Write Now Editing

Discovering Your Benefits

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Thanks to the advent of the internet, it’s possible to find a blog post, video, or podcast that will tell you how to do pretty much anything, from making your own fireworks to cutting your own hair (I’m not endorsing either of these links, I’m just making a point).

With so much information available to anyone, it’s important now more than ever to know and advertise your benefits, not just your services. It’s not enough to tell your clients what you do – you need to tell them how you can make their lives easier and why hiring you will be better for their business. It’s not about your services, it’s about your benefits.

For example, I write and edit, but what benefits do I provide to my clients?

  1. An outside perspective: Most business owners are so familiar with their industry that they use words and descriptions that make sense to them but might actually be confusing to others. I can help them avoid that confusion.
  2. Targeting: Every industry has a different target audience – daycares will want to target parents while retirement communities will need to reach an older crowd – and there’s a different way to talk to each of those audiences. I can help tailor the language and the message for each unique audience.
  3. Time savings: Business owners have better things to do with their time than write website pages, especially when it takes a week or two to find the time to write. Not only can I do the writing for them, but I can write it faster (because I do it every day!).

To figure out your benefits, ask yourself these questions:

  • How can I save my clients time?
  • How can I save them money?
  • How can I make their lives easier?
  • How can I help them meet deadlines?
  • How can I help them find clients?

Those are your benefits, and that’s what they want to know! Any electrician can rewire their houses – tell them why hiring you will make their lives better.

What benefits do you provide to your clients?

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Discover Your “Chunk” and Write that Book by Allie Pleiter

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These days, it’s not just novelists and academics creating books—publication has become a marketing tool for all kinds of businesses. But how do you get those words out of your head to become articles, books, or curriculum?

Here’s a powerful system for tackling this issue:  The Chunky Method.

What is your Chunk?
Your “Chunk” is simply how many words you write in a single sitting before you run out of creative energy. Most of us have a consistent chunk, and that can be the basis of some very effective planning.  Once you give yourself a few experimental sessions and average the output, you’ll know your Chunk—and that’s half the data you need.

Are you a Big Chunk writer or a Small Chunk writer?
This distinction is the other half of the information you need.  Based on my experience, if your chunk is 1000 words or greater, you are probably a Big Chunk writer.  If it is less than that, you are likely a Small Chunk writer.  Their needs are different.

Big Chunk writers, who must totally immerse themselves in the words to make progress, need:

-a dedicated space to work. Banging out your passages at the dining room table annoys you.
– a specific environment. You require silence or a certain kind of music around you when you write. A shared, messy, or a make-do office won’t do.
– an extended period in which to write. You need a big block of time to find your rhythm. It’s frustrating to find a large enough span of time to write every day.
– proper ergonomics. Long sessions mean you need a chair, desk, keyboard, mouse, monitor and lighting that helps your body rather than hurts it.

Small Chunk writers tend to be more adaptable…but prone to distraction. They take life, work, and writing in smaller bites and often juggle multiple projects. You can:

– write anytime, anywhere. Coffee bars, park benches, libraries, airplanes—any setting works for you.
– easily tune out distractions. You don’t need pleasing music (or silence)—you can tune out and crawl inside a project anywhere.
– write often. Small spurts fit your writing into a busy life. A daily word count works for you, but cramming for a deadline probably won’t.
– use any tools. Tablets, notepads, laptops, even index cards or cell phones —ergonomics don’t make much difference, so you’ve got lots of possibilities.

Big Chunk Writers aren’t better or more committed than Small Chunk writers, they’re just different. But both need a plan that takes their styles into account.

Use Your Chunk to Make a Plan
There’s an old joke “How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.” That’s a silly example of how to apply the Chunky concept to your text—whatever size it may be.  Using a 50,000 word manuscript as an example, here’s how a Chunky Method Plan works:

Word count:                                50,000
Chunk:                                        500 words
50,000 divided by 500 =              100 chunks

This tells you that it will take 100 Chunks to finish your project. Now decide how many Chunks you can accomplish in a week.  Let’s go back to our example 500-word-chunk writer—we’ll call her Wendy Writer for the moment—and see how long her 50,000 word manuscript will take her to write:

  • If Wendy gets 2 chunks per week, it will take her 50 weeks, or just under a year.
  • If Wendy gets 3 chunks per week, it will take 34 weeks—roughly 9 months.
  • If Wendy gets 4 chunks per week, she can finish her draft in 26 weeks—half a year.

