THE WRITERS BUREAU
STUDENT STORIES
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When I started the course in April 2006, I was fulfilling a life-long aim. I have always wanted to try my hand at writing and I felt starting the course was a positive step toward this goal.
At university I studied commerce, then went on to post-graduate studies to become a Chartered Management Accountant. My ambition to become a writer has taken a backseat for the 12 years since leaving school where the reality of being an accountant was my priority and I had time for little else.
After the birth of my first child in September 2005, I finally had a chance to take some time to think about what I really wanted to do. My old ambitions of becoming a writer had never left me, they had merely been suppressed. So, by starting the writing course, I have had a chance to explore whether or not I could actually write.
The course opened my eyes to many aspects of writing I had not previously considered and how writers can be remunerated for their efforts. I loved it from the very beginning.
I started off by offering to write book reviews for a magazine called Financial Management, to which I subscribed. I remember the excitement of receiving my first cheque for £75 for a book review. Another soon followed, bringing my total earnings to £150. Though I didn't feel I could call myself a writer just yet!
As I followed the course, I sent off pieces that I wrote for submission to different publications. The next to be accepted was a reality piece that I wrote for Chat magazine. This was published and I received £200.
I had never considered writing a non-fiction book as I always thought I would plunge straight into a novel. The course made me think that I might be able to write about my experiences as an accountant as I knew more about this than anything else. For an assignment, I wrote a synopsis and followed this up with a sample chapter for a book called Essential Management Accounting. I then sent it off to a few publishers that I thought would be appropriate.
I am happy to say that Kogan Page contacted me within a day of receiving my synopsis and we signed contracts within a month. I completed the 80,000 word book over the course of six months and it is due to be published in January 2008. I have so far received an advance of £1500 for this book.
I then went on to write up a synopsis for another non-fiction book called Ready To Start Your Own Business? I then sent this off to publishers and am happy to report that Pearson wanted to take it up. We signed contracts, I was paid a £3000 advance and have now written the book, which has just passed copy edit stage. It is due to be published in March 2008.
I think the most exciting moment was when I logged on to www.amazon.co.uk and searched my name under 'author'. Both of my books were there! I am so excited that something I have written is being pre-sold already.
I really have no idea of what to expect from these two books in terms of royalties, but time will tell as I should receive my first royalty payments for both books over the summer of 2008.
The course then moved on to fiction, which is ultimately where my ambitions as a writer lie. I soon found out that short stories are a lot more difficult than I ever imagined and the tutor feedback on my submissions was less than encouraging to say the least! I persisted though and submitted a synopsis and sample chapter for a novel. Feedback this time was very good and I feel that I am writing a book that has commercial potential.
I am learning that writing a novel is very different from non-fiction in terms of actually writing the book and also how publishers approach both the work and the author. It is a steep learning process, but I am embracing the challenge and am trying to widen my network in this weird new world of publishing, while keeping my old network in finance alive.
I am currently working on my novel part-time, working as an accountant part-time and being a mother to a two year old. I also have another baby due in February, so life is hectic, but I love the diversity and richness that writing has brought to my life. For that I thank the course. Without it I never would have thought about starting off with non-fiction, success in which has given me the confidence to pursue a career as a novelist.
I hope that in a year's time I can tell you about the details of my first fiction contract. Until then I will continue to write and open myself to new opportunities in all areas of publishing.
Belinda Steffan. |
Belinda is currently studying our Comprehensive course – amongst her many other commitments! If you would like a prospectus for this course, then email us here with your full name and postal address.
Or, to share your success stories with others, just send an email to ezeewriter@writersbureau.com with 'Success Story' in the subject line.
FREELANCE MARKET NEWS
an essential guide for freelance writers
For up-to-date market information, Freelance Market News is invaluable.
Issued 11 times a year it's packed with information on markets in Britain and around the globe, plus you get all the latest news and views on the publishing world.
Every subscription comes with FREE membership of The Association of Freelance Writers. Your membership also entitles you to discounts on books and competitions, a free appraisal worth over £30 and a Membership Card which confirms your status as a Freelance Writer.
FREE sample markets are available to view at the website, along with more details about the magazine and how you can subscribe.
www.freelancemarketnews.com
IN THIS MONTH'S ISSUE OF FMN:
HOW ABOUT A SIDEBAR WITH THAT!
