Greetings!
As writers, we pursue our craft with ink
pumping through our veins, with a passionate
search for clarity, all the while, hoping
that someone will take notice of our efforts
and those efforts will be fruitful; and
sometimes, yes, sometimes, we forget that
writing is a business like any other.
Let's face it. We're all concerned with money
matters, or we should be. Even if you
are a fiction writer creating the next Great
American Novel, you need to consider your
finances in this tough economy. Don't get me
wrong, I'm not the type to think doom and
gloom. My true feeling is that the economy is
getting better, but taking charge of your
finances isn't about surviving, it's about
empowering yourself as a writer.
This issue tackles many of the tough money
questions many aspiring and professional
writers need answered. How do you set up
a retirement plan? What about health
insurance? What are some of the mistakes
other writers make when planning a fulltime
career? What are some of the tax issues to
consider as a freelance writer? How can you
survive as a writer during a recession? What
is the best way to make money online?
The experts in this issue provide you with a
ton of take-away on each topic. My best
advice for digesting this issue is to read
all the articles, follow the necessary links,
print the resource pages, and make notes in
the margin. Or bookmark the individual
articles so you can come back and explore the
links when you are ready.
So, without further ado, let's explore money
matters!
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A big, warm, Thank You goes out to our
freelancers & staff:
We welcome freelancer Allena Tapia to
the WOW! family and thank her for
sharing the Fatal
5: Finance Mistakes Writers Make. Not
only does she point them out, she shows us
how to avoid them and shares the lessons
learned.
We also welcome freelancer Rachel
Olivier to the WOW! family and
applaud her for providing us with health
insurance options for freelancers and the
self-employed. With more and more
companies cutting health insurance benefits,
this article is timely for all who want to
stay healthy, wealthy, and wise.
Another big thank you goes to WOW!
columnist Marcia Peterson for
conducting a fascinating roundup from
freelance writers and authors across the
country. Instead of our normal 20 Questions
column with 1 author, we have 1 big question
answered by 20 authors: What are you doing to
adjust to these tough economic times? The
tips and advice in this article are
fantastic, and they help you learn How
to Survive as a Writer During a
Recession.
We welcome back freelancer Thursday
Bram and thank her for her article, How
To Set Up a Retirement Plan. She
takes a lot of the guesswork out for writers,
and reminds us that we're never too young to
start planning for our futures.
All this talk about money makes me want to
take a vacation! But that's one of the things
many of us are cutting out of our lives to
save money. It is possible though, especially
when you combine travel with writing. We
welcome freelancer Amy Robertson (who
is also interning with WOW! as a
graphic designer). We are thrilled with her
inspiring interview
with Gina Greenlee. Take a trip to
far-off countries, solo no less, and find out
why Gina's book, Postcards and Pearls:
Life Lessons from Solo Moments On the
Road, is more than just a travel
book--it's about women cultivating a
nurturing relationship with themselves.
And, if you are interested in blogging, check
out an article I originally wrote for
Premium-Green entitled, Get
a Blog, Get a Job! It goes a little
more in-depth than some of our previous
blogging articles, but there's something for
everyone--from the beginner to the pro.
And where would I be without my talented
senior editor, Annette Fix? Well, I'd
probably still think my blogging article
didn't need editing...even though it was in
desperate need! Thanks, Annette, for your big
red pen and your attention to detail.
If you are looking for a freelance editor to
polish your manuscript, website content,
query letter, or book proposal, Annette now
offers editing and development services. You
can find out more by visiting www.annettefix.com/editing.
She is offering a 10% discount for
WOW! subscribers now through the
month of May. Just mention WOW! Women
On Writing to receive your discount!
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Announcements:
WOW! Women On Writing
just found out
that we're listed as one of Writer's
Digest 101 Best Sites for Writers 2009!
This is our second year in a row and we're
thrilled. You can see us in the May/June
issue of Writer's Digest, under the
Genres/Niches category: "WOW! Women on
Writing is designed to support women
throughout all stages of the writing
process."
We'd like to thank all of our readers for
supporting us. This is a great honor for all
women writers!
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Spring 2009 Flash Fiction Contest
DEADLINE: May 31, 2009 Midnight,
Pacific Time.
