What to Buy Writers for Christmas

Posted on by Ed Cyzewski

You could pick up your writer friend a gift card to Barnes and Noble or Amazon, but what if you could pick up your friend something that will almost certainly help him/her take a step forward toward publishing? What if you could give someone a useful tool for his/her writing career?

I’ve been thinking for the past few days about putting together a list of a few services and books that I use a lot as a writer, but then I thought it may be a bit more useful as a gift-giving guide. If you want to know what I use for invoices, advertising, etc., check out the end of this post. For now I give you my gift guide for writers…

 

Creating Fiction

How much would you pay to attend the top MFA writing workshops in America? Would you be interested in learning the best advice from each professor? This handy textbook is an incredible resource that provides just that. It’s an amazing book with tips on everything from characters to plot construction. If you want to publish fiction, you need the advice in this book. It blows my mind pretty consistently.

Hooked: Write Fiction That Grabs Readers at Page One and Never Lets Go

This may be one of the most entertaining books I’ve read on writing, aside from Bird by Bird. Filled with practical advice and great examples, this book makes starting a novel easy and accessible.

A Moleskine Lined Journal

My writing thrives on giving focused attention to my ideas, and an old-fashioned journal is the perfect tool for writing down ideas and developing them without the distractions of my computer. These journals are relatively affordable, sturdy, and fun to use. Almost everything I write begins as a few ideas in my Moleskine.

A Nook Touch

You may be suspicious that I’ve included a big ticket item in my list, or you may question why I’ve chosen the touch and not a Kindle Fire. I have my reasons. For starters, every writer needs an e-reader because publishers are constantly throwing free and cheap books at us. At the start of NanoWriMo, I was able to download 6 excellent books on writing for free. Marketing companies send me free e-books all of the time about managing my website and social media accounts. There’s so much out there, you need something that you can use to read it all.

I endorse the Nook Touch in particular because it’s first of all a dedicated e-reader. There’s no temptation to check e-mail. Just read. Focus on one thing. I love that about my Nook. In addition, I like Barnes and Noble because it at least supports physical book stores where real human beings can get together, look at books, and interact about ideas. I use Amazon for some online shopping, but I shudder at the thought of Amazon closing down every book store in the country.

When it comes to technical end of things, the Nook Touch has been the darling of online technology sites with its easy to use interface that makes the previous Kindle model look like the ugly duckling.

A Path to Publishing: What I Learned by Publishing a Nonfiction Book

This is perhaps my most self-serving item on the list, but hear me out. There are great books out there on how to write a proposal, how to market a book, and how to prepare for publishing. I’m not as experienced as all of those other writers, but I do have one advantage on them: I published a book fairly recently and I wrote this book right after my book’s first year. I have yet to find another book that pays so much attention to the process of becoming a nonfiction author from start to finish.

I wrote this book as a first step, an introduction to publishing that teaches readers how to plan for the future, how to write a proposal, how to write a draft of a book, how to work with an editor, and how to promote it. The reviews have all been positive, and the endorsements quite strong. I wouldn’t include this book here if I many readers hadn’t told me how the book helped them.

 

That does it for gift ideas. However, if you want to know what else I recommend for freelance writers, there are 3 services that I recommend using.

PayPal

I try to get checks from customers when possible, but PayPal makes it possible to receive payments from international clients and from customers who prefer the convenience of online billing. 

Thumbtack.com

I apply for very few jobs. Rather, I post my services on Thumbtack and set up an auto-post of my advertisement to Craig’s List every three days. I have found all of my clients through Thumbtack. Even better, Thumbtack notifies you when someone has posted a project in my field of expertise! It makes advertising so incredibly easy, I can’t imagine freelancing without it.

Freshbooks

I hate paperwork and spreadsheets, and Freshbooks makes all of that go away. By simply tracking my time throughout the week in Freshbooks, I can send out invoices to my clients and track whether they are late for payments or whether their accounts are up to date. Freshbooks allows you to manage 3 clients for free, which makes it practical for a small operation like mine, while allowing me room to grow in the future. Once again, I would hate freelancing if it wasn’t for Freshbooks.

What Should Writers Charge for Freelance Writing?

Posted on by Ed Cyzewski

Setting freelance writing rates is one of the most difficult parts of launching a writing business. Writers can find plenty of work if they’re willing to work for $5 per article or $8 per hour, but for those of us who are professionals doing this full time, we need to earn a living wage.

It’s tricky to figure out an ideal freelance writing rate since every client and project is quite different. One potential client had a 200 page double-spaced document that she wanted me to edit for $50—total. I didn’t take that project on.

Here are a few guidelines I follow in setting my price:

What is the nature of the freelance writing work?

