"Dear Peggy, how do you find balance..."

Joy asks:
"How do you find balance being a freelance writer? Is it difficult to keep on top of all the different assignments you have to complete?"


Hi Joy,
Great question. The key to finding balance is probably organization. I’m a fairly organized person, but I still don’t think I’ve truly succeeded in finding balance. There is always a project I want to write waiting in the wings! Yes, it’s very difficult to keep on top of many different assignments. I know some people who strictly schedule their time—9 to 11am, work on magazine article, 12-3pm, write query, etc. But that never works for me. Still, I always follow a To Do list, which I’ve broken down into categories "Write" "Rewrite" "Resubmit" and "Call." I also have notes all over my desk calendar! You’re right, finding balance is important, and I know you can do it!

"Dear Peggy, are magazines looking for any 'hot topics' right now?"

Joyce asks:
"Are magazines looking for any "hot topics" right now? I’m already submitting fillers, evergreen articles and service pieces. All those items are supposed to be a good starting point. I’ve had encouraging responses but no acceptances … yet."


Hi Joyce,
It’s difficult to define a general "hot topic" for all magazines. Evergreen articles do seem to be in demand right how. Holiday pieces are almost always appreciated. Keep your ears open to current trends, but act fast. I assume you are already studying the market needs in magazines such as Writer’s Market and Writer’s Guidelines. Also, each magazine’s website often provides editorial needs. Several magazines have themes determined for the entire year. One such magazine is Pockets. Check out their website for details, and see if you find a good fit. I hope you get that acceptance soon!

"Dear Peggy, I have an idea for another book..."

Jen asks:
"I have an idea for another book that would be a compilation of stories from women around the country. The first part of my question is, how would I get these stories? Do I put an advertisement somewhere soliciting stories, buying a mailing list, etc? I’ve seen it done again but I don’t know how it is accomplished.
"The second part of that question is, gathering these stories. I am assuming I also need permission to publish their stories without compensation. Is this correct? How should this be worded?"

Hey Jen,
The website is a wonderful tool to connect with women all over the country. My suggestion is to start a website and advertise for contributions to your book on there. You can create your own simple website for free with google pages. Or if possible, hire someone to build a site for you. Advertising in a writer’s magazine is another idea, or a magazine relevant to your topic. Make it clear before hand that there’d be no payment for these stories. Most authors do offer a copy of the book, however. Yes, you will need consent from the women. When you accept their story, you should then send them a contributor’s consent form. I’m sorry, I’m not really sure of the exact wording. Maybe you could search for that information online. Good luck!

"Peggy, I've been a freelancer for almost a decade."

Kate asks:
"I’ve been a freelancer for almost a decade. I previously wrote for mostly secular publications, but I’ve more recently started writing for Catholic media. I’d like to broaden the markets I pursue to include Christian media and would love the opportunity to write for publication with wide Christian appeal like Guideposts. Any tips on how to best break into a market like this aside from following the writers guidelines closely? Do they have any perennial editorial needs I might be able to fulfill? Thank you so much for sharing your time and talent with all of us!"


Dear Kate,
I’m glad you enjoy Guideposts magazine. The best way to break into Guideposts is to enter their contest, which is offered every-other year. Twelve or so lucky writers (out of thousands who enter!) are given a one week hands-on training session where they learn everything they need to know about writing for Guideposts. That’s how I got my start! And, my winning story was the first story I’d ever submitted anywhere! So it can happen to you, too. Guideposts is always looking for personal stories of change that will help their readers. While some may have considered Guideposts geared more toward the mature reader, they are currently seeking stories about younger people. So you can keep that in mind! Another great way to break into Guideposts is by writing one of their features, such as the popular "His Mysterious Ways."

"Dear Peggy, how do I get started?"

Noel asks:
"I’m a graduate student of English and would love to become a freelance writer, writing for different publications like you do. How do I get started?"

Hi Noel,
Congratulations on pursuing your English advanced degree. To get started freelancing, first, decide what kind of writing you want to do. Fiction, how-to, personal experience? Think about which publications you enjoy reading. You will write the best articles for the publications you already read. You will notice that many commercial magazines have a column, often in the back of the magazine, where they encourage readers to submit personal stories. This is often a great place to start. Keep writing and most importantly, keep submitting. Don’t get discouraged by a lot of rejections at first. Just keep learning and studying books like Writer’s Market and read magazines and websites (and blogs!) on freelancing. Good luck!