GUEST JUDGE: Literary Agent, Wendy
Sherman
About Wendy: Wendy Sherman launched
her Agency in 1999 following a twenty-year
career in publishing. Her experience includes
being Associate Publisher and Executive
Director of Henry Holt as well as positions
as VP and Director of Sales, Marketing and
Subsidiary Rights at Simon & Schuster and
Macmillan. With this experience, the Agency
offers a competitive edge to its clients.
Wendy Sherman Associates has an impressive
roster of well established, critically
acclaimed and award-winning clients that
range from literary to more commercial,
including Nani Power (Crawling at Night),
Howard Bahr (The Black Flower), William
Lashner (A Killers Kiss), Liam Callanan (All
Saints) and famed actress Rue
McClanahan (My First Five Husbands).
Attracting a wide range of fiction and
non-fiction authors, the agency is especially
well known for discovering new writers,
including Therese
Fowler, author of Souvenir one of the
most talked about first novels of the year
(March 2008, Random House/Ballantine), which
is a Barnes & Noble New Reads Book Club
choice, a Book Sense Notable and has been
sold in eighteen countries (so far). With two
younger agents, Michelle Brower and
Emmanuelle Alspaugh, the Agency also attracts
the next generation of writers.
Find out more about Wendy Sherman Associates,
Inc. by visiting her website: http://www.wsherman.com
WOW! had the honor of interviewing
Wendy in our Literary
Agents Issue. Be sure to check it out
to learn more about this prestigious and
talented literary agent.
PROMPT: Open Prompt
WORD COUNT: 750 Max; 250 Min
LIMIT: 300 Entries
Don't wait until the last minute! Enter
Today. Visit our Contest
Page and download our terms &
conditions ebook. Good luck!
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Call for Submissions
WOW! is seeking writers for their
upcoming themes:
- The Process
- Self-Promotion
We are also looking for photo essays and
video on a variety of subjects:
workspaces,
tours of author's homes, how-tos, speakers on
craft of writing subjects, author interviews,
event coverage, balancing work/writing with
family, etc. If you have an idea for a photo
essay (300-500 words), or a video, please
query us with examples of photo essays/video
work you've previously completed.
Please review our submission guidelines on
our Contact
Page (scroll to the bottom) for pay rates
and how to submit. We look forward to hearing
from you!
To find out about first calls from
WOW! please subscribe to our Premium-Green
Writer's Markets. We share detailed
descriptions of specific articles we need
right now. Land one gig and it more than pays
for a year's subscription! We currently have
over 17 issues--ebooks filled with over 100
pages of markets--available for immediate
download with the purchase of your
subscription. Join the community that gives
back! And write-on!
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On to the issue, enjoy!
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Get a Blog, Get a Job: How to Start, Optimize, and Monetize Your Blog
By Angela Mackintosh
With the death of print publications, comes
the birth of online journalism. It's quite a
lucrative market and chock-full of
opportunities, but for those new to the
platform, it can be a little overwhelming.
Angela Mackintosh breaks down the key
components you must understand to create a
successful blog. The article shows you
how to start a blog, how to write catchy
content, how to optimize your blog for the
web, drive traffic, and make money through a
variety of options.
MORE>>
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20 Answers: How To Survive as a Writer During the Recession
By Marcia Peterson
What are you doing to adjust to these tough
economic times? It's a question Marcia
Peterson asked working writers around the
country, and they were eager to assist fellow
scribes with their best suggestions. As it
turns out, there are plenty of ways to make
money, save money, and make a living as a
writer, right now, despite the
economy.
20 freelance writers, editors, copywriters,
screenwriters, journalists, and authors chime
in to share their best tips for keeping their
heads above water during tight times: Kelly
DiNardo, Megan Cutter, Lisa Rothstein,
Melissa Rudy, Nancy Fulton, Daniel P. Smith,
Helen Bradley, Diane Y. Welch, Alison Hart,
Wendy Burt-Thomas, Michael J. O'Neal, Sally
Lloyd-Jones, Ruth E. Thaler-Carter, Jennifer
Larson, Kimberly Llewellyn, Carine Nadel, Pat
McHenry Sullivan, Michelle Dunn, Dina Rabadi,
and Alice Hohl.
MORE>>
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Pearls of Wisdom from Gina Greenlee
By Amy Robertson
Imagine yourself traveling to far-off
countries, walking through landmarks you've
only read about in history books, and seeing
sights that previously had only existed in
your imagination. Now, imagine getting
paid for it. That's exactly what Gina
Greenlee, author of Postcards and
Pearls did. Here, Gina talks to Amy
Robertson about some of the ups and downs of
travel writing, but, more importantly, she
shares how she summoned the courage to
achieve the life she'd always dreamt of, how
you can do that, and more.
