Please Don’t Feed the Writer

No, it’s not the name of a law firm, it’s the fundamentals of good journalism.  If you plan on writing any thype of journalistic article, you’ll need these questions need to be answered.  It’s a simple formula that has worked in journalism for a very, very long time, but that some reporters, especially on the Internet, seem to have forgotten.

Let me break the “Five W’s and an H” down for you.

Who: Who is the article about?  Is it a person, an institution, a government body?

What: What event are you covering?  What makes this newsworthy? What is the point of this article?

When: When did this event take place, or when will it take place? (In the old days of news, this would have been the dateline.) Without this little piece of information, the story is useless to the reader.
Where: Where did the event take place, or where will it take place?  Obviously, if you are reporting something happening in Hoboken New Jersey, it probably won’t have a lot of impact on someone in San Diego California, but may have significant impact on someone in New York.

Why: Why did this happen, or why is it taking place?  Knowing that it is happening loses a lot if it’s importance if you don’t know why it is happening.

How:  How did this event or these events take place?  How did they play out?  How was a problem resolved?

As you can see, these are pretty straightforward guidelines.  In journalism all of these questions should be answered as close to the beginning of the article as possible and it is recommended that they are answered in the first two paragraphs.

I’ll let you mull this over for a bit and come back later today with an example of a short article written in this format.  Until then,

Happy Writing!

Let’s face it, a lot of online book reviews are done by people who have absolutely no training in writing, let alone how to write a review.  If you’ve ever come across one of these reviews, you’ll know it.  I’ve personally seen reviews with a 4.5 star (out of five) rating, but to read the review you would think that the reviewer despised the story.

You really need to think these things through before you hit “publish”, don’t you?

I just had the responsibility of writing a review myself.  In doing so I stumbled on this article at Schoolastic by Rod Philbrick.  It is hands down the most informative I’ve ever read.  Give it a read, you’ll be glad you did!

Getting writing jobs is a whole lot simpler to do if you are known for your work.  While there are no shortcuts to gaining a reputation, there are methods that you can employ to make the process a bit more predictable.

Maki, the enigmatic voice behind Dosh Dosh, a blog dedicated to helping you make money online, spells out these steps in his article How to use the Web to Build a Powerful Reputation In Any Industry. I’ve gone over this article several times, and as a 20 year veteran of the Internet game, I’m going to say that I agree with his insight on this one.  If you follow along with the steps he’s outlined, you’ll have little problem gaining name recognition within 12 months time, if not sooner, and let’s face it…  As a Writer, your name is everything!

If you’re looking to become a power writer for the web, Dosh Dosh is one of those sites you just must have in your RSS Reader or bookmarks.  He really will help you make oney online.  He’s helped me to do so already!

I’ve mentioned the need for frequent backups here before. If you don’t have your work backed up somewhere safely off of your computer, you stand the very real risk of losing all of it in some strange, one-in-a-million computer crash or hard disk failure. Even those of us using systems that aren’t Windows driven have the problem of hardware failure. Just running a Macintosh or Linux machine can’t save us from that.

Then of course there’s the issue of storage. Backing up to CD or DVD is nice, but if you’re like me and buy in bulk, there’s nothing to protect that fresh backup from scratches, dust buildup of loss. What’s the use of having all your work backed up to DVD if the DVD is lying on the desktop becoming damaged or unusable?

The simple solution is to go and get some attractive DVD storage cases that can be labeled neatly and placed near your office or workspace.  think of it as a filing system for your important data, and keep up with it!  weekly is best, but even once a month backups are better than nothing.

speaking of which, where’d I put those DVD’s?

I’ve been toying with the idea of getting some business cards for my different blogs. Up until now, that concept was on the back burner, but as of today, I think I’m going to go ahead and get some. Oorprint is offering 100 FREE business cards for bloggers, including their Web 2.0 series, which includes a tag cloud at the bottom. All you pay is shipping and handling for 100 cards you can passs out when discussing a topic that turns to your blog. (and don’t they all?)

My personal favorite is a shocking orange number, but since i don’t own a shocking orange blog, I suppose I’ll have to pick something else. Ah well.

Check them out!

