Money The Write Way a free eMagazine for writers of integrity *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ October 8, 2003 Volume 2 Number 1 *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ To join our more than 4000 subscribers, and receive the FREE eBook, "So You Want to be a Travel Writer," click on: http://www.moneythewriteway.com It's FREE! *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ In this issue: 1.) Letter From The Publisher---On The Home Front 2.) Ask an Expert/Questions and Answers 3.) COMP-ortunity of the month 4.) The Business of Writing by Duane Newcomb 5.) Editor's Pick/Reviews by Victoria Beninga 6.) The Boast Post---Bragging Board of Writers Triumphs and Victories *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Money The Write Way eMagazine ISSN pending. Copyright 2003 Write Spirit Publishing. All rights reserved. *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ NEW NEW NEW NEW NEW NEW Ever thought of publishing an eBook or Print on Demand Book? A CD with all the tools you need to succeed is now available: Book Creation Tools by Cyberread, co-authored by John Nightingale and Carmel L. Mooney This comprehensive CD includes: *~Print on Demand and eBook format and template *~Atlantis Word Processing Software *~Literary Agents *~eBook reviewers *~Book trade publications *~Independent bookstores *~Business book sites *~College libraries *~Cooking sites *~ezines related to books *~Fiction book sites *~Public library sites *~Health book sites And MUCH MUCH more... Send check or money order for $29.99 to Carmel L. Mooney P.O. BOX 3405 Auburn, CA 95605 And begin today experiencing the thrill of monthly royalty income. *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Start Comping today by purchasing our best selling eBook: "BEEN THERE---COMPED THAT!" Free Travel, Dining, and Entertainment, All for the Cost of Some Ink Available at: http://www.moneythewriteway.com *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ~*~ On The Home Front Carmel L. Mooney It's hard to believe this issue marks the one year anniversary of Money the Write Way. It's because of subscribers, all of you, that we have succeeded and continue to offer quality education, support, fun, and information for writers around the globe. Please feel free to continue to send in your comments, feedback, suggestions, and boasts, so this publication continues to be written for the needs of the readers. Yes, that's you! Enjoy the beauty of fall and may your ink always flow freely, Carmel *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ~*~ This week's newest COMP-ortunity Gallery, Studio and Floating Home of Gabrielle Moore-Gordon, Watercolorist (home known as "The Hippo") Website: http://www.gmgstudio.com email: artwork@gmgstudio.com Address: The Hippo 26 Gate 6 1/2 Rd. Sausalito, CA 94965 Phone: 415-331-8842 Contact: Gabrielle Description: Beautiful floating home and art studio in Sausalito, California. This home is the studio of globally acclaimed artist Gabrielle Moore-Gordon. Home is frequently rented for special occasions, getaways, and extended monthly arrangements. Coverage desired: Print media coverage of extraordinary art and of the unique destination opportunity of this waterfront floating home rental. Prefers writers with any of the following: letter of assignment, or writing samples/clips for review Possible comp: stay on gorgeous floating home, interview artist, excellent profile story potential *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ~*~ "Ask a Pro" Publishing/Comping/Writing Q&A "Your Questions---You Always Wanted To Ask," answered by professional writing consultant/coach/author/instructor, Carmel L. Mooney To ask Carmel a writing, publishing, or comping question, email her at: Carmel@moneythewriteway.com. Questions may be edited for length or content if necessary. Question: Can you tell me please what a press kit is and are they free? ---G. Donahue, Grand Prairie, TX Answer: Yes, press kits are free and they are an invaluable tool for writers, especially travel writers. Most big establishments such as theme parks, casinos, chambers of commerce, and resorts have a packet of specially formulated materials, press releases, photos, statistics, background information and sometimes even samples or gifts such as t-shirts, coffee mugs, magnets, etc. that are free to media individuals who are or will be visiting or who simply wish to obtain information for an upcoming article. Always ask for one. You will find lots of time and money saving stuff from which to glean gems, in most press kits. Question: Is it okay, when sending an email query, to attach some manuscript samples or clips? ---C. Maxwell, Hillsborough, New Jersey Answer: Most editors will not open attachments from someone they don't know. Because you risk having your whole email deleted as well as alienating an editor, it is best to only send emails where the message is only in the email body. Only send attachments when invited to do so. Question: In your eBook