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Tips For Writers
Dear All,
Welcome to another edition of E-zee Writer. Last month we featured a plea for help from a WB student who was having trouble getting started with her studies. Her email prompted a huge response from you and I have featured many of your replies in the Feedback section below.
Fina's request for support prompted this reply from a student, Emma
Kingscott:
Have you considered having a forum where course students can 'talk'
to one another via the WB site? All of us are, I would imagine, struggling
to find time to write and doubting our abilities and I thought that
perhaps a WB Community would help us all to feel part of a team and
feed our enthusiasm when times are tough. I must say that the Ezine
is great and does go some way towards this with the Writers Clinic and
Feedback Sections. I have seen other sites where this type of SMS interaction
happens but I've always felt too inexperienced to join in; as part of
a WB Community we would all be students and therefore less worried about
appearing foolish or ignorant of the published writers ways! Or am I
the only novice writer with an inferiority complex!!!
Well, Emma, we have been looking at the possibility of starting a WB forum through our site and it would indeed be a safe place for 'writers with L-plates' to talk directly to each other as they develop their craft.
So, readers, now is the time to let us know your thoughts – do you already use other Writers' Forums? Have you found these to be useful and, if so, how? What do you like and dislike about the experience? If you've been tempted by a forum but have never got involved, what put you off? Or are you a reader of forums rather than a contributor yourself?
I would be really interested to hear your views on this topic and will keep you posted on any other WB developments that you might find useful.
Have a great month,
Teresa.
Index
The Writers Bureau
Sevendale House,
7 Dale Street
Manchester,
M1 1JB,
England
ezeewriter@writersbureau.com
Tel: +44 161 228 2362
Fax: +44 161 236 9440
WRITERS BUREAU STUDENT STORIES
"I completed my course within 10 months and began submitting articles from my 3rd lesson. Now, 13 months down the line, I’m pleased to say I’ve been published in 45 newspapers/magazines around the world – the genres ranging from politics to religion, cultural issues to corporate. However, my forte appears to lie in travel writing. I’ve been on a press trip to the Alps, and am in the process of arranging three more in far off countries – in one of those countries I’ve secured an interview with the President and the Minister of Tourism. I’ve also starting making headway with the big names in international glossy magazines. I am also in the process of writing a novel based on the dark days of apartheid and hold both pre- and post- apartheid government officials accountable for the atrocities to date (and I am speaking with a Californian/Hollywood agent.)
Ironically, when I was in high school I won a literary scholarship to an American University… my then Professor felt certain my talents would be wasted on anything other than writing. I wonder how different my life would have been if I heeded his advice? Then my (Writers Bureau) Tutor said something similar. This time I took the advice.
Thank you David! and Writers Bureau!"
Cindy-Lou Dale, Belguim.
www.cindyloudale.com
Cindy goes on to add:
"Please impress upon other students that this didn’t all just slide into place… this was extremely hard work – 16 hours a day, 5 days a week and on weekends I cut back to 6 hours a day.
Also, a bit of advice, suggest to your readers that they may want to
join as many (free) on-line writers' forums as they can find, globally.
The market knowledge and tips you pick up is truly amazing."
"I thoroughly enjoyed the Writers Bureau Course under the excellent
tutelage of Lesley Cryer. Both during that time and since I have written
three novels set in the world of medicine and featuring ethical dilemmas
such as assisted conception and reproduction, and deciding for patients
who are unable to decide for themselves.
Understandably, since this is a new and different genre of writing, I
had some difficulty finding a publisher but last month the three books
were simultaneously released by the very reputable Radcliffe Publishing
in Oxford as the beginning of a new series: Living Literature. The fourth
book in the series is well underway and I have a shelf full of folders
with ideas for the future! Thanks to Writers Bureau for giving me the
confidence to persist."
Hazel McHaffie, UK
Many thanks to Cindy and Hazel for their stories, both of which prove that dreams really can come true. They capitalised on the lessons in the Writers Bureau Comprehensive course and both look set to have fulfilling careers as writers ahead of them.
If you are a student of The Writers Bureau, undertaking any of our courses, and would like to share your writing successes with other E-zee Writer readers then send an email to: ezeewriter@writersbureau.com with 'Success Story' in the subject line.
an essential guide for freelance writers
For up-to-date market information, Freelance Market News
is invaluable.
Issued 11 times a year it's packed with information on markets in Britain
and around the globe, plus you get all the latest news and views on the
publishing world.
Every subscription comes with FREE membership of The Association of Freelance
Writers. Your membership also entitles you to discounts on books and competitions,
a free appraisal worth £18 and a Membership Card which confirms
your status as a Freelance Writer. For full details and to subscribe visit:
www.writersbureau.com/fmn/
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
* * * * * * * *
IN THIS MONTH'S ISSUE OF FMN:
HOW TO ADD LIFE TO YOUR NON-FICTION
You scratch my back, and I’ll scratch yours.
