From the daily archives: Monday, January 25, 2010
Years of writing different types of articles taught me that the easiest to write are newspaper articles. Why? It’s because they follow the same old format, they offer nothing but straight facts, and the writing rules are well-defined that there is no way that you’ll go wrong when writing one.
Here are the key steps in writing newspaper articles:
1. Choose your stories. Be very careful when choosing your stories as the success of your articles will depend on it. As much as possible, write something that is happening right now and those that are extremely interesting to your audience. Finding such stories can be overwhelming and at times, time-consuming but you can be assured that it will all worth it.
2. Learn the ropes of writing killer headlines. You want to grab the attention of your audience the moment they set their eyes on the page where your articles are published. This will happen if you use eye-catching headlines that are very descriptive and those that are “emotionally-charged”.
3. Gather and verify your information. Get complete information about the story that you’re writing about and make sure that you verify each data that you obtain. It’s very important that you only put facts on your articles as you surely don’t want to mislead your readers and ruin your reputation in the process.
4. Use the inverted pyramid technique. This simply means communicate the juiciest details you have as soon as possible. Don’t make your readers wait otherwise, they’ll quickly lose their interest. Answer all their possible questions and give them a summary of your story on your first paragraph.
Author: Sean R Mize
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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When I first began submitting my short stories for publication, I had no idea that cover letters existed until I’d chosen to submit my story to a publisher whose submission guidelines required that a cover letter accompany every manuscript. Once aware of cover letters, however, I found myself confused. So I conducted a bit of research in an attempt to discover what type of information should be included in such a letter. If you are just embarking on the writers journey and seeking to submit your first short story manuscript, hopefully this article will assist you as some guides on cover letters have helped me in the past.
Despite any advice I offer, however, please be sure to read a publication’s current submission guidelines and only send what the editor(s) request. Disobeying submission guidelines can sometimes lead to an automatic rejection of your short story. Some editors do not require you to send cover letters with your short story manuscripts, but when a cover letter is required try to think of your letter as a courteous, professional introduction to you.
Before we go any further, though, I would like to stress once more that this article was written with mostly a certain type of short story writer in mind–the one who, like myself, is predominately interested in submitting short stories to small press publications that publish genre fiction. Particularly publications like those listed at Ralan.Com whose editors rarely request query letters and are willing to publish unsolicited short story manuscripts. If you are not this sort of writer but still interested in this article, then please grab your magnifying glass and come along with me to take a closer look at cover letters for short stories.
In regards to short story submissions, cover letters are usually brief letters containing one to three short paragraphs, and is most often paper-clipped in front of your manuscripts first page when you snail mail your submission. If you are submitting your manuscript through email, then your cover letter comes before your story as the main body of your email, and still serves as your introduction. Whether you are submitting through postal mail or email, your cover letter should be single-spaced, written in standard block or semi-block format, and double-spaced between paragraphs. If you are mailing your manuscript, then you should consider typing your cover letter on plain white 8 by 11 paper, using a font such as 12 point Times New Roman in black. A hardcopy of a cover letter should only be one page in length with your typeface taking up about half of the page.
As stated, the number of paragraphs in a cover letter can vary. But, regardless of how many paragraphs there are, some information that is usually listed in cover letters includes your storys title and your storys word count. If you are submitting your manuscript through mail, as opposed to email, you might also want to state that a self-addressed, stamped envelope (SASE) is enclosed, and that there is no need to return the manuscript.
Here are a few other tips you might want to keep in mind when preparing your letter:
1. Remember to keep your letter short. Avoid including any irrelevant personal information that does not pertain to your story submission. There is no need to include your life history or anything else that does not relate to your story. Avoid giving a detailed description of your short story, as well.
