Coming Soon....Goodbye Byline, Hello Big Bucks, second edition!

One of my projects in recent months has been updating my book on ghostwriting, Goodbye Byline, Hello Big Bucks, to include the different types of ghosting available today--everything from doing content marketing to articles to blog posts. The book will be available soon as an ebook, so stay tuned!

FREE eBook for Every Writer who Wants to Get Published

Promotion for Writer for Hire: 101 Secrets to Freelance Success continues. Tomorrow I'll announce the winner of the first giveaway; get your entry in before midnight CDT (central daylight-savings time) tonight if you want to win a chance for a free copy of the book.

This week's promotion is something I've never done before. I'm giving away one of my Dollars and Deadlines ebooks for FREE for the next week. Yup, free. No charge. Not a penny. (Yeah, I know giving away work for free isn't my thing. But I have my reasons. Stay tuned for how this experiment turns out.)

Dollars and Deadlines' 10 Truths Every Writer Who Wants to be Be Published Should Know includes exactly that--straight talk to help take you from unpublished to published. (The link will take you to the book's Smashwords page; if you prefer Kindle, it will cost you $0.99 (you can't offer a book for free there) and will be available by tomorrow (May 7) morning.

Please spread the word to writers you know...and let me know what you think of the ebook! See you tomorrow! :)

Tips and Advice from the 10th Annual Writers' Fest

I just returned from speaking at the 10th Annual Writers' Fest in Milwaukee. I heard agents, editors, social media experts, and other publishing pros talk about the changes in the industry, and how to succeed as an author today. Here's a roundup of tips and advice from some of the speakers:

• Looking for an agent? Literary agent Joanna MacKenzie is acquiring YA (young adult), literary thrillers, commercial fiction, women's fiction, and Chicago-based historical mysteries. 

• Kelly Bale, an editor at Sourcebooks, acquires nonfiction, including memoirs. Sourcebooks publishes a variety of subjects, including fiction, romance, and contemporary women's fiction. Its Landmark imprint publishes fiction including contemporary women's and men's historical novels. 

• Want to start blogging but don't want to have spend half your life keeping it up to date? Set up a microblog on tumblr.com, suggests parenting and technology expert Sharon Miller Cindrich, author of books including The Smart Girl's Guide to the Internet. 

• Do you write YA books? Sourcebooks' Fire imprint publishes YA books, and the imprint is "really taking off," said Bale. Editors there are especially looking for "issue-centered" YA fiction featuring young female protagonists. Sourcebooks' Jabberwocky imprint publishes children's book, including middle grade readers and picture books. 

• If you use LinkedIn, make sure that your biggest coup is listed first, adds Cindrich. You can include the rest of your amazing accomplishments in your bio.  

• Have you published a book through POD or as an ebook, but still hope to sell it to a traditional publishers? Well-written books that have garnered lots of attention also interest editors at publishers like Sourcebooks. It isn't a question so much of how many copies you've sold but the amount of interest and buzz it's generated, such as 35 positive Amazon reviews, says Bale. 

Next post, I'll have more tips from the conference. Stay tuned! 

***My new line of ebooks, all branded with the Dollars and Deadlines name, are geared toward new freelancers. I take the same approach that I do with this blog--I give practical, proven strategies and plenty of examples to help you achieve your writing goals. So far the most popular has been Dollars and Deadlines' Guide to Selling your First Article, but Dollars and Deadlines 10 Essential Freelance Templates is also selling well. And if you write for love more than money (nothing wrong with that), you need to read Dollars and Deadlines' 10 Truths Every Writer Who Wants to Get Published Should Know.  

The Power of Example--or, One Reason I Talk about Money

I started my freelance career with little more in mind than to escape the law. Sure, I had a financial goal (I wanted to make at least $10,000 my first year of freelancing full-time), but I didn't have much of a business plan. It wasn’t like I decided to freelance and then took a few business classes online or anything. Fact is, I had no business plan. But I did have a lot of energy, motivation, and drive, which certainly helped. 

