W R I T E R S • O N • T H E • R I S E
Inspiration, Insight and Ideas For Emerging Freelance Writers
Volume Two, Issue Seven -- July 2005 (View Our Masthead & Bios)

Writers on the Rise is intended to revive your world-weary inner writer. Published and edited by Christina Katz, WOTR is a free monthly e-mail newsletter for up-and-coming writers of all experience levels. Each issue is designed to provide plenty of positive energy to spark your creativity, authenticity and sense of satisfaction. Follow your (writing) bliss!

Quote of the Month:
I've got several good, saleable ideas in my head. I think I just need to go to jail to find time to write them.

July 19, 2005

Dear Fellow Writers,

Break out your blue raspberry Freeze-pops because the dog days are here with a vengeance. For those of us who love cranking up the a/c and cranking out some writing, I’ve tried to pull together an especially cool issue to keep us all on course with our dreams and goals despite the rising mercury.

If you think you feel hot, ask Wendy Burt what it feels like to be almost nine months pregnant right now. We’ve got a poised picture to prove she’s juggling a writing career and Lamaze classes, no problem. And speaking of babies, Kelly James-Enger has given me the green light to announce that she and her husband, Erik (and their golden retriever, Sandy) are all thrilled to welcome Ryan Reid Enger into their home. The couple has started the adoption process and everything is going smoothly thus far.

And, last but not least, introducing Dallas Woodburn, a soon-to-be college University of Southern California freshman who writes a regular column for Family Circle magazine. When she contacted me for writing advice, I turned it around and asked her what she could teach us. Read on to find out how she transforms “disadvantages” into strategies that will advance her writing career and yours.

In the writing spirit,
Christina Katz

WRITING AND PUBLISHING NONFICITON ARTICLES CLASS STARTS JULY 20TH!

Still a couple spots left in my e-mail class that starts this Wednesday. Next class begins on September 7th. Visit http://www.writersontherise.com/classes.html for more information.

TABLE OF CONTENTS:
A Little Help From Our Friends: Acknowledgements

Ask Wendy Column: Answers to Your Freelance Writing Questions

Poetry Appreciation Break: Magnetic Poetry Site Not Just For Kids

Cheers and Applause: Announce Your Writing Successes Here

Fit to Write: By Kelly James-Enger

The 'View: Sneak Peak at Willamette Writer’s Conference with Mary Andonian

Internet Inspiration: Check Out Mark Acito’s book as Vidlit (DSL only)

Featured Writer On The Rise: Turning Disadvantages into Advantages by Dallas Woodburn

Writers with a Cause: The Virtual Volunteer by Kristin Bair

A Cause for Celebration: Steve Burt Wins 2004 Bram Stoker Award for Young Readers

Writers On The Rise: Fundraising Update

Writers@home: A Very Pregnant Wendy Burt

Blissings and Thanks: This Column Now Comes First and Last

A Little Help From Our Friends: Acknowledgements

We received support from the following folks and their newsletters and we are grateful enough to name names and post Web sites. Thank you so much!

• Moira Allen, Writing-World.com: http://www.writing-world.com/index.shtml

• Gregory Kompes, The Fabulist Flash: http://kompes.50megs.com/fabulistflash/ffindex.html

• Sandy Young, CoolStuff4Writers: http://www.coolstuff4writers.com/

• Valerie Young, Changing Course Newsletter: http://www.changingcourse.com/

• The Writer magazine: http://www.writermag.com/wrt/community/links/

If you would like to swap links, and you haven’t announced the launching of our new Web site in your newsletter yet, please contact us.

ASK WENDY: Answers to Your Freelance Writing Questions
By Wendy Burt (Daughter of Award-winning Author, Steve Burt--see below)

Dear Wendy:

I’m interested in writing greeting cards. How do you break in and how much does it pay?

WB: I like to think of greeting cards as my “icing on the cake” income. First of all, writing greeting cards is FUN. It’s a great break in my day from writing and editing longer articles. Secondly, the pay per word – or per hour – is fabulous.