2. Make sure to address your cover letter to a specific person whenever possible. Editors’ names are usually listed with a publication’s submission guidelines. When this is not the case, try to research market listings or find the masthead of the publication to locate the editor’s name. If unsure of an editor’s gender, then consider using the editor’s full name; for example, “Dear Pat Lewis,” or “Dear Editor Lewis.” In case of initials, “Dear J. T. Marshall,” or “Dear Editor Marshall,” should be appropriate. Avoid addressing an editor by his or her first name unless the editor has used your first name, or signed his or her first name in subsequent correspondence.
3. Remain positive. Never write about how your story has been rejected in the past, if that is the case. There is no need to mention that you are unpublished, either, unless the editor requests such information. Most editors are not concerned about whether or not you have been previously published. When they are interested in knowing of your publishing status, it will likely benefit writers. For example, mentioning that you have not been professionally published in your cover letter to the editor at Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine would be appropriate because the editor is especially interested in seeking short stories from such writers. EQMM, as the publication is also called, even has a “Department of First Stories” set up to receive submissions from writers who have not been published professionally. Otherwise, don’t worry about mentioning you are unpublished.
4. Be professional in crafting your letter. Resist making witty comments or statements that hype your story. It’s highly unlikely that an editor won’t appreciate your attempts, and might form a less than favorable view of your submission package. Avoid making self-deprecating remarks about yourself and your writing. It is understandable that you might be nervous about submitting and are grappling with self-doubt about your writing skills, but there is no need to express those feelings in your letter. And lastly, remember to double-check your spelling and grammar–it matters just as much as it does with your short story manuscript. A cover letter containing misspellings and poor grammar will probably lead an editor to expect the same lack of professionalism in your manuscript.
Below are two samples. Sample A represents a cover letter that would accompany a snail mail submission. Sample B represents one that would accompany an email submission.
Sample A:
Your Name
Your Address
Your Telephone Number
Your Email Address
Date
Editors Name
Publication’s Title
Publication’s Address
Dear [Editors Name]:
Please consider my 2,500-word, previously unpublished manuscript, Your Storys Title, for publication at Any Title Magazine. A self-addressed, stamped envelope is enclosed for your reply. There is no need to return the manuscript should my story not interest you.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Your Name
Sample B:
Your Name
Your Address
Your Telephone Number
Your Email Address
Date
Editors Name
Publication’s Title
Publication’s Address
Dear [Editors Name]:
Please consider my 2,500-word, previously unpublished manuscript, Your Storys Title, for publication at Any Title Magazine. I have sent my story as an .rtf attachment, as the submission guidelines suggested.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Your Name
Best wishes on making a good impression with your cover letter, and on achieving your goal of becoming a published author.
Author: C. M. Clifton
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: PCB Prototype & Manufacturing
Whats the most important skill for a technical writer? The ability to write, of course! That may be so, but successfully finishing a documentation project requires more than just words. The following five skills are crucial to success:
Tool Knowledge
The days when a writer could get by with a pen and paper are long gone. Technical writers need to be able to use powerful software to create and edit documents quickly, as well as to adapt them to different platforms and different audiences. More recently, content management systems that can store, retrieve and re-combine chunks of writing are becoming key tools for large companies. Make sure that any technical writers you hire know how to use the tools that they will need to finish your project.
Interviewing
Most writers arent particularly social in their work. Technical writers, on the other hand, literally cant write alone. Technical writers rely on Subject Mater Experts (a.k.a. SMEs) to provide the technical information that they will then turn into text. Technical writers need to be able to not only talk to engineers and specialists, but to be able to draw information from them. A good technical writer is part private detective and part bartender, asking the right questions in order to gather the information necessary to write the documentation.
Fast Learning
To be a good technical writer, you dont have to have a degree in computer science hidden in your closet. The best technical writers often have no formal technical training at all. What they do have is the ability to pick up new information quickly. Nobody can write about what they dont understand, so writers need the ability to immerse themselves in new information and pick out the important points. A writer who has proven their ability to learn quickly will save money and help keep projects on-track.
