Did I say rake in the big bucks? Hardly. Most freelancers I know barely make minimum wage if you divide the amount of time it takes to write a publishable 1,000-word article.

But that’s OK. We choose this path because of our passion for words. Everything we see is a potential article or novel.

What gets me, though, are the publishers and editors who print our work–sometimes without our knowledge and permission–then refuse to pay our fee. They’re the ones putting the FREE in freelance. We may work cheap, but we’re definitely not free.

I continue to nag, cajole and beg some magazines to pay my modest fee. Some are slow payers. My only weapon is to refuse to send them any other manuscripts until they catch up on their past-dues.

I’m at a loss on how to get payment from those one-timers who use you in a pinch and now can’t seem to find the time to cut a check for $35. Many of these pubs don’t require contracts and the amounts are so small that incurring the expense for a certified letter seems impractical. On their web site, the American Society of Journalists and Authors offers a few suggestions.

Short of sending their names out into the universe as deadbeats, I’d love to hear how other freelancers deal with this issue.

Cara Lockwood

Representing the Page A Day Writers Group, I asked author Cara Lockwood to share some advice, insight and reality about writing and publishing your book. Lockwood has written nine novels in several different genres from chick lit and romance to fantasy and teen fiction. “I Do (But I Don’t)” was her first book to reach the USA Today bestseller list.

She grew up in Mesquite, Texas and graduated from the University of Pennsylvania, majoring in English. After college, Lockwood spent four years as a newspaper reporter, working insane hours for next to no pay. “My overly excitable editor sent me running anytime the police scanner went off,” she recalls. After being sent to cover a grass fire on her 25th birthday, Lockwood realized journalism probably wasn’t for her.

Lockwood started working for marketing firm and took advantage of her evenings to write fiction. “That’s when I started writing ‘I Do (But I Don’t).’ A year later, I finished it, thanks to the help of my friend, Shannon, who wouldn’t let me slack off and kept asking me for chapters,” says Lockwood. And that’s how I became a writer. Except that it still feels weird to say, ‘I’m a writer.’ I keep expecting to wake up tomorrow and have to go cover another grass fire.”

–Claire Yezbak Fadden

Why do you love writing fiction? Hate it?
I love writing fiction because I get to make everything up as I go along. This is also why I hate writing fiction, because I’m flying by the seat of my pants nearly all the time. I do write an outline when I start a project, but inevitably, I end up straying from it. It always seems like a good idea at the time and then a bad idea later when I’m trying to write my ending! 
 
What authors have influenced your writing style?
I have many authors I admire. But, in terms of the ones who have really influenced how I write, I’d have to say Jane Green,  Marian Keyes and Christopher Moore.  They write with humor and heart.
 
What’s an average writing day like for you?
I make myself write at least a page every day. Some days, I feel like I’m banging my head against the keyboard just to finish the one page. Other days, I can write fifteen or twenty pages easily. It really just depends on how inspired and how focused I’m feeling. It’s also depends on how close my deadline is. Deadlines are great motivators.

You credit your friend Shannon for not letting you slack off when you were writing your first novel. How are read-and-critique partners so important to ultimately getting published?
I call read-and-critique partners “writing cheerleaders” because in many ways they are. I think it’s essential to have a writing cheerleader to help you finish. Whether that’s a friend or a professional editor or a workshop teacher, it’s so important to have someone inspire you to keep going during those times when you lose confidence and are thinking about quitting . Writing is a solitary pursuit for the most part, but that doesn’t mean we don’t need some connections to help us keep going.
 
Please share the most valuable writing advice you’ve ever received.
I think William Faulkner was the one who said “Read everything.” I think the way you learn about writing is by reading. I truly believe that. You can learn something from every book you read – even if it’s a bad one. Even now, I find myself inspired by writers I read. Writing is a process and I am always learning new things about voice and character development and just turns of phrase. 

“The publishing industry runs on trends and what’s “hot” and sometimes your story might fall into this category and sometimes not. You just have to keep trying. You never know when luck will be on your side.”

