There are people (probably not writers) who think that writing is writing.  If you can write a technical manual, it must be simple to knock out a sonnet or a screenplay.  Oh, how I wish that were true. Sure, it can be learned, but generally writers find a niche they like or have some natural talent for.  Why go against the grain when being a writer is hard enough as it is?

Comparing low-pay article writing to commercial writing, Peter Bowerman, author of The Well-Fed Writer, wrote in an email to me:

the relation to the .01-a-word writing world is about like McDonald’s relation to THE top-drawer steakhouse in a major metro. They both sell beef but that’s where the similarity ends.

Putting it bluntly.  It is true that writing does come in all shapes and flavors.   So, I guess it should not be too surprising to learn that writers can have writer’s block when it comes to different writing styles.

When you want to write for a magazine or publish a book, you may need to send a letter to an editor or literary agent in hopes of publication via your best sales pitch.

AKA: The Query Letter.

Why is the Query Letter Something to Dread?

For many people (including myself) the thought of sending a query letter to a editor is quite scary.  Like sweaty palms scary.  To an outsider, that seems ironic on the surface.  Ummm…the inability to write a letter to sell your writing.  That is almost akin to a pilot being afraid of heights or a nurse who doesn’t like needles.  Okay, I guess that happens, too.  But once you think about for a second, you will realize it is much more complicated.  The reason it is hard is because it is your one chance to make a first impression. Excuse the cliche.

A query letter is less about writing and more about sales.

You have to sell yourself.  Stand out in the crowd.  Typically, writers are introverts.  This is not always true, but think J. D. Salinger and ghostwriting for a minute.  I am not saying I or other writers are anti-social recluses, but selling ourselves is not typically our strong points.  Otherwise, we’d be in marketing or sales.

When you send a query off to an editor, you have to make him or her believe that your article or book is something worth investing in, literally and metaphorically. With tons of letters coming across their desk, you simply have to stand out.  The basic Supply and Demand concept.

This is why it is dreaded.  Getting your foot in the door can be the hardest part.  Okay, so put on a sales hat and off you go, right?

Query Letters are Avoided Because of A Fear of Rejection

A query letter has a strong possibility of getting rejected – especially if it is your first one, and you don’t know what the heck you are doing.  Combine this with the sales pitch that doesn’t always align with a writer’s personality, and some writers will just avoid it all together.

I have been doing that for awhile now.  I thought I could make enough writing online and ghostwriting.  Then the Google Panda monster came, and life has never been the same.  So, it looks like my elephant in the room needs to be addressed and I may have to sit down and write a query letter.

Get Advice from the Experts on Query Letters

One of the first things you can do before you even think about shotgunning a bunch of query letters out is look to the experts. Find a website or books on writing query letters.  I finally bought Guide to Query Letters to help me on this journey.  The book gives you the low-down on query letters (with a sense of humor to make it interesting) and a bunch or good and not-so-good examples.  This is a helpful addition for those who like samples.

I am hoping this book will help me crawl out the safe writer’s shell and put myself out there.  I am not saying this is ALL I will be focusing on.  But, it is another avenue as a writer.  With freelance writing, you have to be a jack of all trades, even within your own niche.  So, in some ways writing IS writing – even if you have to read a whole book on how to do it!

If you are struggling with query letters, I would love to hear your comments.  Or if you are a query writing expert, please take a minute and offer some advice for the rest of the scaredy cats.

Editor’s Note: This is a guest post from Lindsey from professionalintern.com.  She enjoys reading and writing when she gets a chance away from her hectic life. Literature and education are her favorite topics to write on and she enjoys going to school.

If you’re looking to publish a book, you’ve likely checked into self-publishing. Since large publishing houses only accept a small amount of manuscripts offered to them, many authors self-publish to get their work noticed and read.

Though many go into the process half-blind, doing a little preparation at an online university may prepare you for the unique challenges of being your own editor and publicist. Taking a basic grammar course will help you produce a clean manuscript and keep readers interested.

One of the major misconceptions is that all self-published books are just those that weren’t good enough for a major publishing house to take. While this is true in many cases, manuscripts at publishing houses must gain a board’s approval, which is difficult for niche subjects. Ensuring your novel uses impeccable grammar will keep readers from writing it off.

Consider Online Writing Courses

When you go to edit your story, you’ll want to do a full read through.  A literature course will help you pinpoint where your story has holes and where it’s at its strongest. You’ll also be able to track character development and see where you need improvement. Make sure you’re entirely happy with your plot and how it’s written before you move onto minor edits.