Am I researching, development editing, blogging, proofreading, writing from scratch, or developing an entire plan for communication and marketing? Certain kinds of projects are more demanding, and therefore the price goes up. My lower prices are reserved for research and proofreading with development editing and communications work hit the higher range.

Who is the client?

Depending on the situation, I sometimes give clients price breaks. In the case of self-publishing authors, I’ll try to aim lower since all of the expenses are coming out of their pockets, and they can’t possibly understand how difficult and costly it will be to market their books! In the case of business clients, I may consider discounts for regular clients who consistently provide me with work.

What are the industry price guidelines for freelance writing?

Industry standards vary according to regions and segment of the writing business. The Writer’s Market guide has an extensive pricing list that puts my kind of work in the $15-$60 per hour price range depending on what it is. I try to aim somewhere in the middle to low middle of that price range, with $15 being my lowest rate for very specific projects and situations.

The number of clients who have balked at my prices are roughly equal number to those who have signed me on. I hope that enables me to focus on serving clients who truly value my services, rather than having to work at minimum wage for clients who don’t appreciate what a writer can do.

Why Hire a Professional Writer? 5 Reasons to Hire a Writer

Posted on by Ed Cyzewski

Perhaps you’re running a business, and you’re considering whether it’s really worth hiring a writer to put together a communications piece. Or perhaps you’re a writer hoping to be hired by a company, but you aren’t quite sure how to quantify the value you bring.

Based on my experiences as a freelance writer over the past five years, here are some reasons why it’s worth hiring a professional writer:

  • Writers offer an outside perspective and feedback that add clarity to a message.
  • Writers choose stronger and fewer words in the pursuit of clarity.
  • Writers know how to delete the parts of a message that aren’t working.
  • Writers have experience quickly recognizing problems in a book, article, or communications piece.
  • Writers with experience know techniques and forms that work for particular writing pieces.

Whether editing a book or writing copy for a web site, I find that my clients usually hire me because I can quickly write something clear and concise. Most of my clients feel lost in a forest of words and ideas, and I chop out the non-essentials that are obscuring the path forward, leaving the sturdy trees and adding blazes so they know which way to go.

In fact, my book A Path to Publishing does something quite similar for prospective authors.

Ironically, even the most talented authors need talented editors, who are also skilled writers by another name, to eliminate rabbit trails and dead ends. That’s because no matter how good you are, when it’s your own book, article, press release, web site, newsletter, or whatever else, you’re often too close to the material to effectively evaluate its clarity.

That’s where writers can prove invaluable. Every author and business has something to communicate, and writers help send that message out quickly and effectively.

However, the monetary value of a writer’s work is quite another matter, even if we can all appreciate the need for writers today. A fair wage for writers is where we’re going next, though I can’t promise to be completely objective on that one.

Why I Don’t Have Joy

Posted on by Ed Cyzewski

We like being happy. We crave joy. However, do we have joy? Do we even know what joy is? And lastly, if we don’t have joy, why not?

Here are a few thoughts on why we don’t have joy and how to find it":

Are Joy and Happiness the same?

Probably not. At least, a brief scan of other blog posts suggests that most people don’t think they’re the same. I dig a little digging of my own, and here’s what I found:

Happiness is more of an emotional reaction or something that is temporary based on circumstances. Joy can be manifested as happiness, but it has more to do with an attitude or state of mind—not necessarily reacting to circumstances. Joy also refers to happiness at a higher level. Dictionary.com defines it as: “emotion of great delight or happiness caused by something exceptionally good or satisfying; keen pleasure; elation.”

So the question remains: Why don’t I have joy?

I Look for Joy in Circumstances

I’m really good at trying to control my circumstances. Even if I manage to yield myself to God’s will in one situation, another one comes along that is slightly different, and it’s like, “Oh no! God obviously didn’t see THIS coming. I’d better worry and try to control this!”

It’s as if he’d never done anything for me before. When my efforts to control life fail or things don’t pan out in the way I expect, I certainly won’t find joy. And even if things do work out sometimes, the joy I seek will not last. There will always be something else that will bring worry and threaten my ability to control circumstances.

I Expect Joy to Just Happen

Besides the times I try to control life in order to produce joy, I can also miss it by waiting for it. If I keep out of trouble, I expect joy to come knocking one day like Ed McMahon—“You’re a winner!” We don’t win joy like a lottery ticket. It is not won so cheaply.

I Look for Joy in the Wrong Places

It seems there is a counterfeit for every good thing in life. We can seek love in all the wrong places and even sing a song about it. Joy has many short-term counterfeits that typically are based on the happiness brought about by circumstances,  not the lasting joy that comes from outside of ourselves.