 
What is the best way for an unpublished writer to find an agent?
Well, I found my agent back in the pre-Twitter/Facebook days.  I think dinosaurs were literally roaming the earth (and hardly any of them had cell phones). This was before the invention of the iPhone (or iPod, for that matter). In terms of finding an agent today, many of them are online.  It’s easier than ever to connect with them. Unfortunately, this also gives them new venues from which to ignore you. It used to be that you could just send a query letter and wait and wait to hear back. Now, you can send tweets and emails and letters and still not hear back!

But, I think the best thing to do is compile a list of agents you’d like to approach. You can find them online or in directories (once upon a time, they used to publish lists in big paper directories, but I believe you can that online these days) or at writing conferences. Find out how they accept queries. The vast majority do not want to see your whole manuscript unless they ask for it. Remember, agents are literally inundated with submissions of up to hundreds a day. That’s what we call the slush pile. Most agents want the “elevator pitch,” which is basically how you would tell someone during the course of an elevator ride the summary of your novel. If the agent likes the pitch, they might then ask to see the next few chapters or the whole thing.

When you go in search of an agent be prepared for rejection – both actual “no’s” and just silence. Do not take this personally. Sometimes, it’s a matter of luck. The publishing industry runs on trends and what’s “hot” and sometimes your story might fall into this category and sometimes not. You just have to keep trying. You never know when luck will be on your side.

How many queries did you send out before you landed your agent?
I sent out nearly a 100 queries before I found an agent to represent me.  Of all those query letters, I mostly received silence back. I had two interested in reading some sample chapters and three others who wanted to read the whole thing. Of the last three, two offered to represent me.

Many writers turn to books like Steven King’s “On Writing” for advice. What “how to write” books have you found valuable?
You know, I don’t read as much about writing as I do talk about it. I have a group of writer friends and we discuss writing regularly.  I also just read everything I can get my hands on, paying special attention to bestsellers. I’m always trying to analyze why a book has been successful. I think reading prose is the best way to learn about writing prose.

What’s the biggest mistake new writers make in preparing their manuscripts?
I think the biggest mistake new writers make is lack of editing and copy-proofing. Nothing turns off an agent or editor more than a messy manuscript with typos. These days, both agents and editors expected a perfectly polished, ready-to-publish novel to land on their desks. Most agents and editors simply don’t have the time to edit first-time novelists. They want something that’s literally press ready. That’s why it’s more important than ever to make sure your manuscript is in the best possible shape before you pitch it to anyone.
 
What are the benefits of hiring a professional editor to review their manuscript?
I think today it’s more important than ever. Agents and editors expect to see a polished product, and if they decide to take a pass on your story, then having an edited manuscript puts you in the perfect position to self-publish.
I also am a firm believer that every writer needs a good editor. In my career, every single one of my novels has been made better by a good editor. The fact is that every writer loses perspective when writing a novel. An editor helps you gain new insight and new perspective into your work and can really help you take it to the next level. The editing process isn’t always painless, but in the end, it helps make for a much stronger story.

What type of editing services do you offer at Edit My Novel?
I offer several editing packages from editing the first few chapters to intensive line-editing of an entire manuscript. With every edit, I will send an editorial letter outlining big-picture issues like character development, plot pacing and marketability. My services are about more than just copyediting. I offer a complete editing experience. For those writers who aren’t sure about how the editing process would work, I also offer a free sample edit. Your first page (or 500 words) are on me.  To find out more, head to http://www.edit-my-novel.com/Services.html.
 
 
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Guest blog by Cara Lockwood

Every writer I know hopes their book lands on a bestseller list. Not only do you reap financial rewards for all your hard work, but you may also find you’ve gained new clout and respect among publishers. That “bestselling” title is a valuable consumer stamp of approval.

But how do you get there?

It’s a question I get quite a lot.

I was fortunate enough to land on the USA Today Bestseller list and was a top-three seller at Target retail stores. I know from experience that there’s no one way to get to a bestseller list. It’s a combination of hard work, perseverance and a little bit of luck.

