HOW TO LIVE YOUR DREAMS:
Travel While You Make Money Writing
Hike the Grand Canyon today, explore the coast of California tomorrow, take in an arts festival in a coastal community the next day. Next on your agenda: a cruise to Mexico, or to Alaska, or the Hawaiian Islands. Sound like a dream existence? Well, it's a lifestyle that is available to anyone who wants to create their own business and workstyle. It takes talent, creativity, and a willingness to expect the unexpected, but if those are traits you claim, you can succeed as a traveling writer.
Oh, and it helps if you read a good "how-to" book on the subject; one that gives you step-by-step instructions. One like Portable Writing!
There are many talented writers who travel extensively. Some write as a hobby while others are in the writing business—in other words, they support their mobile lifestyle with their writing skills. I spent several years fine-tuning my writing business and experimenting with various projects to determine how I would find clients, and then keep in touch with them after I hit the highway. Once I had my system up and running, I headed out on my fulltime adventure and never looked back.
Of course, at first I thought I would write travel articles and sell them to magazines, but I soon found out it’s difficult to make a living as a magazine writer. It would take approximately ten published articles per month to support the lifestyle I wanted to live, which was by no means extravagant. That meant churning out an article every three days. Too much like a job, not the freedom I was seeking!
So I decided to supplement my magazine income with business writing. No spending hours researching articles. Instead, business or corporate clients told me what they wanted and I produced it. It didn’t take long to realize I could make way more money writing for businesses!
Corporate and business clients pay well, give me repeat business, and refer me to their peers. As I travel and if I don’t have referrals at the new location, I simply attend business meetings in towns I visit and introduce myself to prospects. I give them a brochure that tells what I can do for small businesses and provide a list of former clients, with their permission, of course.
One of the most profitable types of writing I do is to write articles for corporate executives who want an article in their name to appear in industry newsletters or trade magazines. Most don’t have the time, ability, or inclination to write, but need this type of exposure for their business, or if they’re still climbing the corporate ladder, to impress higher-ups. I'm happy to provide the service for them.
When I started writing twenty years ago I was an interior designer, which gave me inside knowledge about the field of design and architecture, and contacts. It was natural for me to produce copy for design related businesses, including ghostwriting articles for industry magazines. Those jobs led to referrals to people in the same field as well as other types of business owners and professionals. Soon I had a thriving new career.
Business owners need many different types of written materials. Every new business owner needs a press release for the local newspaper. Every seminar, workshop, or conference needs news releases to attract attendees. Also brochures. It’s easy to learn how to write press releases and brochures.
Many business owners like sending newsletters to customers and prospects. They often need ads, flyers, letters, and other written materials.
One of my most successful projects was a series of short advertising columns written for various industries. Consisting of 100 words or less, they can be about anything from pet care, floral design, and travel to interior decorating, real estate, and weddings. Market them to business owners in whatever field you care to focus on. Buyers then use the columns in their local newspapers, which gives them a weekly presence in their community. It appears as a column with their byline and photo, even though it is an advertisement.
There are many more types of materials you can produce for business and corporate clients, including employee manuals, instruction manuals, and joint or co-op newsletters.
Finding clients in areas where you’re staying is simple. Tell prospects you meet, “I help business owners with their marketing needs. Do you know anyone who is new in business or who might need to get more exposure for their business?” You’ll get referrals, or the person you’re talking with will ask for your help.
Learn your trade, hone your skills, and do the best job you possibly can. And don’t be shy about asking for reference letters from clients who are especially happy with the job you have done for them. Those and a few writing samples will land you plenty of new clients.
If you’re shy about promoting your skills to strangers, you can write and publish “print-on-demand” how-to booklets, or create your own subscription newsletters and sell them through the mail or on the Internet. Readers are always interested in new or thoughtful presentations of information relating to their hobbies and interests.
Whatever your writing expertise or field of interest, you CAN make a living from writing while traveling the country. All of the above project types and more are detailed in my book, Portable Writing: the Secret to Living Your Dreams with 25 Projects to Fund Your Freedom.
Any questions about articles appearing here can be directed to me at: kayknndy@yahoo.com.
Sunday, September 30, 2007
WHEN IT'S OKAY TO WRITE FOR FREE
As a professional writer you should expect to get paid, but there are times when writing for free can advance your career. Writing articles in your local newspaper can get exposure in your local community, which is especially helpful if you’re seeking clients there. Just be sure that the paper includes a short biography that tells people what you do and gives them a way to reach you. Practice writing a short (2-3 line) promotional piece about your writing business and send it with every article you write—whether you’re getting paid or not. The paper may not use it if they’re paying you, but insist that they do if you’re not getting paid.