MORE>>
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Article: Top 10 Smart Ways to Spend Your Tax Refund
By Roni Deutch
Now that tax season is almost over the
government will be sending out millions of
dollars
in tax refunds. But instead of wasting it
within hours, consider these top 10 smart
ways to spend your refund.
1. Pay down your credit card debt
Credit card lenders typically huge interest
rates, so this year why not use your refund
to pay down all, or at least part of, your
credit card debt? If you have multiple credit
cards you should try to pay off those with
the highest APR (annual percentage rate)
first.
2. Make an extra mortgage payment
If you use your tax refund to pay an extra
mortgage payment every year you can
drastically reduce the total amount you pay
on your loan. By making one extra payment
each year you can reduce the life of your
loan by up to six years.
3. Prepay major bills
If you have any big bills coming up then you
might want to consider prepaying them with
your refund. These bills range from annual
insurance premiums to orthodontist bills, but
can cause problems for anyone living on a
monthly budget.
4. Upgrade appliances
By upgrading to energy efficient applicants
such as air conditioners or refrigerators,
you can actually save money on your energy
costs. Additionally, these improvements can
also increase the value of your house.
5. Open a college fund
If you have kids, or if you are planning to,
it may be a good idea to put your refund away
to their future college expenses. Tuition and
book prices rise more each year and it is
never too early to start saving.
6. Service your car
For many people their vehicle is their only
way to get back and forth from their job. If
it has been a while since you have had your
car serviced it is probably a good idea to
take it in.
7. Invest in yourself
By attending a professional conference,
learning a new language, or even taking a
class at a community college, you can put
your refund to good use by investing in
yourself.
8. Prepay a future vacation
There is nothing more relaxing than taking a
well-deserved vacation. If you worked hard
last year then odds are you will have a
sizeable refund to show for it. Why not take
a vacation with friends or family with part
of that refund?
9. Donate it to charity
Making a charitable contribution is always a
smart way to spend your tax refund. By
helping others in need you can do a great
thing and lower your taxable income.
10. Save it for a rainy day
This one technically is not a way to spend
your refund, but it is a good rule to have at
least 3 to 6 months worth of living expenses
saved in case of an emergency. You never know
what will happen tomorrow, so you should
always be prepared.
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The Tax Lady Roni
Deutch and her law firm Roni Lynn Deutch,
A Professional Tax Corporation have been
helping taxpayers across the nation find IRS
tax relief for over seventeen years. The firm
has experienced IRS tax
attorneys who will fight the IRS on your
behalf.
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Give Yourself the Ultimate Gift that Gives Back
Invest in yourself!
Are you tired of markets newsletters
that simply
"list" a bunch of markets without any personal
guidance?
Get the Guide That Helps You Grow Your
Freelance Writing Career!
PREMIUM GREEN MARKETS
The Ultimate Guide for Freelance Women Writers
Will Show You the GREEN!
Premium-Green isn't just market listings,
it's a guide with community benefits. For
only $4 a month, you get a 100+ Page Ebook
delivered to your inbox every month, and
you'll have access to a private community of
women writers just like you!
We know that becoming a freelance writer
takes more than just market listings. You'll
need the opportunity to network with your
peers and have a support system to help you reach
your goals. And that's exactly what your
Premium-Green Markets Subscription will do.
Here's what you get when you subscribe to
PREMIUM GREEN:
- Monthly 100+ page ebook in friendly
PDF format: Easy to print, easy to save.
No need for storing emails to find links and
articles you missed!
- Articles to grow your Freelance
Career: These are articles not found
anywhere else: More than Your Magic 8-Ball,
I.T.T. In the Trenches, Tips & Tricks, Meet
Your Mentor, Get Writing Mamas!, Project
Workbook, and more...
- Access to the PG Subscribers
Group: Network with your peers through
the Google list-serve, post
discussions, ask questions, and receive
insider tips.
- Documents for PG Subscribers:
Upload, download, and share content with
the group. We put up f*r*e*e* articles,
contracts, and ebooks for the group each
month, so take advantage!