Positively Productive!
by Simon Whaley
Is your toner cartridge half full, or half empty? Stay positive as a freelance writer and you can achieve more of your goals.
Let's face it, as writers we are failures every day. If we send out ten query emails, Murphy's Law says we'll get eleven rejections – ten from today's mail out and one left over from yesterday. But looking on the positive side of things, I'm pleased that I've had 10 ideas to send out today in the first place! And hey – the fact that all 10 editors have replied is also an achievement in itself!
I remember reading a statistic, which claimed that two out of every three writers will suffer from a period of depression during their life. Presumably it's down to all those rejections and a lack of confidence that can make us vulnerable.
So if you want to succeed in this freelance world, you have to look on the bright side of life. Learn to twist every negative into a positive. It can be done! When an editor rejects your article or short story – that doesn't matter - you're now free to offer your pearls of wisdom to another more understanding editor!
One way to keep positive is to set yourself a range of goals. They need to stretch you, but they should also be achievable. The best way to do this is to create some short, medium and long term goals.
Short term goals can be something to aim for in the next few minutes, hours or days. Do you want to achieve 500 words before lunch? Perhaps you want to finish the first draft of an article by the end of the day, or complete the whole thing and send it off by the end of the week? Whatever your goal is, write it down.
Now think of a medium term goal. Importantly, this should be something that your short term goal can help you to achieve. For example, if you're aiming to write 500 words in a day, then your medium term goal could be to complete a whole chapter of your book in two weeks.
Long term goals need to stretch you. Think big and dream. What about a published book, novel, stage-play or Literature Festival appearance? Write them all down on a piece of card, and remind yourself whenever you feel a bit low.
Don't think that once you've created your list of goals, that's it. It's not. Your goals should be constantly changing. For example, when you've achieved writing a complete article in a week, why not set yourself the challenge of writing a complete article, and also the draft of another, next week? Use each goal as a stepping stone.
One of my first long term goals was to have a book published. When I achieved this, I changed it to having 5 books published. Now I've achieved this, I've changed it to having 10 books published (and I'm currently working on number 8, so it won't be long now, fingers crossed!).
Review your goals on a regular basis. How are you doing? If you're doing well, then perhaps you need to stretch yourself a little more. Alternatively, if things are going badly, are you being too hard on yourself? Remember, goals need to be achievable. If 500 words before lunch isn't working, then try writing 500 words in one day. Once you start achieving that, then you can begin to shorten the time frame. Five hundred words a day may not sound a lot, but after 100 days you'll have a 50,000 word book. And 100 days is just over 3 months.
However, had you written the goal down as 'write a 50,000 word book in three months', the chances are this would have seemed a little daunting. Which is why breaking jobs down into smaller, achievable goals can keep you looking positive.
Likewise, there are days when everything goes wrong. Magazines seem to have a clearout and send back everything in one go. (Six pieces from one magazine in one day is my record.) It's so easy to feel despondent on those occasions and rightly so. And once that happens, the rest of the day can deteriorate into an unproductive one. To avoid this, get into the habit of writing down on another card all of your successes. That way, when a moment of despondency sets in, you can remind yourself that you CAN do it.
Have you won any competitions? That makes you an award-winning writer! It doesn't matter whether it was the Booker prize, or a competition run by your local paper; if you won it, you pleased the judges with your writing skills. Put it down on your card.
I AM AN AWARD WINNING WRITER!
Have you had anything published? It doesn't matter whether it's a letter in your favourite magazine or a regular column in your local newspaper. Put it down on your card.
I AM A PUBLISHED WRITER!
But I'm not even published yet, I hear you cry! Doesn't matter, there are still things you can note down. Have you written anything? If so, then write it on your card.
I AM A WRITER!
If you haven't, then you are a daydreamer, and daydreamers don't get published. Have you completed an article or short story and posted it off? If so, put it down on your card.
I WRITE COMPLETE ARTICLES/SHORT STORIES AND SEND THEM OFF.
Only writers who send their work off for publication can ever be rejected, and there are thousands who don't even do that. Those people who never send anything off, will never be published. So put it down on your card.