While I lacked a business plan, I did set specific goals to keep myself on track. I sent out at least one query or essay submission every day, five days a week. When I received a rejection (what I call a "bong"), I sent a new query to the market that had rejected me, and eventually started getting assignments from markets like Bridal Guide, Fit, Fitness, Shape, and Family Circle. I also broadened my scope, and started writing for the local hospital and small area businesses as well. By my fourth year, I was making more than $60,000/year and was confident that I could sustain a successful career as a self-employed writer. 

Still, I had no idea I could make even more money than that. I was already making more than I had as an (admittedly underpaid) lawyer and I realize now it didn't occur to me that I could continue to increase my income, and make, say, six figures. 

Then I met another writer who made six figures regularly. And she wasn't a better writer than I was. She wasn't any more professional about her career than I was. And she didn't have that much more experience than I did. I remember thinking, hey, if she can make six figures, why can't I? Two years later, I cracked the six-figure mark (and wound up writing a book on six-figure freelancing along the way!).  

That's the power of example. When you see someone else reaching a goal (especially someone similar to yourself), you're more likely to believe that you can do the same thing. That's one reason I'm open about the financial aspects of my writing career, whether it's sharing what I made last year, surveying freelancers about their income, explaining the difference between print and electronic royalties, or how many copies of a POD book I've sold. As the saying goes, information is power but information is motivation, too. My hope is that by seeing what I've done (or what other successful freelancers have done), you'll be empowered to reach your own writing goals. 

***My ebook list keeps growing! I've now added a new book designed for new writers who want to make the leap from unpublished to published--whether you write essays, short fiction, or articles. Dollars and Deadlines' 10 Truths Every Writer Who Wants to be Published Should Know will help you make the transition from writing for yourself to writing for publication.  

If you know you want to focus on writing articles, you'll want to check out Dollars and Deadlines' Guide to: Selling your First Article, which takes away the mystery of getting published for the first time. Dollars and Deadlines' 10 Essential Freelance Templates includes the 10 templates you'll use the most often as a freelancer and describes when to use them. 

You're Doing it Wrong (and How to do it Right the First Time)

Ever seen the movie Mr. Mom? (Yeah, I'm dating myself but it still makes me laugh.) There's a scene where Michael Keaton (a/k/a Mr. Mom) is dropping his older son off at school for the first time, and isn't following the correct drop-off procedure. From the backseat, his son cries, "Dad, you're doing it wrong!" Keaton ignores him, muttering, "Don't tell me I'm doing it wrong. I know how to do it."

Finally, another parent waves him down. Keaton rolls down his window only to have her tell him, "You're doing it wrong."(For the record, he's driving the opposite direction he should be. So yeah, he's doing it wrong.)

When I teach article writing, lead a Webinar, or speak at a writers' conference, I caution writers about doing it wrong. I want you to do it right. And if you're a new freelancer who wants to sell an article to an online or print market, that means pitching an idea you're uniquely qualified to write. Over the years, I've developed a simple, but effective 10-step process to help new writers sell their first articles. Now my new ebook that includes it, Dollars and Deadlines' Guide to Selling your First Article, is available through Kindle.

Experienced writers, this ebook isn't for you--although it's perfect for those friends and family members pestering you for advice about getting published. If you're new to the freelancing world, though, or want to finally see your byline in print or pixels--and get paid for it--this is the ebook you need. It includes print and online market resources, tips on coming up with compelling ideas, sample queries, and advice on researching your article--in short, everything you need to sell your first piece.    

This ebook is only the first of a series of titles I'm working on. Look for more coming soon, including one on book publishing myths (and the truth behind them), and one on making more money from the same work.

So, readers, please spread the word about my ebook, and let me know what you think of it. And let me ask you--what topics would you like to see covered in an ebook? I'm listening--or rather, reading. :)

The 3 Questions Every (Successful) Book Author Must Answer

Earlier this week, I spoke at the Vernon Area Public Library about getting published--and paid--for your work. I talked about selling articles to print and online markets and the different options available to book authors today, including POD, e-books, and of course traditional publishers. I explained how traditional publishers work, the pros and cons of opting for POD, what platform is, and what an agent can (and can't) do for you as an author.