The true power of this tactic is that you don’t have to write the whole thing right now, just this week’s chunk(s) of it. You’ll be amazed how empowering this smaller goal can be. Any spreadsheet or even a simple calculator can help you plan, but if you’d like help formulating your Chunk and the path to a completed project, I’ve created a free Chunky Calculator you can download.  Simply text CHUNKY to 22828 or click here.  You’ll be on your way to greater productivity and a sound plan in no time.

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Bestselling author Allie Pleiter has written over 30 novels and non-fiction works, selling over 1.2 million books world-wide.  Aside from teaching her popular Chunky Method of time management for writers, Allie works on as many as four books at a time. How? By fitting small “chunks” of writing into a busy life—accompanied by coffee, knitting, and lemon meringue pie. She is the author of The Chunky Method Handbook: Your Step-by-Step Plan to WRITE THAT BOOK Even When Life Gets in the Way. Visit her website www.alliepleiter.com for more information.

4 Things To Do If You’re Going to Indie Publish by Patty Hall

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stool-576147_640Not that long ago, self-publishing your book was considered equal to sporting a scarlet letter on your chest. It was embarrassing because it meant you weren’t ‘good enough’ to be considered by traditional publishing houses. Now, with Amazon and the array of affordable tablets on the market, that tarnished letter has become much more respected, to the point that publishers are encouraging their authors to jump into the fray. Indie publishing gives writers control over their careers as well as a freedom to write on subjects some publishing houses feel uncomfortable with.

So how do you get started? Here are four things I think every author considering going indie should know:

  • Produce material.

The more full-length novels or novellas that you put out, the more you’re going to sale thus increasing your take home pay. When I published my first story, Christmas Lessons, I did okay. It sold about 2000 copies in those first six months, but after that, sales just dried up. Then I published several more novellas and a full-length novel, and a friend of mine asked if she could use some of my novellas for collections. Before I knew it, sales took off and haven’t slowed down. My little check from my first novella increased each time I put out new material. Now I bring in between $200-$500 a month from my indie books.

  • Cultivate a support system.

I’m extraordinarily blessed to be a part of a group of writing friends who not only encourage me but answer questions about indie publishing. Need to know how much to space out the lines when you’re publishing with Amazon? Looking for someone to do the cover art for your next novella? That’s what these friends do, as well as love and pray for me. But it didn’t happen overnight. It takes time. A few good places to look for your people is on Facebook. There are several indie author’s groups like ACFW Indie Authors, Christian Indie Authors, Clean Indie Authors and IndieGypsy.

  • Hire an editor.

There is nothing more embarrassing than getting a review on Amazon that reads something like this: Great story and characters but the author wouldn’t know the King’s English if it bit her in the backside. Ouch! With so many people throwing stuff out there these days, you have to make yours stand out above the rest, and a good edit can do that for you. A good rule of thumb—treat every manuscript as if you’re sending it to Harper Collins or Random House. Make it as clean and the content as clear as possible. We owe it to our readers.

  • Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.

One of the best pieces of advice I’ve received in my journey to publication was to have at least three avenues of revenue coming in, or three legs of the stool that is your writing career. Don’t just depend on what you’re going to make off of your indie/traditional books—look at ways to use your expertise to bring in money. Editing and cover design are two ways to do this. Or, you can be like me and write articles and devotions for different magazines. Whatever it is, share what you’ve learned in your writing journey.

patty-hallPatty Smith-Hall is a multi-published author with Love Inspired Historical and Barbour. She currently lives in North Georgia with her husband of 30+ years, Danny; two gorgeous daughters and a future son-in-love. Her new release, Mistletoe Courtship is available on Amazon.

