This is Part II of a two-part article. Part I, “Landing a Press Trip” appears at Kristen King’s freelance writing blog, Inkthinker. Click to read Part I.

If Accepted, Do Your Absolute Best To Attend

Remember, the CVB/PR firm has spent a lot of time and especially money (if they paid your airfare to come) in arranging your trip. The least writers can do is make sure they show up, sans something extreme. A number of CVB/PR firms are now making writers sign/acknowledge agreements to where if they don’t show up, they’ll be responsible for paying the airfare. This does make the writer accountable. But one thing a writer should never agree to is to sign an agreement guaranteeing publication nor would I ever sign such an agreement which I’ve heard does come up in rare instances.

The reason is this: a letter of assignment itself doesn’t guarantee publication. What it does is signify that you’ve had works published, that the editor likes your past work, and has faith that your press trip will be able to produce at least one article for the publication as long as the writer’s work falls within the editorial guidelines. But sometimes things happen, like the publication ceases or goes on hiatus, the editorial staff changes, and the new editor may not be interested in publishing articles that were commissioned from the previous editor. Your article(s), even with rewrites, might not impress the editor enough to justify publishing it. CVB’s do know that these things can happen, but for the most part, the letter of assignment is like a stronger assurance that they’ll see an article(s) in publications that cater to their desired audience.  (more…)

reviewed by Karen L. Alaniz

After spending years in front of the classroom teaching aspiring writers, Anne Lamott decided to gather her teaching notes and write a book. Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life is the result. Her advice is a stew of sometimes simple, sometimes quirky, but always real ingredients, with a serving of humor ladled onto every page.

Lamott meets writers where they are, regardless of success or status. From the enthusiastic beginner to the struggling veteran, her advice is applicable to all. With chapter titles like, “Getting Started” and “Short Assignments” she gives practical advice that can be applied immediately. Most of her students (and now readers) begin with a huge goal in mind; to write their life story, or to write a book that chronicles the history of say, women. But Lamott observes that when it comes to actually sitting down to write, they are paralyzed by the enormity of the task. So Lamott offers some practical guidance. (more…)

Want to land more e-assignments, get published in more e-zines and have your name on more virtual newsletters? All of that can be yours — the secret is to know the right way to get there. Here are seven tips to help you improve your freelancing online.

1. Include links. The makings of a good Internet article? Crisp writing, proper organization, and links for readers who want to know more! When you include links in a print article, readers won’t jump online to check them out right away. They’ll probably write it down to save for later. They might even forget about it. Writing for the ‘Net gives you a bonus: including links readers will likely click on right now! They’re already on the Internet reading your article. Chances are, they’ll click on links. Throw in a link or two and you’re on the right path to writing a great e-article!

2. Work magic with e-mail. Not everyone’s up for an e-interview, but when you can use e-mail, do it. It’s the best way to copy quotes verbatim, scan material and save information for later. As long as you keep your e-mail account active and advertisement-free, it’s a great electronic tool to conduct interviews and get information faster. (more…)

Let’s face it - with the expenses of a home office, time spent trying to find well-paying markets, and the million and one other speed bumps on the road to a professional writing career, it’s hard to justify much time and expense for marketing your writing business. Luckily, low-key marketing doesn’t take big bucks or huge time commitments. In fact, sometimes marketing on a nonexistent budget is as easy as A to Z:

Always give contacts two business cards – one to keep and one to pass along to a friend.

Blog your way to exposure and new clients – with free and cheap online options, there’s no excuse not to learn more about blogging.

Charity can work two ways – what else allows you to get karma points while flexing your marketing muscle? Try allying with a local charity for effective cross-promotional opportunities.

Distribute your press release online – there are several free options and you’ll get search engine exposure.  (more…)

People have been asking me for years where I get ideas for my articles. I’d like to say they come to me in a flash of brilliance but it’s much less impressive. They come to me from my daughters’ book bags, an advertisement on the back of my cereal box, or a comment made by my hair stylist. Every day, the ideas are there, waiting for writers to notice them and turn them into articles. Unfortunately, they hide in the most unlikely spots and don’t wear signs that read “I would make a great magazine article!”

Local Publications
The smaller a writer’s hometown the more valuable your local newspaper. Local folks that do memorable things could be interesting to people across the country—but how many of those people read your newspaper? After reading articles in my paper, I’ve written stories about local artists, charities, and events for statewide, national, and even international publications. Never read your paper without scissors in your hand and the question “Who would find this interesting?” in your mind. (more…)

It sounds counterintuitive. Giving away free content that just anyone can use? How could that possibly help anyone? Two words for you, my friend: viral marketing.