The Big Picture
The necessity for technical writers to interview and ask questions gives them a unique opportunity to see things on from a different point of view than the rest of the development team. Good technical writers need to combine marketing, development and management skills. Look for writers with a keen understanding of the users that they are writing for, a strong grasp on the technical details of the products they are describing, as well as an appreciation of the business impacts of their work.
Organization
Writing good technical documentation is one thing, making it useful is another. Good technical writers need to be able to create and maintain their work in logical organized ways. Technical writers arent just cooperating with the people they work with at the moment, they need to be able to structure their work so that those who come after them can easily use and modify it as well. Not only do documents need to be filed in logical and systematic ways, but the writing itself needs to have a structure that allows text to be edited, searched and reused easily.
Its easy to see the words that make up a finished documentation project. Whats not so easy to see is the work and the skills that made that writing possible. By paying close attention to the five skills outlined here, you can make sure that the technical writer you choose can make your documentation project a success.
Author: Nigel Fogden
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Programmable Multi-cooker
Creative writing might be your passion, but it’s not always easy to make a career out of it. You have to be able to find paying markets for the stories, poems, and novels you write; and you have to be as talented at marketing as you are at writing to succeed. In addition, it can take you years of unpaid labor before you start to see profits from your writing-if you ever do. If you want to be a creative writer, you’ll need a day job to pay the bills.
It’s not easy to pursue your dreams while working full-time. The trick is to choose a day job that feeds your writing habit, rather than leaving you drained of energy and uninspired. The right day job for you is a very personal choice-it may not be the same as the right job for someone else. Even so, here are six jobs that are generally considered to be good for creative writers.
Professional copywriter. Copywriters write the ads that appear in print, television, radio, and online. Copywriters can work in-house for ad agencies or marketing departments, or they can work on their own as freelancers. If you feel you need to use your writing skills in your day job, copywriting can be a great career for you-and as a freelancer, you’ll have a lot of control over your own schedule. Some creative writers don’t enjoy writing sales-oriented materials, however-and some feel burned out on writing when they have to write during their day jobs.
Creative writing professor. Creative writing professors sharpen the skills of young writers. This job can be great for a writer who loves to talk about, critique, and lead writing groups. It’s also a job in a field that values literary merit over profit, which is an attitude that fits better with some writers than a more profit-oriented copywriting environment. However, these jobs can be difficult to get-and you’ll need to earn an MFA to qualify.
Ghostwriter. Ghostwriters write books and articles for clients. Ghostwriters get up-front fees and sometimes royalties for their project, but the clients get the credit. Ghostwriting can be lucrative, and if you freelance you’ll get control over your own schedule. However, it can be frustrating for some writers to allow clients to get credit for their work.
Editor. Editors edit books, magazine and newspaper articles, and other documents in preparation for print or online publication. Editors work directly with writers to make their writing more effective, and they may collaborate on design and layout as well. Magazine and newspaper editors often choose which stories to commission and see their ideas written by others. Editors may work freelance or for a publishing company, newspaper, or magazine.
Journalist. Journalists write for print publications. They have to interview sources, dig up leads, and write articles. Journalism is a demanding job with long hours, and it may be difficult for some writers to work on their own pursuits outside of work. It can be an ideal job, however, for writers who thrive on excitement and are talented interviewers. People with a passion for social justice often find themselves going into journalism.
Librarian. Librarians get to be around books all day. They recommend books for their patrons, help patrons with research, and often decide which books the library orders. If you love books you may love being a librarian. However, it isn’t a very lucrative field; you may need to get a Master’s in Library Science for a better-paying career.
It’s not easy to make a living as a writer. But choosing the right day job can help you make a living and make time for your own writing as well. Talk to people in the career you’re considering and do some research on your own, and you should be able to choose a career that will support your creative writing.
