Growing into my very geeky job

When this blog first started I'd *just* been accepted into a University course in Creative writing and Criminology. I dropped the 'criminology' part, and focussed, instead, on Psychology for the five 'spare slots' that I had. That was just under two years ago - and last year, around this time, I finally worked out what I wanted to do when I graduated.
It's been a long path this year - because soon after I researched and discovered the fun that is my new carreer (and it's FUN with several invisible exclamation points after :D) I was quite badly injured - something I haven't - really - recovered from. But this week I finally, perfectly, married my love of writing with my love of psychology and crime, in a not unexpected (for me) way. And I'm hoping over the next couple of months that I can share it with you guys and other writers.

And that's why I'm so geeked out right now. I can do this - and I can teach it, and write about it, and talk about it passionately. It's growing, with my interest, and it's just about boundless.
And that's where I am. Training to be a forensic linguist 'by day', via a degree in Creative Writing and Psychology, and a postgrad diploma, and working on this 'by night'. I'll get to geek about it properly very soon, but until then I'm just delighted to get to take a run at it. Till then it's kinda hush hush, cause the platform is probably a 'one off' and I want to be fully ready to do it. But yay!

How's your summer looking?

Teleclass from Marcia Yudkin - How to get those first clients

I thought some readers of MNABC might be interested in this. Reposted with permission from Marcia Yudkin:

How do you get your commercial freelance writing practice off the ground?

I would like to invite members of this group to a FREE one-hour teleclass in which I share the six methods of getting first clients that have been successfully used by copywriters, marketing consultants and publicity specialists whom I have worked with.

Three of the six methods I'll be discussing cost nothing at all, and the other three methods cost a modest amount to implement.

Here are the details:

Monday, February 18 at 4 p.m. Eastern time(3 p.m. Central, 2 p.m. Mountain, 1 p.m. Pacific time)

To join the call, go to the following link and look for the yellow-border box, which contains the signup form:

http://www.yudkin.com/become.htm

You'll then receive the call-in information by return email.

My previous call for Wellfed Writers produced testimonials like these:

"Marcia Yudkin is a great teacher and mentor. I have
learned more from her than from anyone else in the
marketing business." - Charles Brown, Dallas, TX

"Very informative. Great call!" - Carolyn Erickson,
Wichita, KS

"This session has value for anyone trying to market their
services to other businesses in the B2B arena." - Mark
Bohrer, Saratoga, CA

Can't make the call? I'll be recording it, and you can pre-order the CD for just $10, with free shipping anywhere in the world.

There will be ample time for questions and answers during the call.

With all best wishes,
Marcia Yudkin
Copywriting Mentor
http://www.yudkin.com/become.htm

The Great Big List of Resources

Paul Lima with the Professional Writers Association of Canada has given us permission to post a compendeum of writer resources that he's blogged about. It's a big list, so big in fact That It Requires Capital Letters To Show You Just How Big It Is.

Here ya go:

ON NEWSPAPER AND MAGAZINE WRITING

Job description for newspaper and magazine freelancers
http://paullima.com/blog/?p=117

10-steps to writing for newspapers and magazines
http://paullima.com/blog/?p=24

Ideas, Inspiration and Dogs
http://paullima.com/blog/?p=73

21 Rules for Writing Stellar Query Letters
http://paullima.com/blog/?p=27

How to Structure a Query Letter; Sample Query Letter
http://paullima.com/blog/?p=50

The Query Letter - How to pitch editors
http://paullima.com/blog/?p=21

The art of the query - how to sell article to magazines and newspapers
http://paullima.com/blog/?p=107

The art of the query letter
http://paullima.com/blog/?p=96

Keep your e-query letters out of the trash folder
http://paullima.com/blog/?p=22

Pre-query Query Letter can work wonders
http://paullima.com/blog/?p=97

When to follow-up with editors
http://paullima.com/blog/?p=37

You've sold the article idea, now what.?
http://paullima.com/blog/?p=100

Deflation & Freelance Writers
http://paullima.com/blog/?p=15


ON FREELANCING FOR CORPORATE MARKETS

Establish Your Business Vision
http://paullima.com/blog/?p=4

Want to boost your business? Start with your business vision
http://paullima.com/blog/?p=85

Can a freelancer earn six figures?
http://paullima.com/blog/?p=5

How to become a six-figure freelancer in five easy steps
http://paullima.com/blog/index.php?paged=9

Writing Services You Can Offer Corporate Clients
http://paullima.com/blog/?p=48

Place Five Arrows in Your Marketing Quiver
http://paullima.com/blog/?p=35

Place Five Arrows in Your Marketing Quiver
http://paullima.com/blog/?p=47

Simple marketing task that generates repeat business
http://paullima.com/blog/?p=89

How to estimate corporate writing assignments
http://paullima.com/blog/?p=38

How much to charge for work
http://paullima.com/blog/?p=52

Freelance Writing: Do the Math
http://paullima.com/blog/?p=12

How Much Did You Earn Today? - Guest Blog
http://paullima.com/blog/?p=42

Questions you can ask a client before writing
http://paullima.com/blog/?p=32


ON SELF-PUBLISHING: BOOKS

Using the Web to sell books and special reports
http://paullima.com/blog/?p=115

Self-publishing & print on demand with Lulu
http://paullima.com/blog/?p=76


ON IF I CAN DO IT, ANYONE CAN...

