Ezine Receive monthly updates from the site. News of competitions, sites, and more.
Looking Over The Writer's Shoulder: "The storyteller becomes bound by his own decisions; he must follow one chosen route from beginning to end." A new article by Paul Grainger looks at the writing process from the perspective of the writer and the reader.
Things to do to Avoid Writing: Katie Gould takes a wry look at the things authors find to do to avoid writing.
Our 'Writer in Residence' Paul Saevig considers how to tackle writing advice: 'Choosing Your Training as a Writer': or 'How To Evaluate Teachings on Writing For Your Own Best Interest', looks at the problems the plethora of guidance can create.
California Literary Review: Insightful, irreverent book reviews, thought provoking essays, and interviews with talented authors.
How To Write A Book: Information on how to write a book including book writing tips, how to write a fiction book, writing childrens books, writing fantasy books, writing a book proposal, book writing software, format for writing a book, and books on writing.
Self Publishing: Information on self publishing including self publishing books, self publishing presses, self publishing printing, self publishing software, self publishing services, self publishing children's book, self publishing comparison, self publishing sites, and childrens self publishing.
GodSeed: Promoter of the Sci_Fi and Fantasy Author. Our members post their books to our library and bookstore. Enter short story contests. Member book reviews.
Dynamic Fiction: was developed to establish an online presence for amateur writing. Our goal is to provide a central internet location for users to read and comment on fictional stories, book reviews, essays, poems and more. Dynamic Fiction's content is rooted in the idea that group effort yields higher quality material, so we encourage you to give us feedback and and we wish to entertain each and every user by doing so.
Man In The Moon: a website for poetry written by children. Here you can read lots and lots of brilliant poems, read all about children's poet Michael Rosen and play some games. You can also pick up some tips for writing your own poetry, learn a few toe-curling jokes and e-mail us your poems.
hagsharlotsheroines: Hagsharlotsheroines is a vibrant new story telling site, filled with tales of raging demons, pioneering physicians, infamous pickpockets, fickle goddesses, heroic fighter pilots, inspirational artists, chariot riding warriors, pretenders to the throne, witches, writers, murderers, revolutionaries, spies. and all women; members of the so called "weaker" sex. We welcome submissions from our members and provide a valuable writer's tool kit for aspiring writers. Access to the site requires registration - but membership is free. We also send out a monthly newsletter to members containing our Story of the Month.
Appalachian Authors' Guild: The AAG is a not-for-profit organization with a mission to provide avenues of support and networking to Appalachian authors by assisting our members in marketing and selling their products.
Andrew Crofts - ghostwriter
What a Ghostwriter Does, and Why.
The Secrets of Ghostwriting Revealed in a Novel
Maisies Amazing Maids
Why Books are Good for Business
WHY BE A FREELANCE WRITER?
BY ANDREW CROFTS
At the beginning of the nineties I wrote a book called "How to Make Money from Freelance Writing". It has stayed in print for ten years. In July 2002 Piatkus will be publishing a new version called "The Freelance Writer's Handbook", (working title), because despite the first book being updated after five years, (to take into account the growing use of machines called "wordprocessors" and other modern developments), the last ten years have seen changes so dramatic in the world of freelance writing that only a science fiction author could have predicted them.
Not only have we seen the arrival of stars like John Grisham and J.K. Rowling and the creation of household names like Harry Potter and Bridget Jones, there has been the spread of the Internet, the growing use of e-mail and mobile phones, the introduction of print-on-demand, on-line publishing, e-zines, lap tops and countless other technological developments. I have also been in the business for ten years longer and have learnt a great deal more, experience that I'm happy to impart to those dipping their feet into the market for the first time.
THIS IS THE GOLDEN AGE OF THE FREELANCE WRITER.
There has never been a better time to be a freelance writer. This is the age of knowledge and communication, an era when service providers are in demand, and that describes perfectly what writers do. We inform, educate or entertain. We provide a service.
But that doesn't mean it's easy to earn a living in the profession. The opportunities are out there, but how do you find them? The stories are out there, but where do you start looking? The money is out there, but how do you persuade people to waft it in your direction?
THE ANSWER IS MARKETING.
You must think like a marketing guru from the start. Ask yourself the following questions:
What do people want to read about?
How can I acquire or make-up the necessary material as cost effectively as possible? How can I package it in order to appeal to potential backers and distributors, (i.e. book publishers, magazine and newspaper editors, film and television producers and other business people who commission written material)?
Once you've worked out who your market is, what they want to buy and how to sell it to them, you then have to find ways of making it pay well enough to support you full-time. That means, just like the marketing people in any big company, you need to be looking for ways in which to re-package and re-sell the same material to a multitude of different people.
YOU ALSO NEED TO KNOW WHAT YOU WANT TO DO WITH YOUR LIFE.
Do you want to travel the world and have great adventures? Or would you prefer to spend most days tucked up safely in your own home with your family, your dog and your computer? Do you want to mingle with the rich and famous or expose scandalous tales of how the poor and weak are exploited? Once you know the sort of life you want to lead you'll be able to look for ways to fit the work you plan to do to your lifestyle. There are ways to become a travel writer and spend months at a time on tropical islands, just as there are ways of getting to meet the sort of people who interest you and ways of turning your favourite hobby into an income.
YOU CAN BECOME AN EXPERT IN ANYTHING YOU LIKE AND THEN WRITE ABOUT IT.