For instance, when I lived in one spot, I often wrote feature articles for a business newspaper simply for the exposure. I would include a paragraph that said: “Kay Kennedy is a Tacoma writer who creates newsletters, brochures, and other written materials for business and corporate clients. Contact her at: xxx-xxxx.” As a traveling writer, I give them an e-mail address or direct them to my Web site.
When writing for free, make sure you let readers know who you are, what you do, and how to reach you.
Another reason to write for free is to get your first byline. Also to get your name in front of readers who might like your style of writing and contact you for a project they have in mind. Or to get your name in front of prospective agents, magazine editors, or publishers. I have also written free articles for newsletters of organizations that I belong to, or serve on the board. I consider those as a volunteer service, but the exposure certainly doesn’t hurt my business, either.
As a new writer, you’ll probably want to seek free publicity to help your business grow. As you build your business, you’ll know when it’s no longer profitable to write for free.
As a professional writer you should expect to get paid, but there are times when writing for free can advance your career. Writing articles in your local newspaper can get exposure in your local community, which is especially helpful if you’re seeking clients there. Just be sure that the paper includes a short biography that tells people what you do and gives them a way to reach you. Practice writing a short (2-3 line) promotional piece about your writing business and send it with every article you write—whether you’re getting paid or not. The paper may not use it if they’re paying you, but insist that they do if you’re not getting paid.
For instance, when I lived in one spot, I often wrote feature articles for a business newspaper simply for the exposure. I would include a paragraph that said: “Kay Kennedy is a Tacoma writer who creates newsletters, brochures, and other written materials for business and corporate clients. Contact her at: xxx-xxxx.” As a traveling writer, I give them an e-mail address or direct them to my Web site.
When writing for free, make sure you let readers know who you are, what you do, and how to reach you.
Another reason to write for free is to get your first byline. Also to get your name in front of readers who might like your style of writing and contact you for a project they have in mind. Or to get your name in front of prospective agents, magazine editors, or publishers. I have also written free articles for newsletters of organizations that I belong to, or serve on the board. I consider those as a volunteer service, but the exposure certainly doesn’t hurt my business, either.
As a new writer, you’ll probably want to seek free publicity to help your business grow. As you build your business, you’ll know when it’s no longer profitable to write for free.
PORTABLE WRITING SUBSCRIBER HAS ARTICLE PUBLISHED
I recently read my July/August issue of Escapees and found something by subscriber, Bernie Fuller, who wrote an article titled: Camping with Pets. It offers some good tips, such as having a copy of your pet’s medical records with you in case of it needing emergency treatment, and lists items to have in a basic first-aid kit for your pet. Bernie also has an article appearing in the newest issue of Escapees Magazine titled: The First-aid Kit in the Window, about the versatile and amazing aloe plant.
My article titled Chasing History Along America’s Byways also appears in the current (September/October 2007) Escapees Magazine issue.
Subscribers: I’ll be happy to let other readers know you have been published if you’ll send information to me at portable.writer@yahoo.com. As you can see, I sometimes don’t get around to reading even RVing magazines until long after they come out, and might miss your articles there.
I recently read my July/August issue of Escapees and found something by subscriber, Bernie Fuller, who wrote an article titled: Camping with Pets. It offers some good tips, such as having a copy of your pet’s medical records with you in case of it needing emergency treatment, and lists items to have in a basic first-aid kit for your pet. Bernie also has an article appearing in the newest issue of Escapees Magazine titled: The First-aid Kit in the Window, about the versatile and amazing aloe plant.
My article titled Chasing History Along America’s Byways also appears in the current (September/October 2007) Escapees Magazine issue.
Subscribers: I’ll be happy to let other readers know you have been published if you’ll send information to me at portable.writer@yahoo.com. As you can see, I sometimes don’t get around to reading even RVing magazines until long after they come out, and might miss your articles there.
Monday, September 24, 2007
After a twisting ride up to Jerome, then the narrow climb up to the hotel (2-way traffic shares a one-lane road, with blind turns around buildings), there's nothing like a satisifying dinner at the Asylum Restaurant. Of course, then you have to retrace your route back down the mountain! The views up here stretch to the red rocks of Sedona. Photo by H. Harris.
Sunday, September 23, 2007
G-r-r-e-a-t Grand Canyon Trip
As promised, I’m sharing our recent trip to the Grand Canyon by train. A package is available through the Auto Club that includes either 3 days and 2 nights with meals at the historic Grand Canyon Hotel, or there is an RV package so you can spend your nights in your own bed in your RV parked in a park next to the hotel.
