Writing and Publishing News from

Is the first of the month significant to you? I often see the first as a time of new beginnings—an opportunity to change direction with my book promotion or step it up, start or finish a project, do some spring cleaning (physically or mentally), etc. When the first comes at the first of the week or, as it does this month, following a holiday weekend, it seems even more significant and meaningful to me. The signaling of a beginning phase, period, cycle, etc. can become a powerful incentive to accomplish or complete something.

For me, the first of the year isn’t the only significant point of motivation or even reflection. I accept and utilize them all throughout the year. How do I make them work for me?

The first of the month or the end of the month might become deadline dates. I sometimes look at Mondays as a good starting point for new client work or one of my own projects. Birthdays or other events often become jump off points, as well. Maybe I’ve been involved in planning for or celebrating a special milestone or preparing for and taking a trip, for example. Once it’s over, the party is put away or I’ve downloaded my vacation photos and unpacked, rather than continue a project, I usually start something new.

I try never to leave anything unfinished before an event or a trip. And I pace myself. I know how unhappy I can become when there just isn’t enough time to accomplish everything I want to. So when I see something coming up on my calendar that is going to distract me—take me away from my work—if possible, I will shift gears. I might set the book I’m writing or revising aside and scurry to complete some client work (which always takes priority with me, anyway). I may spend a busy week promoting one of my books rather than attempting to write amidst distractions. I might submit articles in between tasks outside of the office.

This month, the first is on a Tuesday—but it is the beginning of the work week. What a great opportunity to start something. For me, however, the next two days are filled with distractions, so a new project would get little attention. I am looking at Thursday as my starting off point this week. This is also my birthday month (and it is a big birthday), which will undoubtedly come with added distractions. I am already planning my month to include client work, my book revision work (it’s easy to start and stop) and time spent promoting Catscapades, True Cat Tales. I’ll be teaching a couple of my online courses (join in with us) and, of course, there is the ongoing monthly work—writing the Market Update for the SPAWN site, shipping books, writing my daily blog in hopes of enlightening, informing, educating and entertaining you while, of course, handling those daily inquiries and other challenges that come up in a busy office.

What about you? Is June 1 significant to you this year? Will you chart a new course for yourself or reorganize your workload? Will you start a new project or, perhaps, hire an editor or a publicist? Or is this just another Tuesday to you?

It really, really works. Have you tried it? Simply put stacks of books back on the shelf, file piles of receipts and research notes and organize the other scattered papers, sticky notes, etc. in neat stacks and just see how much better you feel. Your cluttered mind will clear. Your writers block may even be cured. And your cat will have a place to sit and look out the window—although my cats seem to prefer lying on an open book or a messy pile of paperwork—especially if that’s what I’m trying to work on at the moment. Sigh!

This morning, I did some de-cluttering of my desk. I also made room in my office storage closet for two cartons of books I hadn’t put away yet and a new shipment of bubble mailers. Now the cats even have room to romp and play in my office. Ahhhh, it’s like a breath of fresh air. But then I like order and elbow room.

What physical or environmental conditions are most conducive to your best work? Are you like me—you prefer open spaces and order? And, like me, do you sometimes find yourself buried in paperwork, research material and important notes stuck here and there? What does that do to your productivity? For me, if it’s coupled with a list of details I need to handle, I can change from an organized thinker to a rather scattered, less efficient individual.

Maybe you do your best work when you are surrounded by clutter. Why do you think this is? Or do your surroundings simply not matter to you? If you feel that your surroundings don’t matter to you, let me ask if you are also oblivious to aesthetics in buildings, stores, hotels, homes, etc. I mean, can you truly enter a lovely home, hotel lobby or beautiful poolside patio that is impeccably organized and well-decorated with exquisite lighting features and soft music in the background and not feel the ambiance? Heck, I’m affected by the much nicer atmosphere in our newly remodeled and decorated grocery store in our neighborhood. Most people react in some way to their environments—by buying more fresh vegetables because they look so good in the lighting, relaxing in certain surroundings and even getting caught up in the excitement when entering a colorfully, creatively decorated hall.