Flick through any magazine or newspaper or turn the television on and surf a few channels and you will see any number of gardeners, chefs, financial advisers, interior decorators, hairdressers, golfers, criminals, spies and odd-job men, all writing or talking about their subjects. That could be you. Just pick your subject and start marketing yourself.
THE FREELANCE WRITING WORLD IS A GREAT, GLORIOUS CASINO.
You may get lucky and end up on a yacht next to J.K. Rowling, or you might just make a good living for a few years. Either way you only stand a chance of succeeding if you get out there and give it a go. Think of your writings as the chips you take into the casino with you. You keep putting them down on the table in the hope that you get a big win, and most of the time you just break even or a bit better. But these chips don't cost you any money, just a lot of hard work, time and imagination, and every day there's the chance you'll hit the jackpot. I believe the game is well worth playing.
In "The Freelance Writer's Handbook" I go into much more detail about exactly how to make it as a writer, but if I was asked to give one golden rule for anyone coming into the business to follow, it would be NEVER, NEVER, NEVER GIVE UP.
More about the author and his books at: www.andrewcrofts.com.
Copyright Andrew Crofts 2002
If you would like a page on this site please, email: beth@author-network.com
This web site is Copyright © 2000-2011, Author-Network.com.
contact: beth@author-network.com
Please send us links, details of competitions, news, etc., to post on site.
We are always looking for well-written material for the site, but we are only interested in articles, essays, and columns on writing related issues. We DO NOT pay for contributions, but are more than happy to list a short bio, credits and links. See submission guidelines.
News Publishing news and updates from booktrade.info.
Looking for somewhere to send your book for review?
Authors: Due to popular demand we have started an 'authors' page. If you are an author send us a short bio, including any appropriate links, and details of one book you have written and we will post it on site. See also The e-authors Directory.
Promotion
Reviews
Toot Your Horn
Checklist Critique
rejectioncollection.com: The writer's online source for misery, commiseration and inspiration? Postings are anonymous, laughs and catharsis are free.
Creative Novel Writing: Roselle Angwin runs a year-round programme, which ranges from retreats on the Isle of Iona to a nine-month novel writing course (based on her book CREATIVE NOVEL WRITING, [Robert Hale, 1999, 2002]) which was featured in The Guardian - and many more. Roselle is an author and poet, and Director of the Fire in the Head creative writing programme.
WhenTeensWrite: Copyrighting Services, Writing Tips, Teen Chat, Poetry, and Much More - When Teens Write, The One Stop Source For Any Aspiring Writer.
Learning Curve: Offer a range of innovative courses in Creative Writing, Fiction Writing, Freelance Journalism. Writing for Television, Radio and Chidren. They help students to rediscover their creative abilities, as well as developing their writing skills - their tutors are experienced editors, writers, publishers and producers.
Burning Leaf: is a literary website featuring original fiction, poetry, creative non-fiction, critical essays, photography and art.
The Italian-American Press: posts literature by Italian-Americans and other self-published authors whose books all too often go unnoticed or are ignored by the media. This service is free.
RITRO.com:Volunteer based e-zine with new content daily. They publish and accept submissions in poetry and articles in many departments. There are also message boards, online diaries, and voting polls. Checking submission guidelines is a must before sending in any work.
www.freelance-tips.com: Free newsletter offering tips on marketing, niche marketing, negotiating a contract, getting referrals, pricing your work, building your portfolio and more...
www.writersarena.com: is an international website for aspiring writers. Offering information, advice and showcasing.
The Handy Little Book for Writers by Lynne Hackles is packed with hints and tips for all writers of all genres at all levels. There is something in it to inspire everyone. It's all packed into a 44-page A6 booklet with a distinctive purple cover. The book was published in September by NAWG Publications. It costs a mere £2.99 (with 50p towards cost of post and packing - cheques payable to NAWG). You can order the book from The Handy Little Book for Writers, 40 Burstall Hill, Bridlington, East Yorkshire YO16 7GA.
IWanthatBook: Online Bookshop for difficult to find reference books. IWanthatBook aims to be the place for academics and students alike to order the books they want - simply, securely and cost-effectively.
Freelancers In The UK
The UK's most comprehensive list of freelance writers and copywriting information!
Resourceaid: Resource site for everything to do with the arts. Full of newsletters, articles, links and other resources - ALL FREE - in one easy to navigate site to save time and money.
Today's Woman: A community for men and women over 18, where writers, poets & columnists meet and exchange ideas, contest, rate and review and help each other succeed in the writing industry.
thefictionwritersjourney.com: articles on writing, prompts, exercises from novelist and writing coach, Emily Hanlon. Writing.Com: An online community for writers of all ages, interests and skill levels. Anyone may create a free portfolio and exchange feedback with other writers. We were amongst Writer's Digest's 101 "Best Websites For Writers, 2005" and have thousands of writers within our community.
Today's Writer: a community for men and women over 18, where writers, poets & columnists meet and exchange ideas, contest, rate and review and help each other succeed in the writing industry.
The Argotist Online: is devoted to poetry and poetics. It publishes non-mainstream poetry, and features essays and interviews sympathetic to it. Currently it has interviews with Charles Bernstein, Marjorie Perloff, Ron Silliman, Rupert Loydell; and poems by Sheila E Murphy, Annabelle Clippinger, and Hank Lazer among others.