Showing posts with label story. Show all posts
Showing posts with label story. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 22, 2015
How to Make a Living Writing Children's Books
Read what is being published now. Books that were published in the 1980s would not be published today, said Andrea Brown, agent with Random House Children's Books. Children are more savvy and sophisticated, and current books being published reflect that. Familiarize yourself with the newest publications. Identify the publishers of books that are similar to your writing style.
Consider smaller markets. Many aspiring authors earn credentials and publishing credits by targeting children magazines. Having publishing credits to list in your query letter may get the attention of a book editor.
Write from the heart, and often. Brown notes that successful children's book publishers do not have children in the house. They write from the child within. When you have written the book, go back and revise until the story sparkles.
Join a critique group. Having feedback on the manuscript you think is perfect is vital for discovering handicaps you may be overlooking or gaining other tips on improving your writing. Critique groups can form networks and allies in your quest to be a children's book author. Find a critique group through newspaper listings, online meetup websites or by joining a professional organization, such as the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators.
Format your manuscript for submission. Visit the target publisher's website for details on the preferred format. Most picture book publishers will want the entire manuscript, typed double-spaced with one-inch margins. Include your last name, the title and page number in the top righthand corner of each page.
Include a query or cover letter if specified by the publisher. This can be three paragraphs: one to give the reader a hook, another to summarize your manuscript and a third to introduce yourself and your qualifications as a writer. This is where publishing credits from magazines and other small markets work in your favor.
Submit your manuscript. Note if the target publisher accepts multiple submissions. If this is not specified, you can only submit to this publisher and must wait until you hear from this publisher. Also note if a self-addressed stamped envelope needs to be included. Publishers use that to send back your manuscript if it is not needed, but recent trends stray from the SASE, with the publisher recycling your manuscript if it is not published. Publishers who do not accept a SASE will likely post a time period for contacting you on their website, usually three to six months.
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Friday, September 18, 2015
How to Earn Money Writing Short Stories
Hone your writing skills and polish your stories as much as possible before you begin submitting to professional publications. Editors often disregard stories that show little concern for the mechanics of language.
Read widely in your chosen genre. This will give you an idea of the types of stories favored by the editors you are about to contact as well as what was recently published. Knowing this increases your chances of having a story selected for paid publication.
Research potential markets in a publication, such as 'The Writer's Market' or 'The Literary Marketplace.' Note each publication where your story might be appropriate, along with the pay rate for that publication. Follow up by checking the submission guidelines on each publication's website, which are updated more frequently than the market guides.
Look for anthology and short story collection markets as well as fiction magazines and nonfiction periodicals that accept some fiction. The more markets you can contact, the better your chances of getting paid for your story.
Prepare your submission package by following all guidelines exactly. If a market says it does not accept 'Simultaneous submissions,' you must wait to hear back from that market before submitting the same story to a different market. 'No multiple submissions' means you cannot submit more than one story to that market at a time. Once you hear back on your first story, you may send the next.
Submit to the highest-paying markets with the shortest response times first. Keep several stories out at a time to various markets to increase your chances of having a story purchased. Track your submissions carefully so you don't resubmit to the same market.
Fill in and return all contracts on time once your stories are purchased. The publishing industry is notoriously slow to pay writers, so don't give them any reason to be late with your check. Read your contract carefully to find when payment is due. Politely remind the editor about payment if your check is late.
Continue to write and submit short stories, keeping several in each stage at one time to gain the most opportunities for payment.
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Monday, September 14, 2015
How to Write a Sales Letter for an Affiliate Product
Hook your reader immediately with a catchy subject line. Make sure they open your email. If they don't open it, they don't read the sales letter inside.
Be professional in your approach. The letter should be written in the first person, use simple language and be less than one page. Keep it simple. Don't forget to proofread.
Tell a story. Make it about something they can relate to or it can be about you. Just be sure it's compelling. A good story also includes questions that the reader needs to answer.
Offer your customers something free. It can be a newsletter subscription, a computer script, an eBook or anything else. The main thing is for them to feel like they got something in return for the time they spent reading your sales letter.
Personalize the letter. Mention someone the reader knows. It can be a quote from a well-known person, or it can be a reference to their next door neighbor. You can customize auto-responders that send affiliate sales letters however you want them.
Build a relationship with your customer in your sales letter. They might not purchase this affiliate product. If you have a good relationship, they are more likely to recall your professionalism the next time you send them a letter.
Include a call to action. You want people to buy your product and sign up as your affiliate. Tell them that in plain language.
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Friday, September 11, 2015
How to Earn a Second Income (5 Steps)
Determine your availability. Before you can begin to earn a second income you must determine the amount of time you have to dedicate to doing so. Are you available nights or only weekends? Do you have family or additional work obligations that will affect the amount of time you can put into earning a second income? All of these questions should be answered before moving forward.
Determine your interests. Finding a second source of income is relatively easy but finding one that you enjoy doing is another story. Determine what you like to spend your free time doing and research opportunities. For example, if you like dogs you can start a part time dog walking business or if you like the beach you can lifeguard on the weekends. While it would be more enjoyable to be doing something that is of interest to you, you may have to settle for something that is not.
Research opportunities. Look on the internet, newspapers and local job sites. Don't be afraid to let people know that you are looking for a source of second income. Also, consider starting your own business based on the needs of those around you.
Be prepared to give up some of your free time. Working for a second income may seem easy but requires you to give up extra curricular activities and events. Determine how important a second income is to you and be prepared to temporarily decline invitations to parties and events.
Dedicate yourself. A second job may seem secondary to everything else around you but your employer will feel otherwise. Give the same amount of dedication and respect that you give to your primary job and you will reap the benefits.
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Tuesday, September 8, 2015
How to Earn The Daisy Petals Girl Scout Promise Center
Read the Girl Scout promise out loud to the Daisy troop. Daisy girls are in kindergarten and first grade. Some of them will not be able to read. Break the promise into sections in order to try to memorize the promise.
Explain what a promise is to the troop. Ask the girls to tell about a time they made a promise to someone. As they talk about the promises they have made to others, expand on each girls' story. Illustrate how they were being a good and honorable friend with each promise.
Find a project in the community that will show the girls how they can serve their country, even at their young age. The girls can collect money for a new flag at the school, clean up the cemetery before Memorial Day, make muffins for Veterans Day or learn how to fold the United States flag.
In the promise, the girls vow to serve God. Ask them to speak with a parent about how they can serve God in their lives.
Take a field trip to understand the being helpful at all times promise. The Daisies focus is gardening. Focus on the gardening theme when teaching the Daisies how to be helpful. Take the girls out in the community with trash bags and rakes. Rake the yard of an elderly neighbor.
The blue promise center is presented to each Daisy when the troop leader feels she understands the promise. The girls work on adding each petal of the daisy after they have earned the promise center.
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