Some people actually believe that a messy desk indicates a busy worker. But, for the home-worker/writer, it isn’t about what other people think. It’s about creating and maintaining the area so that you feel like working—so that you can be creative.

Have you been a bit lax with your latest writing project? Maybe you aren’t suffering from burnout. Maybe you just haven’t created the best working environment for yourself, yet. Take a look around you. Make some changes and then report back to me at this blog as to the results.

What does writing mean to you? What do you feel like when you are writing?

Most hobby writers or writing enthusiasts happily write what they want. They write for pleasure when they have the opportunity or when they feel inspired. Writing is a relaxing process for them. They do it to de-stress—as a form of meditation. Some use writing as therapy—to work through an emotional glitch, perhaps. I remember those carefree writing days.

I carried a pen and pad with me everywhere and pulled them out at the slightest inspiration. I remember writing about the sad life of a majestic elk in Yellowstone Park after watching a family taunt it. I once pulled out my pen to capture my thoughts when I saw a silver jet cut through the blue Nevada sky one summer day. And I have fond memories of the hours I spent creating personalized poems for greeting cards to give family members on special occasions. But things have changed.

Maybe you can relate. Once you become a working writer—you write for publication—everything changes. Writing is no longer relaxing; it is even sometimes stressful because you’re usually attempting to write to someone else’s specifications. There are deadlines to contend with. There’s pressure to come up with the right story, article or slant for the right editor at the right time. And you live with the constant fear of rejection.

You no longer write for yourself. You don’t write from the heart. Now, your head is involved. You must try to follow guidelines and please others. There are editors criticizing your work, asking for rewrites and putting you on strict deadlines. You get to write a lot! Writing has become your life. But where has the joy gone?

Is this pretty much your story? Or are you still dreaming of becoming a freelance writer or published author? Do you still experience the joy in writing?

I read this morning about a young man who has a passion for math. That’s a hard one for me to wrap my brain around. How can anyone be touched by numbers? But I guess, as members of the human race, we can become excited, enthusiastic or passionate about anything—bugs, the stars, cars, building, soccer… even math. And I have to admit that I am still passionate about writing and words and the way words fit together (or not) and how you can manipulate them to communicate a point or a thought.

Even though I write as a profession, I am still in love with the process. I can look back on thirty-seven years of writing for publication and recall so many joyful moments. It is a lifetime of writing that I would not change one iota.

I still have an occasional burst of joy while I’m writing. Does this ever happen to you? I’ll be writing away, when all of a sudden, I feel such a strong and delightful sense of overwhelming glee. The words are flowing as if through (not from) me and I am so enjoying the process that I feel giddy. I catch myself smiling. I want to share this moment with someone, but I don’t want it to end. No one would understand, anyway—except maybe you.

People (even writers) are often shocked when I tell them that I post to this blog daily. They ask, “How do you come up with something to write about?” And I tell them that I have this condition—many writers do. It’s a sort of obsession. The truth is, I can’t not write. How about you?

As many of you know, I’ve been writing for publication for over 35 years—actually it has been 37 years and counting. I did a lot of writing even before deciding to establish a writing career. I wrote stories for my three daughters when they were small, kept travel journals and was an avid letter writer, list-maker and poet. My dream, however, was to write articles for magazines and, in 1973, I began writing and submitting articles to a variety of magazines. I earned my living through article-writing for a number of years and I am also now the author of 31 books (number 32 is in the works).

I’ve found writing to be an interesting lifestyle. While I attempt to teach through my writing, I also learn. And I’d like to share some of the things I’ve learned over the years.

1: The process of writing is more for me than for others. Sure I write to be read—like most writers and authors, I believe I have something of value to share. But it is the joy I derive from the process of writing that keeps me writing.

2: Writing, while my profession, is often also my escape.

3: Writers have different writing schedules for a reason. We really do have a natural rhythm that dictates when we are at our best/worst. Although, sometimes, when we’re working to establish a writing career or we’re writing a book while living a full life, we have to write when we’re not at our best.

4: Writers want to be heard/read. While some of us are natural communicators others have other reasons for writing—they want to make a difference—create change in the world.