Ghostwriting By Any Other Name by Donna Schlachter

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Help WantedWhat do ghostwriting, work-for-hire, contract writer have in common?  They are all different names for the same process—someone wants a book written and they don’t want to spend the time writing it themselves, so they hire someone—the Writer—to do the work.

My first work-for-hire was through a contact at a writer’s conference. While he wasn’t interested in the devotional book I was proposing, he liked the samples I provided. He was a book packager, and he needed a Writer for a project for a publisher. My second work-for-hire was through the same book packager, who, because of our previous experience, wanted me to write a book in a series for another publisher.

In both cases, the book packager had specifications from the publisher, including the length of each devotional or chapter, Bible versions, layout requirements for each devotional or chapter, and so on. The total contract was broken down into due dates and payments for timely submissions, as well as turnaround times on editing feedback.

My three ghostwriting projects were from various sources and referrals. In one case, the Author had an idea and I came up with the book title, table of contents for each chapter, and wrote each chapter from scratch. In the other two cases, the Authors had a rough draft of the book and an idea of the story they wanted to tell, and I took their draft, edited and organized it, added images they provided, and added creative non-fiction story telling techniques to make the book more readable. In one case, I designed a cover as well.

For me, I have to care about the project before I am willing to invest up to six months in the book. And I also must be willing to work with the person, to set boundaries for what I will and won’t do, and commit to being the lead in the project.

Here are some suggestions:

  1. Always make a contract. Spell out what you will do, what you expect of the Author, schedules, cancellation options, and how you will communicate.
  2. Build in a little wiggle room for life.
  3. Leave time in your schedule for your own writing.
  4. Be honest and upfront regarding what you will write and what you won’t.
  5. Be willing to broach the subject of more money if the Author tries to add in services not included in the original contract.
  6. If you get into the project then realize it isn’t for you, be willing to quit.
  7. Offer a payment plan. If the Author wants to pay up front, I usually offer a 10% discount on the total.
  8. Get payment before the work is done. If the Author cancels the project, they don’t owe you any money and you aren’t left scrambling to get money from a disgruntled Author.

If you would like to see my sample ghostwriting contract, click here then click on the link to the sample contract.

Leave a comment about this post, and we will do a random drawing. Winner receives a print or ebook version of Nuggets of Writing Gold, a collection of articles and essays on the art and craft of writing.

IMG_6534 Juggling the books - smaller—

Donna lives in Denver with her husband Patrick, who is her first-line editor and biggest fan. She writes historical suspense under her own name, and contemporary suspense under her alter ego of Leeann Betts. She has published four cozy mysteries and a devotional for accountants under her pen name, and a collection of short stories, a book on writing tips, and several devotionals under her own name. She is currently under contract with Barbour Books in a novella collection on the Pony Express. Donna is a ghostwriter and editor of fiction and non-fiction, and judges in a number of writing contests. She will be teaching an online course for American Christian Fiction Writers in March 2017, “Don’t let your subplots sink your story”. Donna loves history and research, and travels extensively for both. You can follow her on Facebook and Twitter, and online at: www.HiStoryThruTheAges.wordpress.com and www.HiStoryThruTheAges.com. Her books are available at Amazon.com in digital and print.
Drawing People to God by the Word using parables of second chances from our second. . . and third. . . and fourth chance God.

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Unbalanced – planning a wedding shouldn’t be murder, but with Carly, it is.
Five and Twenty Blackbirds – even Mike’s college reunion attracts murder, and Carly is caught in the middle of yet another mystery.

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Jer 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord, “Plans to give you a hope and a future.”

4 Grammar Myths by Kathy Ide

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false-true-1113fg-v-711Generations of English teachers have taught students certain rules that are either personal preferences or rules that have changed over time. Here are a few examples.

Myth #1. Never split an infinitive.

An infinitive is the to form of a verb: to go, to holler, to whisper, to study. “Splitting an infinitive” means to put some word (usually an adverb) between the to and the verb: to quickly go, to loudly holler, to quietly whisper, to avidly study.