I would have preferred my own bed. If you’ve ever slept on a lumpy rock, then you know what the 2 nights were like on the hotel’s mattresses. So okay, I’ve never slept on a rock, but now I don’t need to. The mattress memory will stick with me!
The trip was wonderful. We met four friends (two couples) from California who don’t own RVs, so that’s why we stayed in the hotel. Included in our package were 2 buffet dinners and 2 breakfasts, the train ride to the Grand Canyon and a buffet lunch at the GC plus snacks onboard the train. We took the first class car, so snacks were conveniently located inside our car, as well as nice restrooms.
Following our lunch at the GC after arriving, we boarded a bus for a tour of the South rim. What a wonderful time, and the views were amazing! Our driver took us to some overlooks that had fewer
tourists, so we had mostly unobstructed views to die for.
After leaving the hotel the next day, our friends came to Cottonwood to spend the night, so we decided to have dinner at the Grand Hotel up in Jerome. It’s perched high on the mountainside above Jerome, which is roughly 3000 feet above the valley floor (elevation approximately 6000 feet). The Asylum is a gourmet restaurant that has a limited number of tables inside, so we ate out on their porch. The view was magnificent and the weather was perfect for eating outdoors. It’s a steep climb from the parking lot up to the restaurant, but if you have reservations, you can enter the hotel lobby and have someone take you up on the elevator. That’s an experience not to be missed! The elevator has definitely been around for many, many decades!
The next morning we all met to eat breakfast at a Cottonwood restaurant before our friends left for home. This trip was like all others with our friends in one way—our time together seems to revolve around food. However, this time no one had to cook!
If you already travel by RV, it’s still great to get away from your usual life for a few days, even if your most serious challenge consists of pursuing leisurely escapes on the road. Getting together with old friends is always a great change from the everyday sameness that even RVers sometimes settle into.
So whether you decide to take your RV or take the Grand Canyon hotel package, or create your own with a stay at a more modern Williams motel while sampling local eateries, the train trip is a wonderful, relaxing way to enjoy the view and spend the day. No matter how you get there, the Grand Canyon should not be missed when you travel to Arizona.
As promised, I’m sharing our recent trip to the Grand Canyon by train. A package is available through the Auto Club that includes either 3 days and 2 nights with meals at the historic Grand Canyon Hotel, or there is an RV package so you can spend your nights in your own bed in your RV parked in a park next to the hotel.
I would have preferred my own bed. If you’ve ever slept on a lumpy rock, then you know what the 2 nights were like on the hotel’s mattresses. So okay, I’ve never slept on a rock, but now I don’t need to. The mattress memory will stick with me!
The trip was wonderful. We met four friends (two couples) from California who don’t own RVs, so that’s why we stayed in the hotel. Included in our package were 2 buffet dinners and 2 breakfasts, the train ride to the Grand Canyon and a buffet lunch at the GC plus snacks onboard the train. We took the first class car, so snacks were conveniently located inside our car, as well as nice restrooms.
Following our lunch at the GC after arriving, we boarded a bus for a tour of the South rim. What a wonderful time, and the views were amazing! Our driver took us to some overlooks that had fewer
tourists, so we had mostly unobstructed views to die for.
After leaving the hotel the next day, our friends came to Cottonwood to spend the night, so we decided to have dinner at the Grand Hotel up in Jerome. It’s perched high on the mountainside above Jerome, which is roughly 3000 feet above the valley floor (elevation approximately 6000 feet). The Asylum is a gourmet restaurant that has a limited number of tables inside, so we ate out on their porch. The view was magnificent and the weather was perfect for eating outdoors. It’s a steep climb from the parking lot up to the restaurant, but if you have reservations, you can enter the hotel lobby and have someone take you up on the elevator. That’s an experience not to be missed! The elevator has definitely been around for many, many decades!
The next morning we all met to eat breakfast at a Cottonwood restaurant before our friends left for home. This trip was like all others with our friends in one way—our time together seems to revolve around food. However, this time no one had to cook!
If you already travel by RV, it’s still great to get away from your usual life for a few days, even if your most serious challenge consists of pursuing leisurely escapes on the road. Getting together with old friends is always a great change from the everyday sameness that even RVers sometimes settle into.