There are two ways to start writing for a greeting card company and you’ll have to read their writer’s guidelines online or in the “Writer’s Market” to find out which method a company uses. (I think the “2003 Writer’s Market” was the last version to list greeting cards.)

The first way is to write to the company and ask to be added to their list of contributors. Some companies email a batch of photos that need text twice a month, some email a batch once a quarter. The bad news is, the photos go out to ALL the writers on their list – so you’ve got competition. The good news is, if you spend just one hour working on ideas, even if they only buy one idea for $75, you’ve just made $75/hour. And of course, if you spend just one hour working on ideas and they buy four, you’ve just made $300/hour.

The second and more common way is to write to a company to request their writer’s guidelines (or get them off the company’s Web site). Writer’s guidelines will tell you how to submit, what types of cards the company buys (humor, risqué, religious, etc.), how much they pay, their current needs (e.g. “We need 20 Valentine’s Day cards”), where to find their cards so you can review samples at a store near you, etc.

As for payment, it varies greatly from company to company, but don’t make the mistake of assuming that you should only go for the highest-paying names.

Urban Greetings, for example, only pays $35/idea, but A) There’s a lot less competition because less people know about them (or know how to write urban slang); B) They buy a lot of my stuff because they like my style; and C) They get back to me fast; and D) They pay fast.

~ ~ ~

Dear Wendy:

I am a single thirty-something woman with a full-time job and a big, beautiful dog to support. I read in a survey by the American Society of Journalists and Authors that most of the higher-earning freelancers are married and have a spouse with a steady income to keep them afloat. What are my chances of ever quitting my full-time job to freelance without another breadwinner in the family?

WB: There are so many factors to consider as to if/when you can quit your job to write full time. 1. How much do you need to survive? If you have no debt, no kids and you’re renting an apartment for $500/month, you don’t have to make as much money writing as someone who has tons of debt, four kids and a $1,500/month mortgage. 2. Do you have a savings account to fall back on or are you currently living paycheck to paycheck? 3. Do you already have regular clients/markets /income from writing? 4. How much would it cost you to buy health insurance? If you have a pre-existing condition, for example, out-of-pocket insurance is going to be pricey.

As I write this, I’ve got a book proposal for “The Writer’s Guide to KEEPING Your Day Job” circulating to publishers. It’s probably not what you want to hear, but I highly advise beginning – and even intermediate – writers to build up their credentials, contacts and clients WHILE they’re at a full-time job. Yes, this means a lot of work, as you’re writing on your breaks, at night and on weekends. Still, I did it for seven years, and even with two books, I don’t think I could have made it as a full-time freelance writer if I had made the leap any sooner. I wouldn’t have had health insurance, a hefty savings account to fall back on, or a spouse’s income to carry me while I waited for checks to come in.

My advice is to figure out what you need to make each month to survive; have at least half of that amount coming in from your part-time freelance work; build up a couple months’ savings to live off of; then if you feel confident enough to quit your job, be prepared to spend the first two to three months just marketing the heck out of yourself. It may take a couple months for the checks to come in.

Wendy Burt is a full-time freelance writer and editor in Colorado Springs, Colo. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, The Writer, Writer’s Digest, Byline and Family Circle. Autographed copies of her two books, “Oh, Solo Mia! The Hip Chick’s Guide to Fun for One” (April 2001, McGraw-Hill) and “Work It, Girl! 101 Tips for the Hip Working Chick” (June 2003, McGraw-Hill) are available through http://BurtCreations.com.

~ ~ ~

Wendy is offering the audio version of her workshop, "Breaking Into Freelnace Writing" (3 CDs and 32-page class packet) for $29.99. (The live class is normally $49.) You can order by writing to her at WendyBurt@aol.com or by ordering through the WOTR "Resources" page.

POETRY APPRECIATION BREAK: Poetry In Magnetic

A virtual ‘fridge, a stack of virtual magnetic poetry tiles and five minutes to a poem that will delight you and a few friends when you e-mail it to them and yourself. You can print it out and hang it on your real ‘fridge! Now that’s a worthwhile poetry break that’s not just for kids.