But, after publishing nine novels, I do know there are many things you can do to help improve your chances of writing a bestseller.

Write what you want to read.

It’s always important to keep your audience in mind when you write. All writers hope to find a large audience for their work, but how do you write something that appeals to a great number of people?

I suggest starting with the story that you and your friends or relatives would buy and read. What story would you pick up off the shelf or download to your Kindle? Chances are if you would buy your book, someone else would, too.

Know the current publishing trends, but don’t be a slave to them.

The publishing world runs on trends. Editors are always looking for the next big thing. It’s a difficult game to try to predict what might be the next bestseller, especially since publishers buy novels well in advance of their release. Sometimes by the time you know a trend is happening (vampires or young adult post-apocalyptic fiction, for instance), the trend might already be over.

That said, it’s always a good idea to be aware of what’s selling. Keep an eye on the major bestseller lists, like those compiled by The New York Times, USA Today, and Amazon. Read a few bestsellers. Try to analyze why you think it resonated with so many people. What do you think made this book stand out?

Trend spotting is always difficult, but understanding and researching bestselling authors just means you’ve done your homework.

Finish what you start.

Before I wrote my first novel, I Do (But I Don’t), I’d started and stopped a half dozen manuscripts. I would start a novel, then I’d put it down for a while, and later when I picked it up again, I was usually so discouraged by what I’d written that I’d just give up on that project . When I got the idea for I Do (But I Don’t), a romantic comedy about a divorced wedding planner, I enlisted the help of one of my avid reader friends.

I asked her to be my “writing cheerleader” and help me stay on course. She was a great writing partner. She bugged me for new chapters and didn’t stop until she got them. It was just the inspiration I needed to keep going.

Remember, no one ever made a bestseller list with a half-finished manuscript. First, you’ve got to finish your manuscript.

Get feedback from an experienced editor.

Writing is a solitary pursuit and sometimes you can easily lose perspective on your own work. Enlisting am experienced editor can not only help you break through writer’s block, but it can also take your novel to the next level. I’ve been really blessed in having great editors in my career, and I really think they have made the difference for me with several novels I had thought couldn’t be saved.

It’s a big reason why I do freelance editing work. I’m hoping to help others as my editors have helped me.

Don’t give up and don’t be discouraged if other people tell you it won’t happen.

The only way to ensure you never hit a bestseller list is to give up on your book. Did you know The Help was rejected dozens of times by all the major publishers? But, Kathryn Stockett didn’t give up. This was the book she wanted to write, even though everyone in the publishing world was telling her that nobody wanted to read it. She really thought that a story that was so powerful for her would also resonate with other people. And she was right. She kept refining her work and making it better and eventually it became the bestselling novel that’s now a major motion picture.

I, too, have had my share of rejections. Before I found my agent, I sent out close to a hundred query letters. Most of the time, I never heard a single word back from any of them. I called it the silent rejection – and those were often far worse than the form letters I’d get every so often. But, I believed in my novel and I didn’t give up.

You have to be your own best advocate. If you give up on yourself, there’s nobody else who will step in to save the day.

Remember, there’s no magic formula.

Take a look at the bestseller lists and you’ll see traditional agent-represented books published by major publishing houses. Look closer and you’ll also find books that may have started out being self-published or for-digital-release-only. You’ll find fiction and nonfiction and books from all kinds of genres.

Write the story that speaks to you, that you feel passionate about, and with a little bit of luck, success will follow.

Questions? Comments? Editing questions? Email Cara at cara@caralockwood.com.

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Cara Lockwood is the USA Today bestselling author of nine novels, including I Do (But I Don’t), which was made into a Lifetime Original Movie starring Denise Richards and Dean Cain. Her books have been translated into several languages and are sold all around the world. She’s written in many genres and also created the Bard Academy series for young adults. Recently, she’s begun offering freelance editing through www.edit-my-novel.com. You can also read more about her work at www.caralockwood.com or www.bardacademy.com.

