Money The Write Way a free eMagazine for writers of integrity *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ February 4, 2004 Volume 2 Number 5 *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ 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 Art of Reviewing by Rose DiGrazia 7.) 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. *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ 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 Busy, busy, busy…has it got you too? I can't believe how fast this new year is rolling along. I just got back from several weeks out of state doing book signings and leading writing seminars. Of course, when I returned I had the usual half dozen suitcases to unpack, loads of laundry, bills to pay, errands to run…you know the routine but can you believe I had 772 emails too? Life sure flies at mach speed these days doesn't it? Blink, and you miss something. SO what's the point you may ask? Well, despite the craziness and kids, and everything else I managed to squeeze in an hour and a half to whip out a fictional short story. Sure it was only five pages but it sure was fun and what a great stress release. I made me feel much better about taking on all the not-so-fun tasks. The good news is that with eBooks and modern technology I can get my short story, or a collection of a few, out on the Internet for sale in a matter of minutes. So maybe there are some good points about the fast paced, information age we live in. Try using it to your advantage as a writer also. Now if I can just get caught up on those 772 emails… May your pen overflow, Carmel *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ~*~ This week's newest COMP-ortunity Austin, Texas Convention and Visitor's Bureau Website: http://www.austintexas.org email: cyndim@austontexas.org Address: 201E. 2nd Street, Austin, TX 78701 Phone: 800-926-2282 ext.7209 Contact: Cynthia Maddox Description: Austin's Convention and Visitor's Bureau offers various comps to qualified travel writers and occasionally has FAM tour and press trips for media Coverage desired: Print media coverage of extraordinary destination and outdoor activities as well as Austin's Texas being the Live Music Capital of the World. Prefers writers with any of the following: Letter of assignment, or writing samples/clips for review. Visit the website for more details of requirements. Possible comp: Tickets to various Austin area venues of arts, entertainment, and dining along with media contacts, interview and excellent writing and press support materials. *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ~*~ "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: I enjoy getting your eMagazine, but I'm so busy that I don't always get a chance to delve into your valuable info as much as I would like. I've been a newspaper journalist for the past 11 years, and I'm currently doing most of my writing from home (I've got a toddler). I've always been intrigued by your COMP-ortunities, but I'm not sure what the're all about. For example, are they looking for publicity? Do I have to have a publication lined up in order to write a story on them or do I peddle it afterward? I'd love to make the leap from newspapers into magazine writing, but I'm very naive about it all. C. Fisher, California Answer: Millions of businesses welcome writers for free publicity for them and a comp for you. Sometimes they want you to write the story first and then they comp you and sometimes they comp you before you write it. Just call the owners and ask. If you have story "go ahead" before hand that's great but often not necessary. I really recommend my book BEEN THERE COMPED THAT which explains EVERYTHING about how to ask and where and how to comp. You can buy it on www.moneythewriteway.com In my opinion there's nothing better than travel writing. In 2003 I had thousands in free comped travel for me and my whole family and friends: cruises, resorts, B & B's, you name it. Question: I took your course and am nearly ready to put out my e- Book once I get the black and white photos onto the CD. I will probably use your services of consulting. In the meantime I have 2 questions: 1) What is web link swapping? 2) What is an e-mail signature block? L. DeMerritt, California Answer: Web link swapping is easy and can help you market your eBooks. Let's say your eBook is on organic gardening. Simply find sites that compliment your book and subject matter and create a link on your site or in your eBook to their site and ask them to create a link to your webpage on the eBookstore site where you sell your book or your own website. It's a free win-win arrangement. A signature block is free and takes a minute to create in most email programs. It's a mini advertisement for you books that is attached at the bottom to every email you send. 