I was chatting with my cousin a few weeks ago about freelance work. He used to work as a graphic designer—doing logos and such—and so he knows how difficult it can be to find work or, at the very least, to find people willing to pay for good work. Business owners would ask to have a professional logo made for next to nothing. And I thought: If that’s all the money they were willing to put into their business, then what does that tell me they think their company is worth?

The same issue occurs in the editing world, too. While many writers do understand that quality editing takes time and doesn’t come cheap, others seem to underestimate just what exactly editing entails—and what exactly they’re paying for.

I understand why writers may wish to find cheaper editing options—monetary issues or otherwise—but as with any business (and publishing novels is…

HOW TO BE A GOOD THE BEST CP:

Great critique partners have great critique partners and writers with great critique partners produce great work. So, the dating process is a little selfish, yes, but there are so many wonderful benefits to having a good CP. You have someone to bounce ideas off of, a shoulder to cry on, someone to celebrate with, an example of good writing to follow and someone to look over your work when you’ve gone MANUSCRIPT BLIND. With so many benefits, how can we be the best CP possible in order to attract the best CP possible? Here are the 10 commandments for CPs:

1. Thou shalt be encouraging: 

Surely, even in the worst of manuscripts, there is something good going on. Don’t just point out things that weigh the MS down. Highlight the strong points. Tell your CP, I want to see more of…

‘Santa ist tot’ – Friedrich Nietzsche

Hi World. I hope you all had a great Christmas. Please forgive the long silence. Like the stale peanuts, the suspicious bottle of wine, and Noddy bloody Holder, I’m still here. Rest assured that I remain committed, and have a lot more to say about the business of writing. So, as another year slips away like an egg sliding off a skillet, I thought it might be useful to summarise where we’ve got to in the last few months in anticipation of all those New Year’s resolutions to finally write that novel. Nothing too heavy – just a few basic tips to get you started and keep you writing…

1. A writer writes. Don’t just aim to write every day – want to write every day, to the extent that you become quite out of sorts if something stops you. If you put off this…

Image via Flikr Creative Commons Hakan Dalstrom

I didn’t even consider becoming a writer until 1999 after my father passed away suddenly. Funny how death can make us take a hard look at life, right? Anyway, I recall feeling soooo overwhelmed. I mean my odds of even getting published were about as good as winning the lottery. And the odds of becoming a best-selling author? Well, mathematically speaking, I had a slightly greater chance of being mauled by a black bear and polar bear on the same day.

It was all I could do not to give up before I began.

But, after over 14 years doing this “writer thing,” I have a new perspective. Often it feels like we are the victims of fate, at the mercy of the universe, when actually it is pretty shocking how much of our own destiny we control. The good news is that…

Why is this shark smiling?

Because he’s going to eat your career.

It’s not news to us writers that the world of publishing is undergoing a great upheaval. Some good, some less so. But regardless, it is changing.

And since there is profit in chaos, predators take advantage of this confusion. Maybe it’s an agent that charges reading fees. A publisher who asks writers to pay for book production. A publicist that promises to get you “out there” and then does little. Or perhaps a contract that looks good but in the end gobbles up your hard work like a Great White Shark. And many more scams, often very well disguised.

What’s a writer to do? Like everything else in life, educate yourself so you will know what lies in these treacherous waters. A recent article by Elizabeth S. Craig is a good starting point.

Keep you eyes open and…