Break from Blogging

Hello my friends,

I have decided to take a break from blogging. I don't know for how long, but I'm going to keep this blog up for when I decide to return to it. :)

Don't worry though, I'm still going to be reading your blogs and will probably have even more time to comment on them. ;)

If you look to the side, you'll see where you can e-mail me and connect with me on Facebook.


April

Favourite authors

It's an interesting thing, I am more fascinated by the life of Sylvia Plath than her actual works (poems more specifically). I do enjoy her books/stories. And I've heard there are clips on YouTube of Sylvia herself doing reading of her work. I really need to check those out.

Another author I enjoy reading has been V.C. Andrews. Her stories are quite twisted and she actually died a while ago and someone else has been writing stories like her, under her name. They keep me interested. I wish there was more about the life of V.C. Andrews out there. A lot of the stories are now in a way repeating themselves, but with different characters. The person writing them needn't stick so close to the original plot lines, I don't think.

Most recently, I have been reading Maureen Lee and Beverly Lewis. Enjoying them very much. Lucky for me they both have many books ;)

So, who are your favourite authors?

Writing quizzes this week

This week I am busy writing a new batch of quizzes. They are one of my favourite things to write and I am bummed that there aren't more markets for teen quizzes.

I was happy to receive a contract from Blue Mountain this week for one of my poems.

Your Writing Spot

Where do you like to write? Are you strictly a computer/laptop person? Do you have a cozy chair that you write in?

For me, I don’t do much writing at the computer. I type things out here, mainly. Although lately I have been known to outline article ideas on paper, and then writing them out on the computer. It’s just quicker that way. But for the most part, I love to write on the couch. It’s comfy. And I love to write on paper. I have all my books by my side, and a hot cup of tea. Perfect. I also have a view outside, which is nice.

I have been trying my hand at bits and pieces of fiction lately also and though I’m doing that in a notebook currently, I wonder when/if I ever decide to do a novel, if I will find it quicker to write straight on the computer. I’ll cross that bridge when/if I ever come to it. If you write books, where do you write them?

Usually, I don’t even turn on the computer until I am ready to come online (which let’s admit doesn’t take too long). Blog entries are the one thing I do write directly on my computer, always.

So, tell us about your most loved writing spot.

Kids of Polk Street

This, I think, was the first series of books I read (Kids of Polk Street by Patricia Reilly Giff). I borrowed the books from both the school library and the public library. I hadn't thought about the series in years and when I did I learned the library doesn't have them anymore. Sad!
So, I am thinking of buying the books and starting a collection of these books I used to love so.
The only thing is, I need to make sure (if at all possible) to get the books with the original illustrations. The new ones just don't do it for me. The cover art is part of the thrill for me. Just seeing them takes me back. The new ones just won't do that.

So, what were your favourite books when you were a kid? Do you still read them?

111 Market Links

While searching online for new markets, I came across this page that has 111 links where you can search for new markets.

Check it out here

What are you reading?

Hello, friends.

I am currently reading:

Black Dahlia Avenger (a true story)
by Steve Hodel

Did They Really Do It?
by Fred Rosen

What are you reading?

When Editors Don’t Respond

We’ve all dealt with this because I’ve seen the conversations on other blogs and forums. We submit work and don’t hear anything about our submissions. We wait, we write asking about our submission and still hear nothing.

Recently, I e-mailed a lot of editors asking if they buy reprints. I got many answers saying yes. So of course I submitted to them. Now the editors don’t seem to be around. I always use my subject line properly, which might explain why in a matter of minutes I got answers about reprints. But I use my subject line wisely when it comes to submissions also.

Personal replies are nice, but if that’s not possible (who has the time with all the submissions editors must get), why not use a form letter? After all, it is better than nothing.

Here are my questions for you, my fellow writers:

1. If the guidelines don’t state approximately how long it takes to hear from them, how long do you wait before sending your piece elsewhere?

2. Once you realize that an editor doesn’t respond, do you give up submitting to that market? Or do you keep on submitting, just keeping yourself to a strict schedule when it comes to moving on with that piece?

3. When you move on with a piece, do you send an e-mail withdrawing your submission from the first place?

Any other tips or ideas you have for what to do when you submit to markets where editors don’t respond if they’re not interested?

Getting ready for May

Pardon the few days away from blogging. It’s been busy around here.

April was the month I was going to use for spring cleaning. Of course I started off strong and ended with not getting much done. I’m giving myself 2 more weeks, and then as far as spring cleaning goes, I’m done.

I’m also busy getting ready for May. Things I usually do at the end of the month:

*Organize my computer
*Organize my desk
*Set goals for the new month
*Go through old records and discover which pieces are ready to be submitted again
(sometime this week I need to blog about what happens when you hear back from few editors aside from ones you work with often)
*My new thing, sending invoices

What do you do to get ready for a new month?

P.S. Can you believe it's almost May? This year is flying!

Quote for the day

"What matters most is that we learn from living"
-Doris Lessing

What are you reading?

I am currently reading:

Dance With The Devil: A Memoir of Murder and Loss
By David Bagby

and

The Martha Rules
by Martha Stewart

What are you reading?

Sell Reprints

This morning I went through my sales from the last couple of years (yes I know, I don’t do this often enough) and gathered all the articles that I am able to sell again as reprints. If you retained the rights and are able to resell articles, do it. Otherwise you’re missing out on making more money from that one article. You could sell it again for years.

I am quite new to selling reprints, I’ve only sold a couple. It’s just something that’s never on my mind. But I am getting on it now. This morning I have also been searching for reprints markets and e-mailing editors to ask if they buy reprints.

If you have the time today, why don’t you see what you’ve got to sell in the reprint area?

Write Tight E-mails

Are you wasting time with e-mails that drag on, but say nothing? Do you get those kind of e-mails? Instead of writing a novel (even if someone else writes you one), start writing tighter e-mails today.

1. Answers questions posed to you first
This is only polite. Answer them as needed, don’t go into drawn out answers unless asked for more details. Never assume that someone needs a complete explantion.

2. Give your latest news
Don’t bother with the “I did dishes, then I watched tv, then I checked e-mail.” People don’t care about that. Real news. Like what you’re working on. If you sold anything recently.

3. Ask something of the other person
Whether you ask how they are doing (you don’t have to do this up front, you can ask how they are at the end, it makes for a somewhat nice roundup), or something specific that you know they are working on, ask them something.

Needless to say, always be polite. Open and close with a salutation of whatever kind works for you. The best e-mails are the ones that are short, but say so much. And of course, writing tighter e-mails will save you time. And that’s what we’re all looking for.

Quote for the day

"We all die. Not everyone truly lives."
-William Wallace "Braveheart"

Preparing blog posts

Over the weekend, when I got the idea for Monday’s blog post, I opened and labelled a file “MondayBlog.” It then occurred to me that if I had a file for each day of the week it would make for a much easier time in preparing posts. So, when I was done posting on Monday, I erased the post from my file, left it blank, but kept the file for next time. Then I proceeded to make a file for each day of the week. TuesBlog, WedBlog, etc. It’s not often that I have an overflowing amount of blog post ideas, so I’m sure the 7 files will be enough.

Do you prepare blog posts in advance? How many do you normally have?
And how do you organize them for yourself?