Writers’ Roundup: June 17

A quick note before we get started: I sometimes link to online classes at MediaBistro, mainly their travel writing and memoir classes. They’re now offering an affiliate program, which means when you buy a class through the link on my site, I get a cut. Affiliate opportunities are cool because they allow bloggers like me to make a little money off all the time we put into our sites.

So if you buy a MediaBistro class to improve your writing (don’t buy their social media bootcamp because I’m preparing to offer a similar class here!), I hope you’ll use this link or click on the MediaBistro ad in my right sidebar. The link will work whether you buy now or next year. Thanks!

Links for this week:

• My absolute favorite is from Chris Guillebeau: Should success be based on conversion, or on how you feel about what you’re doing?

• A fun story from The Wall Street Journal about one-hit-wonder entrepreneurs and where they are now, including the guy who created magnetic poetry kits (yeah, the kind you have on your fridge).

• Literary agent Steve Laube explains the myth of the unearned advance.

• For all the Twitter fans, The New York Times writes about how hashtags have infiltrated our culture.

• Is Groupon writing bad? Yeah, it kind of is, says writer Bryan Gilmer.

• The Intern on why having an agent is weird — because it’s like dating your first boyfriend.

• Tips from Writer’s Digest’s Jane Friedman on building your platform. I like No. 4: Think of your blog as a relationship-builder.

• Finally, if you missed the comments on my post about whether renting or owning offers more freedom, check them out. Good ideas and insight from y’all.

Have a fabulous weekend!