But possibly the most important point I shared with would-be authors was this. If you want to publish a book, you must be able to answer three critical questions:

1. Who is the audience for your book? (If you say "everyone," you've got a lot of work ahead of you.)


2. Why will readers buy your book? (Even if you plan to give away an ebook for free, you still have to attract readers. And if you expect people to pay for a book--which as an author, I think it quite reasonable--you've got to be able to give them reasons to shell out money for it.)


3. How will you, as the author, reach them? (This is the most challenging part of writing books--actually selling them. Traditional publishers expect you to have a comprehensive marketing and promotion plan, regardless of whether you're writing fiction or nonfiction. And if you're going it on your own, through POD, an e-book, or becoming a self-publisher, then all of the marketing falls to you.)

I know, you're thinking you just want to write your book and not worry about selling it. Well, dream on. Last year there were more than 3,330,000 books published (by traditional publishers, POD companies, and as ebooks) so you're competing against literally millions of other titles. You can't just publish your book, cross your fingers, and hope it sells. You've got to be willing to market it for months--more likely, years.

Look at it this way--I'll assume you don't just want to publish a book--you want people to buy it, or at least read it, as well. So consider these three critical questions as you write your book, and you'll be better positioned to sell it when it is published.

**Last call for survey responses...we're at 168 right now. If writing (and writing-related work) is your only source of income, I consider you a full-time freelancer. So please take the 2012 Freelance Income Survey...results coming soon! :) Thanks very much.  

Webinar on January 5, 2012: Your Book Publishing Options

As an author, I've tried nearly every book publishing option there is. I've published both nonfiction and fiction with big traditional publishers (e.g. Random House, Kensington) and nonfiction with smaller, niche publishers (e.g. Cumberland House, Marion Street Press). (Here's an explanation of how advances and royalties work when you sell your book to a traditional publisher.) I've worked with POD companies like CreateSpace, book packagers like Jenkins Group, and published e-books as well, and have ghostwritten/coauthored books with clients who have used all of those options. So I have a pretty good working knowledge of the pros and cons of each.

If you plan to add "book author" to your writing resume in 2012, check out my Writer's Digest Webinar on book publishing options tomorrow, January 5, 2012. You'll come away with a clear understanding of the pros and cons of each option, and be better able to evaluate which choice is right for you. Hope to "see" many of you there!

Full-Time Income in Part-Time Hours? Sure Thing!

If you read my blog regularly, you already know that I'm all about working efficiently, whether you have five hours or forty available to freelance every week. So I was definitely intrigued by Gretchen Roberts' new ebook, Full-time Income in Part-time Hours. Gretchen, a food and wine writer, has been freelancing since May, 2003. Here's her recent Q and A; I think you'll see a lot of parallels in the way we both work--and find some helpful takeaways as well:

Q. When did you start working part-time instead of fulltime hours? tell me a little about how you made that transition and why.

I've actually worked part-time since I began freelancing. When my first daughter was born in March 2003, I was working full-time as the special sections editor at a newspaper group. We were going to be moving to California the following summer for my husband's year-long internship, so there was no time to take a maternity leave and go back to work. I decided to try the stay-at-home mom thing for awhile.

Once I had the baby's routine down, I got bored quickly, and spent way too much time browsing (and buying!) at Target and Babies R Us. When the new editor who took my position at the newspaper called and asked if I wanted to write some stories for $250 apiece, I jumped at the chance. It was grocery money and an opportunity to see if my brain cells still worked post-baby.

That year of my husband's internship is the year I began building my freelance writing business. When we got back to Indiana for his final year of school, Fort Wayne magazine asked me to work 20 hours a week as a staff writer, so I decided to do that in the mornings and freelance in the afternoons. That was a difficult freelance year, because I'm a morning person and my best work went into the magazine while I struggled to build my freelance business. The following year, we moved to Tennessee, and I began freelancing during my daughter's preschool hours.

Part time just made sense for me then, and it still does. I now have three children ages 8, 4, and 1, and my schedule has changed with their births, milestones, schedules, and childcare availability. I truly feel I have the best of both worlds—time to spend with my kids, but time to get away from the craziness that is raising three kids, and devote energy to my professional life. I don't consider myself anything less than a full-fledged professional just because I work part-time and am changing dirty diapers when I'm not tapping at my keyboard.