Ray Bradbury Interview (Lawrence Grobel)

Lawrence Grobel has been a freelance writer for thirty years, Playboy calls him "the interviewer's interviewer."

Lawrence: How did you deal with early rejection?

Ray Bradbury: "You have to feel the editors are idiots or misconceived. We all do that. It's wrong, but it's a way of surviving. I try to teach young writers to do the same thing. You sit down at the typewriter again and do more work and try to get a body of work done so you can look at it and become your own teacher. If you do fifty-two short stories it's better than doing three, because you can't judge anything from three stories. It's hard to write fifty-two stories in a row and have them all be bad. Almost impossible. The psychological benefits from my first sale, which I got no money for, had to last me for a year before I made my next sale. That year I sold two more stories and had a little extra residue of belief. But it wasn't until I was twenty-two I began to sell quite a few short stories, and most of those were at fifteen dollars apiece. When I was twenty-four I sold about forty short stories in one year to the various pulp magazines. I got thirty or forty dollars apiece, finally a halfway decent income. Must have made twelve hundred dollars that year. I thought I was rich."

Endangered Species, Writers Talk About Their Craft, Their Visions, Their Lives
by Lawrence Grobel
Published by DA CAPO Press(c)2001
page 4

Andrew Greeley Interview (Lawrence Grobel)

Lawrence Grobel has been a freelance writer for thirty years, Playboy calls him "the interviewer's interviewer." In 1993 he sat down with Andrew Greeley:

Lawrence: "What's the most courageous thing you've done as a writer?"

Andrew Greeley: "The greatest risk was to turn from nonfiction to fiction. It took me a while because I wondered if I was able to do it. It was a risky business, not because I was going to put some eroticism in my books, I'm unself-conscious there, sexual attraction is part of the human condition, you can't write a story without it - I just felt telling stories was a risk."

Lawrence: "What would you say is a main theme that runs through you books?

Andrew Greeley: "Second chances. That we keep getting second chances."

Lawrence: "Would Chicago always be a subtheme"

Andrew Greeley: "Somebody once said, "Why don't you take your novels out of Chicago, it's not the center of the world." And I say, "Yeah, it is." Faulkner was comfortable in Mississippi; I'm not Faulkner, but I write about Chicago."

Endangered Species, Writer Talk About Their Craft, Their Visions, Their Lives
by Lawrence Grobel
Published by DA CAPO Press (c) 2001
page 166, 167

Alex Haley Interview (Lawrence Grobel)

Lawrence Grobel has been a freelance writer for thirty years, Playboy calls him "the interviewer's interviewer." In 1985 he sat down with Alex Haley:

Lawrence: "At the time of its publication Roots was hailed as one of the most important books of the century, as well as the most important civil rights event since the 1965 march of Selma. Do you hold it in such esteem?"

Alex Haley: "I never would have said that in the first place. I have a much more basic view of myself. I feel myself as a conduit. Roots got born on the front porch of a pretty big house in Henning, Tennessee, where I came from. It was my grandmother's porch. After my grandfather died, my grandma invited her sisters to spend the next summer with her. I was six that summer, and after supper we would gather on the front porch, thick with honeysuckle vines, and the women would all start rocking in their rocking chairs. Then they'd run their hands down into the pocket of their aprons and come up with a can of sweet carrot snuff. They'd load their lower lips and just start talking about their family. They'd talk about their parents, about their daddy's daddy, this ha rum-scar um individual always fighting chickens, people called him Chicken George. Then they would talk about his mother, Miss Kizzy. All of this went on night after night, and that's where I first began to hear the story and why I think of myself as a conduit."

Endangered Species, Writers Talk About Their Craft, Their Visions, Their Lives
by Lawrence Grobel
Published by DA CAPO Press (c) 2001
page 211

Joseph Heller Interview (Lawrence Grobel)

Lawrence Grobel has been a freelance writer for thirty years,Playboy calls him "the interviewer's interviewer." He sat down with Joseph Heller early in his career:

Lawrence: "Do you have an audience in mind when you're writing?"

Joseph Heller: "Yes, somebody who has a taste like my own. It's true of Catch-22 and it's true of Something Happened. Each book is the kind of book I'd enjoy reading if somebody else had written it. The books are vastly different from each other. Catch-22 was read and enjoyed by people who were much younger than I was, with less education, less interest in literature than I have. The people who buy my books are interest in serious reading, even though the works themselves are humorous and funny. Not for a reader who's interested in plot or erotic literature. There's a lot of sex in both books, but the erotic element is played down."