Media law is almost imperative to self-publishers. Libel laws aren’t as simple as not saying anything bad about anyone. A class will teach you about copyright laws and what your rights are once you publish your book as well. It will also let you know how you can reference businesses in your book and how much you can say about them. Many authors who end up doing well have faced legal battles with their employer, who claims a partial right to the book if any part of it was written at work. Media law will help you learn how to fight that battle if necessary and how to prepare for it.

Creative writing classes will help you jumpstart the creative portion of your brain. They’ll also help you flesh out ideas and give you a network of people to bounce ideas off of who have similar interests to you. Your course will likely involve some grammar rules, but it won’t be enough to replace a course devoted to proper writing.

Self-published books have to be designed by the author. A basic design course will teach you which fonts are best in small amounts and which fonts work well as body text. You’ll also gain skills needed to create the cover for your book. If you choose to have someone else design the cover for you, you’ll be able to judge whether or not it meets design standards.

Beyond these, you’ll want to focus on what it will take for you to be prepared for promoting your book. Marketing classes will familiarize you with social media, press releases and general advertising techniques.

In order to successfully self publish, you’ll need to fulfill all of these roles, which online courses can help you learn. Check out a program and find one that fits your needs.

Are you looking to transition into a REAL freelance writing career? I mean actually make decent earnings from your writing. Are you sick of making pennies for your hard work?  Do high paying writing jobs even exist? YES, YES, and YES!

Well, I am in that boat.  After being tired of all the ridiculously low-paying freelance and content writing jobs, I decided I have had enough.  It it time to take my writing and my career serious. Writing for  dirt cheap wages can be demoralizing.  Many professional freelance writers scoff at content sites who pay next to nothing!

As I move along on this journey (are writers always on an adventure?), I am looking into the next phase.

So, begins the research.  Are there successful freelance writers out there?  Yes!  And, I have begun to seek them out.  Once I uncovered that first rock, I realized there is a whole world out there of people making a REAL living as freelance writers.

Jenna Glatzer is one.

I honestly can say Make a Real Living as a Freelance Writer by Jenna Glatzer is one of the few non-fiction books I could not put down! The information is plentiful and the resources invaluable.  Jenna provided her story, what works, places to find real jobs, the dreaded query letters, and much more!

Jenna is a successful freelance writer and has written for major magazines such as Prevention, Family Circle, Contemporary Bride, and more.

In this book, you will find straightforward advice and tips on breaking into the freelance writing arena.  She goes over do’s and don’ts. There are even samples of query letters she used to land writing jobs in the book.

While there are still plenty of value in this book for any freelance writer, most of this book is geared towards magazine submissions.

Honestly, this book has so many resources and that ALONE makes it worth the buy!  But, why I truly liked this book is because you feel like you know Jenna.  She is personable and writes with a friendly welcome, open to sharing her insights and advice.  She truly has inspired me to write!

If you are looking to make a transition to freelancing, this is a great book to start with!

Related articles

• What are You Worth as a Freelance Writer? (inspiredtowrite.com)
• Where are the High Paying Writing Jobs? (inspiredtowrite.com)
• 10 Ways to Find Freelance Jobs (freelancewritingprofessional.com)

Editor’s Note: This is a guest post by Bethany Ramos. Please read more about Bethany in the footer.

Perhaps you are already sitting on a completed manuscript that you are just itching to get out to a literary agent. Still, it is not always that simple… Any seasoned author can tell you that you must edit, revise, edit, and then revise again. To get your creative juices flowing and help you take an objective eye to your manuscript, here are some important final questions to ask yourself about your work:

1. Does your opening grab the attention of your reader?

It is always helpful to open while the story is already in action because you may lose the attention of the reader if you spend too much time warming up. The intro to your story should also reflect the tone of your novel, so make sure that all descriptions you use are consistent with your tone and mood. You also need to introduce a story tidbit or action in the first chapter that will compel your reader to continue to read. Whether your lead character is in danger, there is a relationship conflict, or there is even a hint of mystery, your reader needs something to carry them through the entire book.

2. Is your lead character captivating for the entire length of the novel?

This is a very important question indeed since you definitely don’t want your reader snoozing or losing interest halfway through the novel. You need to go back to your manuscript with an objective eye to make your lead character literally jump off the page.

As far as your other characters go, determine if they sufficiently contrast one another and are each interesting enough to stand on their own. You definitely want your reader to bond with the lead character, whether it is because he or she is funny/irreverent, an underdog facing the odds, has a relatable dream or desire, or even is in jeopardy or danger. Make sure that your reader is attracted to your lead character, and you can’t go wrong!

