Writing and Publishing News

Most activities are purpose-based. There’s a reason why you make a doctor’s appointment, take a friend to lunch, apply for a job at a particular company, take a class, study, exercise, get married… You don’t travel without a reason. You go someplace to relax, to see the sights, to visit someone or for business.

And there is a reason why you write. In fact, your writing or publishing success depends on that deep down personal purpose.

Let’s examine your purpose and determine how it computes into your ultimate success.

1: You write to become somebody. Fame has long been the incentive for some would-be writers, musicians and actors. From afar, the attention, the recognition, the constant kudos seem oh so delicious. You dream of being in the limelight. And it happens. You’ve seen it happen and it could happen for you. However, the odds against it are so huge that it is practically a non issue.

But, as a published author, you can feel like somebody among your family and friends. I’m kind of a celebrity in my community because of my local history books. You could become well-known in your area of expertise. I’m known within the writing/publishing community because I do so much writing within the industry and because of my affiliation with SPAWN (Small Publishers, Artists and Writers Network) http://www.spawn.org

If extreme publishing fame is your goal, however, I’d suggest that you pursue a less competitive field.

2: You’re motivated by money. There’s money to be made as a writer—I’ve been supporting myself through writing for nearly 20 years. And some freelance writers and authors are earning six figure incomes (and more). But I doubt that any of them are in this business purely for the money. With very few exceptions, it takes a lot of promotion, persistence and patience to get anywhere in this business. And a love for writing is a major prerequisite.

I’ve actually seen people try to enter into this field without the talent or the love for writing. Sure you can make money as a writer, but it is not as easy and straightforward as most think. You don’t just sit down and write a wonderful book and become wealthy. It’s often a matter of writing what’s needed, rewriting, meeting deadlines, withstanding rejection and promotion, promotion, promotion.

3: You have something to say. I think that most writers have this in common. And most of us start out by sharing our thoughts and expressing ourselves. While there certainly are some writers who continue to make a good living through opinion columns, for example, this is not a very realistic goal for most. You will succeed in this business only if you are willing to branch out and expand your writing repertoire.

4: You want to change hearts and minds. More people than ever before are writing about their experiences. They want to share, to be validated, to help ease their own personal pain through writing. They want to touch people—to help them—to make them laugh or cry. And most of these people are one-time authors. They write that one book and they are done. Some writers, however, continue writing on their original theme of losing a child, being cured of a disease, overcoming an addiction and so forth. They build a website, launch a newsletter and write articles for magazines, thus building a career as a writer.

5: You want to see your words in print. While this is part of the thrill of writing for most writers, it isn’t a strong enough motivation to stand alone.

6: You write as a teaching tool. Countless people become writers in order to teach their craft or their business. By writing books and/or articles, you can position yourself as an expert in your field. This is certainly a valid reason to become a writer. I know educators, therapists, psychologists, artists and others who have produced books to use in their workshops and classrooms. Some of them continue teaching through magazine articles.

7: You are attracted to what you perceive as the writer’s lifestyle. I’ve been writing for publication for over 30 years and I don’t think I have a lifestyle much different than I would had I gone to work for a large corporation all those many years ago. Actually, I might be retired now and traveling on a large pension. Any lifestyle is whatever you make it. No matter what work you do, you should also be doing the things you love. For me, writing is my love—my passion. I’ve been fortunate enough to find a way to earn a living through my writing. My lifestyle consists of time writing, of course. But much of my time consists of self-promotion, facing rejection, rewriting, pounding the pavement (so to speak) for assignments and freelance work and so forth.

8: You can’t not write. Those who seem to find their place in the world of writing are those with a passion for the process. Their passion motivates them in establishing a writing lifestyle; that is, if they can direct that passion realistically.

The thing is, if you love writing and you really want to see your work in print, go for it. But enter into this extremely competitive field with a sense of reality. Publishing success is relative. Attaining the highest level of success is a real crap shoot. There are no guarantees. But I would venture to say that those of you who put in the time and work studying, learning and promoting yourself AND who are willing to be flexible and adaptable, have the greatest chance of grabbing that brass ring.