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 Writer's Salesmanship Writers don't like to admit this, but the job of becoming a consistently selling writer is almost fifty percent sales and fifty percent writing. Some writers I know actually spend more of their time searching for ideas, writing queries, and following up than they do writing articles. Here are a few basic rules to help you become a good salesman or saleswoman. Switch to first names as quickly as possible. Even in my initial query to an editor I sign my first name. Then the minute he or she answers with their first name, I switch over. All correspondence from then on is on a first name basis. Make some personal comments related to your project. Many writers in their initial cover letter simply say something like "Here's the article you asked for" and sign their name. The idea is that brevity gets the point across and saves both the time of the writer and the editor. And of course it does, but it doesn't set you apart as a personality who might be remembered. It doesn't hurt, after you've told the editor that the article is enclosed, to make a statement that is related to the article, yet still offers some insight into your personality. Erle Stanley Gardner, a master salesman as well as a prolific writer, always wrote rather talkative letters that showed off the Gardner personality. He did this, in most cases, by referring to something the editor was interested in. I too use this technique. For instance, I have one editor who recently moved her office to Atlanta. I had been to Atlanta once to do a TV appearance. On this particular program I had to follow a local comedian with a garden demonstration. I told her this and asked how she liked Atlanta. In writing back, she was quite friendly and told me to be sure and call if I ever got through Atlanta again. Keep your name before the editor at all times. It is a fact that editors give assignments to writers whose names are on their minds and whose work they know. The only way you can keep your name on an editor's mind, however, is to keep that name before him or her as often as possible. This, I find, is extremely important and is something that nearly always results in assignments. One writer I know makes it a rule to stay in constant communication. First, he offers at least one article idea a month. He also keeps track of what the editor expresses interest in--both in conversation and in the magazine itself- -and then clips information on these subjects from newspapers and magazines. Then once every month or two he sends this material to that editor. In several cases after receiving the clippings, the editor called the writer to give him an assignment on the subject, or to ask the writer to cover a different angle the writer has turned up. Again after he's worked with the editor six months or so, he sends that editor a picture with a note saying, "We've worked together a long time, and I thought you might like to know what I look like." This writer also sends a gadget of some sort to his editors once a year. In one case, he mailed an old-style IBM punch card with the words, "Tension Reliever-Please Fold, Spindle, or Mutilate." At Christmas he also sends Christmas cards, which he mails at Thanksgiving so they don't get lost in the crowd. Try to help the editor. I personally like to help editors with their job whenever possible. In one case I knew my editor was working on a piece about buying American. On my desk I happened to have a list of authorities on this subject along with their phone numbers. I sent it with a brief note. A few days later the editor called to thank me and to say my list helped tremendously. In another case, I knew my editor was putting together information on catalog sales, so every time I ran into an article on the subject from any source, I sent it to her. I don't know whether or not it helped, but for several years she has given me at least one assignment a month. Now and then pick up the phone. This is another way to keep your name before an editor, but I want to warn you not to call too often. Editors are busy people. I know one writer who budgets $100 a month to call a number of magazines--because he feels it's important to keep in contact. He doesn't call, however, just to be calling. He always calls with an idea he feels is important, or he calls to let the editor know about a new development. This doesn't always pay off in an immediate assignment, but it does help him keep in close personal contact. And currently he averages about twelve sales a year to this particular magazine. Occasionally make a personal visit. This same writer tries to make a personal visit to his editors once in a while. Again you don't do this until you are working regularly with an editor. Two years ago, he made a trip around the U.S. on vacation and stopped whenever he could to talk to his editors personally. I don't think I ever visited an editor without coming away with an assignment or two. But there are some cautions. You shouldn't just go in. Take with you at least three or four ideas you feel might be important to that particular editor. In many cases, I've been assigned to do all the ideas I've presented as well as one or two the editor thought up while we were talking. I have to admit that I seldom set up an appointment ahead of time. My thinking is that visiting an editor is generally secondary to the trip I'm taking. Sometimes when I'm on assignment and am in a city where one of my magazines is located, I'll call when I'm there and see if we can get together. If the editor is in and wants to see me, I have an added plus: if not, that's also okay. However, I know that some writers call weeks ahead of time and then confirm the appointment the day before their visit. They want to make sure the editor is going to be in the office that day and isn't tied up with meetings. That's fine if your primary purpose is to visit the editor. For me, I'm always in town for another reason and never know exactly what time I'll have available until almost the last minute. 