Endangered Species, Writers Talk About Their Craft, Their Visions, Their Lives
by Lawrence Grobel
Published by DA CAPO Press (c) 2001
page 222

Elmore Leonard Interview (Lawrence Grobel)

Lawrence Grobel has been a freelance writer for thirty years, Playboy calls him "the interviewer's interviewer." In 1998 he sat down with Elmore Leonard:

Lawrence: "There are an awful lot of crime and mystery writers in America. How do you account for your popularity?"

Elmore Leonard: "I think it's based on the fact that my books are entertaining. It must be that simple. My readers like the references to what's going on in the world, to television and movies, they feel a rapport with these people. It might be just the dialogue, that the story moves very, very quickly. They like it that you can get on an airplane in the east and finish the book before you're in L.A. Maybe that's it."

Endangered Species, Writers Talk About Their Craft, Their Visions, Their Lives
by Lawrence Grobel
Published by DA CAPO Press (c) 2001
page 244

Local Author Makes Her Third Sale To Chicken Soup

I first met Joyce Seabolt during an early Saturday morning class. I've since forgotten which writing class it was, I have however, never forgotten Joyce. I can still see her sitting there, listening intently, taking notes. She came to class fully prepared. I've also never forgotten her words. "I want to be a writer." I believed her, we all did. Over these last five plus years I've watched her make sale after sale. She's organized, determined, and giving. She cares about her work, her audience, and other writers. She's a great friend, and a cheerleader for all of us who struggle to get our ideas and thoughts onto paper.

You recently made another sale to the Chicken Soup series?
Yes. Chicken Soup just accepted my third story. Chicken Soup for Catholic Living will be out this month.
My story tells about how I reluctantly agreed to work at the Church Homeless Shelter for the midnight to 7 AM shift. I went in with preconceived notions of who I would find there...drunks, drug addicts and derelicts. What I found was people...people just like my family, my friends, and me. Spending one night in a homeless shelter taught me a valuable lesson. The only thing that makes the homeless different from me is a home!

I've been to one of your book signings. How important is it for a writer to help market their work?
Marketing is crucial to the success of a book. Writers are expected to participate in generating a "buzz" the first three months after the book comes out. A buzz is simply people talking about your book. Writers do this by posting reviews on Amazon, doing book signings, and going out to meet the public. I've met with religious groups, ladies groups, Toastmasters groups, Book Club groups and nursing groups. Since I am a nurse and one books was for the nurses, I went to a different health care facility ever day during Nurse's Week.

How would you describe the moment you found out that your first manuscript was going to be published? How did you celebrate?
I was ecstatic! I called my family and my writer friends. My best writer friend and I did the "Happy Dance" together even though she lives in New York. We knew when we met at a Writer's Conference that we would be published someday. (I did the "Happy Dance" with her when she was published a short time later.)

I know you work full-time. How do you find time to write and market your writing? Can you describe a typical day?
I work evening shift, so I set time from 10 AM to NOON each day to write. During that time I write or do something directly connected to writing. I may schedule book signings or do research for my next project. Since I am planning to get into the "SLICKS" (magazines) I'm doing a lot of e-mail query letters to women's magazines.

Can you tell us what your are currently working on?
Around the holidays I avoid deadlines...too much stress. I'm researching my latest article idea about how to determine if you have winter blues or Seasonal Affective Disorder. I'm also working on my book signing schedule.

What writing advice do you have for the beginning writer?
Don't get discouraged by rejections, they are part of a writer's life. If you absolutely can't handle rejection, don't submit your writing for publication! Keep writing family, friends, and the fun of writing. You don't have to be published to be a writer. A writer's life is interesting and rewarding even if you never publish a thing. But for me, getting published was soooo worth the rejections!

Finally, have you always wanted to be a writer?
No, I always wanted to be a nurse and I've been one for forty-five years. When planning for something to do in retirement, I read an article that said to look back into your past for things you really enjoyed and rekindle that spark of interest. I remembered that I loved English, especially writing (and editing) my poetry assignments. I decided to go back to college and learn how to do it right. Apparently, I learned to write right.

