All Recent Posts

Driving Rules for Getting to the Point with Your Lede (Lead)

The other night The Wizard of Oz was on and I watched Dorothy and her crew sing about following the yellow brick road. It was a simple instruction, but it dawned on me the yellow brick road was a terribly convoluted roadway, with twists and turns all over place. Who were the city engineers on that project? Sheesh! Some ledes are the same way. They are good enough to hook the reader, but take so long to get to the point readers lose interest and turn the page or hit the back button. Here are a few rules of the road: Red Light – Tickets and Fines Five to six paragraphs in and the writer is still introducing the subject. Be advised, more than... [Read More...]

Cheesy Query Pick-Up Lines

I often compare querying a publication to dating or being in a relationship: “Date Your Publication” and what would dating be without cheesy, low class, creepy pick-up lines? “I think we’ve met/Tweeted/are Facebook friends.” “Don’t I know you from somewhere?” Writers really don’t have to press to find a connection with an editor in their query. Unless you’ve had an encounter the editor is going to remember, forget the wind up, just pitch. Some exceptions include: actually meeting them, talking with them and having the door left open for a pitch, regularly interacting via social networking,... [Read More...]

Forget Clean Your Fridge Day, Clean Up Your Article Files Day Rocks

Tomorrow (Sunday) is National Clean Out Your Fridge Day according to Huffington Post.Com. They are encouraging everyone to get rid of those green, fuzzy mystery fruits in the crisper bin and send them photos of the gross things you find. It’s a great idea, there are a few things in my fridge that would be considered hazardous waste, but I think writers could benefit from a Clean Up Your Article File Day. Cleaning out your article file day includes: Organize Clips Make multiple copies (black and white and full color) Convert web site clips to PDF files Create a backup electronic copy of your work Establish an easy, makes-sense-to-you filing... [Read More...]

Lede This! #2

Ok, the first Lede (Lead) This!” didn’t go so well as we had no participation. Maybe it was the stunning cuteness of my little lion or the (hopefully) super busy week all our FWJ writers had, whatever the case we are going to try again. I’m a little late getting this up, it’s been a crazy week over here as well. Remember a good Lede (Lead) is what captures your audience’s attention and gets them to read the article. Brush up on your skills and get featured here at FWJ – the number one site for freelance writers! The Rules: I post a picture, you write your lede in the comment section below, give the type of publication... [Read More...]

Lede (Lead) This!

I like having fun on Fridays, I always make it an easy day or a day off of work and I thought I’d bring some fun stuff to the FWJ community. Each Friday we are going to do Lede This and on Monday I’ll pick the best lede and talk about why it works. So here’s how it’s going to work: I post a picture, you write your lede in the comment section below, give the type of publication you wrote it for and the subject of the article. No need to write a full article, actually, please don’t write an actual article I don’t want to read it all :0) On Sunday I’ll pick the best one, contact the poster & your lede... [Read More...]

Don’t Say “Google Me.”

// "Hey baby, does heaven know it's missing an angel?" I hate it. I HATE IT when a writer says “Google me” when submitting for an assignment or worse, when asking for advice on their writing career. I’m serious, I have had a writer or two ask me about furthering their career and to then added “Google me to see my work.” Wow. You couldn’t bother to include a link in your email? Are you that busy? Do you think I’m not busy so I have the time and motivation to go looking for “Jane Smith” throughout the Google-verse? Or do you think it makes you look good that your name has the... [Read More...]

FWJ Contest Ending Soon!

// Our FWJ Contest: “Bring Community Back” ends on Halloween. In case you don’t know what’s at stake – can you say $150? Here are the rules: We’re giving away three $50 prizes. The person with the most comments between now and October 31st, on the homepage Freelance Writing Jobs blog, will receive $50. The person with the most comments across the whole FWJ network by the end of the month, that’s all of the blogs, will receive $50. The FWJ blogger who does the most to build community and join the conversation will win $50 at the end of the month. Just a few notes: Comments that only say ” I agree” or... [Read More...]