Writers like words, lots of words. And we don’t like leaving anything out. That makes for a constant battle between  succinct and complete.

While I scanned USA Today’s Best-Selling Books List recently, I discovered that there are many authors who have mastered this drill — in 12 words or less.

A white woman tells the story of black maids in 1960s Mississippi. (The Help, Kathryn Stockett)

A poor art student stumbles upon a duffel bag filled with diamonds. (Kill Me If You Can, James Patterson & Marshall Karp)

Trouble and coldness descent on a kingdom. (A Game of Thrones, George R.R. Martin)

I was impressed by how they boiled down three-, four-, five-hundred page novels into one concise sentence. So I checked out other best sellers that have appeared on the list during the past five years – just to help me focus.

Thought you might want some help too. So here are 12 more “book list loglines.” This time, though, you’re gonna have to match them with their title.

The answers are at the bottom, so don’t peek!

TITLES

A. The Memory Keeper’s Daughter

B. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

C. The Art of Racing in the Rain

D. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

E. Love in the Time of Cholera

F. Water for Elephants

G. Playing Games

H. For One More Day

I. To Kill a Mockingbird

J. Nineteen Minutes

K. The Alchemist

L. The Lovely Bones

LOGLINES

1. Journalist is hired to investigate the disappearance of an heir to a wealthy family.

2. Post-World War II epistolary novel set on English Island.

3. 1960 coming-of-age classic about racism.

4. Murdered girl peers down from heaven to narrate this story.

5. A novel that reflects on what it is to be human, told from the family dog’s point of view.

6. Shepherd boy searches for buried treasure.

7. Mother and her baby are separated.

8. Love, drama in a circus in the 1930s.

9. Troubled man spends a day with his dead mother.

10. Aging man and woman renew their youthful romance.

11. Act of violence shatters small New Hampshire town.

12. Female toymaker rescues her daughter from heartless kidnappers.

SCROLL DOWN FOR ANSWERS 

ANSWERS

1. Journalist is hired to investigate the disappearance of an heir to a wealthy family. — D. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

2. Post-World War II epistolary novel set on English Island. — B. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

3. 1960 coming-of-age classic about racism. – I. To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee

4. Murdered girl peers down from heaven to narrate this story. — L. The Lovely Bones, Alice Sebold

5. A novel that reflects on what it is to be human, told from the family dog’s point of view. — C. The Art of Racing in the Rain, Garth Stein

6. Shepherd boy searches for buried treasure. — K. The Alchemist, Paulo Coelho

7. Mother and her baby are separated. — A. The Memory Keeper’s Daughter, Kim Edwards

8. Love, drama in a circus in the 1930s. — F. Water for Elephants, Sara Gruen

9. Troubled man spends a day with his dead mother. — H. For One More Day, Mitch Albom

10. Aging man and woman renew their youthful romance. — E. Love in the Time of Cholera, Gabriel Garcia Marquez

11. Act of violence shatters small New Hampshire town. — J. Nineteen Minutes, Jodi Picoult

12. Female toymaker rescues her daughter from heartless kidnappers. – G . Playing Games, Claire Yezbak Fadden (caught you on that one!)

It’s not so easy when you’re writing a novel. There is no universal stylebook. Both pursuits use words as their primary tools, but that’s pretty much where the similarities cease. You won’t see an inverted pyramid in fiction. Most magazine articles don’t build a story world. Various opinions exist about series commas and as far as writing numbers exist, all bets are off.

Ultimately your publisher will issue a “stylebook” listing their preferences, or so I’m told. Until I reach that point, however, this underpublished novelist is combing through novels and asking advice from writer friends. Here’s what I’ve pieced together. Feel free to add, correct or compliment as necessary.

Spell out:

Whole numbers under 100: not just zero to nine (as we newspaper types were taught).  Fifteen. Sixty-six.

If you have a mixed numbers in a sentence, use numerals for both.  Mary had 43 Facebook friends, but Ramona had 443.