Author: Jennifer Williamson
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Electric Pressure Cooker
The best place to start anything new is right at the beginning, and fiction writing is no exception. You might already have a strong idea of the novel or story you want to write, but I urge you to put that aside for now. Taking some time to consider the fundamentals of fiction writing could well pay off in the long run if it stops you from heading in the wrong direction.
Do You Have What It Takes?
Writing novels or short stories isn’t some highbrow art reserved for the intellectual elite. Any reasonably intelligent and creative person can turn their hand to it – and yes, that means you! What do I mean by reasonably intelligent and creative? I mean you need a way with words, a love of reading, and a willingness to work at it.
First, a way with words. I’m not talking genius here – you don’t need to be able to write like a poet and know every long word in the dictionary. As a matter of fact, there is a lot to be said for writing fiction with a simple style. But you do need a kind of “musical fluency” with language, or a way of being able to tinker with a sentence until it flows effortlessly. Put simply, you need a good ear.
Second, a love of reading. It doesn’t matter what kind of novels (or stories) you read – if you prefer Stephen King to Dostoevsky, good for you – but you need to love reading novels of some description. Why? Because reading fiction teaches you so much. It teaches you about the craft of how it is constructed. And, on a subconscious level, it teaches you the art.
Finally, a willingness to work at it. Fiction writing, particularly novel writing, demands hard work – and plenty of it. Yes, the work is also fun and stimulating and amazingly rewarding, but there is no escaping the “hard” part. Put simply, if you prefer the gentle life then writing fiction is probably not for you.
Why Write Fiction At All?
Given that novel writing or short story writing takes a lot of hard work, and with no guarantee of publication whatsoever, it begs the question, why bother? Why write a novel at all when the odds of success, according to the statistics, are slim?
The possibility of getting rich and becoming famous from writing fiction really shouldn’t be your prime motivators. Not that it can’t or won’t happen (just look at J. K. Rowling and her Harry Potter novels), but if it’s money (or fame) you want there have got to be easier ways of finding it. Writing a novel really shouldn’t be a business plan.
Besides, riches and fame are things you will receive only after your fiction is published. Before that, you face months, and probably years, of hard work – meaning there has to be something else to keep you motivated along the way. Like what? Here are the two things that motivate me:
First, there is the challenge of writing publishable fiction. No, it isn’t easy to succeed, but the difficulty is precisely the thing that makes it worth the effort. With something simple, like boiling an egg, there is no payback – you just get an egg. But with something tough, like writing a novel or a book of stories, you don’t just get a completed novel but also an incredible sense of achievement and feeling of self-pride.
Second, the chance to play God in your own personal universe. Let’s face it, we are all more or less insignificant in this world, however much we try to kid ourselves otherwise. But if you create something – a painting, a piece of music, a beautiful garden, a work of fiction – you get to rebuild the world according to your own designs and specifications. And who wouldn’t want to do that?
Author: Harvey Chapman
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: How Electric Pressure Cookers Work
The importance of plotting, scene construction, and narration when writing your fantasy novel.
You may have read interviews from many authors who state that they place less effort on the plot outline than the actual writing of their novels. You will also find that many of these same authors regret that they did not learn the art of plotting early in their writing experiences, and do admit to finding dead scenes and stray ends at the completion of their novels. Fantasy writers simply cannot afford to skip the plotting process. Certainly you may revise your plot during the process; in fact you should as you find new directions and interesting inclusions.
Writing fantasy draws very heavily on the imagination, as with the nature of the beast goes; imagination has a habit of straying and taking directions that were never intended. One thing leads to another, then eventually your fantasy novel, direction and intention becomes so unclear surrealism becomes complete abstract; readers will eventually lose patience and interest.
You fantasy novel will very likely include a quest, or an adventure. Be sure to provide motivation for this quest. Why would your hero set out on such a perilous journey? The motivation must be strong, after all this will be the driving force to continue. You need your readers to believe you, and you need your readers to wish your hero forward. Dont just consider your heros motivation, your antagonist, if you have one also needs motivating.