Check it out at: http://www.magneticpoetry.com/kidspoetry/createpoem.cfm?kit=5

CHEERS AND APPLAUSE:

ANNOUNCE YOUR SUCCESS STORIES HERE

LAURAL RINGLER published "Letterpress Printing Renaissance at Bison Bookbinding," in the July issue of Entertainment News Northwest.

LAUREN FRITZEN published "Recycled Reads: A Book Lover's Guide to Bellingham's Used Bookstores" in the Jun 23rd issue of The Bellingham Weekly.

SUSAN CLARK’S article on high risk youth succeeding in high school (written for a Portland non-profit) ran in the St. John's Review, and her article "Breeder Brings Colonial Leicesters West" was featured as a Capital Press 'top article of the week' on their Web site. View the article at HTTP://www.capitalpress.info/main.asp?SectionID=67&subsectionID=792&articleID=17386). She has just submitted an article on Asian garden tools to In Good Tilth for their October issue.

CHRIS CAMP published a story on a vehicle fire in Bellingham on Firehouse.com. The story can be seen at http://cms.firehouse.com/content/article/article.jsp?sectionId=45&id=42773

Success happens in clusters, writers! Keep the stories coming and keep inspiring each other. Corrections, Omissions, News? Keep us posted.

SUPPORT WRITERS ON THE RISE
There is no charge for Writers on the Rise, however, voluntary subscriptions or donations are cheerfully accepted.
To send a $25.00 voluntary subscription, please Click Here. If you would like to send a personal check or money order, please drop Christina a note at: WOTR, c/o Christina Katz, P.O. Box 1354, Wilsonville, OR  97070. Even if you don't wish to send money, thanks for sending good vibes and encouragement!

Fit to Write: Get your Brain Moving

By Kelly James-Enger

Writing is great for the soul, but it can be hard on your body. Each month, successful fulltime freelancer and certified personal trainer Kelly James-Enger will offer advice on staying fit to write.

Suffering from writer’s block? Can’t get the words to flow? Get away from the computer and move your body.

I find a good workout or even a short walk is enough to clear your head and give you a new perspective. Better yet, take a portable tape recorder with you. When I’m feeling stuck, I often grab my tape recorder and my dog and head to the park. I walk for a while, thinking about what I’m working on, and then dictate into the recorder. By the time I come home, I’ve got a good start on the piece, or at least some notes I can transcribe into my PC.

Sure, some people may wonder if you’re scouting for Neighborhood Watch, but consider this a great way to exercise your body and mind—and boost your productivity as well.

THE 'VIEW: A Sneak Peek at the Willamette Writer’s Conference with Co-Chair Mary Andonian

by Christina Katz

For folks who have attended the conference in the past, what’s new or special this year?

We’re having a free pitch session on Thursday night where you can sign up and “pitch” your manuscript or screenplay to a panel of literary agents or film people, respectively, and they will provide you feedback. You can either get in front of the firing squad, or you can watch and learn in the audience. Either way, you’ll get to hear what the deal makers are saying they want/don’t want in a pitch.

For those who are brand new to the conference, what’s your best advice?

Pitch, pitch, pitch! Even if you don’t have anything completed, pitch anyway. I pitched a manuscript that was only 40 pages completed last year, and had two agents interested in my proposal. It encouraged me enough to finish the book six months later.

What are you hoping to get out of the conference and what’s your game plan, care to share?

I hope to either find a literary agent or land a book deal from a publishing house for my nonfiction humor book, Mind Chatter. My game plan is to target the right agents and editors to maximize my chances of success, dress professionally, come prepared with sample chapters and book proposals, and then pray before I pitch. Yes, I said pray. And not for things to go my way, but for God to help me stay present long enough to put my best foot forward, regardless of the outcome.

Is it common for writers to get agents or book deals at a conference like this? What kind of odds are we talking about?