- First Calls from WOW!: We
give you
immediate calls for what we need on the spot
(or when we're in a crunch) to fill each
issue. Get on the ground level and write for
us!
- Pink & Green: Find women's markets
only, and get insight from the editors and
what their needs are right now.
- Markets, markets, and more
markets. We provide markets for all
aspects of freelancing. One example is,
"Niche Quiche," which includes greeting card
markets, slogans, and anything you can write
in a few words and get paid! Check
out our markets
page for more details.
Earn the money you deserve, and get a real
support team
who will help you grow your freelance
career.
Join Now and Download all 17 Premium-Green
ebooks Instantly!
The subscription price is $48 a
year, which is $4 per month. We want to
support
you!
Let's make this a
banner year for all women writers. We can
only do it by helping each other and creating
a strong network and community for ourselves.
Together, we can do it!
VISIT OUR MARKETS PAGE >>
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WOW! BLOG: THE MUFFIN
Find out the latest from the Bakers of WOW!
Have you checked out what we've been baking
for you on the daily Muffin? We've stirred
together some traditional ingredients with
new ones to deliver more interviews,
enlightenment, thought provoking ideas, and
inspirational messages to help you through
those gray writing days.
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Never Stale! Here's the Latest:
Tuesdays are contest interview
days!
If you are interested in
writing for our contests, check out the
interviews with previous Top 10 winners to
find out how they crafted their stories.
Fall
'08 Essay Contest 1st Place Winner: Natalie
Wendt
Interview by Marcia Peterson
Fall
'08 Essay Contest 2nd Place Winner: Abby
Everett Tignor
Interview by Margo Dill
Fall
'08 Essay Contest Runner Up: Julie Donner
Andersen
Interview by Anne Greenawalt
Summer
'08 Flash Fiction Contest Runner Up: Doris
Wright
Interview by Carrie Hulce
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Blog Posts of Interest:
Sybil
Baker, Author of The Life Plan,
Launches her Blog Tour!
Interview by Joanne Stacey
Sybil Baker starts her blog tour for her
fabulous new novel, The Life Plan.
It's a not-to-be missed chat with Sybil about
her writing process and more. You can even
read the first chapter of the book for free,
and get hooked like other WOW!
readers. 40
comments! Note: This blog tour is still
going!
Check
the dates and join in.
Rachel
Dillon, Author of Through Endangered Eyes:
A Poetic Journey Into the Wild, Launches
her Blog Tour!
Interview by Jodi Webb
Rachel Dillon's new book combines all that
she loves: children, writing, painting, and
animals. Through beautiful paintings and
intimate poems, readers will learn about the
lives of twenty-one amazing animals and why
they are in danger. In her first blog tour
stop at WOW!, Rachel shares the
background behind her work, as well as lots
of great inspiration for other writers on the
publishing journey. 16 comments! Note:
This blog tour is still going! Check
the dates and join in.
Attention
Authors! Bring Out Your Book Trailer
By LuAnn Schindler
Book trailers bring written words to a visual
reality and capture the essence of a book's
soul in just a few short minutes. Learn about
this important marketing tool that can
connect you with the people who purchase
books.
Does
the Library Help You? Enter this Woman's Day
Essay Contest
By Margo L. Dill
If the library has gotten you or your family
out of a tough financial crunch, helping you
save in unexpected ways, then here's a
writing contest for you! Library lovers,
check it out.
Top
10 Fears of Writers
By Marcia Peterson
Take a look at the results from a survey of
writers showing their top fears about
practicing the craft. Chances are, you've had
at least of few of these thoughts yourself at
one time or another.
Words
of Wisdom
By LuAnn Schindler
A writer's Page-A-Day calendar offers some
wonderful gems about writing. Get inspired!
Common
Deductible Business Expenses
By Angela Mackintosh
There's still a little bit of time to do your
taxes! Find out what sorts of things you may
be able to write off as an expense, as
freelance writer. You might qualify for tax
breaks you hadn't thought of.
Putting
Up a Portfolio
By Alison Diefenderfer
How far can and should online portfolios go?
An informal poll for WOW! readers
about the whys and hows of keeping an online
portfolio.
Pockets
of daily writing time
By Elizabeth Humphrey
How can she write as much as she does, as the
mother of three? Elizabeth shares her writing
routine, and asks you to share your habits
too.