5: Not all writers were born under the sign of the communicator, Gemini. There are other motivators that cause people to write. For years, anytime my astrological sign (Gemini) came up or I had a reading (for fun), I was told, “You should write,” or “You will become a writer,” or “You were a writer in a past life.”

6: Most writers and authors are not good promoters. We just want to write, thank you!

7: Most writers don’t take well to criticism. It’s painful when someone criticizes our writing or our ideas. Often, it seems as though some people just don’t understand you and that’s hard to take when you feel as though you’ve bared your soul through your writing. Don’t you hate it when someone nitpicks one minute point or idea in your book? Some reviewers or critics seem to miss the whole point of your story or your nonfiction book and focus on something they personally take exception with. Authors, stay far, far away from people who like to criticize just for the pure pleasure of it. But don’t ignore valid critique. If you’re not sure which is valid and which isn’t, spend a few days getting familiar with an editor’s comments, for example. You may eventually realize they do enhance your work.

8: A beautiful day can pretty much ruin an otherwise promising writing schedule. Good thing we have laptops that we can take outdoors with us on those delicious early days of summer.

9: Cats are more conducive to the writing life than are dogs or small children. Cats are generally calm. They love having someone around all the time. And if that person is sitting down, all the better because that means there is a lap that needs warming.

10: Cat fur is not conducive to writing equipment. Just this weekend I learned a nifty way to clean cat hair from the keyboard. Periodically, I turn my keyboard over and tap it on the desk ever so lightly in order to loosen and remove dust, etc. that has settled between the keys. This weekend, when I wasn’t writing, I was reading. I came across this tip—use the sticky side of a Post-It to clean between the keys. I tried this and you should have seen the cat fur that I pulled out of my keyboard.

Special Prices for Patricia Fry’s Online Courses
We’re closing in on summer and it’s a good time to sign up for one of my on-demand, online course. Also, June is my birthday month. So I’ve decided to drop my course prices for the entire month of June. Sign up now through June 30, 2010 and get 20% off. That’s a $40 discount for the following courses:

• Self-Editing Course (NEW!)
• Memoir-Writing Course (NEW!)
• Book Promotion Workshop
• Book Proposal Workshop

It’s $32 off the Self-Publishing Workshop and $25 off the Article-Writing Course.
Learn more here: http://www.matilijapress.com/courses.htm

Questions? PLFry620@yahoo.com

Conversation is the topic of an article I’m working on. It’s a how to—how to be a more effective conversationalist. And yesterday I was reminded of an aspect of conversation that I sometimes forget.

Not only was it enjoyable and rather therapeutic to get out of town (out of my comfort zone) and to meet bright, interesting ladies for lunch, but it was good for my business. I’m pretty sure they would say the same. Talking with other working writers in a social setting is inspiring and it is stimulating.

In my early days as a writer, I remember meeting with a group of equally new, but not nearly as driven writers in my home once a month. After an hour or two together, I couldn’t hardly wait for them to leave so I could implement some of the ideas I gleaned from our discussions. I would be so fired up with inspiration to write that I simply didn’t want to do anything else for days. I’m sure that if my productivity had been measured, it would have been high on the scale during the weeks following our meetings.

And that truly is the beauty of face-to-face meetings with other writers whether in a writers’ or critique group, conference or a casual gathering.

If you haven’t discovered this for yourself, yet, I suggest that you do. Find a writers’ group in your area through your local library, university or arts council or by doing an Internet search. Go to lunch, for a walk or for a picnic in the park with writers that you know and just let the conversation flow. It’s bound to turn to writing.

Here are some tips for more effective communication and more successful networking among your writer friends/acquaintances.

1: If you’ve been blocked or you’re stumped as to how to proceed with a writing assignment, for example, come prepared to talk about this with the other writers. Someone may have a solution.

Tip: Just by you sharing your situation out loud, you will sometimes discover the solution for yourself.

2: Suggest that everyone share their recent projects and/or successes. It’s important that everyone gets a turn and that each individual is celebrated for his/her efforts.

3: Be willing to help other writers. Offer your best ideas and/or volunteer to send resources or other material from your office. Follow through.