seminar, you mentioned someone who was writing under a "nom de plume." Is that something that she needed to file a DBA for? I am considering that option. ---S. Ratzlaff, Auburn, CA Answer: Typically your DBA is your business name and not your pseudonym. So if you write an eBook or an article under a pen name, you would generally register your business license and DBA as your normal name or business name. In fact, when you submit a manuscript to a publisher, you put your real name (the one you will get paid under) in the top corner of your manuscript and you list your pen name in the center of your manuscript under the title exactly as you want the by-line to appear. To ask Carmel a writing, publishing, or comping question, email her at: Carmel@moneythewriteway.com. Carmel Mooney is also available by phone and/or email for private consultation, editing, and coaching. Carmel has helped hundreds of writers achieve writing and publishing success. Email her at: Carmel@moneythewriteway.com or call her at: 916-205-4763 *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ~*~ The Business Side of Writing Duane Newcomb Chart to Find Your Weakness Any writer who uses a schedule, like I do, will find their writing production picking up. In practice, however, sometimes all of us slip a little and some of us slip a lot. A little slippage is no problem. But a lot of slippage is. To correct this, you need to chart yourself on an actual project basis for a day or two. Simply keep track of your movements until you decide to stop. Be honest and write down everything you do: cleaning the room, straightening up the desk, leaning back and looking out the window, and many other things. Here is what my work time looked like for on 4 1/2 hr period. 8:30 A.M - 9:45 A.M. Cleaning up desk, straightening books 9:45 A.M. - 10:00 A.M. Writing 10:00A.M. - 10:15 A.M. Break 10:15A.M. - 10:20 A.M. Fixing a cup of tea 10:20A.M. - 10:40 A.M. Thumbing through book 10:40A.M. - 11:20 A.M. Writing 11:20A.M. - 11:30 A.M. Petting Roswell the office dog 11:30A.M. -12:00 P.M. Writing 12:00P.M. - 1:00 P.M. Eating lunch As you can see, I had gotten sloppy. You can easily see what has to be fixed. It's just a matter of cutting down on the fooling around time, as I call it. The golden rule. No matter how hard you try, you are never going to get one hundred percent work out of a day or week. Since I work at home, my wife wants me to check the car; I receive a phone call from someone to ask about writing. My college son calls to borrow money. I run out of ink and had forgotten to buy any. The rule I use is: Cut down non-work activities I can control and don't worry about what I can't. That's a good philosophy if you turn out a lot of work. If you are not spending at least 2 hours writing in a 4 hour day you are wasting time. If it's less than this, you're going to have to refuse to take phone calls, tell your wife, husband, or friends to wait until after working hours; or take whatever steps will let you spend most of your time turning out writing. If you're trying to write and work full-time, the total writing time per day will be more limited. But if you can keep your production up, you'll accomplish more than more time but less determination. I know one writer who put in a 40-hour week at a state job but wrote several thousand articles in a 5-year period. That's getting the most out of your time. Duane Newcomb is a literary consultant with 36 non-fiction books to his credit, over 5000 articles and more than 150 client books in print. He has taught article and non-fiction book courses at numerous colleges, universities and writer's conferences across the United States. Duane welcomes new clients needing a manuscript evaluated. dnew@thegrid.net . Subscribe to his free, monthly professional author newsletter at: dnew@thegrid.net Visit Duane Newcomb's website: www.bookforce.bizland.com Purchase Duane Newcomb's writing guides at www.ebookstand.com *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ~*~ Editor's Pick Book, Magazine, Website, and e-Book Review Victoria Beninga, Editor This Month's Review: Writer's Digest Magazine There are so many terrific resources for writers that we can never read them all. We are very fortunate to be writers nowadays because of the wealth of information for us that is out there. One great resource that has been around for a very long time is Writer's Digest Magazine. Writers have enjoyed Writer's Digest since 1921, the same year Babe Ruth set the record for all-time home runs. Writer's Digest has kept up with its high-tech competitors with a very informative web site, http://www.writersdigest.com. Writer's Digest publishes articles on all aspects of writing. For example, some article titles include "How to be a Writer Editors Love," "25 Best Places to Get Published Online," and "How to Keep a Writer's Journal." You can purchase Writer's Digest at retail bookstore or online. Publisher/Editor/Columnist, GOLD COUNTRY FAMILIES, a FREE e-mail newsletter and FREE eMagazine of