A fantasy writer would benefit greatly by learning to storyboard the novels plot. This is a technique used widely in film and commercial creation where individual scenes are represented by an image (you may choose to use sentences), giving the writer and over all quick reference to the novels events, keeping your plot well organized.
Avoid pointless scenes. Nothing should happen at random. Every scene in your fantasy novel must have some value. Dialogue should enhance characterization, or scenes may offer details about the setting or quest in the very least. Preferably your scenes should advance your novel. Writing on the spot is a little the same as watching someone standing still. Use your scenes wisely, youre preparing for the eventual climax. This does not imply that your fantasy novel should be action packed, what it does mean is that your scenes must have intention.
Although a fantasy reader loves a good surprise, I recommend that you prepare your reader. A mild mannered hero suddenly erupting violently may not be so believable unless your reader has been presented with some hint to the possibility that they may be capable of this. Certainly you will be forgiven if you were to offer some explanation latter, but it is not recommended that some out of character occurrence take place that does not get addressed.
To avoid a reoccurring mistake many average fantasy novels make, it is important for you the writer to find a narrative voice and stick to it. If your novel is written in the first person, consider the language that your character speaks his/her culture and write strictly from their eyes. First person narrative is restrictive as the character that is telling the story may not presume to know another characters past, or any information at all not directly his knowledge.
If your narrative character is not completely human or human at all, it is important to keep your tone steady, and reflect the nature of your character narration with careful use of language, step out of yourself and watch the events of your novel unfold through your characters eyes. Certainly this will give you are unique and fresh perspective. Your non-human narrator does not have to be a character in your novel; he may also be the third person voice, the writers voice. This is an exceptional way to discuss human attributes that may be presented by your human characters.
I might suggest that you dress in character to write, but be sure that someone will come knocking on your door the moment you try on your dragon wings or wizards cape when you do, perhaps you could settle for a hat instead. Above all it is simply extremely important that you stay in character.
Certainly choosing to narrate your fantasy novel either from the first person narration of one of your characters, or from the third person with a characterization or even simply as an impassive story teller is very much a person choice that only you can make, but do this as soon as you start writing and dont change.
When the characters in your fantasy novel speak, be sure to include dialogue from their language only. To be certain that you have done this, examine the speech and ask yourself if you could guess who said this if there was no reference to the speaker. This is the only time your narration may step out of character.
Writing a fantasy novel may be a lot of work, but it truly is absolutely enjoyable. Writing any novel is a little like being a new mum, its all hard work at the time and its not until the work is done that we realize that the time just went too fast. Take your time and appreciate every moment, its an experience you will want to remember.
Author: Barry Sheppard
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Programmable pressure cooker
Magazine production is a business that runs by the clock, and those who produce magazines live a work life that is totally based on a constant series of ever-evolving and constantly moving deadlines. But unlike newspapers that concentrate on the day-to-day news as it happens and then move on to the next news cycle within a few hours magazines take more time to produce, so their deadlines are also more elongated.
First of all, the editorial staff will come up with a yearly outline of issues, including the cover story topics, the columns and articles that will go inside each issue, and suggestions for art work, photos, and graphics. Then the advertising and market team will set about the business of drumming up ads. They will usually take a copy of the magazine and show it to potential advertising such as merchants, retailers, or others and then based upon how many ads they sell, the managing editors will determine how many pages long the magazine can afford to be.
Next, the various articles will be assigned to writers, and they will also be given a deadline for turning in the finished articles. And they will be told how many words long the articles should be, so that everything can fit into the allotted number of pages, including photos and ads. Photographers will be sent to take picture for the magazine, graphic artists will stay the layout of the whole issue, and eventually it will wind up packaged and ready to go the printing press.