Fractions. Four-fifths. Three-ninths.

Ordinal numbers under 100: Fifth. Twenty-third.

Time:  Two o’clock in the morning. Three-fifteen in the afternoon.

Money: Forty-three dollars

Dates: August 9, 1980

Percent:  Fifty-five percent. Nine percent.

Addresses:  456 Sesame Street.

For more on writing numbers, check out Grammar Girl Quick and Dirty Tips.

Writing a book is a long journey and the trek isn’t for the weak of heart. E.L. Doctorow likened it to “driving a car at night. You can see only as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.” I see it more as trudging through the darkness with only a flashlight to illuminate the way — and your batteries are low.

Along our writing path, we stop and talk to other writers. Ask their opinion, question their methods and delve into what system works for them. We read the pages of published authors, hoping to uncover a secret or two. We’re learning, bit-by-bit, how to persevere. Not to give up the quest. And maybe, hopefully, some day be published.

During my journey, I’ve uncovered a few nuggets — manna for my writing soul . . . some more useful than others:

“Read. Read. Read.”

“Minimize the back story. Less is more.”

“Use active verbs.”

“Limit exclamation points!!!!”

“Put your butt in the chair.”

“Show, don’t tell.”

“Make sure you back-up your work on an external drive.”

“Get real familiar with story structure:       Set-up, Response, Attack, Resolution”

“Up the stakes for your protagonist.”

“Stick to one POV.”

“You need more POVs.”

Obviously, I add to this list regularly.

This week, my shout-out for “the best writing advice I’ve ever received” goes to Anne Lamott. Her book, “Bird by Bird” is jam-packed with worthwhile, real-world information, advice and guidance she has shared with her students. For nearly two decades, writers have eagerly dipped their spoons into this book and scooped tasty tidbits of enlightenment designed to keep them at the keyboard. Among Lamott’s most famous advice is permission to write that “shitty first draft.”

The gem I’ve mined from her book is: “…sit down at approximately the same time every day. This is how you train your unconscious to kick in for you creatively.”

I’ve put her concept into practice and within a few weeks, my writing has  improved, not just in quantity, but in quality. Amazing how showing up for work actually works. Thanks Anne.

What’s the best writing advice you’ve ever received .. at least up to this week?

Some of you are nodding–You’ve reached this milestone.

I sympathize with those who have grabbed your keyboard and are clutching it to your bosom in denial. The thought of cutting any of the perfect prose you painstakingly produced makes your palms sweat.

I fought the “kill your darlings” mantra, too.

I fought the “kill your darlings” mantra, too. The words I’d strung together were lyrical, powerful, emotional. Epic in every sense of the word. But they didn’t’ do a dang thing to move my story forward–and that’s the name of the game.

I warmed slowly to the idea of culling my scenes. I wasn’t happy about deleting sentences, paragraphs and characters the story didn’t need. I’m over it now. Now it’s fun to weed out large, unnecessary chucks as well as small words that muck up the engine of a powerful scene.

If you’re ready to do some cutting, but don’t know where to begin, I suggest starting small. Click on Find from the Word menu and search any of the words listed below. Often, they are needless, unexciting and wearisome. You might be surprised at how much your story improves by deleting a few.

If you have a favorite unnecessary word, add it to the list and help your fellow writers.

as

but

could

even

feel

fine

just

might

must

quite

really

shall

should

so

that

there was

used to

very

was

well

will

would

Kendall, Faye, Tanya and Mallory meet at a writers’ conference with wild hopes and dreams.  They stay in close contact and as the years pass, they each become published, some to greater acclaim than others. Then of course, life steps in to mess things up.

Layered within this compelling story, are insider views of how the publishing world works–from a variety of POVs: the midlist writer, the best-selling author, the agent, the editorial assistant, the overbearing editor.

You won’t feel guilty taking a break from pounding away at your novel (the first one or the 50th) to enjoy this summer read. I’m crediting my time toward those 10,000 hours Malcolm Gladwell suggests are necessary to become a world-class expert — in whatever your chosen field.

