June 2009

  • How to Land a Book Deal

    By sparklyscotty on 6/29/09 3:19am
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    Help you Book Query Stand OutHelp you Book Query Stand OutMoving from aspiring writer to published author is one of the biggest leaps in a writer's career.  And one of the most challenging.  It is estimated that as few as 10% of writers find a publisher or agent interested in representing their work, and that only 10% of those will be successful in having their book published and distributed.  If my maths is correct, that is only 1% of all writers reaching their ultimate goal!

    That's the bad news.  Here is the good news:

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  • Nibby Award for June 26th

    By sparklyscotty on 6/26/09 12:19pm
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    Nibby AwardsNibby AwardsSometimes I have to work in total silence; other times I rely on the driving bass of dance music to keep me motivated to finish a particular piece of writing. 

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  • Writer Shout Out June 26th

    By sparklyscotty on 6/26/09 4:31am
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    Shout Out!Shout Out!I have been away on holiday for a couple of weeks, so this Writer Shout Out is stuffed with links that I meant to post earlier but was still in laid-back-pass-me-another-beer mode. 

    Trying to top up my income for what's left of the month, I have found some valuable advice at many of the sites mentioned. A few of these links fall into the category of book publishing, a topic I will be touching on in more depth next week. If you are considering dipping your toe in the vast ocean of publishing then the following sites offer some great advice for helping your book swim to success. 

    On that bad metaphor, I think I will go in search of another beer.  It is almost the weekend after all.

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  • Waging War in a Freelance World

    By sparklyscotty on 6/23/09 9:07am
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    Get your job application skills rightGet your job application skills rightI recently asked Jodee over at FreelanceWritingGigs to publish an advertisement for new writers for one of my blogs.  As is the norm,  I was impressed by the overall standard of the responses.  Most of the writers had great samples, online portfolios, links to other blogs they had written for, and a clear message in their application as to why my writing position appealed to them.  One or two, however, stood out as examples of how to shoot down your career before it has even begun.

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  • Creating Secondary Incomes

    By sparklyscotty on 6/1/09 3:38am
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    Want to make more money?Want to make more money?Making money writing is a challenge; earning a living as a full time writer is tough; bringing in a great, regular salary as a full time writer can sometimes seem a nigh on impossible feat.

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