3. Is there any point in your plot where your reader may want to put the book down?

If that is the case, you need to iron out those kinks STAT. If there are any areas where the plot feels forced or unnatural, or even if the story is out of balance with too much or too little action, objectively edit that scene to determine how you can make the plot flow more smoothly.

4. Does your conclusion leave any loose endings?

A reader won’t appreciate any loose threads left in the end of your story, so you need to make sure that you resolve the story in a way that doesn’t take away from your main plot. The best ending will leave the reader with resonance and a sense of meaning so that they feel satisfaction as they end your story.You overall want the reader to feel the way you want them to feel as they turn the last page of your novel.

Are all of these four points achieved within your story?

If not, that is perfectly okay, but go back and read, revise, and revise again!

Editor’s Note: This is a guest post by Bethany Ramos.  Please read more about Bethany in the footer.

If you want to get your unpublished manuscript picked up by a literary agent, then you need to crawl into their minds and find out exactly what they’re looking for. As an example, the children’s book and picture book market is entirely oversaturated and competitive. That doesn’t mean that you can’t successfully publish your children’s book if you have an excellent work on your hands, but you do need to keep in mind that the battle to find the right literary agent will be fierce, and you cannot give up.

What are the hottest genres that literary agents are looking for?

Overall, you need to research each literary agent specifically to see what they are and are not looking for. Normally, each agent website or agent listing on another website is very clear as to what they will and will not accept, as well as what they specialize in. To go with the above example, you will find that many, many agents clearly state that they will not accept any picture book manuscripts.

Agents Represent the Market

Since an agent is your gateway to getting your book published with a publishing company, the agent will represent the marketplace. Agents need to accept manuscripts that the public truly wants to read and purchase, and according to the latest Harris Poll, it showed that 79% of Americans read fiction. This obviously means that fiction is a popular genre for publishing houses, with the most popular type of fiction being mystery/crime novels at 48%.

From there, the list gets narrower with science-fiction at 26%, literature at 24%, romance at 21%, graphic novels at 11%, chick lit at 8%, Westerns at 5%, and other fiction at 36%.

However, there is still a demand for nonfiction since 78% of Americans also revealed that they have read a nonfiction book in the past year. The most popular category of nonfiction is history at 31% with biographies in a close second at 29%.

From there, these interests are easily split up into demographics with those in the age group of 18 to 33 reading literature and graphic novels, while the mature age group of 65 and older is likely to read the mystery/crime genre, as well as westerns. You can also count on women being likely to read mystery, romance, chick lit, and religious books, while men primarily read science fiction, political books, and business books.

These are all factors that an agent will take into consideration since they want to sell a manuscript that the public is chomping at the bit to read. Perhaps the most popular genre in the US at this point is thrillers, although it is very difficult to make your novel stand out in this vast sea of competition. Additionally, with the Twilight series becoming a smash hit, young adult novels are becoming more and more popular for teenage girls.

With all of this information in mind, it is important to be aware of the market, but you still must stick to your individuality as a writer. If you are trying to chase a trend, by the time that an agent reads your manuscript, it will be too late.

Follow your passions, and create your own trend in the literary industry!

Editor’s Note: This is a guest post by Bethany Ramos.  Please read more about Bethany in the footer.

If you happen to be a writer of a difficult genre, like poetry or children’s books, it can become darn near impossible to get a literary agent, let alone hook up with the right publisher. The reason for this is that not only is competition fierce, but with the genre like poetry, it is highly selective and a difficult field to break into.

So what is an aspiring author to do?

After dozens and dozens of rejections from literary agents, you may consider the option of self-publishing.

But is it really the best idea for you?

Self-publishing has been around for years, and it has been often seen as a scam since many companies have attempted to get rich off of authors hoping to get published as quickly as possible. Nowadays, self-publishing is becoming more common and widely accepted, especially with the introduction of e-books.

That being said, self-publishing can be a good idea because it will save you time if you are getting door after door slammed in your face by literary agents, figuratively speaking. Instead of spending months hoping someone will pick up your book, you can instead focus on preparing your manuscript to get it published.

Want more control?

Additionally, many authors prefer the venue of self-publishing because it gives you creative control. You can print your work exactly the way you want it, and the self-publishing company will advertise your work for you. For a writer that is very turned off by the suggestions and edits required by literary agents and publishing houses, this is an effective way to get your pure work on the market.