People get signed all the time. I know of an agent in L.A. who routinely signs people at our conference. Two years ago, we had an author snag an agent, a book deal, and movie rights all within two weeks after the conference. You have to remember that the Willamette Writers conference is one of the largest, most prestigious conferences in the country, attracting top agents and editors from NY to San Francisco. It’s part of their job to go to conferences like ours to find new talent.

You’ve got your finger on the publishing pulse this year. What trends are hot in book publishing?

That’s a tough question. If you look at our Web site and check out the agents’ and film representatives’ bios, you will find their interests are wide and varied. I always hear that chick-lit and lady-lit sell well, but I’ve also seen interest in horror and suspense. I have heard from more than a few agents that they want to see character driven pieces with quirky, loveable characters. Film people want commercial appeal that can be made within a reasonable budget. Therefore, don’t pitch your 17th century romance screenplay; it won’t sell.

If you really want to know what’s hot this year, come to the conference and hear the answers from the many agents and editors who will also be conducting workshops on exactly this subject.

Christina Katz is publisher and editor of Writers On The Rise. She teaches "Writing and Publishing Nonfiction Articles" and co-published and edited "Rhapsody in Writing," an eclectic collection of her former students' writing. She has written over 100 articles for national, regional and online publications and recently appeared on "Good Morning America" for her article "The Art of Making Time For Yourself." For more information, visit http://www.christinakatz.com.

AUDIO INSPIRATION: MORE REFRESHING THAN A TALL, COOL GLASS OF LEMONADE

Marc Acito's Novel, “How I Paid for College, A Novel of Theft, Sex and Musical Theater”

Even if you never crack the book this summer (although I guarantee you will want to after you see/hear/read what’s on his site), you gotta watch the Vidlit version of this excerpt. It’s hilarious.

Go to http://www.vidlit.com/hipfc/hipfc.html and select “Click Here To Play.” (DSL Only)

Or visit http://marcacito.com to read chapter one.

FEATURED WRITER ON THE RISE:

By Dallas Nicole Woodburn

My big “breakthrough” as a writer happened on October 12, 2004, when I received an e-mail from Nancy Clark, deputy editor at Family Circle magazine.

“Looks good!” the e-mail read, then simply: “We’ll send you a contract in a couple of days.”

So. That was that. I had managed to wedge my foot in that oh-so-elusive crack in the door. I had broken into “the glossies.” And a major glossy at that!

However, my big breakthrough in Family Circle was preceded by many small breakthroughs, starting in fifth grade when I published my first book, “There's a Huge Pimple on My Nose,” which eventually sold more than 800 copies. The thing is, even with my publishing success, there were still people who tried to pop my bubble, scoffing that a fifth-grader is “too young” to publish a book. Fortunately for me—and for my self-confidence—my parents and teachers believed in me. Most of all, I believed in myself. I not only proved the nay-sayers wrong, I took matters a step further by using my young age as an advantage for marketing my book.

Here are a few examples:

“What better way to promote youth literacy,” I wrote in my cover letters, “Than a book written for kids by a kid?”

I gave talks at schools and libraries with the premise: "If I'm a published young writer, you can be too!" Instead of talking down to kids, I was one of them. So they listened.

With a portion of Pimple's proceeds, I founded an organization called "Write On!" to encourage kids to read and write. Not only did this give me a satisfying venue to reach out to other young writers, it also garnered networking contacts and additional publicity. ("Young writer creates foundation to encourage other young writers!")

You, too, can turn your writing “disadvantages” into advantages. How? Well, often these so-called “disadvantages” are simply characteristics that make you unique, which you can then use to add a twist to an otherwise mundane or over-done topic. A twist that, quite possibly, is just the thing you need to set your writing apart from the slush-pile.

For example, say you want to write an article for a parenting magazine. The only drawback is you don’t have any kids. Well, maybe you can actually use this “disadvantage” in your favor.

• Offer to babysit your friend’s three little bundles of joy for an evening, and then write what you learned from the experience.
• Write about your experience as an aunt or an uncle.
• What really bugs you that parents do? Now write the antidote article.