Q. What kinds of techniques do you use to make the most of your part-time hours?

Most importantly, I treat my working hours as prime-time. I don't waste them checking email, writing blog posts, posting my Facebook status. Well, okay...sometimes I post my Facebook status. But for the most part I try to really focus on paying projects, because if I lose sight of the big picture, it's too easy to fritter away a day, a week, a month...and my income takes a bit hit.

Second, I plan ahead. If I know I'm going to have 45 minutes while the baby naps, I plan a specific task or two for that time. If I didn't, I'd totally end up on Facebook the whole time. If I have a story due, I block out three or four hours to write it. When you have less time, you absolutely have to be efficient about using it.

Third, I try to focus on bigger, well-paying work. Since my hours are limited, I don't want to spend time on piecemeal projects that demand constantly switching focus. It's not efficient, and working part-time is all about efficiency.

Q: Anything else you want to add?

A: I've earned between $40,000 and $70,000 working about 15-20 hours a week for the past five years. (The first few years were a bit leaner as I built up my business.) I think writers have to know that this kind of income is possible, rather than settling for less because they figure part-time hours means part-time income.

For more about how to make more money in the hours you have to freelance, check out Full-Time Income in Part-Time Hours; and be sure to let her (and me) what you think of it! :)

Next up: I announce the winners of my latest giveaway! Stay tuned...

Boost Your Value: or, Why You Must Learn Something New

As a freelancer, your career is in your hands. So is your career development, which means you should be continually learning new skills to attract new clients and better serve the ones you already have.

For example, until last year I had only worked with traditional publishers. When I decided to publish a POD book, I spent several weeks learning about its pros and cons, and evaluating POD companies (I eventually went with CreateSpace). Now I can advise ghostwriting and coauthoring clients about the advantages and drawbacks of POD and traditional publishing, as well as e-books. That helps set me apart from other ghosts and makes me more valuable to clients.

Fore more on expanding your skills, check out Susan Johnston's excellent post at ebyline on 5 skills that make freelancers more marketable.

And consider what tools you should add to your freelancing toolkit. As the publishing industry changes, your clients' needs will change, too, and you must be able to address and meet them.

10 Reasons to Publish an ebook

Last year, I published my first book with a POD company, CreateSpace. While I'd only worked with traditional publishers before, I had good reasons for choosing POD for Goodbye Byline. (Just remember that POD isn't the right option for every author.)

Last month, after considering the pros and cons, I published my first two ebooks using Smashwords. (I also formatted them specifically for Kindle.) Here are 10 reasons it was a worthwhile endeavor:

1. No rights hassles. My first two novels, Did you Get the Vibe?, and White Bikini Panties, were published in 2003 and 2004, but went out of print a few years ago. The rights have reverted back to me, so I can do with the books what I wish.

2. The books are camera-ready, so to speak. The manuscripts have already been professionally edited and proofread, so there was additional work for me to do other than format them as ebooks.

3. They're good! I reread both novels as I was formatting them. I'd forgotten that they're entertaining and relateable--yet tackle some serious topics women in their 20s face. I know readers will enjoy them.

4. They represent potential income. They're not making any money sitting on my hard drive, after all. And while my focus is on writing nonfiction, my novels have produced income for me in the past (and will hopefully continue to do so).

5. There's a growing demand for ebooks. I heard Mark Coker, founder and president of Smashwords, speak at ASJA in April. The company published several dozen books its first year and more than 48,000 last year, its third in business. I want to make my books available to eager ereaders.

6. They'll build my platform. You already know that publishing is all about platform, and the books will continue to build mine, not only as a ghostwriter/writing expert, but as a writer of contemporary women's fiction as well. And as I'm currently working on another novel, that's important.

7. It increases my expertise. Learning how to format and publish ebooks gives me a skill that I can market to potential ghostwriting/coauthoring clients. I'm always trying to build my value to clients and now I can advise them not only about traditional versus POD publishing options but ebooks as well.