In the article “Building Traffic with Article Marketing,” Brian Clark of Copyblogger describes article marketing as

submitting short articles to directories such as Ezine Articles, with permission for others to republish your work on their blog, website or in their email newsletter. In return, you get one or more links back to the site of your choice.

Over at Associated Content, Michael Brito takes the definition to the next level when he says,

By distributing articles to various article directories on the Internet, your business can reap the benefits ranging from an increase in web traffic, lead generation, new customers and a solid reputation. It’s a simple concept that has the potential to take your business to the next level and higher.

Article marketing is not writing content for article mills (which I fondly think of a plagiarism factories) for $.00002/word. Article marketing is a targeted, planned business technique that’s specifically geared to bring more people to your website/newsletter/whatever, increase your search engine ranking, and give you and your business more exposure. (more…)

Goals can compel you to write faster, write better, and submit more often — but they need to be specific, quantitative and not overbearing if they’re going to work. So what sort of writing goals are best for you?

If you’ve always aspired to write, but have never been able to squeeze time for writing into your busy schedule, Time-Based Goals will assist you in establishing a fixed writing routine. With time-based goals, the emphasis isn’t necessarily on the quality of your writing but on simply making writing a priority in your life. Here are a few examples: “I aim to write for a total of 5 hours per week.” “I am going to write for at least 30 minutes right after I wake up every morning.” “I will write for three hours straight every Sunday afternoon.” (more…)

Great Sales Letters Focus on Readers Not Sales

How many times have you opened a direct mail letter and thrown it out after reading the first sentence? If you have discarded enough paper to recycle the Rainforest, you may feel that sales letters are a waste of time, money, and trees. Well, think again.

Good sales letters can generate leads, sell products and services, and increase charitable donations. They do it by focusing on the needs of readers rather than the needs of sellers. Here is how to write a sales letter that will get the results you want. (more…)

One of the key elements in maintaining and growing a business is attracting good clientele. Businesses design and coordinate their efforts to project a professional image that defines their services to the client. Businesses are under tight deadlines and every minute is critical to a company’s earning power. While emphasizing “time is money,” businesses can sometimes ignore the time-honored adage “the customer knows best.”

In the rush to make sure a project meets deadlines, businesses forget that what is said in print reflects a client’s belief of the values the company possesses. Taking the time to make customers happy is time well spent in maintaining customer loyalty.

In the rush to get a message out, executives often rely on subordinates to draft and release memos they have produced. Common sense dictates that the articles be proofread and checked prior to release; however, these items are released without a second glance. Sometimes, this can lead to embarrassing situations.

To avoid any embarrassing or comprising situations, read and edit the works before any public display. Does the correspondence reflect the company’s mission statement? Do the words sound appropriate and understandable to the customer base?

Below are some writing tips to enhance a company’s writing style. (more…)

Have you hurt a writer’s feelings inadvertently by saying something when you only meant to be helpful? Here are five tips to avoid that problem.

• Always start off your critique by saying something positive about the work. No matter how poorly you might think of the writing, there is a way of writing an encouraging remark, such as “I can see that you have given thought to your story, but…” This way, the writer won’t feel defensive.
• When you write a critique, read it as if you were receiving it instead of you writing it. This way, you will see where you can improve the tone of something you have written. Even if you feel it is an honest assessment of the writing, you can word it in such a way as to not attack the writer personally.
• Don’t be afraid to give your honest opinion of the piece. Keeping it to yourself won’t be of any help if he/she wants to improve their writing, which most serious writers want to do. No one should be afraid of frankness. In fact, they should welcome it. You can always be tactful, even if you’re saying something less than positive.
• Be specific in your feedback. Saying “This stinks” is meaningless. Of course, the writer will know you don’t like the piece, but it won’t make him stop and think about why you don’t like it and he won’t be able to make the right changes without knowing what the problem is.
• If you think the work has no redeeming value whatsoever, it might be a better idea not to give it a critique. Trashing it completely isn’t the right thing to do. You won’t feel good about it and neither will the writer. Remember, the fact that the author bothered to take the time to write, makes him/her worthy of respect.
• Don’t feel that the first critique you do has to be an epic. One paragraph is plenty to start with, and then you can build it up as you gain more experience in critiquing.

For more tips on critiquing, check out these resources:

• How to Deal With Critiquing, by Rich Hamper
• Critiquing: A Gift You Can Give, by Angie Dixon
• Share Your Work at Absolute Write Water Cooler

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Suzan L. Wiener has had numerous articles on writing, stories and shorter pieces published by many major publications such as Canadian Writer’s Journal, MetroSeven, The Writer’s Ezine, Verses, Complete Woman, Mature Living, Mature Years, Reader’s Digest, and the Saturday Evening Post.

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