Or, perhaps you’ve always wanted to see your name in print in one of the glossy teen magazines you so enjoyed as a girl. The problem? A lot has changed since you were seventeen, and while you may have two teenagers of your own, they’re both of the male variety. Well, think outside the box a little.

• An article about how to handle meeting your boyfriend’s parents – from the perspective of the parent of a teenage boy who has brought girlfriends home to meet you – would be a very interesting read with a unique twist on a common subject.
• Looking back on your life, write a list of things you wished you knew when you were a teenager.
• Shopping for teenage boys can be difficult – so head straight to the experts! Interview your sons about their wish lists and favorite presents. Then write an article with helpful ideas for girls trying to find the perfect gift for their hard-to-shop-for boyfriends.

Author Laurie Stolarz told me she had a hard time finding a publisher for her now-best-selling teen series, “Blue is For Nightmares.” The books' main character uses spells and magic to solve murder mysteries – a far cry from the usual "bubble-gum-and-boy-bands" books in the teen market. But Stolarz used that uniqueness as a selling point. She says: "I still have a rejection letter from an editor who told me she didn't think my story was compelling enough to compete in the young adult market. Hello…it sold over 60,000 copies within its first year of release! Take that, Ms. Editor!"

As Stolarz turned her straw into gold, I used my young age to my benefit when marketing Pimple—and I now use it as an advantage when pitching articles to magazines and books. The premise of my Family Circle article was “How to get along better with your teenage children—from a teenager’s perspective.” You could turn it around and write an article for a teen publication about "How to get along better with your parents—from a parent's perspective."

I’ve also sold articles to teen publications including Justine and Listen with the simple selling point: “Who better understands teens than a teen herself?”

What about you? Make a list of all your disadvantages and then think about which publications would appreciate your unique point of view.

As for me, my Family Circle article was such a hit that I was asked to write another article, and another, and another . . . my first big breakthrough has now become a regular “Teen Talk” column. This past January, I was even flown to New York to be a guest on “The Early Show” on CBS to discuss my writing!

Perhaps most importantly, if I had given up when a few naysayers claimed I was “too young” to publish a book, I might never have fully discovered my true love and passion for writing. As it is, I plan to make a career as an author and will major in Creative Writing next year at the University of Southern California.

If you embrace what makes you different – in your writing as well as in your life – you might be surprised at the breakthroughs that can happen for you as a result.

Dallas Woodburn’s recently released collection of short stories, “3 a.m.,” is available at http://www.amazon.com and http://www.barnesandnoble.com. Her writing credits include the magazines Family Circle, Writer’s Digest, and Justine, and the books “So, You Wanna Be a Writer?” “Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul IV,” and “The Real Deal on School.” Dallas is a creative writing major at the University of Southern California. Visit her website at http://www.zest.net/writeon.

WRITERS WITH A CAUSE

The Virtual Volunteer: Volunteering Without Getting Up From Your Desk

By Kristin Bair

Are you a newsletter editor? Grant writer? Fund raiser? Do you proofread? Design online courses? Work as a bilingual editor? Are you interested in helping the elderly? The environment? Dolphin conservation? At-risk kids?

And have you been looking for the perfect volunteer opportunity that utilizes all of your best skills, but doesn’t require a lengthy commute, specified hours or time away from your children?

Well, look no further. Virtual volunteerism is on the rise, and at www.volunteermatch.org, with just a click of your mouse, you can discover numerous opportunities that allow you to volunteer without getting up from your desk. You can search a specific “Interest Area” (Arts and Culture, Education and Literacy, Hunger, Race and Ethnicity and lots more) or a specific skill. And the Web site is so well-designed that once you discover an opportunity you’re interested in, you can access detailed information about that opportunity and that particular organization with just another click of your mouse. You can even express your interest by clicking the orange tab “I Like This Opportunity!” No phone call required.

According to the Web site, www.volunteermatch.org is a “recruiting tool for more than 30,000 nonprofit organizations,” and in 2004, it serviced over 2,000,000 users.