I GET REJECTIONS!
See? I told you every negative can be turned into a positive! Getting rejections is a positive action. It proves that you are writing and submitting work.
So go on, make that list of goals! In fact make that a goal in itself. Then you can tick it off as soon as you've done it.
AUTHOR'S BIO
Simon Whaley is a tutor for The Writers Bureau and the best-selling author of '100 Ways For A Dog To Train Its Human'. Combined with his other books, '100 Muddy Paws For Thought', 'Puppytalk' and 'Running A Writers' Circle' he now has over 240,000 copies of his books in circulation. His articles have appeared in a variety of UK magazines including People's Friend, Dogs Monthly, In Britain, British Life, Heritage, Cumbria, The Daily Express and Holiday Cottages. Two of his new books are being published in summer 2007: 'Best Walks in the Welsh Borders' on behalf of Frances Lincoln Publishing, and 'Fundraising For A Community Project' for How To Books Ltd.
TOP TIPS...
on selling your non-fiction book
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As with articles, do your market research properly first. Make sure you are offering your manuscript to the right person. A publisher of romantic novels or military history won't want a book on keeping koi carp! So, check the Writers' and Artists' Year Book, look in bookshops, on www.amazon.com and publishers' own websites to see what kind of books they produce.
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Publishers are in the business of making money, so it's up to you to persuade them that by commissioning your book they will be backing a winner. In your query letter, tell them why your book will fill a niche in the market and why you are the best person to write it.
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Keep your letter brief but informative. Enclose a synopsis of the book's contents written as concisely as possible; a list of proposed chapters; the book's proposed length (say 50,000 words) and the audience at which it is aimed.
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If you are sending your query by post it is usual to also send two or three sample chapters. Choose ones which you feel are most interesting and best demonstrate your style of writing.
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Don't forget to enclose a large envelope with sufficient postage for the return of the chapters and the publisher's reply. However, as it's so easy to print off new work, it may be cheaper simply to send a standard sae for the editor's reply and ask them to dispose of your work rather than returning it if they are not interested.
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If you query by email, rather than post, do just that! Never send an attachment containing chapters of your work unless you have been requested to do so. Just send your query plus the synopsis – editors don't take kindly to having their inboxes cluttered with unsolicited attachments.
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When sending material by post, make sure it is immaculate. Use good quality white printer paper and a plain, legible font – 12-point is ideal. Space your work properly with decent margins and always proof read everything before sending it off. If your work is full of typos it may throw doubt on the accuracy of your facts.
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For a non-fiction book there is no need to write the whole book in advance. Publishers may have their own views on the length they require or the format. But, make sure that you have completed your research and are certain that you can provide what you have proposed – and within a reasonable time scale – if you are commissioned.
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It is acceptable to send a query to more than one publisher at a time. They can be slow to respond and if you approach one after the other you could find yourself waiting a long time before receiving a positive response.
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Wherever you live, don't neglect the USA. It's a huge market, with wide and varied tastes. Plus, it's now as easy to research and query publishers in the USA as it is those in your own country.
In the spirit of Simon's feature article here's another article proving that there really is life after rejection!
http://arts.independent.co.uk/books/news/article3312756.ece
The Rider Haggard Society is organising a short story competition. The rules are published on the website and the prize is £200 plus a year's membership of RHS, with five runners-up prizes of free memberships. The closing date for the competition is 30th March 2008.
www.riderhaggardsociety.org.uk
This site is the home of all UK Government press releases. You can search for particular topics or browse the latest releases under national and regional menus.
www.gnn.gov.uk
Danuta Kean is a freelance journalist whose blog is well worth a look, particularly the sections on 'How To Get Published' and 'What Authors Need To Know'.
http://www.danutakean.com/blog/?cat=2
That brings us to the end of this month's issue. Next month, Heather Cooke tells you how to be The Complete Angler!
As usual, if you've any suggestions or would like to comment on content then please contact Teresa at:
ezeewriter@writersbureau.com
And don't forget – if you've enjoyed this issue of E-zee Writer and found it useful, tell your friends about it so that they can subscribe too!
www.writersbureau.com/resources/ezewriter.htm
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MANCHESTER, M1 1JB, ENGLAND. |