Many writers decide to incorporate after they have reached a certain level of income. The decision to incorporate is usually made because it can lead to a rather significant tax break, especially for a writer that earns over 100,000 per year. It also allows for the writer to draw a steady paycheck from their own income, because once incorporated, you earn a monthly salary, which is paid out by the corporation (you), to the employees of that corporation (you). Your taxes are also handled by the corporation, and depending on the benefits and other perks that the corporation (you) pays you and other factors, you may end up paying considerably less in taxes at the end of the year.

What many people don’t know is that when your corporation is first set up, you must hold a meeting of the board of directors and shareholders, even if all of these people are just you, yourself and you. You need to adopt bylaws, or if starting a L.L.C, an operating agreement. You must hold regular meetings of the board of directors with written minutes for each meeting, even if you are the only person in attendance. The I.R.S. may request these documents if you are ever audited and failure to produce them can have disastrous results.

There is a lot you need to know when starting a corporation. Luckily, there is an online resource that offers both free forms and a service that will provide prepared documents for a very reasonable $25.00 fee. You’ll also need to get a tax id number. If all of this is confusing to you, you may want to check out the differences between a corporation and a L.L.C., or simply order a corporate starter kit, which includes all the documentation and help you’ll need.

The company I’ve linked to is a Nevada corporation, but they offer services to help you become incorporated in all 50 states. If you’ve thought about it, check them out, but remember, incorporating is a huge step, and you may wish to consult a financial consultant or tax attorney before making any decision of this magnitude.

Sometimes you learn of a great new read simply because someone thought that you had something worth reading. There are more blogs on the subject of writing than you can shake a stick at. (I know, it’s cliché, but it is a phrase I use all the time.) Finding the really good ones can be difficult, but sometimes, the good ones find you. This entry is proof of that.

I might never have stumbled upon Writing for Us on my own. It is only by happy coincidence that Rosa left a comment on one of my entries here, and just because I was curious, I popped on over. I’m very glad that I did, it’s been a wonderful read, and now has a permanent spot in my RSS reader.

Write for us is currently running a series called 30 days to writing better articles. The information ic concise, easy to digest, and well worth the read. Please do go check out this wonderful writing resource at Writing for Us, you’ll be glad you did!

Comp cards are usually used by models and performers to highlight their “look” and leave a visual reminder with agents, producers and directors, but why shouldn’t authors get in on this trend? Perhaps having a comp card printing with your photo on it isn’t what you’re after, but imagine the impact of a comp card featuring your latest book cover. No matter where the card is left lying, it’s going to draw attention. At a trade show such as Romantic times, it could mean the difference between a new deal and no-deal.

If comp cards aren’t what you’re after in promotion, try using a postcard instead. All the same advantages apply, and as an added bonus, you can send them easily in the mail to raise awareness of your latest releases!

As promised, the first in a series on where to find freelance writing assignments.

Do a quick Google on the subject and one of the first sites that will pop up is Deborah Ng’s listings of freelance writing jobs. There is very good reason that this blog is at the top of the list. The articles are concise, informative and well thought out. the site’s writers give encouragement as well as handing out the facts on a business that they are very familiar with, and the opportunities are screened carefully, rather than being a simple regurgitation of the latest offerings on Craigslist. (You’ll find job offers from Craigslist here, but they’re definitely a bit fresher than some of the competition’s sites.)

The site also offers up a few very interesting diversions from the job hunt, so be warned that there are shiny links present on this site that may take you off in unexpected directions. I’m not against the occasional diversion, mind you, but I’ve been known to head off into shiny-land and not come back for several hours, so I feel that the warning is appropriate.

For my money, this is one of the first places you should start if you’re just breaking into the freelance writing arena. But judge for yourself.  In the end, whether you’re successful as a freelance writer (or blogger) is at least 80% determination to break into the business, and nobody but you can supply that.  The other 20% are talent and knowledge, And I’m here to help with the latter!

Writing for profit very often requires more than just that perfect idea for the great American Novel.  For most writers it involves picking up freelance jobs when, and where the writer can find them.

Finding these jobs used to mean scouring print publications as often as they were released, then sending a flury of inquiries and hoping for an “in” with a publication that matched your interests or field of expertise, or knowing someone on the “inside” at a publishing company, magazine or newspaper.

Thankfully, the quest is a bit easier today.

Over the next several weeks I’ll be highlighting resources for finding freelance writing jobs.  These jobs can pay from $25.00 to several hundred.  Some are one-time-only, others are recurring contracts that can earn a writer a pretty good income if he or she works diligently at them.

Stay Tuned!