The
Write Man for Her: (A Great Read) and
Interview with Christie Walker Bos
Interview by Margo L. Dill
The Write Man for Her is a great read
for a spring afternoon at the park with a
picnic and blanket, for a summer day at the
beach, or for a winter night curled up in
front of a fire. Author Christie Walker Bos
chats with Margo about being a romance
writer, separating reality from fiction, and
writing around a real job. Be sure to also
check out Christie's guest posts on crafting
the modern romance: Baking a Romance...a
Recipe for Success, Part
1 and Part
2.
Calling
All Poets for the April PAD Challenge
By Jill Earl
April is National Poetry Month and if you're
looking for a way to develop or sharpen your
skills, take a look at the Poem-A-Day (PAD)
Challenge. Participation is free.
Which
is the most important part of the equation?
Money? Creativity? Books?
By Elizabeth Humphrey
Elizabeth tries to sort out which is most
important: to keep plugging away at writing
for traditional publishing? To write your
heart out and self-publish to reach your
audience (including writing rambling posts
like this one)? To keep your eye on the
financial bottom line? And where does
creativity enter the equation? Join the
discussion!
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Want to get blog posts via email?
Subscribe
to The Muffin with Feedburner and get the
latest delivered straight to your inbox.
Visit The Muffin >>
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Pitch Your Novel Directly to Editors in New York
Friday - Sunday: May 29-31,
2009
Where:
Ripley-Grier Studios 520 8th Avenue at
36th St., 16th Floor, NYC, NY
www.newyorkwritersworkshop.com/
New York Writers Workshop hosts the three-day
Perfect Pitch Fiction Conference for writers
of fiction, Friday-Sunday, May 29-31, 2009.
At this unique conference, participants meet
with and pitch novels to three different
editors from major New York publishing houses
(e.g., Viking, Penguin, Random House,
Scribners, Simon and Schuster).
Before the conference begins, participants
boil the essence of their manuscript down to
a synopsis of flap copy length (roughly three
minutes). The copy should include the book's
premise and hook.
How to apply:
If you'd like to attend the workshop, prepare
an email with the following information:
- Brief description of your project (up to
100 words)
- What you do for a living
- Contact information: email address, street
address, phone
And send it to: Charles Salzberg:
[email protected]
or Tim Tomlinson:
[email protected]
We'll get back to you within ten days to let
you know if your application has been
accepted and, if so, where you should send
your check.
For more information, please visit: http://www.newyorkwritersworkshop.com/pitch_fiction.html
FIND OUT MORE>>
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Mailbox: Letters to the Eds:
From: Karen Rigby, WOW! Alumni
Member. Karen was featured in our August
issue, interviewed by Susan Eberling: Karen
Rigby: From Pen & Paper to Published.
Email:
Dear Editors,
I was previously interviewed in the August
2008 issue, and thought this might be of
interest to the WOW readership.
CERISE PRESS is an international online (with
forthcoming print) journal of literature,
arts and culture based in the U.S.A and
France. The journal, published three times a
year, includes poetry, poetry in translation,
interviews, reviews, essays, art, photography
and more.We read year-round on an ongoing
basis, and welcome queries with ideas
regarding articles and essays.
The journal is edited by Greta Aart, Sally
Molini, and Karen Rigby.
Please visit our website for guidelines: http://www.cerisepress.com
Contact: [email protected]
From WOW: Thank you for the resource,
Karen! I'm sure our readers will enjoy
it.
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From: Julie Achterhoff
Email:
Dear WOW,
Your words have been so inspiring to me on my
writing journey! I have just published my
first book with All Things That Matter Press,
and have another book underway. I couldn't
have done it without you. Thank you so much
for all you do.
Julie Achterhoff
Author of
Quantum Earth
From WOW: Congrats, Julie! We love
success stories like yours. Please keep us
updated on your book. Mucho hugs!
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Would you like to send a letter to the WOW
Editors? We will answer your questions,
post your kudos, comments, suggestions, or
anything else you have on your mind. Email us
at: [email protected].
We look forward to hearing from you!
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In Closing:
We hope this issue has encouraged you to take
control of your finances and money matters as
a writer. It's all about empowering yourself
with the knowledge and tools it takes to
continue to do what you love to do--write! We
can have the best of both worlds--we
can be smart with our finances and
prove to all nonbelievers that writing
is a
career. Yes, it is!
Cheers to a
productive
writing month! The future is bright.
Warmest,
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