I Forget Where Joy Comes From

I’ll be honest: I haven’t experienced a lot of joy. At least, I feel like I should be experiencing a lot more joy than I currently experience since I’m an expert at keeping busy and avoiding God. The greatest moments of joy come when I’ve opened myself to God and allowed him to speak in my life. When I’m encouraged by the joy that comes from God, I have a sense of acceptance, comfort, and love that can overcome my circumstances.

When I’m filled with God’s joy, I can share it freely with others. I’m aware of someone larger than myself and can take my eyes away from my fears and desires. God’s joy teaches me to delight in the things he values.

When God’s joy is streaming into my life, there is no way that anyone or anything can stop it or bottle it up.

For More Posts on Joy: Read Bonnie Gray’s “Top 3 Misconceptions about Joy.”

10 Lessons from a Year of Magazine Writing

Posted on by Ed Cyzewski

A year ago I started sending magazine queries to editors on a regular basis. Just the other day I looked over some old queries from last August and September. Man, they were awful.

I should have just followed up my query with a plea to not even read them.

You could say I’ve learned something over the past year, especially since my number of accepted and published articles has significantly increased over the past three months. Here are some lessons that may help you as you query magazine editors:

  1. Brevity. Lead your query with two sentences—three maximum. Check a Writer’s Market for sample letters.
  2. Ask about theme lists before querying. If the guidelines are not listed online, e-mail about them too. Make your first contact with an editor a positive one.
  3. Scan the magazine and read a bit of it to get an idea of the tone and the departments. Most editors say, “Read several editions of our magazine.” Most published freelancers say, “Yeah, whatever.”
  4. Query often. Get so many queries out there that you practically lose track of them.
  5. “No” is not the same as a ban from sending future queries. Try something else.
  6. Feedback in a rejection letter is a good sign. Send another query within two weeks.
  7. Focus on practical, how-to articles in the beginning. Ask yourself, “What do readers of this magazine need to know about?” “What are the problems they’re trying to solve?”
  8. Don’t pitch 3,000 word feature articles right off the bat. Query short, 200-500 word pieces.
  9. Proof read query letters 3 times, with an hour break in between your second and third reading.
  10. Work from small to large. Aim for smaller magazines with less circulation and lower pay before shooting for the big guys. You have a lot to learn if you’re starting off. When you do shoot for the big guys, write on spec. It will eventually pay off, but you need to work your way up.

As with any tips in writing, these are not hard and fast rules. The rules of writing are made to be broken. However, these ten lessons are often on my mind as I send out queries to magazines. Good luck!

Why the First 5,000 Words of a Book Are Easy to Write

Posted on by Ed Cyzewski

NotebookPen3

As I work on book ideas, map out proposals, and tap away at sample chapters, I have noticed one consistent trend: the first 5,000 words are easy. Then the rest ranges between trudging through a mud pit and swimming against a rip tide.

Progress can be made, but it won’t be easy.

I typically find the first 5,000 words to be a breeze since I can see an idea or story clearly. I know how I want to begin, why it’s important, and who I’m writing for. I don’t need piles of research to get started since I’m focusing on launching or summarizing the story/idea.

However, once I move beyond the first or second chapter, I run into my information/story wasteland where the initial enthusiasm and sparks fizzle. Though I want to do nothing more than write, I need to do something else.

A book requires outlines, research, brain storming, and a lot of planning. An editor from a major Christian publisher once mentioned that Donald Miller’s Blue Like Jazz is one of the most carefully planned books out there, even though readers often think it reads like he just wrote down random stuff that came to mind.

In planning the books I want to write over the next five years, a significant part of the process involves very little writing. In fact, the writing will be terrible if I don’t have the structure and substance on hand. I may be able to write a clever sentence or tell a fun anecdote, but at a certain point readers will wonder where it’s going and what I actually have to say.

Getting beyond those first 5,000 words to a substantive book is quite difficult. It’s way more challenging than I would have guessed. However, if you invest enough time in laying the groundwork of your book on the front end of the process, you’ll find that the rest of your book will begin to flow, even if it’s not as easy as those first 5,000 words that seemed to walk out of your head and onto your screen with hardly a nudge.

Outline, research, and review your plans. Take your time, and dive into your writing when you have enough pieces in place. You just may break free from the mud pit or figure out a way around the current’s pull.

A Writer’s Secret Weapon: Honest Feedback

Posted on by Ed Cyzewski

redpen

When I wrote a short story for a contest a few months ago I gave it to my wife and to a friend for feedback. They both love to read, but I hadn’t anticipated the results.

My wife felt comfortable telling me that it was terrible. My friend just said it was alright.

I thought they would both say something similar, but my wife ended up giving me the feedback I needed in order to rework my story. She was right. The original one didn’t work.

Paying $15 to enter a lousy story into a contest is not my goal.

Just about every article that passes the “wife test” is accepted by an editor or at least receives praise. One story, that passed the wife test, even received an honorable mention in a Glimmer Train contest.