Speaking of marketing, that is where some of the downfall of self-publishing becomes clearer. In some cases, you may be required to market the book yourself, and many larger bookstores may not be likely to stock your book on their shelves if it is self-published.

Many of the big dogs in the publishing industry also feel that self-publishing means that you are not a “real author”. Furthermore, many of the larger self-publishing companies now charge for their service packages, and some of that hefty cost will go to cover marketing. In the rare event that a self-publishing service is advertised to be free, it probably will have hidden costs.

Self-Publishing Sales Tactics

As an author on the lookout for a literary agent, be wary of being pursued by any literary agency hoping to make a sale from you. In my personal experience, these types of “agencies” are actually self-publishing companies hoping to sign you up for a package to make a commission off of you.

I actually had one publishing house send me a contract for my children’s book manuscript, which initially had me quite excited. However, when I read the fine print, they were requesting over $4000 from me as an author investment in good faith. While this company was not a self-publishing company, they were using the same methodology by sending me a colorful brochure with different publishing options and expecting me to invest cold hard cash.

So what is the bottom line?

When it comes to self-publishing, there is no hard and fast rule as to whether or not it is best for you. The truth is that if you have a compelling manuscript, it will likely get picked up by literary agent. However, if you don’t want to wait or deal with multiple rejections, you will have more control of your final product by investing money in self-publishing your work.

Editor’s Note: This is a guest post by Bethany Ramos.  Please read more about Bethany in the footer.

Once you have the pleasure of signing your manuscript with an agent, you need to clearly understand all that working with a literary agent entails!

Edit Your Manuscript

By this point, you have probably signed an agency agreement, and the literary agent may ask you to edit your manuscript to create the strongest final copy for sale. After you have done your final edits, it is time to back off and let your agent take the reins. This may be quite difficult for you to do at first since your manuscript has been your baby up until this point. If you’re working with an agent that you trust, which is hopefully the case, he or she will be able to put together the best list of suitable publishers who may be interested in your book.

Sell Your Manuscript

If you were put off by the many rejections when looking for literary agents, keep in mind that the rejection doesn’t stop there! You still need to anticipate being rejected by publishing houses since an agent can’t guarantee the sale of your manuscript. If your agent does receive several offers for your manuscript, they may choose to auction the book and take the best offer. If you only receive one offer, your agent will still tie up loose ends with other publishers who may be reviewing your manuscript.

Book Advance

If you publish with a big publisher or even small press, you will receive an advance with your offer. This advance could range anywhere from $1-$1 million, which is the money that you are supposed to live on as you work on the book. This advance reflects how much the publisher thinks that your book will earn when it is on the shelves, so the larger that the advance is, the more money that the publisher expects it to earn. If you are working with a smaller press, the advance will most likely be smaller, but you will be rewarded with more personal attention to your book!

Book Royalties

Your agent will also negotiate royalties on your behalf, which will not hit your pocket until a publisher earns back the amount of your advance. This means that your advance should be substantial enough to last and pay you for several years until your book makes enough sales to earn you more money. After these agreements have been made, your agent will continue to negotiate on your contract to try to give you as many rights as possible, which is just one more reason why it pays to have a literary agent on your side.

After the contract has been signed, which may take some time, you will begin to work directly with your editor and publisher to get the final product on the shelves! What a relief…

Editor’s Note: This is a guest post by Thomas Urville.  Please read about Thomas in the footer.

HubPages is a great way to diversify your web holdings and get your writing noticed by lots of folks who otherwise might not find your website.

Many folks who are new to online publishing find it difficult to get organic traffic from Google. It’s a catch-22: until Google ‘trusts’ your personal website, you’ll have a hard time getting noticed. But you won’t get noticed until you’ve earned some trust.

Webmasters often take advantage of the power of HubPages (or similar sites) to shortcut this trust acquisition process and send traffic (and Google link juice) to their websites.

But sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn’t. And many folks claim that it’s nothing more than a crapshoot. Either you get lucky and HubPages sends you some traffic, or your hub languishes in obscurity.

But that’s not exactly true. You don’t have to leave things to chance. It’s easy to get your hub noticed if you follow this simple trick:

Make your hub the right way and watch the traffic roll in

HubPages has a Google PageRank of 6. It’s ‘trusted’ in the eyes of the search engines.

And thanks to an aggressive internal linking setup, many high-quality hubs get their own share of this link juice, leading to great placement in the SERPs and plenty of links from other webmasters.

