They can be mean, unethical and downright unprofessional. But not all editors fit that bill. In fact, most editors would rather give you money that take it, make no changes than rewrite whole pieces two hours before deadline, and accept every piece of crap than start their mornings sendi ...

Got talent but no clips Here's the recipe for getting published... * Procrastinating When you've finally decided you have to put into writing the fabulous idea that just struck, you enter the first phase of the writing process. "I'll start tomorrow," "I'm not inspired yet" and "I just ...

So, you dream of becoming a famous writer You want to get that article on paper as soon as possible and see it published. You've got great ideas for a book that you'll be starting any day now. But do you know what it's really like to lead a writer's life Read on to find out. 1. Rejectio ...

For freelancers, knowing the basic terminology before they begin can be a valuable lesson in earning a few extra dollars in that initial stage. When I started my freelancing career, I knew nothing of rights, simultaneous submissions, querying or varying payment rates. All I knew was-- I ...

If magazine publishing worked like any other business, writers would fix their rates, and magazines would run around trying to hire the best writer in the lowest possible cost. Sadly, thats not the case. In this bizarre business, writers trying to compete with each other not only have to ...

Its nearing the end of summer, and I have no credentials to my benefit these holidays. As the end of the holidays approach, I keep wondering what I have to show for the summer other than the noticeable tan, and the load of incomplete articles adorning my computer. Having nothing to wri ...

I know a good idea when I see one. So should you. Dump those time-tested ideas youre sending off to editors every other day, and find ideas that will get you the assignment each time, every time. How do you know whether your brilliant idea will strike a chord and get you the assignment ...

I would look at the magazines my teenage neighbor and her friends stashed away in their cupboards and think, Heck, I could do that! So one day, while she was away at school, I broke into her room and borrowed the magazines. Teenage magazines have changed since we were teens, I can tell ...

Youve written many articles for Websites, newsletters and now youve even conquered the territory of getting published in a magazine. Whats the next step, you ask How to I make the editor ask for my work weekly or monthly Enter: the column. Before you march up to an editors office or s ...

"I read and walked for miles at night along the beach, writing bad blank verse and searching endlessly for someone wonderful who would step out of the darkness and change my life. It never crossed my mind that that person could be me." -- Anna Quindlen, Living Out Loud. When aspiring w ...

Skilful business writing involves getting your message across simply and quickly. This often means writing in a style that is easily read and understood by a broad audience. Yet, writing simply is often difficult for most of us. Why The answer lies in our school education. We learnt th ...

The most common mistake people tend to make while writing is in the use of Punctuation. Wrong punctuation can damage the flow of ideas and change meaning, but properly used punctuation not only helps readers understand your meaning but also makes them engrossed in your writing. The follo ...

Writers face many decisions when working on a project. Choosing the correct word for a certain situation is one choice that writers often either struggle with or make an incorrect choice. This article will give some basic guidance to writers on four of the more common word choices that a ...

The other day, a client told me, Ive been talking to a lot of other aspiring writers and I cant believe how unsupportive they are. I had an editor interested in something Id written and two other writers were unbelievably negative. One said my writing wasnt good enough for publication. A ...

In the ten years that I've taught people how to get on with their books and creative projects, I've noticed a phenomenon that I'll call "Author's Block." Would-be writers can, indeed, sit down and work when pressed to it. The problem is that they're not so sure they want the pressure of ...

In Berlin a restaurant opens for anorexics and in Buffalo a lawyer with a stutter wins a court case. When everything you're working on has gone STALE and your own initially promising concepts are starting to annoy you, you need a brainstorming session to get to the missing bits or genera ...

Being wait-listed is tough, and you need the right set of keys to open the door to your dream program. The truth is that even with these keys, it's still not guaranteed that the lock will work. But this keychain has the critical pieces of metal you'll need to turn that lock. First, a w ...

OK. You didn't get accepted at any of the schools you applied to. What should you do now Deal. Get over it. And consider what youre going to do next year. If you decide to re-apply, you need to assess what went wrong and resolve to improve it. 1. Determine what you need to change. Yo ...

"What makes you unique is not that you have had these life-altering experiences, but rather how and why your perspective has changed or been reinforced as a result of those and other everyday experiences. That is a story that only you can tell. If you concentrate your efforts on telling ...

You can argue about the devil, but certainly the substance, distinctiveness, and success of your essays depends on the details. Many applicants tend to bury their uniqueness and success under vague assertions. You don't want to hide your achievements; you want to trumpet them loudly an ...