So whether you decide to take your RV or take the Grand Canyon hotel package, or create your own with a stay at a more modern Williams motel while sampling local eateries, the train trip is a wonderful, relaxing way to enjoy the view and spend the day. No matter how you get there, the Grand Canyon should not be missed when you travel to Arizona.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
NEWS TO USE TODAY!
Short Story writing contest
Angela Hoy at Writers Weekly holds a yearly 24-hour short story writing contest, and I encourage subscribers to submit their stories. The contest happens THIS SATURDAY (22 Sept.) so if you're interested, go immediately to her website and sign up. Cost to enter is $5.00. The contest is limited to 500 entrants and is a very popular contest among writers because of the prize money. It definitelty usually fills up, so sign up right away! There are 85 prizes given (first prize - $300, second prize -$250, third prize - $200 - plus 82 other prizes). Sign up at: http://www.writersweekly.com/misc/contest.html.
ISBN Numbers
Angela Hoy had a letter in her latest newsletter asking if it was legal to resell ISBN numbers. If you're not familiar with ISBN numbers, they're the number that is assigned to each published book, and that belongs only to that book. Books must have this number to be listed for sale through distributors to book shops, and to libraries.
Authors or publishers must buy these numbers from R.R. Bowker company in blocks of ten, and the cost is prohibitive for many self-publishers to buy the entire block. Still, if writers can't afford to buy their own block of numbers, or if they only expect to ever publish one book, it's best to sign up with a "Print on Demand" Publisher like Booklocker to get their book printed: http://www.booklocker.com. Booklocker also helps with marketing and offers tips and suggestions to authors for getting their book publicized. They only sign-up about 10 percent of authors who apply, but it's an honest, legal company that provides a wonderful service to its authors.
Warning! Now it appears that a company is buying up ISBN numbers and advertising them for sale individually, at a profit. Don't be fooled if you run across an ad for individual ISBN numbers! If you buy one, you can never be listed as the publisher under that number. Find information about this problem on R.R. Bowker's Web site: http://www.isbn.org/standards/home/resellers.asp.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
I'm attempting to keep subscribers informed about issues they might need, so I will include the above types of information in blogs and the newsletter as I learn it. Also, you might want to subscribe to Angela Hoy's ezine: http://www.writersweekly.com for lots of great information on writing.
Update on new book:
LOOKING BACK is keeping me busy. Already I have moved 25 books, and am having to order more. This is only my personal activity in less than one week. Booklocker carries them (book's page - http://www.booklocker.com/books/3056.html) , and the trading post here where we're staying is now carrying the book, too. I'm weighing a few other options that have proved beneficial in the past. And the book is available through Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble's Web site and as a special order in their bookstores.
Hopefully contributors have received their autographed copies and are enjoying reading the book and their and other essays by now.
Short Story writing contest
Angela Hoy at Writers Weekly holds a yearly 24-hour short story writing contest, and I encourage subscribers to submit their stories. The contest happens THIS SATURDAY (22 Sept.) so if you're interested, go immediately to her website and sign up. Cost to enter is $5.00. The contest is limited to 500 entrants and is a very popular contest among writers because of the prize money. It definitelty usually fills up, so sign up right away! There are 85 prizes given (first prize - $300, second prize -$250, third prize - $200 - plus 82 other prizes). Sign up at: http://www.writersweekly.com/misc/contest.html.
ISBN Numbers
Angela Hoy had a letter in her latest newsletter asking if it was legal to resell ISBN numbers. If you're not familiar with ISBN numbers, they're the number that is assigned to each published book, and that belongs only to that book. Books must have this number to be listed for sale through distributors to book shops, and to libraries.
Authors or publishers must buy these numbers from R.R. Bowker company in blocks of ten, and the cost is prohibitive for many self-publishers to buy the entire block. Still, if writers can't afford to buy their own block of numbers, or if they only expect to ever publish one book, it's best to sign up with a "Print on Demand" Publisher like Booklocker to get their book printed: http://www.booklocker.com. Booklocker also helps with marketing and offers tips and suggestions to authors for getting their book publicized. They only sign-up about 10 percent of authors who apply, but it's an honest, legal company that provides a wonderful service to its authors.
Warning! Now it appears that a company is buying up ISBN numbers and advertising them for sale individually, at a profit. Don't be fooled if you run across an ad for individual ISBN numbers! If you buy one, you can never be listed as the publisher under that number. Find information about this problem on R.R. Bowker's Web site: http://www.isbn.org/standards/home/resellers.asp.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
I'm attempting to keep subscribers informed about issues they might need, so I will include the above types of information in blogs and the newsletter as I learn it. Also, you might want to subscribe to Angela Hoy's ezine: http://www.writersweekly.com for lots of great information on writing.
