writer

A Real Writer

Julie_Baumler — Sat, 06 Oct 2007 23:04:52 -0700

Being a real writer means being able to do the work on a bad day.

— Norman Mailer

A Writer's Life

imnotaduck — Mon, 17 Sep 2007 18:32:32 -0700

A writer never has a vacation. For a writer, life consists of writing or thinking of what to write.

— - Unknown.. but OH so true!!

It’s the Writing that Makes a Writer

mskatmoon — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 11:18:13 -0700

I was on New York’s Craiglist for writing gigs and I came across a couple of postings that got me thinking (and I suppose boiling at one point). Anyone who has visited Craigslist for writing jobs (and anything else I suppose) is bound to know that there are many opposing forces there. I mean there are a lot of people in there that have differing opinions. That’s a great thing indeed.

I’m not sure how long the postings will stay there so I will paraphrase them. One posting complained about someone posting a job where they wanted free scripts, how writers have to pay to become writers sometimes and so on. Another posting refuting this first one stated that to be a writer you don’t pay to become a writer, you just are if you are a good writer.
It said if you have to train or learn to become a writer that you aren’t a writer.

How to promote your book

Lia300 — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 03:03:10 -0700

How to promote your book

When authors end up with a new book in their hands they often have no idea how to start marketing it. Most publishing companies do not bother promoting the book or they do very little about it, so the writers have to find ways to market their work themselves. But how easy it that?

If you are a writer who has got a book to promote, then read on.

There are many ways to market your book:
* The most obvious one is to visit your local bookstores and ask them to display your book.
* You can distribute flyers and bookmarks to advertise your book in your community.
* Write a press release and send it to your local paper.
* Sell your book to friends who can pass the word to their friends.
* If you don’t want to get involved in any of the above, hire a publicist. This option will cost you a lot though.

But is there a way to avoid all the above?
Can you make your book known with less effort and money?

Adsense, Readers Click the adverts and make me rich

jumperk — Fri, 15 Jun 2007 01:01:30 -0700

If you are a starving writer like me trying to get consistent writing gigs I know your pain. You send out your articles and the editors of magazines don’t even reply. Then came, Adsense the Google franchise where you post your article or story flanked by some Google adverts. Those advertisements are supposed to mint you money as your article is read. And possibly turn you into an internet millionaire. But there is a twist to it, just follow me. It’s not as direct as it sounds.
The whole idea of making money through writing via Adsense sounds promising. It’s supposed to be, as the readers enjoy your creative edge, they also get attracted by the advertisements posted by your story and click them. That is how one makes money.

Exclusive content for online sites - Yes or No?

bedarkened — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 10:07:31 -0700

I have been looking around for sites on which I can generate some extra cash for writing, with varying degrees of success.

Here's my question: What do you folks think of sites that require exclusive content from their contributors?

In some cases, I'm OK with it. McSweeney's, for example, is a site that I plan to submit to eventually, and I don't mind that they require content exclusivity. They have the reputation to back it up, and although they don't offer compensation, the exposure would be great. That and the fact that Dave Eggers is behind McSweeney's, and he is on my top five living writers list.

In other cases, I'm not so sure. Triond, for example, rejected a piece that I wrote because it appeared on my blog (I didn't read the rules very closely, apparently). With so many fly-by-night companies, and companies that really don't have the pull to be able to get anything back to the writer for their effort, I am pretty skeptical.