The act of writing poetry is something that is very personal to us poets, and sharing it for the first time can be a very frightening experience. The first experience of having your work criticized can boggle your mind and set you back a step in your writing. However, critique is essential in any writer?s career. Accepting criticism is something that we all must face, even if we don't like it. When I received my first harsh critique, it was on an Ezboard workshop, and righ...

How to find work. You love to write but you're finding it difficult to market yourself or your work. Is it best to work as a "private contractor," or should you work for an established company such as St. Martin's Press? Maybe it's best to post your services/skills on a site such as Craigslist.com and then wait for people to contact you. Or, maybe, you should use Craigslist.com or a similar website to check out and respond to individuals or companies who are offering work....

There is an epidemic sweeping through writing groups around the globe. Day after day writers drag their weary fingers and bleary eyes into my office and beg for a cure. The symptoms they describe are all too familiar: ~ Writers block ~ Disorganization ~ Frustration ~ Inability to create a coherent sentence ~ Problems with usually simple tasks such as spelling Sometimes the disease is only in its early stages and writers have a few pages they have managed to creat...

Like it or not, your cover letter is the first document that creates an impression about you (good or bad). Because first impressions really count, you need to take a careful approach to writing cover letters in order to avoid rejection. Here are the 10 major don?ts you need to avoid: 1. Don?t use cover letter templates, however good they may be. There are three things you must know that go against these templates: 1) they are stale & boring 2) most templates are likely to...

We use writing every day in business. Does your writing make you look more professional or less professional? There are some words that are commonly used interchangeably, when in fact they have different meanings. Here are a few of the words that are frequently used incorrectly. You're and Your: The word "you're" is a contraction for "you are". Correct: You?re a good friend. (you are) The word "your" is used to imply possession or ownership. Correct: Is this you...

Some of the most common grammar mistakes in business are the easiest to avoid. Whether speaking or writing, correct grammar and spelling are important to your credibility and the impression you leave upon others. Here are a few of the most common grammar mistakes with examples as to the correct usage. Subject/Verb Disagreement: When speaking or writing in the present tense, both subjects and verbs must be either singular or plural. A combination of singular and plural i...

You may have heard of the term, "Book Doctor" in your writing career. Maybe you've wondered what a Book Doctor does and if it's a good idea to utilize their services. In essence, a Book Doctor is an individual who promises to assist you in making your manuscript ready for submission to an editor or publisher. The sad truth is many Book Doctors simply provide minimal editing services and little else. Many potential authors have sought the services of one of these 'pro...

Imagine thousands of people buying your book all over the world in the coming year. Furthermore, they love it and write you about how it has helped them. They even email all their friends about your insightful book. Sound far fetched? Believe it; it could happen to you! Keep reading only if you want to give your message the selling chance it deserves. To start with, every part of your book should be a compelling part of your message. Every part should be written passionate...

The term freelance has been described as "A person who sells services to employers without a long-term commitment to any of them." This is essentially the truth of freelance writing. In many ways a freelancer works as a subcontractor. A freelance writer accepts work offered by a magazine or newspaper with no long-term commitment or promise of ongoing assignments. It is possible that someone you have written for on a freelance basis will return to you with an additional ass...

Have you ever wondered why a writer chooses a pseudonym or pen name? Is it possible they believe that they are more important than other writers are? Do they demonstrate their views of superiority by simply choosing to rename themselves? The truth is, there are a multitude of valid reasons for an author to select a pen name and very few have anything to do with pride. For instance Mary Ann Evans was published under the name George Eliot simply because female authors had...