Update on new book:
LOOKING BACK is keeping me busy. Already I have moved 25 books, and am having to order more. This is only my personal activity in less than one week. Booklocker carries them (book's page - http://www.booklocker.com/books/3056.html) , and the trading post here where we're staying is now carrying the book, too. I'm weighing a few other options that have proved beneficial in the past. And the book is available through Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble's Web site and as a special order in their bookstores.
Hopefully contributors have received their autographed copies and are enjoying reading the book and their and other essays by now.
Saturday, September 15, 2007
"Looking Back" is now available
My new book, Looking Back: Boomers Remember History from the '40s to the Present, was just released and is now available for sale. You can read an excerpt and order the book at http://www.booklocker.com/books/3056.html.
Writing this book has been a long, but fascinating journey into the past, and I hope readers will enjoy reliving the sometimes terrifying, sometimes amazing, and often unbelievable moments in history that have defined the lives of the Boomers.
Twenty writers (including me) share memories of those times in the book through poignant and emotional stories that bring the past to life. This book was written for all of us alive during those years to help us understand and remember the times, but it has also been written to chronicle history for those too young to have been around then so they can hear the stories firsthand. This is not an impersonal book of facts, dates and names. Instead it is "history as seen through the eyes of those who lived it!" The book brings history to life!
My new book, Looking Back: Boomers Remember History from the '40s to the Present, was just released and is now available for sale. You can read an excerpt and order the book at http://www.booklocker.com/books/3056.html.
Writing this book has been a long, but fascinating journey into the past, and I hope readers will enjoy reliving the sometimes terrifying, sometimes amazing, and often unbelievable moments in history that have defined the lives of the Boomers.
Twenty writers (including me) share memories of those times in the book through poignant and emotional stories that bring the past to life. This book was written for all of us alive during those years to help us understand and remember the times, but it has also been written to chronicle history for those too young to have been around then so they can hear the stories firsthand. This is not an impersonal book of facts, dates and names. Instead it is "history as seen through the eyes of those who lived it!" The book brings history to life!
Saturday, September 01, 2007
Writing for Magazines
Sometimes it seems that my articles are terribly redundant, but I recognize that we have some new readers who might want to know what has been written about earlier. And frankly, I’m not sure I’ve really covered the subject of writing for magazines in detail. So I’ll write this as if you’re just starting your writing career and want to know how to get your articles published.
If you don’t have any experience with magazines, then please go to your local library and read all the back issues of Writer’s Digest and the Writer magazines, as well as any others you might find there. If you can’t locate them anywhere nearby, then I suggest going on the Internet and subscribing to one or both because they provide continually updated information on what editors are looking for, and list current needs of various magazines. They are both full of helpful articles. Read enough of them and you can receive a complete education in the “how-to write” department.
Seek out every magazine you can find that interests you, and slowly browse through them. So many magazines are printed each month and sent to selective audiences that no single book or magazine on writing can list them all. A lot of them are industry related, so are only sent to people in the field they cover. These are excellent magazines to get your byline in if you know something about the subject, or are willing to learn. Check doctor’s offices, hospital waiting rooms, and waiting rooms virtually anyplace you have an appointment and have to spend time waiting. Car dealers, repair shops, the drugstore pharmacy—the places an obscure magazine might turn up are endless.
Browse your local newsstand for magazines. Always copy down any submission information you find in them, including the editor’s name. But do more than browse. Study the ads—they’ll tell you what types of people read the magazine. Read a few articles to see how they’re written. Lots of facts and references telling where you can find more information? All using quotes from noted experts. Lots of general stories based on the author’s experience? These clues will provide you with information on how you should slant your article.
Start writing an article on anything that interests you, then put it away for a week or so and go back and read it. Does it look good enough that it might have appeared in a magazine, or does it lack the polish most published articles display? Magazines have editors, but they will not polish your article to make it appeal to their audience. You have to make sure your article is ready for print and doesn’t include typos, misspelled words, or grammar mistakes. Yeah, you might slip up with one or two minor mistakes, but any more and the editor will simply trash your article.
After you can produce a top-notch article, then it’s time to start thinking seriously about submitting something to a magazine. Hopefully during the time you’ve been practicing, you’ve found a magazine you want to write for, or a subject that you think will appeal to a specific audience. Now you can write your query letter and tightly focus it on the needs of the editor you’re contacting.