With a very clear vision that focuses on the power of imagination and the power of hard work, www.volunteermatch.org brings people and nonprofit organizations together easily, efficiently, and quickly.

Click now and see how you can help!

Kristin Bair is a writer, editor, and teacher of writing in Newburyport, Massachusetts. In recent years, she has taught at Columbia College Chicago, Boston College, University of New Hampshire, Endicott College and Montserrat College of Art. Her work has appeared in The Gettysburg Review, The Larcom Review, Permafrost and Hair Trigger. She is a regular contributor to The ELL Outlook and PortFolio magazine.

Station Identification: Three Ways to Support Writers On The Rise

1. Purchase a one-year voluntary subscription (Click Here).

2. Purchase one-of-a-kind Writers On The Rise merchandise through our Cafepress Store (Click Here).

3. NEW! Stock your writing library by clicking through the Amazon.com links on our Resources page.

CAUSE FOR CELEBRATION

Wendy Burt’s Dad, Steve Burt, Wins 2004 Bram Stoker Award for Young Readers

The four nominees for the 2004 Bram Stoker Award in the Young Readers category: Clive Barker, Dean Koontz, Jeff Marriott, and Steve Burt. And the winner is (hold your breath)…for the first time in the history of the award in this category, it’s a tie!

Two Bram Stoker trophies will be awarded to (drum roll, please)…Clive Barker and Steve Burt! The world's top prize for fright-writing for young adults went to Steve Burt's "Oddest Yet" and Clive Barker's "Abarat". Barker, Koontz and Stephen King are the three biggest authors in the horror genre. Ellen Reid accepted for the Rev. Dr. Burt, the first ordained minister to win horror's top prize, who could not attend because he was autographing books in Hartford, Connecticut's Rose Garden all day Saturday (in record-setting 99 degree heat) and had to be in the pulpit on Sunday morning to preach to his congregation. Learn more about Steve Burt at http://www.burtcreations.com/

Rev. Dr. Burt will soon be a granddaddy! View a very pregnant Wendy Burt (below).

WOTR FUNDRAISING UPDATE
Help fund the Writers on the Rise Web site by making a donation today.
Donations to date: $170.00
2005 Goal: $1,000.00
Dollars to go: $830.00
Thank you for helping Writers on the Rise encourage emerging writers (donation links/address at bottom of newsletter).

WRITERS@HOME

A Different Kind of "Due Date" Wendy Burt is a full-time freelance writer and editor in Colorado Springs, Colo. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, The Writer, Writer’s Digest, Byline and Family Circle. Autographed copies of her two books, “Oh, Solo Mia! The Hip Chick’s Guide to Fun for One” (April 2001, McGraw-Hill) and “Work It, Girl! 101 Tips for the Hip Working Chick” (June 2003, McGraw-Hill) are available through BurtCreations.com. She and her husband Aaron are expecting thier first baby. Estimated arrival date: July 29th.

BLISSINGS AND THANKS:

Deep thanks to my husband Jason Katz again for being on double daddy duty these days, despite the yucky Pacific Northwest “crud” that has cycled through the whole family.

Many thanks to the generous spirits of Wendy Burt, Kelly James-Enger, Cathy Belben, Lauren Fritzen, Kristin Bair and all the past and future contributors to WOTR.

Big gratitude to all the editors of e-newsletters who announced our new Web site (see above).

Special thanks to everyone who sends fan mail, feedback, cashola and encouragement.

Thank YOU for sending constructive feedback, leads and announcements to our e-mail address.

SUPPORT WRITERS ON THE RISE
There is no charge for Writers on the Rise, however, voluntary subscriptions or donations are cheerfully accepted.
To send a $25.00 voluntary subscription, please Click Here. If you would like to send a personal check or money order, please drop Christina a note at: WOTR, c/o Christina Katz, P.O. Box 1354, Wilsonville, OR  97070. Even if you don't wish to send money, thanks for sending good vibes and encouragement!

Copyright 2005 by Christina Katz

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