Writer Shout Out July 3rd

Shout Out!Ironically,  I have been exploring so many great writing resources this week that I forgot to post my shout out yesterday!  I landed myself a couple of nice new jobs,  and yet old projects were still outstanding and I was in a bit of a quandry as to how to move them forward.  So what did I do?  Hit the web of course and searched for some advice from other writers.  Here is my list of some of the web's best writing sites from this week.

Writer Tony Burton has put together a great three part series on How Books Are Published over at Examiner.com.  Tony is the writing examiner for Atlanta, and his posts outline the various types of publishing options available to new and established authors, with caveats and myth busters. 

If you are looking for a diversion, or a bit of art work for your writing blog,  then InkyGirl has some great writing themed cartoons.  Go ahead and visit and download one or two that tickle your funny bone.  You would decorate your home with things that make you smile, so why not your website?

I use Elance a lot, despite what most other writers say about it having terrible paying jobs.  I've gained some really interesting and profitable clients from the freelance site, including writing audio tours of London for aniphone app and creating an e-book on how to save water for Australians.  This article in their blog contains some very useful advice to people considering a freelance career.  The article is written by Pamela Slim, who wrote the book Escape From Cubicle Nation,  and touches on many issues that people don't think about when they contemplate being self employed and working from home.

Like most writers,  I hate having to follow up with clients and editors, yet in this economy it is too easy for people to overlook an invoice or put off paying.  The Renegade Writer featured a great article recently on The Art of Following Up, whic spurred me into picking up the phone, emailing reminders, and sending out overdue invoice notices.  I also picked up some valuable tips on how to keep my queries ticking over more smoothly,  and will now be sure to schedule a timeline for follow ups after theinitial pitch to an editor.

On the same topic of keeping the money flowing,  this is an invaluable article from The Writer magazine about 7 Steps to Thriving in a Tough Economy.   If there is one thing that I would advise writers to do to keep their careers during this downturn, it's to be proactive.   If you aren't sure where to turn to increase your income, then check out as many writing sites as possible to get advice from others who have been there, done that and written the post!

Lastly, if you are in need of a bit of a break from your workload then distract yourself with the interesting posts at Meet Your Muse.  This is a little gem of a site, and a great place to visit when you have writers block or find yourself asking "Why do I do this???"  The blog is filled with contributions of writers sharing their experiences with inspiration and those moments that spark our creativity.