The schedule for producing many magazines means that the articles will be written three months or more ahead of the time they will get printed, so the writers have to keep that in mind. If you are writing about a winter sport, for instance, you will need to keep that in mind, even if you are writing it in the middle of July. Similarly, photographers will need to take pictures that will not look out of the ordinary when the magazine finally hits the newsstands and readers open it. This can also mean that the topics covered have to be researched a year in advance, so that they are appropriate to a particular season of the year. But if they contain time-sensitive information, that might have to be inserted at the end, right before the article goes to print. For example, a food review of a restaurant opening next year might be written this year, but the phone number of the place wont be known until next year, right before the magazine goes into production. So these kinds of challenges are all part of the strategy and planning that go into the production of the magazines that we see every day.
Author: Jeff Lakie
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Smart cooker
WE ALL have what it takes to be brilliant essay writers.
Lawrence Clark Powell, the late American librarian, writer and critic once quoted, “The good writer, the great writer has what I have called the three S’s: the power to see, to sense and to say.”
All of us have the power to see, to sense and to say just like those good and great writers!
Here are seven principles that will help newbie and experienced essay writers to come up with better-quality essays:
1. Never again shall I copy someone else’s essay writing style. If I want to stand out from the rest of essay writers, I would just be “my very own writing style.” I won’t copy the styles of others-I might be better off than them! Neither do I want to be labeled as a plagiarist, one who incorporates the written or creative work of other people to that of my own without the necessary credit.
2. I shall write immediately. If there’s an essay writing task assigned to me by my professor, I would do it ahead of time. I will not waste my precious time: I would rather beat the deadline than have the deadline beat me in the nick of time.
3. I will always analyze and focus on my essays enthusiastically. Just like the other essay writers, I will make sure that the essay I am going to write is either in line with my passion or very interesting. I will devote a lot of time to have a full grasp of what I’m going to write, what will be its title, how will I start and end it, and so on.
4. I shall have a draft. I will jot down all the essential details that I want to include in my essays first before having an outline of the other sections. I must have a guide to utilize as a prime point for additional tasks.
5. I will start with a big bang! And that is by writing a very strong introduction, so as to give the readers and my fellow essay writers a clue on what my essay is all about and what they can learn from it.
6. I shall organize my thoughts to make my essays simple. I will not beat around the bush. I’ll be straightforward with my ideas instead. I will also choose the simple and familiar words over the complex ones to prevent my readers from missing out any part of my essay.
7. It may sound clich, but I will shun from using clichs in my essays. I will avoid using tired-old words and phrases. I will be skillful and resourceful when it comes to my choice of words.
Some people can write an essay even if their eyes are closed; but there are those who find writing essays a very grueling task.
If you’re like the latter, don’t worry. Because a number of essay writers say that even the best ones need to erase or revise their pieces of writing every now and then.
We cannot all become exceptional essay writers in just a wink of an eye: It really takes time to powerfully convey into writing what we feel and believe in.
So as long as you have the eagerness to learn and do new things, you will succeed in your goals.
Author: Veronica Kriel
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Pressure cooker
Can Quick Grammar Guide & Checker solve our grammar writing problems once and for all? English writing is one of the most important forms of communication today, it is necessary to maintain it correct and professional. Let’s take a look and see how recent technological improvements can help us on improving our writing skills.
Quick introduction
What is Quick Grammar Guide & Checker all about? Well, it is one of these innovative solutions that technology keeps bringing in order to make our life easier – in our case it is about fixing our English writing. By simulating the human mind, this technology analyzes your writing by comparing it to a dynamic large database that contains proper variations of your text. Sophisticated language processing solutions usually offer the following: editing and proofreading, checking on spelling and typos, and most importantly – analyzing our grammar writing.
Important benefits
We can easily find several important advantages while using this technology:
* Significantly enhancing the capabilities of our existing text editors.
* Improving our self confidence with our writing.
* Improving the image we want to project through our writing.