The query letter! Your letter should start out with a fabulous quote lifted from your article. This is where writers disagree on the process of writing. Some say don’t write an article until you have an assignment, but if you don’t write something, including an outline of your article, I don’t think you can produce an exciting query letter. And that’s what you’ll need to get the editor’s attention. You’ll need an excellent quote that draws the editor in immediately, then briefly say something about your topic and that you would like to submit an article on the subject, titled “...”. Continue into another paragraph that tells how you will handle the subject (using quotes, humorous, instructional). Write a paragraph telling what experience you offer: (you’ve worked in the field, you know the subject well because..., you will be interviewing experts (name them) for your article, or list your published experience. Close with an optimistic sentence that says you look forward to completing the article for ...magazine and can submit it within ... days (or weeks) after receiving an assignment.
Once you receive an assignment, go ahead and produce the best article possible and submit it. If you’re unsure of the quality of your work, then ask a trusted friend to read it and tell you what they think. Make sure it is a friend who will give an honest appraisal of your work. If you know an experienced writer, then ask them to help you out, or join a writer’s group where you can read your work and get feedback. And for Pete’s sake, use your spellchecker and grammar checker on the piece before it leaves your computer!
NOTE: Some magazines don’t require a query letter and prefer that you send a finished article. These are usually carefully targeted magazines to a specific group of people. For instance, Escapees Magazine will only accept finished articles.
There’s an upside and a downside to pursuing this type of work, known as writing on spec. You’ll spend time researching and writing an article that may not be accepted. If not, you won’t get paid for your time. Or maybe you will! If the magazine you send it to doesn’t accept it, you are free to market to other, similar markets. So you might make a sale to another magazine. Another downside is that oftentimes there’s no way of knowing what a magazine will pay for an article, if anything. To find a listing of what magazines pay, check Writer’s Market for the current year. But be aware that only a small fraction of magazines are listed in this book.
The upside to writing on spec: if you’re a new writer with no credits to your name, an excellent article written on spec might be the easiest way to break into the field.
Remember, grab the editor’s attention with your killer opening. And remember that your article must be top-notch for even these “on spec” magazines to buy it. I have written articles without an assignment, but usually only for magazines that I’ve written for before, so have an idea of whether the editor will buy it, and I know ahead of time about what amount of pay I’ll receive for the article.
Next time: When it’s okay to write and not get paid for it.
Sometimes it seems that my articles are terribly redundant, but I recognize that we have some new readers who might want to know what has been written about earlier. And frankly, I’m not sure I’ve really covered the subject of writing for magazines in detail. So I’ll write this as if you’re just starting your writing career and want to know how to get your articles published.
If you don’t have any experience with magazines, then please go to your local library and read all the back issues of Writer’s Digest and the Writer magazines, as well as any others you might find there. If you can’t locate them anywhere nearby, then I suggest going on the Internet and subscribing to one or both because they provide continually updated information on what editors are looking for, and list current needs of various magazines. They are both full of helpful articles. Read enough of them and you can receive a complete education in the “how-to write” department.
Seek out every magazine you can find that interests you, and slowly browse through them. So many magazines are printed each month and sent to selective audiences that no single book or magazine on writing can list them all. A lot of them are industry related, so are only sent to people in the field they cover. These are excellent magazines to get your byline in if you know something about the subject, or are willing to learn. Check doctor’s offices, hospital waiting rooms, and waiting rooms virtually anyplace you have an appointment and have to spend time waiting. Car dealers, repair shops, the drugstore pharmacy—the places an obscure magazine might turn up are endless.
Browse your local newsstand for magazines. Always copy down any submission information you find in them, including the editor’s name. But do more than browse. Study the ads—they’ll tell you what types of people read the magazine. Read a few articles to see how they’re written. Lots of facts and references telling where you can find more information? All using quotes from noted experts. Lots of general stories based on the author’s experience? These clues will provide you with information on how you should slant your article.
Start writing an article on anything that interests you, then put it away for a week or so and go back and read it. Does it look good enough that it might have appeared in a magazine, or does it lack the polish most published articles display? Magazines have editors, but they will not polish your article to make it appeal to their audience. You have to make sure your article is ready for print and doesn’t include typos, misspelled words, or grammar mistakes. Yeah, you might slip up with one or two minor mistakes, but any more and the editor will simply trash your article.
After you can produce a top-notch article, then it’s time to start thinking seriously about submitting something to a magazine. Hopefully during the time you’ve been practicing, you’ve found a magazine you want to write for, or a subject that you think will appeal to a specific audience. Now you can write your query letter and tightly focus it on the needs of the editor you’re contacting.