I often think of Randy Pausch’s words in “The Last Lecture” when he refers to a football coach who cared enough to keep on him to make him better. After a particularly tough practice an assistant coach told Pausch why criticism is a good thing. “When you’re screwing up and nobody says anything to you anymore, that means they’ve given up on you.” My read-and-critique partners never give up on me. And I’ll never give up on them.

 ”When you’re screwing up and nobody says anything to you anymore, that means they’ve given up on you.”

When I spend time reading their pages, I want it to be of value to both of us. I’ve learned the more I critique, the better I get at it and the more my own writing improves. (Funny how practice always makes perfect, just like Mom said.)

There is a big difference between critiquing and providing a line-by-line edit. If I see glaring grammar, spelling or punctuation issues, I’ll comment, but GSP is not the focus of my critique.

I’m spending my energies determining if the story world works.

Is the tension in each scene enough to make me want to turn the page?

Does the pacing of the book feel right? Not too fast, not too slow?

Am I asking myself, what will happen next or are things dragging along?

Do I care about what’s happening to the characters? Am I invested in the outcome?

Are there enough visual images? Are there too many? (As far as I’m concerned that’s just as bad.) Do I want to skip sentences, paragraphs, entire pages?

What information you look for when you receive critiques from your critique partners? What information to you supply?

Another gorgeous Quiet Monday at Mission San Luis Rey! Aaahh… Hundreds of roses in full bloom, some large as cabbages, and my favorite tree, too, the oldest Pepper tree in California, with its undulating trunk of gnome-like round knobs, whispering in the breeze on my circular walk around the mission. I see another retreater in a sun hat, like me, and two nuns a la Sound of Music, rosaries in hand, smile at me as we pass. I’m amused that I, a relative heathen (relative to nuns, that is!), am keeping such noble company today. But the Mission welcomes all, and I do feel welcome. I settle into my simple quarters and I write and revise in front of the window overlooking the garden.

I welcome the unpluggedness of the day. No phone, no email, no radio. I could read the newspaper like I do most days, but I don’t want to today. The quiet seeps in, soothing nerve endings and calming world-aching thoughts, even if just for a few hours. It sounds corny when I think it, but it’s true: prayers are palpable here. I feel them swirling in the rosy scents on the breeze, in the sight of pollen-laden bees’ legs, embracing me and carrying hope like a secret for the whole world.

In between I read. Today I read Molly Wizenburg’s A Homemade Life, and Stars Overflown by Stars: Creative Writing Instruction and Insight from The Vermont College MFA Program, edited by David Jauss. I felt an instant emotional sync with Wizenberg’s voice; can’t wait to check out her blog, Orangette (orangette.blogspot.com). Stars Overflown by Stars is meaty—full of challenging insights on the writing craft.

I always look like I’m moving in, with my big satchel of notebooks and the luggy, loose-leaf binder that contains my novel draft. I bring snacks, too. Today I brought apples and dark chocolate. I guess I’ve always had a fear of going hungry or not having enough to read—or paper and pen. There’s nothing worse than a growling stomach and no book or paper. So I bring plenty.

Oh, so you’re on your own for food, you say. No; lunch is served in the Franciscan-style dining hall, and it’s always been lovely and satisfying. Today it was tortillas, beans, rice, salsa with good bite, salad, lentil soup (which I dolloped with sour cream). At the end, I walked over to the dessert table, praying a few cookies remained. (No worries; I did send out a few more substantial prayers while visiting.) Prayers answered! Yes, there they were, in a neat little pile.

These were not wispy, dainty cookies. They were thick and square-ish. I took one with my cup of tea and took a bite on my way to the table. I immediately circled back and procured one more to enjoy with the chocolate waiting for me in my room.

Back to write, read, munch. Another few rounds through the rose garden, and to admire the Pepper Tree, listening for new secrets.

Happy writing and reading,

Ondine Brooks Kuraoka

www.sandiegofreelancewriter.com