Essentially, that’s how PR departments and writers get on with one
another. We need each other. If PR departments don’t give us the
information, then we’ve got little to write about. And if we’ve
got little to write about, the products the PR companies are trying to
sell won’t see the light of day. It’s the perfect relationship,
isn’t it?
Well, as Penny Garrod’s query to E-zee
Writer in January 2005 demonstrated, the perfect relationship is subject
to rocky patches from time to time. Public Relations Officers need to
ensure that their products and services are receiving the right sort of
‘spin’ and occasionally demand to see your copy to check that
you’re spinning in the right direction before you submit it to your
chosen magazine. This is not a good idea, because you have no control
over the piece once you’ve sent it on to an editor. I once wrote
a travel feature about holidaying in the Lake District out of season and
supplied the 1500 words that the editor had commissioned. When it appeared
in print, only 800 words had been used. Had the Tourist Board insisted
on seeing my piece first, they may well have made alterations. Alterations
that would not have ended up in print. So how do you deal with PR officers
to ensure that you get what you want?
Explain exactly what you’re up to. When you approach a PR
officer, make it crystal clear what your feature will be about, the angle
you are taking, and how you would like them to help you. Remember, there
needs to be something in it for the company the PR officer represents.
Tell them how you see it as an opportunity for them. I’m currently
writing a feature about staying in unusual self-catering accommodation
in the UK and have approached two agencies for pictures to help illustrate
my feature. I’ve explained that my feature will be targeting the
American market, which these agencies like, because Americans come to
Britain for several weeks not just a few days.
Clarify what is expected of you. PR officers often make requests
of you, and you need to follow these requests (as long as they are reasonable)
in order to maintain your relationship. I produce a regular column for
a local magazine about outdoor clothing, and have contacts with PR officers
at over 20 companies dealing in these products. What they request of me
differs, but I do my utmost to accommodate them. Some just ask me to credit
pictures to their company, whilst others ask me to send them a photocopy
of the feature when it’s been published. This is quite understandable
because they need to be able to demonstrate their work to their employers.
Every month, I go through the published feature and identify which companies
need a copy, and send it off.
Dealing with that awkward question. When a PR contact asks to see
your feature before you submit it to the editor, keep calm! Explain that
the editor makes the final decision about what appears in their magazine,
therefore any changes your PR contact wants could be academic. If they
still insist in seeing your work, remain polite and confirm that, as a
professional writer, that’s not how you operate. Sometimes I have
been able to persuade a PR contact to drop this request by mentioning
that I’m also liaising with a competitor, but their competitor would
be my second choice as a source of information. Beware – this doesn’t
always work, and if it doesn’t don’t keep pushing it. There
may come a time when you need to approach this contact again. So, politely
thank them and explain that, as you cannot fulfil their request, you won’t
take up any more of their time.
Be prepared with your own facts. Try and have some facts and figures
about the publication that you are writing for. I almost lost a PR contact
regarding my outdoor clothing column. They had been providing me with
some brilliant images, but unknown to me there had been some internal
confusion in the company concerning costs. Because of this, they were
reviewing whether to continue helping me. Apparently it was costing up
to £80 to supply me with the images that I was asking for, and they
weren’t sure whether they could continue. I explained that my feature
appeared in a magazine with a circulation figure of 20,000 and a readership
of over 30,000. When I asked them if they could buy advertising space
for £80 to reach this sort of readership, they realised that the
costs were quite reasonable, and continue to supply me with images.
Finding the information from elsewhere. If you ‘lose’
a PR contact, it’s not the end of the world. Can you find the information
elsewhere? Government websites are extremely useful for statistical information.
Are there any competitors you could approach? The Internet means that
the competitor doesn’t have to be based in the same country. With
credit cards, people can buy products online from any country in the world.
Can you proceed without the information? Could you write your feature
without the information that you were seeking from the PR officer? Alternatively,
could you rewrite it from a slightly different angle? The important point
to remember is that just because you may have ‘lost’ the PR
officer on this occasion, don’t write your feature off. If you can
re-slant your piece, using information from a different PR officer, then
you’re still writing and producing work. It may not have been what
you first envisaged, but that’s life!
Treat PR officers as professional contacts. If you regularly use
the same contacts, send them a card at Christmas! It’s business etiquette,
and allows you to put a personal message thanking them for all their help
during the year. But it’s not the end of the world if you do fall
out. The Internet can help you find more contacts in minutes.
Useful Websites
www.allexperts.com
This is a free site where experts have registered to answer questions
submitted by anyone. It is an American site, but useful if you’re
looking for an expert to provide a quote for your feature. Using a menu,
identify your expert, write your question and explain that you may quote
them in your feature, and you should have a response within 3 days.
www.prnewswire.com/media
This site receives press releases from over 22,000 outlets, enabling you
to look for releases that deal with your subject matter. Once you’ve
located a release of interest, PR contact details are given at the bottom
of the release and you’re on your way to a new relationship!
www.profnet.com This
is part of the PR Newswire group and once registered you can access a
database of PR contacts and experts all willing to help writers.
