is a fantastic resource. So is Writing Alone, Writing Together: A Guide for Writers and Writing Groups by Judy Reeves.

Good luck!

- Kristen

Do you have a question you’d like Kristen King to answer in her Notes in the Margin newsletter or award-winning Inkthinker blog? Send an e-mail to kristen@kristenkingfreelancing.com!

Q: I’ve been charged with finding a freelance editor to review some procedure manuals for my company. I posted an ad on Craigslist and got more than 50 e-mails in the first hour (and then I deleted the posting). How do I weed through these to find a good editor? I don’t even know what I’m looking for.

A: Ahh, there’s the rub. Craigslist is great, but the volume of responses may make finding a freelancer pretty time consuming. Here’s a quick three-step guide for narrowing down the selection:

1. As soon as you get to a misspelling, hit the delete button.

2. As soon as you start to think you’ve received a form letter, hit the delete button.

3. The moment you question whether the respondent has the skills or professionalism to get the job done, hit the delete button.

The remaining e-mails are your hiring pool. In reviewing these folks, look well-written resumes (and websites, if they provide any), similar or relevant past experience, and an overall sense of professionalism. When you find a few people you’re comfortable with, get in touch with them to negotiate for timeline and pay, and hopefully you’ll find your perfect match.

Good luck!

- Kristen

Do you have a question you’d like Kristen King to answer in her Notes in the Margin newsletter or award-winning Inkthinker blog? Send an e-mail to kristen@kristenkingfreelancing.com!

Starting from Scratch: A Different Kind of Writer’s Manual

By Rita Mae Brown

Bantam, 1989

272 pages

reviewed by Sarah E. White

If only Rita Mae Brown would take a little time out of her busy schedule of writing best-selling mystery novels with her cat Sneaky Pie to revise and update her wonderful book of advice to writers, Starting from Scratch. You’ll get an idea how old the book is from the cover, which features Brown, her cat, a stack of manuscript papers and a typewriter.

This book is like a time warp to that weird, wonderful world before the Internet and pervasive home computers (there is brief mention of how great computers are, but she insists a writer needs a typewriter, along with good reference books and a cat or two). The references to technology will make you grin, and the age of this book is by no means a reason not to read it.

When she says “Starting from Scratch,” she means it. Brown spends a large portion of her book talking about words: what they mean, which ones you should use (Anglo-Saxon versus Latin), verbs, passive voice, adverbs and adjectives, the joy of the subjunctive and the need to find the emotionally evocative word.

Of course there are sections here on plot and character development, writing dialogue and ways to make money writing, but the really interesting parts of this book are those the other books don’t have, including Brown’s curriculum for a four-year “literary conservatory” and her list of the best reads in English from 665 to 1981. She also explains why every writer should learn Latin and provides exercises such as the parent game, where you start by giving yourself imaginary parents, then famous people and people you know and finally your characters.

This book is definitely a worthwhile read even more than 15 years after its publication. Brown has a wonderful, chatty voice and a lot of wisdom to share with writers of all levels. You’ll probably find yourself inspired to tackle her reading list, and maybe even to take a crack at learning Latin.

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Sarah E. White is a freelance writer and editor living in Arkansas. She is the author of Doing the Write Thing: The Easy Way to Self-Edit. Her home on the web is http://www.sarahewhite.com.

Although this article was published by Kristen King, the original author retains all copyright and should be contacted for reprint requests.