4: Don’t monopolize the conversation. Allow others to share. If someone does go on and on about his/her work, determine if this person’s experience is useful to the others. If so, listen and learn. Also ask questions. If not, ask this person if he/she can sum it up so someone else can share.

5: Avoid showing up with preconceived ideas of what will occur. This may be a waste of time and energy. Instead, be prepared to ask for what you need and be open to what others might share.

While the term networking sounds rather formal—as if it is purpose-driven—this is not always the case. Effective networking can also occur on the spur of the moment and in a casual setting.

When is the last time you networked with other writers? Are you in need of a little inspiration? Could you use some encouragement or direction? Do you have ideas you’d like to bounce off of a colleague? Do you need a break from a difficult project? Would you just like to talk to someone who understands a writers’ life. Maybe this is a good time to contact some of your writer friends and plan an afternoon outing or a nice lunch somewhere.

Go with the best intentions. Be kind to others—they have egos, too. And take time to listen and learn.

For more about writing, publishing and promoting a book, be sure to study my book The Right Way to Write Publish and Sell Your Book. See my array of books here: http://www.matilijapress.com

It’s official! At least as far as the AP Stylebook is concerned. They say that “website” is now correct—not Website or Web site, but website. I love it, since that’s how I have been getting away with writing this term for a couple of years now.

I’m often corrected. “Web” must be capitalized, I’m told. And I try to change my ways for specific projects. But now I have permission to continue using “website” without guilt. How about you? What is your word of choice? If you use the Chicago Manual of Style (which I am more inclined to follow for the most part), you’ll use Web site.

This Week’s Successes
Things are popping here in the Matilija Press offices. The publisher finally contacted me about my book promotion book manuscript. He said he is most interested in publishing it if I am willing to make some additions. I agreed and have asked for his deadline so I can schedule the work on my end.

I’ve had a couple of article requests—the paying kind—not those freebies I do for the sake of my business. I submit a lot of articles purely to help educate authors and freelance writers with the ulterior motive of getting noticed by those who could use my editorial services, my online courses or my books, for example.

I’ve also been invited to submit my resume and presentation points to a committee for a large book marketing conference. I’m hoping for a slot in their fall of 2011 slate.

Book Promotion Opportunity From SPAWN
Oh, good news! We’re going to print color copies of the online SPAWN Catalog of Members’ Books and Services to hand out at various events I’ll be attending this year. If you want your book to be noticed by hundreds of people in Los Angeles and three other locations throughout California as well as New York and possibly a few places in between, here’s your opportunity to join SPAWN and buy a catalog listing. Membership is $65/year and the catalog listing is $35/year.

Your Writing Job
Did you find the list of potential writing jobs and job directories I posted yesterday useful? I hope you are spending your weekend in search of paying jobs. Rest and relaxation is important. Spending time with family is important. But so is doing what we can do personally to boost the economy. This involves hiring, spending and earning. If we get off of our duffs and get creative in our search for work—if we change our mindsets from a hopeless poverty mentality to one of faith and abundance—things will change. I challenge you to respond to at least three job opportunities and then report back to me.

I Can Help You!
Whether you are writing while holding down one or more jobs or you are between jobs and are writing full-time, let me help you through the process. I’ve been in the business as a freelance article writer, corporate writer, author, public speaker, teacher, editor and consultant for over 30 years. I currently offer books, courses and editorial evaluations designed to assist you through the tough writing, publishing and marketing times you are facing or will face. Call on me. You won’t be sorry. http://www.matilijapress.com.
PLFry620@yahoo.com.

Do you write for a living or would you like to? Are you aware of the multitude of writing jobs out there? We freelance writers are on constant radar seeking writing work that pays us enough to stay out of the corporate world, away from the unemployment lines and off of the streets.

So where is the writing work? What sort of jobs are out there for clever, hard-working, talented writers?

1: Article-writing opportunities. There are thousands of magazines, ezines, newsletters and other publications seeking content and numerous databases listing these opportunities. Start with Writer’s Market ($30 at most bookstores). Earn anywhere from $50 to $3,000 per published article. If you stay on task—let the rejection letters roll off your back and keep on keeping on— you could earn $1,000 to $3,500 or more per month.