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 writingg at numerous universities. Want to attend a writer's workshop on How to Sell Every Article You Write, How to Write and Sell Your Novel, or Travel Writing and Comping? Check out the Grass Valley Home Office workshops at the California Writer's Academy. Limited enrollment Click here *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~*~ Editor's Pick Book, Magazine, Website, and e-Book Review Victoria Beninga, Editor This Month's Review: "Young Writer's Handbook" By Patricia L. Fry When you were beginning your writing, did you have a mentor who helped you get started? Someone who critiqued your work and gave you advice and encouragement? If so, you know how helpful a writing mentor can be. If it weren't for your writing mentor, perhaps you would still be dreaming of writing instead of actually pursuing your writing dreams. Have you considered becoming a writing mentor yourself? Naturally we want to help our grown-up friends enjoy writing as much as we do, but there is another group who could also use our help as mentors. How about mentoring a child or teenager who dreams of being a writer? If you know of such a youngster, I highly recommend buying him or her "Young Writer's Handbook." In this book, Patricia L. Fry offers advice and encouragement in a way that children and teenagers can understand. She covers sentence structure and grammar, often giving examples of "bad and better" writing. There are many writing exercises in this book suited for young people. Also covered in this book are instructions for young people on how to write query letters and how to get their stories, articles, poetry, and cartoons published. There is a section which lists book publishers, magazines, websites, and eMagazines which work with young writers. Contests for young writers are listed, as well as child-friendly helpful websites such as journal and grammar sites. You can purchase "Young Writer's Handbook" for an aspiring young writer by going to http://www.matilijapress.com./youngwritershandbook.htm Victoria Beninga, Publisher/Editor/Columnist, GOLD COUNTRY FAMILIES, a FREE e-mail newsletter and FREE eMagazine of Sierra Nevada Gold Country family-friendly activities, http://www.goldcountryfamilies.com *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ The Art of Reviewing Rose Di Grazia Writing a Restaurant Review Have you ever wanted to write a restaurant review? If so, you need to read reviews constantly. Pick up your local newspaper or national magazine and look for reviews. Most reviews are usually under the entertainment section of the paper. Most reviews in mags are listed under food or dinning out etc. Read them to see what makes them a good review. What goes into a review is description mainly. In a review, talk about the ambiance, the lighting, the decor, and music or entertainment if provided. Talk about the service. Was it good or bad? Some mags only want positive reviews. Find that out first by reading back issues. Mags that want only positive reviews may be trying to sell ads to that particular restaurant. If you have bad service you can always write something funny. Write something that can have a double meaning to get your point across without hurting the restaurant's reputation or the magazine's reputation. Also include the price of the food you eat. You can add the hours of operation and special events that are coming up in the future for the business. At the end of the article you may put the address, phone number, and or email/site address. Don't forget to take photos. A photo is worth a thousand words. Rose Di Grazia is an accomplished restaurant reviewer and travel writer who lives in Texas. *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ~*~ 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: More than eight percent of the world's population has some degree of color vision deficiency (CVD), or colorblindness. This includes 1:12 males and 1:200 females. During my 22 years of school nursing, I failed to find literature for children regarding this common genetic disorder. Consequently, I wrote Seeing Color: It's My Rainbow, Too. Because a book on the same subject is needed for older readers, I wrote Color is in the Eye of the Beholder, which I expect to be published by the end of February. My Web site is: www.CVDbooks.com, where the first of nine chapters may be read. Seeing Color: It's My Rainbow, Too is also available at the Color Vision Store: www.colorblind.to and www.Amazon.com, where reviewers have posted their write-ups. Arlene Evans, California Boast: Just had a flash fiction published in Women Behaving Badly available at Amazon.com. LOL. Also I'm updating my website www.RDLarson.com. RD Larson, Pacific Northwest *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ 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 *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Now you can access a invaluable writing information at: www.californiawritersacademy.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. *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~