The query letter! Your letter should start out with a fabulous quote lifted from your article. This is where writers disagree on the process of writing. Some say don’t write an article until you have an assignment, but if you don’t write something, including an outline of your article, I don’t think you can produce an exciting query letter. And that’s what you’ll need to get the editor’s attention. You’ll need an excellent quote that draws the editor in immediately, then briefly say something about your topic and that you would like to submit an article on the subject, titled “...”. Continue into another paragraph that tells how you will handle the subject (using quotes, humorous, instructional). Write a paragraph telling what experience you offer: (you’ve worked in the field, you know the subject well because..., you will be interviewing experts (name them) for your article, or list your published experience. Close with an optimistic sentence that says you look forward to completing the article for ...magazine and can submit it within ... days (or weeks) after receiving an assignment.
Once you receive an assignment, go ahead and produce the best article possible and submit it. If you’re unsure of the quality of your work, then ask a trusted friend to read it and tell you what they think. Make sure it is a friend who will give an honest appraisal of your work. If you know an experienced writer, then ask them to help you out, or join a writer’s group where you can read your work and get feedback. And for Pete’s sake, use your spellchecker and grammar checker on the piece before it leaves your computer!
NOTE: Some magazines don’t require a query letter and prefer that you send a finished article. These are usually carefully targeted magazines to a specific group of people. For instance, Escapees Magazine will only accept finished articles.
There’s an upside and a downside to pursuing this type of work, known as writing on spec. You’ll spend time researching and writing an article that may not be accepted. If not, you won’t get paid for your time. Or maybe you will! If the magazine you send it to doesn’t accept it, you are free to market to other, similar markets. So you might make a sale to another magazine. Another downside is that oftentimes there’s no way of knowing what a magazine will pay for an article, if anything. To find a listing of what magazines pay, check Writer’s Market for the current year. But be aware that only a small fraction of magazines are listed in this book.
The upside to writing on spec: if you’re a new writer with no credits to your name, an excellent article written on spec might be the easiest way to break into the field.
Remember, grab the editor’s attention with your killer opening. And remember that your article must be top-notch for even these “on spec” magazines to buy it. I have written articles without an assignment, but usually only for magazines that I’ve written for before, so have an idea of whether the editor will buy it, and I know ahead of time about what amount of pay I’ll receive for the article.
Next time: When it’s okay to write and not get paid for it.
Never a dull moment for RVers
When we started RVing, I expected it to be exciting. Or at least never boring. However, there were lots of exciting moments that I could never have contemplated—even in nightmares!
Pipes leaking, the roof leaking, the air conditioner leaking, the toilet leaking? Yes, it seems every darned thing in this motorhome has a seal that shrivels up, or dries out, or falls apart, and hence the dreaded leak. Luckily my husband is handy or this lifestyle would have become too complicated for me a long time ago.
I stepped out of the shower onto a wet spot the other day and thought it was just where the shower door had dripped water. Only it didn’t dry up. Not that day, and not the next! Finally hubby decided to check it out before the wet spot spread. And you guessed it—the seals on the toilet had done their thing with a final gush of water (I hope clean) that soaked a spot on the carpet.
So he bought seals for the toilet. It was too hot to work on it when he brought them home that day, so he took a nap. That always works to make things better. Then today he decided to tackle pulling the toilet, and that’s when he found out he had bought the wrong seals.
That’s where I come into the picture. I’m busy fixing lunch when he informs me that I need to run into town to pick up the correct seal, but first I need to drop him and the toilet off at the dump station so he can clean it thoroughly before reinstalling it. Not before I eat the lunch I’ve prepared, I indignantly inform him!
After my trip into town I pick him up at said dump station and find him dying (not literally) of thirst. Never mind that I had offered him my diet coke before I left him in the hot sun preparing to hoist the 100 lb. toilet around for an hour or so.
Finally we get home and he realizes the carpet needs to be cleaned behind the toilet—a spot we can’t possibly reach when the toilet is in place because of the genius of RV designers and engineers who plan the placement of such things. Thank goodness hubby decides to scrub that area, but there’s still the rest of the carpet (including the big orange spot that spreads from the bathroom into the hall where I dropped and broke a bottle of steak sauce—don’t even ask what I was doing with a bottle of steak sauce there!) We’re having the carpet cleaned thoroughly later this week, but I have to pre-treat the spot (for the third and hopefully last time) before regular cleaning can commence.