Extra research on this solution would probably bring up additional benefits that aren’t mentioned here, as this important webmarketing technique keeps changing, bringing us fresh solutions that help us on improving our English writing and editing skills.
Quick summary
If we summarize the main benefit provided by this powerful Quick Grammar Guide & Checker – it is helping us on identifying possible writing errors before we deliver or publish our writing assignments. Everyone agrees that it cannot completely eliminate our writing problems; however, it can significantly help us on improving our writing skills. Undoubtedly we can expect this exciting technology to further develop itself, for one simple reason: writing is one of the most important tools that help us achieving many of our goals.
Author: Gil Lavitov
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: WordPress plugin Guest Blogger
A ghostwriter writes for other people. "Ghosting" is fun and lucrative. The only drawback is that you don’t get your name on your work, except in very rare instances, when an "as told to" credit is given. A ghostwriter writes articles, books, speeches, and resumes. Ghostwriters who write books earn around $10,000 to $50,000 per book.
It’s easy to find ghostwriting work, and once you get several clients, people tend to pass your name around, so that you don’t have to go looking for work.
Ghostwriting articles, speeches and books is a form of copywriting, and you’ll get most of your work from business people. The easiest way to get started is to let business people know that you’re available. Keep an eye on your local newspaper. Whenever you see a business person being interviewed, send them letter or make a phone call to let him or her know that you are available to ghostwrite articles, speeches and other material for them.
In your letter, include sentences like: "If you have no need of my services at the moment, please feel free to pass my name on to others. If you’d like to chat, I’m available on_________" Your aim is to make yourself sound friendly, approachable, and business-like. You don’t have to write a long letter. Just a short note is fine, if you have a website include your URL, and if you don’t have a site, say that you would be happy to send some writing samples.
You can also get ghostwriting work from outsourcing companies like elance.com. However, if you visit outsourcing sites, be careful not to under-price your work. This is because the prices you charge say a lot about you, and if you get into a rut working for low-paying clients, you won’t have the time or energy to look far higher paying clients. This leads to burn out.
The easiest way to get ghostwriting gigs is to have your own Web site, and offer ghostwriting services there. Although you’ll need to promote your site so that people can find it, your Web site is your 24 x 7 salesperson for your ghostwriting services business.
Ghostwriting Tips
Ghostwriting has pitfalls for the inexperienced. Here are some tips:
* Always have an agreement. Never write ANYTHING without an agreement. While few people are dishonest, many people have unreliable memories. If you are new to ghostwriting books, get a lawyer to draft your first agreement. Any project with a fee over $10,000 requires a professionally drawn contract;
* Insist on access to the person you’re writing for. If your client is a celebrity or business person, getting access to get the information you need can be difficult. Include sentences in your agreement to cover access, such as: "I need information to write for you. This means that I will need at least X hours of your time to complete this project. You understand that failure to grant this access means termination of this agreement. Any retainer and fees already paid are non-refundable";
* Don’t make promises that you can’t keep. The publishing industry is a mystery to outsiders. Don’t promise that someone’s memoir will definitely be published by a major publisher. Unless you’ve been hired to ghostwrite the memoirs BY the publisher, you have no control over publication. You can of course offer to send pitch letters to publishers (make sure you get paid for this) but don’t promise publication;
* Don’t get shoved into unworkable time lines. To outsiders, writing seems much, much easier than it is. Bland statements like "This will be easy for you, I’d write it myself but I don’t have the time," should start ringing alarm bells. Stand firm on a deadline that YOU know you can meet, or walk away;
* In the same vein, remember that you’re a professional – you know writing, the client doesn’t. If your client is famous, don’t be intimidated. You know what you need from the client to do a good job: make sure you get it.
So there you have it – your introduction to the wonderful world of ghostwriting. Some writers make ghostwriting a complete career, others make it a highly paid sideline. Many people need ghostwriters, and after you’ve done a job or two, demand for your services will grow.
Author: Angela Booth
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Guest blogger
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