Your job is to get some of this link juice for yourself. And here’s how:

HubPages ‘tags’ and ‘hot hubs’

HubPages’ internal linking scheme involves tag pages. These pages link to hubs which all share the same tag. So, for instance, if you tag your hub with ‘writing‘, it’ll automatically get linked to other hubs with the same tag.

So, to get the most bang for your buck from this scheme, find the most valuable tags and use them on your new hub. Try this search in Google: site:hubpages.com/tag. Combine the results with a pagerank checker and you’ll find plenty of tags you should be using to maximize the internal linking power of hub pages.

For instance, here are some of the best tags used in HubPages:

• PageRank 4: entertainment, travel, music, movies, health
• PageRank 3: actress, diet, weight+loss, film

So, when you tag your hub with ‘entertainment’ and ‘movies’, it potentially gets two automatic pagerank 4 backlinks. And those are like money in the bank.

Associate your new hub with established, high-ranking hubs

But tag pages are only part of the story.

HubPages tags give you the chance to get links from other, high-ranking hubs. All you have to do is make sure your hub shares one or more tags with established, trusted hubs.

If the HubPages system determines that your page is a good match, it’ll automatically give you a link from other hubs. And this equals link juice and traffic.

So, find a popular, high-traffic hub and check out which tags are being used. As long as your hub is related, you should use the same tags because that gives you the best chance of getting a link placed in the ‘related hubs’ list. And that means traffic and link juice to your new hub.

So there you have it, a quick way to make sure your hubs are as strong as they can be. Pay attention to the tags you use next time you write a hub, they just might help you get the traffic you deserve.

Do you write for fun or profit? Looking to improve your writing skills? There is an opportunity at KSURF Virtual University to sign up for a FREE writing course by enrolling in the university for the first time.

In this in-depth writing course, you will learn how to come up with great story ideas, write material that editors will want to publish, polish your style, and move your writing career forward on a fast track to success.

The class begins on November 1st and you take the lessons at your own pace which should take about 4-6 weeks to complete.  The lessons include an extensive amount of material and includes tutorials, readings, and optional homework.

I plan on enrolling and will provide feedback when I am complete.  I am always looking to improve my skills, learn about ways to market and publish articles and books, and meet other writers and authors.

Note on this deal: Offer expires October 25, 2010. After that date, a standard $24.00 enrollment fee will apply. Individuals who have previously taken classes at Virtual University and those whose membership privileges have been administratively terminated are not eligible to participate in this offer.

While this is FREE right now, it may be worth paying the $24 to enroll in this course later, so don’t worry if you missed the deadline.

As a freelance writer, it can get frustrating when you are only finding low-paying gigs. Sure, in the beginning, it was great to see that first $5 or $10 payout for an article. Once upon a time, $.03 / word seemed lucrative.

Now, you feel, “I am worth more than that. I am ready to join the big leagues and take my writing serious.”  After a while, you may have built up your skills and are ready for bigger, higher paying pieces.

While there is money to be made with revenue sharing, these websites are opportunities for pay-per-piece.  Some of the submissions will have a long waiting period and payment is not instant.  PLEASE read the writer’s guidelines for each site to understand the terms.  Remember, you are a professional writer and no longer in the amateur boat, which means you get PAID to write.

1. Broken Pencil - This site is geared towards independent arts, alternative and independent culture. Pay: $30 – $300/article

2. International Living - A website with articles about saving or making money while traveling, working, retiring, or living overseas. Pay: $50/article

3. Blue Mountain Arts – Have creative greeting card poems or ideas?  Greeting card company. Pay: $50 one time submission or $300 for exclusive rights

4. Family Fun – A site that has more than 2 million subscribersbeen and around since 1991, with a focus on ideas and activities for families with children ages 3 to 12.  Pay: $1.25/word and up

5. Freelance Switch - Freelance writers can submit a useful, original blog post to Freelance Switch and earn money in the process. Pay: $50/blog post

6. SitePoint – for all those techno-internet-geeks out there, this a great place to share your knowledge on web-based technology.  Pay: $100 plus bonuses for page views

7. Northwest Magazine – those living in the northwestern U.S.  can contribute non-fiction, essay-type regional interest articles to this website.  Pay:  $100-$650, depending on story type.

8. US Airways Magazine – This airline is looking for various travel or feature articles for their magazine. Pay: $1.00/word

9. Poetry Foundation – If poetry is your preferred writing method and you have some talent in that genre, this site accepts various types of poetry submissions.  Pay: $300 +

10. Road & Travel Looking to write an article about autos, travel, and personal safety topics aimed at upscale consumers, with a slant towards women, 29-59. Pay: $25 – $100/article.