Meanwhile, I’ve measured the distance between the motorhome and the campground restroom a couple of times so I’ll know exactly how far I have to sprint in the middle of the night, if necessary. And I’m keeping the BIG spotlight beside the bed so I can snatch it in a hurry and use it to watch out for rattlesnakes, tarantulas and scorpions between here and the restroom. Such is the life of a fulltime RVer!
Now that you’ve heard way more than you ever wanted to know about RV toilets, I’ll try to think of something more positive for next month’s RVing article.
Next time: the Grand Canyon Railway excursion
When we started RVing, I expected it to be exciting. Or at least never boring. However, there were lots of exciting moments that I could never have contemplated—even in nightmares!
Pipes leaking, the roof leaking, the air conditioner leaking, the toilet leaking? Yes, it seems every darned thing in this motorhome has a seal that shrivels up, or dries out, or falls apart, and hence the dreaded leak. Luckily my husband is handy or this lifestyle would have become too complicated for me a long time ago.
I stepped out of the shower onto a wet spot the other day and thought it was just where the shower door had dripped water. Only it didn’t dry up. Not that day, and not the next! Finally hubby decided to check it out before the wet spot spread. And you guessed it—the seals on the toilet had done their thing with a final gush of water (I hope clean) that soaked a spot on the carpet.
So he bought seals for the toilet. It was too hot to work on it when he brought them home that day, so he took a nap. That always works to make things better. Then today he decided to tackle pulling the toilet, and that’s when he found out he had bought the wrong seals.
That’s where I come into the picture. I’m busy fixing lunch when he informs me that I need to run into town to pick up the correct seal, but first I need to drop him and the toilet off at the dump station so he can clean it thoroughly before reinstalling it. Not before I eat the lunch I’ve prepared, I indignantly inform him!
After my trip into town I pick him up at said dump station and find him dying (not literally) of thirst. Never mind that I had offered him my diet coke before I left him in the hot sun preparing to hoist the 100 lb. toilet around for an hour or so.
Finally we get home and he realizes the carpet needs to be cleaned behind the toilet—a spot we can’t possibly reach when the toilet is in place because of the genius of RV designers and engineers who plan the placement of such things. Thank goodness hubby decides to scrub that area, but there’s still the rest of the carpet (including the big orange spot that spreads from the bathroom into the hall where I dropped and broke a bottle of steak sauce—don’t even ask what I was doing with a bottle of steak sauce there!) We’re having the carpet cleaned thoroughly later this week, but I have to pre-treat the spot (for the third and hopefully last time) before regular cleaning can commence.
Meanwhile, I’ve measured the distance between the motorhome and the campground restroom a couple of times so I’ll know exactly how far I have to sprint in the middle of the night, if necessary. And I’m keeping the BIG spotlight beside the bed so I can snatch it in a hurry and use it to watch out for rattlesnakes, tarantulas and scorpions between here and the restroom. Such is the life of a fulltime RVer!
Now that you’ve heard way more than you ever wanted to know about RV toilets, I’ll try to think of something more positive for next month’s RVing article.
Next time: the Grand Canyon Railway excursion
Subscriber has written book for RVers
Portable Writing Newsletter subscriber Bernie Fuller has written Amateur Radio for RVers: A Primer. It holds information that is definitely important to RVers who may find themselves needing help in a remote area one day where there’s no cell phone transmission. The book provides helpful answers to such questions as:
Are you aware of the communications modes available to you when the cell phone bombs?
What is Amateur Radio? What does it do to help you?
Is the licensing procedure difficult, or can you qualify?
Bernie Fuller is an advocate of complete communications systems to make traveling by RV safer and more enjoyable. His expertise covers all manner of radio communications and he imparts his extensive knowledge of RVing and communications in this book in non-technical terms anyone can understand. Amateur Radio for RVers is available for $14.95. You can get more information by going to his web site: http://www.writeoutdoors32.com.
Portable Writing Newsletter subscriber Bernie Fuller has written Amateur Radio for RVers: A Primer. It holds information that is definitely important to RVers who may find themselves needing help in a remote area one day where there’s no cell phone transmission. The book provides helpful answers to such questions as:
Are you aware of the communications modes available to you when the cell phone bombs?
What is Amateur Radio? What does it do to help you?
Is the licensing procedure difficult, or can you qualify?
Bernie Fuller is an advocate of complete communications systems to make traveling by RV safer and more enjoyable. His expertise covers all manner of radio communications and he imparts his extensive knowledge of RVing and communications in this book in non-technical terms anyone can understand. Amateur Radio for RVers is available for $14.95. You can get more information by going to his web site: http://www.writeoutdoors32.com.
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