I’m lucky to have such a talented reader in my home that I can trust implicitly to provide honest feedback. She is my secret weapon who has saved me a lot of disappointment and frustration in the long run.

I have read similar stories from writers who rely heavily upon one trusted reader who is sometimes a spouse and other times a member of a critique group. Keep in mind that a spouse is not always the best choice for feedback.

What to look for in a reader:

  • Interest in the same subject matter.
  • Attention to the details in your genre (eg. what makes for a good plot in a novel).
  • Trust and comfort to tell you the truth.

No writer can catch all of his/her mistakes. If there’s a hole in an argument, a weak point in the plot, or an explanation that falls flat, oftentimes an attentive and critical reader is one of the safest bets in finding them. If you’re waiting for an editor to catch your mistakes, chances are you’ll just receive a form letter saying, “Your work does not meet our current needs.”

That could be a clue that you really need better feedback before you submit your work.

Praise in the Midwest Book Review

Posted on by Ed Cyzewski

Last week I received a note that A Path to Publishing had been reviewed in the Midwest Book Review. The editor Jim Cox shared the following conclusion:

“Of special note are the chapters focused on Preparing Your Proposal; Publishing Options; Working with an Editor; and Marketing Your Work. Thoroughly ‘user friendly’ and superbly presented, ‘A Path to Publishing: What I Learned by Publishing a Nonfiction Book’ is a very strongly recommended read for any and all aspiring writers seeking to turn their manuscripts into profitably published books.”

You can read the rest of his review under his introductory note at the latest edition of the Midwest Book Review online.

How to Know if Your Book Idea Works: Is It Better Than Good?

Posted on by Ed Cyzewski

I have had a lot of book ideas. Only one has been published by a relatively large commercial publisher.

The rest hang out on my hard drive. The most promising are listed on a white board next to my desk waiting for something to click. A few made it to the desks of editors as book proposals, and some of them were even greeted as good book ideas with excellent writing.

Alas, no contract, no book.

It’s quite hard to evaluate the merit of a book idea, but one thing that helps me weed them out before I bug my agent or an editor is the “better than good” standard. In other words, my book idea needs to be really exceptional if I’m going to invest the time and energy required for a book. I usually ask myself questions like these:

Am I passionate about it?

Does thinking about it keep me up at night?

Can I NOT write this book?

Those are tough questions that have killed about ten projects that were all the rage with me for a few months. When they fizzled and failed to re-fizzle themselves, I knew that I made the right call.

At this point I’m testing about two or three ideas for future books, seeking feedback from trusted friends, and experimenting with them. Once I have a better idea of what their main concepts will be, I’ll start asking the hard questions.

If I can’t answer with an unequivocal, “Yes!” then I know I won’t be able to invest the time and energy required to form the proposal, pitch the book, write it, edit it, and then market it until I drop.

This incredible expenditure of energy in publishing makes it all the more critical that authors are passionate about their book ideas. If not, then they have a long year ahead of them!

The next post in this series: In my next post I’ll talk about the ways I make sure my book ideas are unique. However, you’ll unfortunately need to wait until July 19th for that one! We’ll be away on vacation for a week, so hang in there. I promise to keep sharing the goods when I return.

When Can You Call Yourself a “Writer”?

Posted on by Ed Cyzewski

In speaking with many publishing hopefuls, bloggers, and other folks who dabble in writing, I often hear them question whether they can truly call themselves “a writer.”

They all write words on a page or on a computer.

Some have quite a few readers on their web sites.

And yet, they hesitate in calling themselves “writers.”

Why?

Because they haven’t published in magazines or they haven’t published books. They just think of themselves as word tinkers.

I used to think the same of myself before I published a book. At the time my only writing credit was an online magazine and a defunct humor magazine. Then someone said in an E-mail, “You’re a writer. Now you just need someone to pay you for it and some fame.”

It was a jarring comment. I’d built my identity as a writer around external sources of validation, namely money and popularity.

Here’s the thing, having published in several magazines, several books, and online over the past five years, I can just about guarantee you’ll never think you have enough money or popularity to call yourself a writer because there will always be someone with more money and more readers.

While there are good writers and writers who have a long way to go before they’re good, perhaps the matter of calling yourself a “writer” rests more with the individual. Do you personally believe you can call yourself a writer based on the work you do?

Forget money.

Forget fame.

Do you write seriously? Do you care about the words you put on the page? Is your writing an important part of who you are?

If you can answer yes to questions such as these, then you probably are a writer. Very few writers go on to make a lot of money or to become household names, so just focus on loving what you do, put your best into it, and savor every time a reader shares positive feedback about your work no matter how you publish it.

Writing is about crafting words for readers. Set goals for yourself, but never confuse legitimate writing with the side benefits of money and popularity.