Do you have what it takes to become a freelance writer?
http://paullima.com/blog/?p=105

C-student does OK, but it took a while
http://paullima.com/blog/?p=103

Just an English major from York.
http://paullima.com/blog/?p=111

Temporary reprieve from insanity proves to be permanent, or how I became a
freelance writer
http://paullima.com/blog/?p=93

My father was a janitor; my mother a housewife and I am...
http://paullima.com/blog/?p=70

Send in the Writers: How to / Why to. Hire a Freelance Writer
http://paullima.com/blog/?p=74


ON MISC. & (maybe) INSPIRATIONAL

If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've
always got
http://paullima.com/blog/?p=69

The business universe is truly mysterious
http://paullima.com/blog/index.php?paged=6

Is the Internet Stealing Your Precious Time?
http://paullima.com/blog/?p=75

The only thing writers have to fear is fear itself
http://paullima.com/blog/?p=19

Dark Dingy Basements of the Mind...
...and other reasons why writers can't write
http://paullima.com/blog/?p=17

Job was a freelance writer: New Research reveals Biblical scholar was
talking to an Editor, not to God!
http://paullima.com/blog/?p=80

Speech: (Almost) Everything you need to know about freelance writing
http://paullima.com/blog/?p=110


ON SELF-PROMOTION & WEB PROMOTION

Send clients and editors your Holiday schedule
http://paullima.com/blog/?p=120

Using the Web to boost your freelance business
http://paullima.com/blog/?p=114

How to get Google to rank your website high
http://paullima.com/blog/?p=65

PR Primer for Small Businesses
http://paullima.com/blog/?p=28

Media Training & PR create a best seller
http://paullima.com/blog/?p=53


ON WRITING (SORT OF)

A creative but useful writing exercise
http://paullima.com/blog/?p=39

Creativity and Brainstorming
http://paullima.com/blog/?p=34

Know Your Target Market
http://paullima.com/blog/?p=36

AND BEYOND...

Writers often do more than write
http://paullima.com/blog/?p=77

Mama's Got a Book Contract

Well, after a month of radio silence ... I can finally announce that I've sold my second book (tentatively titled) The Green Stable to Storey.

It was an exciting process. We (meaning my agent and I) started out with a list of six publishers. She sent the proposal to them and we got five responses back in the positive, one in the negative.

From there we pretty much let the dollars fall where they may. We had a dollar figure in mind for an advance and luckily three came around the same. One had a contract clause I didn't like, so we passed on them. That left two...

It's kind of impolite to discuss the specifics. Sort of like saying to your co-worker, "so, how much do you make? Did you negotiate more holidays?" So I apologize for being vague...

But in the end I had a choice to make. One publisher was offering more, but I really had strong feelings of Like towards the other publisher. Plus there were differences in regards to the acquisition fo photos and graphs for the book.

So I chose to go with Storey and I am exceedingly happy!! I feel - down in my toenails even - that I have made the right decision.

If you'd like to be put on a mailing list for The Green Stable, please leave a comment and I'll put ya on the list!

Oh yeah, what's the book about you ask?

It's a horse owner/rider guide to environmental horsekeeping. Everything from how to build a 'green' barn to using enviro-friendly products and practices to being an earthy trail rider.

(Cross-posted at The Writing Mother)

Should I?

Lately, like a crazy person, I’ve been turning down job opportunities.

One of them – a job selling ads for a local magazine - might offer some opportunities to grow with a publication. But it would probably shut doors for freelancing locally.

Part of me says, "What're you, crazy? Ground floor opportunity, here!”

But what’s crazier? Accepting a job that helps a magazine I really like, that might pay pretty well, but completely shuts doors to competing publications, or turning down a job offer that will take me off of a course I’ve waited for years to get on? I’ve done a lot of off-roading in my career.

What if I accepted the position in ad sales and found that I was really good at it? Would my freelancing career get derailed because all my time was consumed with making heaps of money? Would it really even be an opportunity – or just the end of an opportunity?

But still. It’s hard to say no...

I shouldn't do this. I shouldn't. It's not what I want. All my reservations are valid; the feeling in my stomach when I contemplate this job just reinforces my hesitance to accept it.

So for this week, at least, I’m going with “no” on the ad sales.

It would be different if I would be doing more than just selling ads. Editing, or helping with production, planning issues, writing....