5 Things You SHOULD Say to an Editor

// Last week I named a few things you shouldn’t say to an editor “5 Things You NEVER Say to an Editor” and the post was pretty darn popular so I figured it was only practical to give a couple of tips on things editor’s love to hear from writers. 5. “I need help.” Writers like to present a tough facade. They want to show they have everything under control and worry that asking their editors for help on a piece will cost them future work. On the contrary, editors love to know a writer will come to them for help because it ensures they will get the article they asked for, not the one a writer thought they wanted.... [Read More...]

5 Things You Never Say to an Editor

// We all joke about crazy editors and their goofball demands. Editors, for the most part, have a good chuckle too because they know some of their peers are pretty nutty. Here at FWJ we often reinforce a writer’s right to push back – professionally – against edits, cheer on as they ask for more work, better pay, etc., however sometimes a writer can take things too far. There are a few things you should never say to an editor, especially if you ever want to work with them again. 5. “You’re just a frustrated writer.” It could be true, it really could be your editor doesn’t have it in them to formulate... [Read More...]

Cut! How to Shorten Your Web Articles

// A recent commenter here at FWJ wrote she was having trouble making the transition to web articles from traditional print. Writing for the web is significantly different as I pointed out in “P.U.! Why that Web Article Stinks.” When people go to the web, they are often in short attention span mode.  Most readers hit the headline, skim for the important points and are onto the next piece before you can say, “Whoa!” If you bring your print mentality to the web you’ll find yourself dropped faster than a 486 PC. So how to make the cut? Bullet points and headlines. Both work wonders in directing your reader’s... [Read More...]

Writing Tip of the Day: Threesomes are Tricky…

// Writing an article is like delving into a relationship. There is commitment instilled into each piece. Ideally, a writer works hard to learn about the piece,  researching and interviewing sources, collecting information and getting to the truth of the subject. They are eager to work with the article, finding out what works and what doesn’t. They expertly manipulate transitions until the article reaches new heights of writing ecstasy and when it’s really good they introduce the article to family and friends. There are times when there is trouble in paradise: You’ve got an article to write and you make a date, taking time... [Read More...]

Article Writing and Your Psychic Friends

// Pitching queries for magazines can be a bit like playing fortune teller. You have to be in tune to what the audience will want to read six months from now. In my post “Are you thinking about Christmas yet? You should be…” I talked about the long lead time for magazines, how writers need to use their insider contacts and hunches on trending topics to pitch specifics to mags and how they should look for new angles on evergreen topics. What if you don’t have a talkative insider? To get a future cast, all you really need to do is talk to an expert. Experts and angles on evergreen topics can be found just about anywhere. Keep... [Read More...]

Bringing Community Back: FWJ’s Giving Away $150!

// Once upon a time there was a blog. This blog had several thousand visitors each day. They shared. They chatted. They commiserated. It was all good. Soon some mean people came by and began scaring away the happy chatters. The vibe changed from warm and fuzzy to not so much fun anymore. The owner did her best to build up community, but she was so busy with her projects and her job it wasn’t happening. She put a comment policy into place but the damage was already done. She had a reputation for having a community that liked to bicker. She wants to change that. If you remember the days when FWJ was a huge, lively community of writers... [Read More...]

Responsible Citizen Journalism – Article Writing

// Deb had a great post today from the Freelance Writing Jobs mailbox: FWJ Mailbox: What is a Citizen Journalist? tackling what defines a citizen journalist, is there money in the field and the types of citizen journalist gigs available. It got me, a journalist by trade and education, thinking about how writers can engage in responsible citizen journalism through article writing. There is a serious debate going on right now about all things journalism. When it comes to citizen journalists, those in media circles debate the effectiveness and reliability of these writers. In fact, many are simply stuck on whether these writers are journalists... [Read More...]

When Friends Hook-Up (For Writing Favors)

// In my last Quick Query Tip post “Work Your Contacts” I wrote about how to work your contacts in order to get your foot in the door of a particular publication. This week I wanted to go into a little more detail on how to delicately balance working your contacts when your contact person is a friend. Balancing business with personal relationships is important and essential to freelance writing success. As discussed in the last column, asking people for a professional hook-up has its issues. Asking for one from a friend is no different. In fact, if done incorrectly, it has the potential to harm the relationship. There are a few... [Read More...]