Free graphic images/clip art for your blog May 31, 2010

I found the cutest site for free pictures today, and I want to share it with you. It’s called “The Graphics Fairy.” While it’s primarily for hobbyists to enjoy, Karen (a.k.a. The Graphics Fairy) is kind enough to share the pictures she posts.

Karen does ask for one thing, though:

“Please do not use more than 6 of the graphic images within any one project, or within a single page of a blog or website. A link to the Graphics Fairy is very much appreciated, when including clipart on your blog or website.”

This particular drawing is from an early calligraphy book Karen owns.

“Most of my images are pre 1923.”

Karen also posts free things for your blog, on a regular basis. Take a look at what she is currently offering.

 

Every piece of writing needs to be clear and precise. With microscope in hand, Inksnatcher’s writing and editing service will hone any work until it glitters in the light of a 1,000 watt bulb. INKSNATCHER.COM

 

 

Make money writing May 18, 2010

I started to write in earnest in 2005. I had big dreams and a notable ego, but I quickly found that no one else was quite as impressed by my writing as I thought he/she would be.

When you are your only critic, everything you write is wonderful.

Five years later, with a dried-up ego and smaller expectations, I am finally making money. Granted, this month’s check is a paltry sum that only pays two household bills, but it is something. By next year I should have earned back all the money I spent on conferences, books, and magazines on writing.

So how did I do it?

Step One
Write for free.

Step two
Once you have about five published clips, start querying the magazines that pay $5-$10 per piece, then gradually increase your queries to magazines that pay from $15-$100.

Step three
Once you have clips from three recognizable magazines, start to query the magazines you really want to write for.

Don’t make the same mistake I did in the process—I kept looking for new magazines to write for, but what I neglected to recognize, as a huge blessing, were the magazines that actually liked me enough to publish me in the first place.

Your regular sources of income might be right under your nose.

I recently contacted some older magazines’ editors to remind them how much they loved me, and to see if they needed any new material. One has now added me as a regular on her mail-out request for submissions; another has asked me to write another piece for her October issue. This leads us to step four.

Step four
Don’t bite the hand that fed you.

 

Every piece of writing needs to be clear and precise. With microscope in hand, Inksnatcher’s writing and editing service will hone any work until it glitters in the light of a 1,000 watt bulb. INKSNATCHER.COM

 

 

Writing the perfect query May 12, 2010

There is no such thing as a perfect query, but there is such as thing as studying your preferred agent and catering to his/her tastes when you write your tantalizing e-mail.

Wendy Lawton had written three blog posts about how to write a good query.
In part one she tackles misconceptions about queries.
Part two is about what Wendy like to see and not see in a query.
In part three, Wendy shows what can happen when you try too hard to be funny.

On a side note, Chip McGregor has announced the winner of his (worst) poetry of the year contest. Some writing friends won awards, of whom I am very proud.

To see the winning entries, visit Chip’s site.

 

Every piece of writing needs to be clear and precise. With microscope in hand, Inksnatcher’s writing and editing service will hone any work until it glitters in the light of a 1,000 watt bulb. INKSNATCHER.COM

 

 

Worst. Poems. Ever. May 7, 2010

Chip McGregor is hosting his yearly bad poetry contest this week. The entries, so far, are a real treat, especially the very first entry by Aimee Salter. I have submitted my own special piece, entitled SPECIAL.

It looks like I might be in with a chance if no one else enters . . . so I challenge you all to oust me from my winning (in my opinion) spot. Here is my entry, but you will need to post your own on Chip’s page, and it should be PG clean.

SPECIAL

This poetry contest does be great
and while i wait
to see if i can a winner be
i can be a poem as lovely as a tree

the tree it blows
in the way vacuums suck
and fat men eat
like turkeys that gobble
in their special way

speaking of special
like the half-off coupons in the Sunday paper and you can rip them out with your sharp nail with the pointy bits of
skin
that stick out the side that you can’t never seem to get your teeth onto the edges of

THE END

 

Every piece of writing needs to be clear and precise. With microscope in hand, Inksnatcher’s writing and editing service will hone any work until it glitters in the light of a 1,000 watt bulb. INKSNATCHER.COM

 

 

Query help May 3, 2010

There’s nothing like a short and sweet post.

This fabulous Web site can help us all: Online promotion made easy. Use it for promotions, and it is also a perfect tool to use when writing a book query. You can find out in minutes how many books are already in print that cover your topic, and what the sales figures are like for them.

And for something completely different . . . I just read this fascinating article on the lack of Jewish fantasy writers, and I wanted to share it with you.

 

Every piece of writing needs to be clear and precise. With microscope in hand, Inksnatcher’s writing and editing service will hone any work until it glitters in the light of a 1,000 watt bulb. INKSNATCHER.COM