Joyce has been published in Reader's Digest, Guidepost, and numerous nursing magazines. Her work has also been published in three Chicken Soup for the Soul Books and two Gettin' Old Ain't for Wimps Books. She is looking forward to retirement when she can devote all her time to writing.

Joyce Carol Oates Interview (Lawrence Grobel)

Lawrence Grobel has been a freelance writer for thirty years, Playboy calls him "the interviewer's interviewer." In 1992 he sat down with Joyce Carol Oates:

Lawrence: "Since you seem to be a compulsive writer, what is it that most excites you about putting words on paper?"

Joyce Carol Oates: "The challenge of making an internal vision external. Getting the inner vision out. I love to write. I feel I have something to say. It's exhilarating once in a while, but most of my experiences are fraught with frustration because I always feel dissatisfied. A whole day can go by and I feel I haven't accomplished anything. My husband was asking me about this. He said, "You get a lot done in a day." I guess I do, but I don't feel that I have. I have a feeling always, which is subterranean of being profoundly dissatisfied with what I'm working at."

Lawrence: "How important are names for your characters?"

Joyce Carol Oates: "Absolutely important. I spend a long time naming names. If I can't get a name right, I can't write, I can't begin. I have a lot of people's names that begin with J, especially men. It's like my alter ego. I always go for the J if I can get away with it."

Endangered Species, Writers Talk About Their Craft, Their Visions, Their Lives
by Lawrence Grobel
Published by DA CAPO Press (c) 2001
pages 324,362

Neil Simon Interview (Lawrence Grobel)

Lawrence Grobel has been a freelance writer for thirty years, Playboy calls him "the interviewer's interviewer." In 1985 he sat down with Neil Simon:

Lawrence: "How autobiographical a writer are you?"

Neil Simon: "Very, when I'm writing autobiographical plays. In a sense, everything you write is autobiographical because it is going through your brain, so it comes out like litmus paper, it always catches some of who you are. But even when you write the autobiographical plays, they are not specifically autobiographical. When people see plays like Come Blow Your Horn or Brighton Beach and Biloxie Blues, they'll ask, "Did that really happen? Did he say that?" Well, sometimes it's true, sometimes it's not. Sometimes I've given aspects of my life to somebody else, like my girl cousin, who had aspects of what I went through as a child. It's hard to discuss that writing process. It's like you throw it into a bowl, mix it up, and pour it out. But everything of you is in there."

Endangered Species, Writers Talk About Their Craft, Their Visions, Their Lives
by Lawrence Grobel
Published by DA CAPO Press (c) 2001
pg. 395

Mystery Loves Company, Part II

Hi,

This is Kathy Harig again from Mystery Loves Company. As I said in my earlier Blog 1, writing the book is just the beginning. It is a business. You may think it is early in your writing career to think of publishing, but if you are aware of the pitfalls and means to success, you will have a better chance of seeing your work published. There are four key people in the equation for writing a successful book -- the author, the agent, the editor(s) and the publisher. In recent days we have seen this list shrunk to two, the author and the publisher, due to self-publishing technology. Sometimes the author even does away with the publisher, entirely. But all good books, I believe have these four elements. More and more we see books that are grossly unedited and good ones that are badly distributed, i.e., do not reach a bigger market because they have a tiny publisher, or one who does not have the means nor care to really promote their authors' works. If the author had gotten him/herself an agent, the problem probably wouldn't have been so severe. Agents are hard to come by, but there are several good listings on the web. Also attend mystery or fiction conventions, or writing seminars. Agents frequently attend.

Spell check does not an editor make. I have had several books published and each time the second or third reading, or editor always caught improvements that needed to be made. Fact checking is really up to you. Don't expect help with this at all in fiction. I recently received an advanced readers copy from a major publisher in which there were at least twenty errors in the first fifty pages. A badly edited manuscript will not get you an agent, and certainly won't get you a major publisher. Even with a major publisher, there are pot holes along the way. Respect your work and your audience. Do careful editing yourself, and hire a professional editor/ fact checker and/or reader. Then let the manuscript rest for a while, and read it again, and again.

Choosing a publisher is one of the biggest decisions an author can make. Choosing the wrong one, can lead to heartbreak and a ruined career. Choosing carefully can insure that your work will find its broadest possible audience and the success it deserves. One can hardly count the number of publishers that have sprung up on the web. Remember one thing, if you have to pay a publisher to publish your work, they are not a publisher. Many of them are not reputable, and can ask for more and more money that you eventually will give them, only to end in disaster. Mystery Writers of America has approved a list of publishers that they find reputable. Check with them if you have any doubt. The other reason to go with an approved publisher is the need for wide distribution of your work. Small publishers are not normally linked to broad networks and distributing companies that market and distribute your work.

