Happy Friday — and Happy Holidays! My list of links this week is short, because you should be enjoying the holiday this weekend! Your reads: As the New Year approaches, check out Penelope Trunk’s shortcuts to common New Year’s resolutions. They’re not really shortcuts; they’re smartcuts. The purpose of an elevator pitch isn’t really to […]
Today marks three months since I started working for myself. And know what? I’m now bringing in as much income as when I had the day job + side gig! This is exciting news for a newbie entrepreneur. Reaching the income I left behind has been one of my goals since the beginning, and getting […]
If you're a writer interested in making money online, don’t miss these insights from author and entrepreneur Sean Platt. Sean writes everything from children's books to horror novels to landing pages for websites. He co-founded CIMedia, an independent publisher with a focus on writing and social media, and is a contributing writer for Copyblogger. But […]
Happy fall! I’m writing from my parents’ house in upstate New York, where I’m hanging out with Cooper (the dog I brought home from a writer’s colony) while they’re on vacation. So far, this has proven to be one of the best perks of becoming self-employed; I can work from wherever is convenient! Thought-provoking links […]
We can only teach ourselves so much. You can practice, practice, practice. You can read blog posts and watch YouTube tutorials. You can — and this is my favorite — closely watch others who successfully do what you want to do and see how they do it. But if you really want to take your […]
Every September I go to a writer’s colony. Not because I planned it that way. I just realized this while preparing for my first residency at the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, known among artists as VCCA. My two weeks there start today. Yup, today. In September 2009, I spent five weeks at The […]
Some exciting things happening on my end, projects I’m psyched to share with you in the coming weeks! For now, helpful and interesting links from this week: How to prioritize your life? Tackle your fears first, says Hey Amber Rae. I recently added this blog to my RSS feed; it’s awesome for inspiration. Author Jody […]
I’m usually a fan of Writer’s Digest Webinars; I was glad I paid for their recent tutorial on e-books and listened in on their free teleconference about Borders. (Can’t find the link — Looks like it’s no longer available online.) But I didn’t learn much from the session yesterday on using Amazon to sell books. […]
Writers who don’t have many published clips often ask me how they can get their foot in the door. By this point, they usually have decent writing skills, but don’t know which publications to approach to get their first few stories published. Here’s what I tell them: Try your alumni publication. Alumni magazines are often […]
When I tell people I used to go to a mega-church in Houston, they usually look shocked. And slightly horrified. (Admittedly, that’s why I don’t usually mention it.) I know what they’re thinking: I don’t seem like the type to belong to a mega-church. Am I one of those religious nuts? Not so much. Reciting […]