2: Write company or organization newsletters. Some companies already have newsletters and need help getting them out regularly. Others have considered establishing one, but just don’t have the employee power to do it. Contact companies and organizations with your good ideas. You could potentially manage half dozen company/organization newsletters and earn yourself $1,500 to $2,000 per month.

3: Rewrite company manuals or other material. There’s good money to be had in this field if you can find a niche in several companies.

4: Write promotional material for companies and even individuals who are attempting to sell their art, books, etc. If you have a knack for writing ads—if you understand advertising—you may find your niche here.

5: Write Web content. There are a whole lot of people building Websites who do not have good writing skills. I also know of professionals who need help keeping up their blogs. Use your excellent research skills and your ability to sell yourself and you may get some good jobs in this field. You can probably negotiate a flat fee for each project.

6: Hire out as an editor. Perhaps you prefer working with someone else’s projects. Consider doing editing for authors and others. The pay may be anywhere from $15 to $60 an hour, depending on your expertise and experience.

7: Try ghosting. There are many would-be authors with stories to tell, but no real interest in the process of writing. These folks often hire someone to do the writing for them. There is big money in ghosting (DO NOT WORK FOR FUTURE ROYALTIES). But the projects are often few and far between.

8: Teach what you know. Can you come up with a theme for a college course or a workshop? You might consider teaching adult education courses in some aspect of writing. Or develop your own workshop and take it to the public. Potential earnings are anywhere from a few hundred dollars per course/workshop to thousands.

I hope this list of 8 possible writing jobs helped get your mind in motion toward the numerous possibilities available to you. In the meantime, here are a few job sites for writers. Check them out and report back if you manage to get work. I like to know that folks are getting something out of my daily efforts to educate and inform.

http://www.freelancewritinggigs.com

This site offers a great directory of 17 job sites, such as Craig’s List, Odesk, Scriptlance, copywriting jobs, magazine databases and more.
http://www.freelancewriting.com/freelance-writing-jobs.php

Catscapades Update
Yesterday, I placed two excerpts from the book, Catscapades, True Cat Tales in two cat-related newsletters. Both editors seemed thrilled to get these and responded immediately to my submissions.

I delivered my professionally produced posters to Noah’s Apothecary announcing my signing May 22. The proprietor has posted them at both entrances.

I am working on a new list of testimonials and reviews to post at the Catscapades page: http://www.matilijapress.com/catscapades.html

Let me know if you need editing help or have questions about any of the courses or books I offer: PLFry620@yahoo.com.
http://www.matilijapress.com

Life continues to cycle and we are experiencing the joy of children again. It struck me recently how differently we approach children with each generation. I started my family at a very young age and was a pretty naïve mother. There’s nothing like the reality of parenthood, however, to help in the maturity process. I had gained a measure of wisdom by the time my grandchildren came along. And my approach to grandparenting was a bit more progressive in a sort of thought-provoking way. I guess I’d say that as a parent, I was more of a leader/manager. As a grandparent, I became a mentor and a playmate.

My children are middle-aged, my grandchildren are young adults and there is a brand new generation of small children in our lives. It has occurred to me that, at this stage in my life, I realize the importance of fostering the ability to process thoughts as well as to develop coping skills.

Oh what a complex subject. I guess the main gift we want to give any of our offspring, no matter how many generations this involves, is the freedom to grow and develop into the best individual that one can be.

Most of us look at our books as our children—as a reflection of ourselves. Our books might reflect our passions in life, they might share secrets, attempt to teach a concept or a skill, provide pure entertainment or be designed to guide people who have lost their way.

Your book is the result of intense work and multitudes of hours spend writing and researching. It contains your blood, sweat and tears. And it comes with tremendous responsibility. Gosh, building a book does sound a lot like raising a child.

If you doubt your attachment to your book project, just ask a really critical person to critique it and see how it makes you feel. Even the most level-headed, together author will experience some pain when their book is judged even slightly negative.