In choosing a fiction or mystery publisher, look at your favorite mystery books. Who published them? Is your book going to have the same tone or sub-genre as they have. Then they might be a good bet for a author/publisher match.

If you intend to make writing your career, understand the homework you have to do. It is a profession and a business. Place your posterior in the chair according to a schedule that suits you best, and when you are not writing or editing, take care of business.

Best in your writing careers,

Kathy Harig

Mystery Loves Company

Hi,
My name is Kathy Harig and I have been invited to blog on this site about mystery writing. First to introduce myself. I retired after 28 years in 2001 as a branch librarian/manager of the Enoch Pratt Free Library in Roland Park in Baltimore. In 1991 I co-founded Mystery Loves Company Booksellers. We now have two stores, but our Baltimore store will be closing on Dec 31 2008, and we will consolidate to our Eastern Shore store in Oxford MD. You can read about the store at www.mysterylovescompany.com and our blog www.mysterysalon.com

Mysteries to me are a passion and for 18 years I have tried to promote local authors whenever I can. I take the "Buy Local" concept very seriously, indeed. Maryland and the Delmarva region have a long history of wonderfully talented writers, especially mystery writers. I work with three such groups of writers, The Eastern Shore Writers Association www.easternshorewriters.org/home.htm Sisters in Crime -Chesapeake Chapter www.chessiechapter.org/ and Mystery Writers of America - Mid-Atlantic Chapter www.mwa-ma.org/ I mention them only to tell you that there is a huge network of folks writing in the area. I urge you to contact them and attend their meetings, if possible, since they are the best source of information about mysteries and writing.
As far as advice for writers in the field of mysteries, I would advise to read widely in the sub-genre you are interested in writing such as cozy, noir, thriller, espionage or literary. This way you won't duplicate plots that have already been overused. What's your favorite mystery? What elements about it made you choose it? Develop your special "voice," one that is unique to you and engaging to the reader; a voice the reader will care about and relate to. Develop a way to organize your thoughts, usually in a outline or diagram, or by composing a summary of the book with a breakdown by events and chapters. This you will use to show an agent. Know the "conventions" of a mystery novel. If they are not obeyed, it is not a mystery, it is a novel. We have non-fiction books at the store that talk about these conventions. These conventions include being true to the reader and not introducing a villain at the last moment who hasn't participated in the action of the book. Have the detective be an agent of detection and justice. As P. D. James has said, the most difficult thing for a mystery writer is letting the detective explore the inner workings and motives of the criminal mind without giving away the murderer until the end. All this doesn't mean you don't have to be like anyone else when you write. Some of the famous mystery stories break some of the conventions.By being original and fresh you state your case. But since writing is such an individual and sometimes solitary occupation be aware there are others out there who can be of help. In part II of my blog I will mention the elements of getting your work successfully published, since writing it is just the beginning.
--Kathy Harig

Reminder - Get answers to your writing questions...

Professional freelancer Peggy Frezon is willing to share her experiences and answer any questions you might have about writing, marketing, and publishing. Her book credits inclue numerous Chicken Soup editions, Matters for Mothers, Miracles Everyday, A Christmas Wonderland, and others. Her magazine credits include: Guidepost, Positive Thinking, Sweet 16, Pockets, Teaching Tolerance and many more. An award winning writer Peggy can be found here:

http://peggyfrezon.googlepages.com/home

Please email your questions to: patriciapunt@comcast.net

Your Chance to Interview a Professional...

Do you have questions about writing? Need advice oncrafting writing magazine articles that sell? Ever wanted to be published in any of the Chicken Soup books? Wondered about entering a writing contest or two? Need help getting started....

Peggy is a talented, award-winning writer from New York. She writes fiction and nonfiction stories and articles for many popular magazines. Her work has appeared in numerous editions of Chicken Soup. She also interviews others and ghostwrites their stories. Peggy has agreed to answer any questions you might have about writing, marketing, and publishing.

Take advantage of getting feedback from a professional writer.

Please send your questions to patriciapunt@comcast.net .

I'll forward them to Peggy in early November.