Rule of thumb: If it’s just as easy to word something in a way that avoids splitting an infinitive, do so—if for no other reason than because some readers, editors, and proofreaders will fault you if you don’t. However, if doing so interrupts the flow, or makes comprehension difficult or awkward, go ahead and split that infinitive.

Myth #2. Never end a sentence with a preposition.

A preposition is a word that connects with a noun phrase to form a modifying phrase. Most prepositions refer to time, space, or position:

across the country
after the movie
at the store
in the room
with ketchup

Many students are taught that prepositions should never come at the end of a sentence. However, the proper ordering of prepositions can sometimes result in sentences that sound awkward, stilted, or pompous.

As a general rule, try to avoid ending sentences with prepositions. But if that’s the only way to avoid sounding strange, then by all means, break the rule. Sometimes a preposition is the best word to end a sentence with.

Myth #3. Never use the word hopefully in place of “It is hoped” or “I/we hope.”

Many writers have been upbraided for using what is sometimes considered the colloquial usage of this word. The argument is that hopefully means “in a hopeful manner.” Therefore, a sentence like “Hopefully, this will clear things up” could only mean “This will clear things up in a hopeful manner.”

However, according to the latest edition of Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, hopefully has two meanings. The first is “in a hopeful manner.” The second is “It is hoped; I hope; we hope.” The example given is “Hopefully the rain will end soon.”

The second definition of hopefully is in a class of adverbs known as “disjuncts.” Many other adverbs (interestingly, frankly, clearly, luckily, unfortunately) are also disjuncts.

Myth #4. Never start a sentence with a conjunction.

A conjunction is a word that defines the relationship between different units of thought. Examples: and, so, but, if, or. Writers are often taught that beginning a sentence with a conjunction makes it incomplete, a sentence fragment. And sometimes that’s true. Example:

Try to catch me. If you can.

But sentence fragments are perfectly acceptable if they’re not overused, confusing, or unclear. Experienced writers may deliberately use the occasional sentence fragment for emphasis or to create a particular tone. (Note, however, that a dash can also be used for emphasis, and it is often preferable if the effect is the same. “Try to catch me—if you can.”)

In many cases, opening with a conjunction does not turn a sentence into a fragment; it simply serves to connect the current information more strongly to the information that comes before it. Beginning a sentence with a conjunction is sometimes the best way to express the sentence’s relationship with the previous one.

If you have multiple statements that go together, and then a statement that makes a contrast to the previous ones, make the last statement a separate sentence, starting with “But …” For example:

You may not like splitting infinitives. Ending a sentence with a preposition may cause you to cringe. Using hopefully to mean “I hope” may be anathema to you. But these are all grammatically correct by today’s standards.

If you replaced the period before but with a comma, the last statement would refer only to the statement immediately preceding it, rather than to all of the previous statements.

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Kathy Ide, author of Proofreading Secrets of Best-Selling Authors and editor/compiler of the Fiction Lover’s Devotional series , is a full-time freelance editor/writing mentor, working with new writers, established authors, and book publishers. She speaks at writers’ conferences across the country and is the director for the SoCal Christian Writers’ Conference. Kathy is the founder and director of the Christian Editor Connection, a service that links authors and editors, and The Christian PEN: Proofreaders and Editors Network, which provides training, encouragement, networking, and community for Christian freelance editors. For more about Kathy, visit www.KathyIde.com.

About Me

About Me

Copywriter. Editor. Your right-hand scribe.   Karin grew up along the Lake Michigan shoreline, the product of a small farming community. An athlete, musician, thespian, and Tetris master, she graduated Valedictorian of her high school class before earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Hillsdale College. A life-long reader and writer, Karin wrote a novel in 2007 after … [more]

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Karin understood my advertising and marketing writing needs and accomplished the project in record time. She asked all the right questions up front to equip herself with enough … [more]

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Whether you have an idea that needs development or skills that need honing,  I will work with you to strengthen your writing and help prepare it for publication. No need to have a complete … [more]

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Press Release Tool Kit Stop waiting and hoping for people to notice you and your organization! With this Press Release Tool Kit, you’ll learn to apply the step-by-step process I use to … [more]