While I urge you to look toward all possibilities—even fame and fortune, I also want you to be realistic. Write for the right reasons, reach for the top and be prepared for anything.

If you are ready to write a book, find a publisher for your manuscript, write a book proposal, promote your finished book or you just want to know more about the publishing industry, order my book today: The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book. http://www.matilijapress.com/rightway.html

I’m teaching my online article-writing course this month and I’m enjoying it immensely. I love helping good writers channel their energies and talent in a way that computes into cash. I like watching writers finally see their work in print—to hold a magazine with their article and their byline right there on the printed page.

A variety of students have gathered to take my course this time. Some of them want to promote their book(s) through targeted articles. Others want to bring in some money writing for magazines. A few of them hope to jumpstart a writing career—to ease into full-time or even part-time work as a writer.

Many of you know that I supported myself for quite a few years by writing magazine articles. There were times when I was sending out 100 query letters each month on 20 different subjects and writing as many as 5 articles per week.

People would ask me, “How do you find the time to do all of that writing?” What most non-writers don’t understand is that writing is my full-time job just like accounting or real estate sales or running a retail business is theirs. It’s what I do.

What my students will be learning over the next few weeks is that freelance article-writing is not always fun. Writing is just part of the equation. You must constantly come up with viable article ideas. You have to pitch those ideas to editors who are not always open or even cordial. There’s a lot of rejection. There’s also a lot of bookwork involved and, sometimes, you have to become a hard-nosed bill collector.

Many writers fail because they find some of these tasks so distasteful. For some, coming up with ideas and pitching them is pure torture. Some balk at the necessary bookkeeping. Still others hate the research.

I tell writers that if they truly dislike some aspects of their work and feel that they are really no good at it, hire someone to handle those tasks. Throughout my career, I’ve hired help. I hire printers, of course and book and cover designers, but I’ve also hired a secretary to print out and send query letters for me. And recently, I’ve hired a researcher to help me discover new promotional opportunities for some of my books. I also used to hire my grandchildren, when they were younger, to help with bulk mailings, large shipments and such.

These days, most article-writers are supplementing their income by taking on corporate work or editorial jobs. Actually, those writers who have landed jobs with organizations, companies and/or agencies typically have less stress and make more money. You have to be assertive enough to sell yourself and land the job, but then you simply do what is commissioned. Typically, there’s no pitching, waiting, rejection, etc. The corporate representative simply contacts you with assignments.

As a corporate freelance writer, you might be asked to write newsletters, rewrite business manuals, compose letters, edit business plans or contracts, design brochures, write or rewrite copy for their Web site or even compile the company history. I’ve done all of the above. I also now work with individual authors and freelance writers on their projects. That, I am really enjoying!

What’s it like being a freelance writer? After 33 years, I can say that it has been and continues to be a great ride. This lifestyle has suited me nicely. I like being at home. I am disciplined enough to actually work at home and, most of the time, I’m pretty good about balancing my work with a little play, as well.

Every year and sometimes twice throughout the year, I examine my business. I look at my bottom line and compare it to my accomplishments and my level of satisfaction. Periodically, I will change something. I’ll decide to do more teaching, conduct more workshops, solicit more editorial work or promote my books more widely. Recently, I have decided to get back to writing. I realized that, other than my blog, the work I do for SPAWN and the promotional articles I write for writing/publishing-related magazines, I haven’t been doing much writing. And so for the next few months, I’ll be working on my Catscapades book. That is Catscapades, Tales of Ordinary and Extraordinary Cats. I’m thinking about putting it in ebook form and offering it from my Web site. My projected completion date is July. So watch for my big announcement.

In the meantime, if you have any cat stories you’d like to contribute, let me know.

Finally, it’s not too late to sign up for my article-writing course. Lesson two comes out tomorrow (April 17, 2007). If you are interested in any of my other online courses, How to Write a Successful Book Proposal or Self-Publishing Workshop, let me know. I am now offering these courses on demand. If someone is interested, I will set a date to start and begin promoting the course to get additional students in order to make it worth my time.

http://www.matilijapress.com/courses.htm