child-friendly local activities and getaways for families living in the Sierra Nevada Gold Country, http://www.goldcountryfamilies.com *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ~*~ The Boast Post Don't be modest-we applaud you! Whether it's an assignment victory, a publishing accomplishment, comp, or a writing goal achieved, we'd love to hear it. Please include your full name or initials, and your city and state. Send your boast in 75 words or less to: Carmel@moneythewriteway.com (may be edited for length or content) Boast: In August, I created a five-page web site - www.rentingparadise.com - to promote and sell RENTING PARADISE/Sonoma County, the first in a series of e-guides to distinctive vacation home rentals in Northern California. With full-color photos of each featured rental and more than 50 clickable Web and e-mail links, this 43-page e-guide is a comprehensive vacation planning resource - without the typical the information overload! www.rentingparadise.com includes an excerpt from the book, a "News & Updates" page (with news about featured rentals, as well as interesting current events and activities in Sonoma County), and a link to PayPal. I'm also midway through researching the second e-guide in the series, covering San Francisco/ Marin County. Joyce Hadley Copeland, CA Boast: New book: "The Successful Writer's Handbook." Patricia Fry, a 30-year veteran in the writing field and President of SPAWN (Small Publishers, Artists and Writers Network) has produced this book for writers and publishers at all stages of their career. "The Successful Writer's Handbook" is an extremely informative book covering all aspects of writing and publishing. Read it through, but keep it handy as a reference guide throughout your writing/publishing career. 192-pages, $15.95, www.matilijapress.com. Patricia Fry, USA Boast: To the editors of "Money The Write Way eMagazine", May I compliment you on one of the best issues yet. Very informative, an asset to any aspiring writer. Thank you, PCW, Northern Calif. *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Coming Soon/Around the Corner: Great writing courses by nationally acclaimed writing instructors! Take them from the privacy of your home and have email access to your questions from the instructor. COMING SOON! Email for more information; there's no obligation. Carmel@moneythewriteway.com *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Websites for Writers! ---Hazel Nieves, expert on Internet Marketing and Online business success, is owner of Web Development Company, Sierra Technology Solutions, Inc. She has 20 years experience in sales, marketing, and technology and is a committed crusader in helping take the confusion out of taking your business online. You can contact Hazel at 530-367-2915 or Customerservice@sierratechnologysolutions.com Special Offer! Writers Special E-biz Website Package Turn-key Package Includes: *5 Custom Pages *Shopping Cart (up to 10 products) *Secure Server *One year hosting service *Uses your own domain *Up to 15 Email accounts *Attractive Professional designs to choose from *Copyright Statement page Special Price: $ 600.00 complete Get started today with your Affordable Professional E-business website here: http://www.sierratechnologysolutions.com /writers/writers_special.htm Learn more from Hazel at: http://www.sierratechnologysolutions.com *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ It's FREE---List your inn, resort, restaurant, entertainment venue, business, or destination seeking written coverage---contact the publisher: Carmel@moneythewriteway.com *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Money The Write Way eMagazine TO SUBSCRIBE: Simply go to: http://www.moneythewriteway.com/free_emagazine.htm and check the SUBSCRIBE BOX (You'll also get a free eBook gift as our way of saying thank you.) TO UNSUBSCRIBE: Simply go to: http://www.moneythewriteway.com/free_emagazine.htm and check the UNSUBSCRIBE box Changing email addresses? Simply go to: http://www.moneythewriteway.com/free_emagazine.htm and subscribe under your new address *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Have something you'd like to offer more than 4000 writers and authors? Place YOUR ad in Money the Write Way today! It's affordable and effective. Email for rates and details: Carmel@moneythewriteway.com *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Write Spirit Publishing P.O. Box 3405 Auburn, CA 95604 Contact us at: Carmel@moneythewriteway.com We welcome your: comments/suggestions/requests/contributions Carmel L. Mooney, Publisher Victoria Beninga, Associate Editor http://www.moneythewriteway.com Should the links we provide not work, this may mean your E-mail program doesn't like our code. Simply go directly to our current online archived issue at: http://www.moneythewriteway.com You may freely distribute this eMag to friends, discussion lists, and writing groups as long as the issue is included in its entirety. *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~