And when this happens, any reasonable author will take note of the comments, evaluate them and make appropriate use of them. You can’t be a published author and expect never to have anyone counter your ideas or your way of presenting them. Anytime you put yourself out there, as an author, a freelance writer, a performer, etc., you are opening yourself up to criticism.

How are you dealing with it in your life? Have you adopted a coat of armor? Can you weed through the constructive, useful criticism and disregard that which is mean-spirited or otherwise of no value. I had an incident occur just this week—maybe it has happened to some of you. A friend (who remains a friend) read Catscapades, True Cat Tales and reported back to me that she found a typo. Ooops! Now that’s something I want to make note of for when I go into the next printing. But guess what? She doesn’t remember where she saw it.

Folks, if you are going to offer critique to a fellow author, do so in a helpful way. None of us wants to be told that there is a mistake somewhere in our writing. That information is not useful by itself. It makes one think that the critic is attempting to play a game of one-upmanship with you.

Here’s another truth in publishing. Authors tend to hear the criticism LOUD and CLEAR even though there were some complimentary statements made alongside the critique. Do you notice yourself hearing the negative above the positive comments? Why do we do this?

This same friend told me how much she is enjoying the cat book. She said she was reading it over lunch in a restaurant one afternoon and she is sure that the people around her thought she was crazy because she found herself laughing out loud and she even shed a few tears. Now that’s a compliment. And that’s what I’m going to focus on—that is, until she remembers where that typo is.

How about you? What are you focusing on this week? The positive or the negative?

Check out my array of books for sale at http://www.matilijapress.com

Let me know if you need help with a manuscript. I offer free manuscript evaluations. Contact me here: PLFry620@yahoo.com. And be sure to check out my latest two online courses. I’m offering a memoir course for people who want to publish or who want to write their memoirs strictly for family and friends. I am also teaching a self-editing course which is designed to help you do a more thorough job of editing your manuscript so the final edit with a professional editor will save you $$$$$.

Why do writers go on vacation? What good is a day off? What does a break accomplish? I mean, as writers or authors, we’re doing what we love as often as we can. So why do we need to get away?

Maybe you will notice that I didn’t post a blog yesterday. That’s because I took a little overnight breather from my office. I did something other than write for a change. I spent an entire twenty-four hours without writing and without being involved in promotion.

Now I can’t say that I didn’t think about these things while I was gone. But when I did, it was from a new geographic location (outside of my office) and it was from a new perspective. Have you noticed that you sometimes get your best ideas for plot, character development, new articles or promotion when you are doing something other than sitting at your computer in work mode? Where are you when you get some of your better ideas—the shower, on a road trip, on a walk, in the garden, hiking a mountain trail, at the park with your dog or your kids?

So even a brief get-away can be a positive thing for your writing business, right?

It’s Sunday. What are your plans? I recommend that, if you are a full-time writer and you’ve been working hard all week, you give yourself a time out today. Go out and fly a kite, pull weeds, push your child in a swing, do some yoga or simple stretching exercises, watch an old movie, watch the birds gather around your feeders or sit and do nothing. Better yet, get out of town. Take a drive, plan a picnic at a nearby lake, visit a museum or wander around at a farmers market or other community event. Don’t think about your story or the task of book promotion. Just be. And do this for at least an hour—more is better.

When you return to your computer, either hours or even days later, you’ll find that you’re fresher. You may even be brimming with ideas and the energy and renewed excitement to implement them.

Yes, discipline is important to the success of a freelance writer or author. We must keep strict hours. But it is also good for our projects and for our well-being to give ourselves breaks. You have my permission.

Now I’m going out for a long walk and then I have some squash seedlings to plant.

When you get back to your project, you might consider ordering my book, The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book. It will guide you through every aspect of your book writing, editing, publishing and promotion.
http://www.matilijapress.com/rightway.html

Many of you have read some of my writing/publishing-related books. Now enjoy my books of a different flavor. Here are my recommendations: Catscapades, True Cat Tales (brand NEW) and Quest for Truth—a memoir. If you’re interested in a first-time experience in the Middle East, read my book about my trip to Dubai. See them all here: http://www.matilijapress.com