8. It's gratifying. You know what? I just like having my formerly OOP, or out-of-print, back "out there." And I love hearing from readers, and connecting with them in a different way than I do than I do with those who read and enjoy my nonfiction.

9. There was no upfront cost. Okay, I did spend $100 to hire a cover designer (my artistic skills are lacking), but the only other "cost" was the time I spent learning how to format the books--and of course, to promote them, which is an ongoing task.

10. Royalties are my favorite kind of money. I love making royalties and selling reprints because both are a kind of "passive" income-money that comes in with little or no effort on my part. As a self-employed businessperson who's trying to make more money in less time, that's something I cannot ignore.

I'm sure I'll come up with other reasons to publish additional ebooks, and will report on sales just as I have before (compare traditional to POD).

Readers, what about you? If you've taken the ebook option, what are some of your reasons why?

And now for something completely different...

As you know, this blog is aimed at nonfiction freelancers who want to make more money in less time. That's my business plan in a nutshell.

But I have another identity, too--as a published novelist. My first two novels, Did you Get the Vibe?, and White Bikini Panties, were published in 2003 and 2004 by Strapless, the "chick lit" imprint of Kensington Books. They received decent reviews (Panties even got good reviews in Publisher's Weekly and Library Journal!) but came out just as the chick lit genre was glutted with books, got lost among a sea of titles, and eventually went out of print.

No longer. After spending this week getting up to speed on formatting for Smashwords and hiring a talented cover designer, they're back in print. (They should be available through Kindle by week's end.) They're fun, entertaining reads set in Chicago, and I hope you'll check them out--and recommend them to friends who enjoy contemporary women's fiction.

In a future post, I'll describe the ebook process and why I chose this publishing option as opposed to POD. And tomorrow, I'll return to my regular programming and post on 10 reasons your book didn't sell.

Thanks and happy reading!

To "e" or Not to "e": Before You Opt for an ebook

I've posted before about why I decided to use POD for my book on ghostwriting, Goodbye Byline. I opted to have it available as a Kindle edition, too, and more than 25 percent of my sales so far (the book came out in October, 2010), have been ebooks.

So what's next? For me, it will be a stand-alone ebook. after hearing Mark Coker (founder of Smashwords) speak at ASJA this year, I've realized it's time to sample the Kool-ade, so to speak. My next book(s) (as opposed to those I ghost/cowrite for clients) will be ebooks. First up are my two novels that sold decently but have since gone out of print. I can resurrect them as ebooks (I still get email from readers who loved them!) and continue to build readers for my current novel in progress.

I'm also going to publish an ebook or two on writing-related subjects to see how they do. It will be an experiment (as was my first POD book) but it's worth it to me, in part because it makes me more valuable to ghosting clients who want my advice on the different options.

But here's the thing. Just like many authors went POD without considering potential drawbacks, I already see "authors" (i.e. not professionals, just people who want to get their books out) rushing to take advantage of the new format--without having written, you know, a decent book. There is already a glut of poorly-written (and I'm being kind) POD books and now ebooks will experience the same thing.

One of my biggest concerns with going POD with Goodbye Byline was that I didn't want a book that looked like a POD book. The cover, interior layout, and the actual content of the book looks--and reads--like a book by a traditional publisher. I wrote the book, I edited it, and I hired a proofreader to catch typos (and she caught a lot!). The book is clean. That's important to me not only as its author, but as a fulltime freelancer/ghostwriter as well.

My sales on Goodbye Byline haven't been stellar. It's a niche book aimed at a niche audience, after all. But they're steady and will continue to be, I hope. I also heard a quote from a publishing expert who said that it takes three years for a POD book to build an audience/take off And with the "long tail" theory of marketing, I'm hopeful that I'll continue to sell the book without a lot of specific marketing on my part. (As a freelancer, I'm always marketing myself, but I'm talking about the time I take to promote Goodbye in particular.)

My point? Ebooks may be the latest thing, but that doesn't mean you should publish an ebook just because everyone else is doing it. Consider the pros and cons for you, and know what you want to accomplish before you invest your time in the new platform.