As a freelance writer who works alone, sometimes I need someone to bounce ideas off. Not necessarily about writing, but about all the things that go with writing: steady income streams (I wish…), career plans, juggling several projects at once. Last year I had some...
It can be a lonely road to the top. This week is a round up of publishing tips. Next post, I’ll focus on how to write a winning proposal. Traditional Publishing This requires a decent proposal sent to an agent or direct to a publisher. If you...
It’s taken me a bit longer to get there, but here are my tips on how to write that outstanding proposal. Firstly, writing and re-writing a proposal can take several months. Whether you pitch to a publisher or an agent, you usually only have one shot,...
A reoccurring theme in my writing workshops among participants is that what they have to say, or want to say, isn’t interesting to other people. How many times have I heard this sort of comment (usually slightly plaintive): ‘I don’t think anyone will care about my...
Whether you write for business or pleasure, whether it’s the odd travel article or a full-length book, it helps to have a community of other writers around you. Sometimes ‘talking shop’ with someone who understands your world can be a lifesaver. A couple of years ago,...
Last week I printed out the not-quite-there-yet manuscript of the book I’m working on. I’ve been trying to get to the end of it for months. I can see the end in my head shining like a beacon at the end of a very long...
How much time do you fritter away on email? How many minutes are lost tweeting, poking, following and linking-in? It’s very easy to start your day and check your messages, and find that two hours have gone, and guess what, you’re still… replying to emails. With...
Recently I’ve been re-reading old journals for one of my book projects. It’s exciting to remember people and events I’ve long forgotten but I wince at some of my banal turns of phrase: ‘the view was breathtaking, the landscape beautiful.’ Yuck! Keeping a travel journal for...
These days the process of writing intrigues me as much as the content. Whenever I have a chance to interview a famous (or not-so-famous) writer, I like to ask what drives them to write. Several years ago I spoke to Chilean author, Isabel Allende, who wrote,...
I’ve written about how to edit book-length pieces of work but this post covers how to cut a travel article. These days it’s rare to get a commission for more than 1200 words. So, say, you have written 2,500 words and your brief is 800 words....