AUTHOR'S BIO
Simon Whaley is a full time freelance writer whose articles have appeared in a variety of magazines including The Lady, In Britain, Heritage, Water Gardener, Dogs Monthly, Trail, Take A Break, Walking Wales and the Daily Express. He is a regular contributor to Country Walking, Country & Border Life and Holiday Cottages magazines. His book “100 Ways For A Dog To Train Its Human” spent 4 weeks on the bestseller lists, and 50,000 copies of his next book “100 Muddy Paws For Thought” was published last year. His latest book “Running A Writers’ Circle” has just been published by ignotus press.
Here is Fina's comment from last month, below which I have listed a number of the responses that you sent in. Thank you once again for taking the time to reply – I'm sure we all hope it helps to motivate Fina to begin:
"What I want to share with everyone today is my lack of encouragement
to start writing. I enrolled for the [Writers Bureau] course in September
2003 and haven't even started... I just need some encouragement from
anyone... thank you!"
Fina Jiri, Saudi Arabia
***
"I'm a new student and lovin' it (oops one McDonald too many)! I'm sorry to hear about Fina Jiri from Saudia Arabia.
My advice would to be to start things off very slowly, maybe even to write one keyword a day. Those single words will become sentences, the sentences will become paragraphs, the paragraphs will grow to become chapters and so on. Hopefully you'll be flying along in a few months time. Good luck!"
Belinda Price, by email
"My experience is similar to that of Fina Jiri’s. I recently came across the following quote from Thomas A Edison which I have found encouraging (I have put pen to paper) and would like to share it with Fina and other readers:
“If we all did the things we are capable of doing, we would literally astound ourselves.”
Please do make a start Fina."
Sandra Wells, UK
"One of the best pieces of motivational advice I received is this: “Some people can think of 1000 different reasons why they cannot do what they want to do, when all they need is one reason why they can.” We're all discouraged at times – just take a deep breath and go for it. Hope it helps."
Nina, North Scotland
"I really sympathise with Fina Jira. For the student
unable to start to write I suggest books by Julia Cameron e.g. The Artist's
Way, and The Right to Write.
To start, you could do what she calls morning pages. When you wake up,
just write three A4 pages of your stream of consciousness and then write
positive statements afterwards, say three different statements written
out ten times each. Just doing the actual pages not only helps you to
write physically but often you will come up with ideas whilst writing
them and you may find you have a large part of a written piece. Hope
this helps."
Rachel Sandon, London
"Encouragement for Fina. Magazine studied – readers' letter sent – forgotten about – yesterday (9 months later) cheque for £25 drops through letter box.
I've been lazy in completing assignments and submitting things, but what could give more encouragement than a cheque arriving."
Catherine Cooper, UK
"Fina, make a list of all the things you like, like
the famous song 'These are a few of my favourite things'. Then write
just four things describing those, for example: a dark night and you
can see every tiny star worth its twinkle... Start, then see how you
feel about the power you find in your pen and your imagination should
do the rest. Try it once, who knows – you may go one stage up, from
not writing to writing four lines on your favourite thing."
Smita Chatterjee, India
"I can relate to Fina Jiri's problem. I experienced almost the same, in that I enrolled ages ago (2001). I sent in the first assignment and received wonderful encouragement from my tutor – and then left it at that! I recently started to tackle it again, and this is how I'm making it work (slowly but surely):
a. I found a friend who has excellent ideas and good
intentions of completing projects, but seldom fulfills these intentions.
b. I thought of a way in which I could help her. Help doesn't need to
be physical checking, it can just be showing interest! It can be listening
to problems experienced and getting the 'friend' to verbalise their
own solution to the problems.
c. I invited her to coffee at a local coffee shop.
d. I matched her good intentions with mine (to send in assignments regularly)
and together we discussed the next step of our 'intention'.
e. We set a deadline for completing the step, and arranged to meet at
our 'special' coffee shop. This was something to look forward to.
We've repeated this a few times. I find that the best time to get stuck
in to the next step is as soon after our meeting as possible."
Patricia Barnard (SA not UK!)
"I'm on my 16th assignment in the Writers Bureau
course, and this over a period of 2 years, pretty slow going you might
say. But the amazing thing is that I'm not only improving my writing
but the course has opened up my eyes in many directions.
So Fina, let me encourage you to start reading book one, then pick up
that long awaited pen to take notes."
Rosie Pwells, Vienna
"Here is some advice for Fina Jiri in Saudi Arabia. You really must do the first assignment. That way, you will be assigned your tutor who can advise you and answer your queries. The Bureau's advisors are also there to help.
I don't know which course you enrolled on, but when I found I could not face even the first non-fiction assignment of the Comprehensive Writing Course, I went down the fiction route. Anyone can write stories. You will improve when you try and receive advice from the tutor; there is no need to be embarrassed about early efforts because no-one else need see them!
What about a story (for the small press or a competition) about a nurse or doctor who treats the victims of a Saudi oil-well disaster and realises one of them is a relative? Good luck."
Jack Orchison, Leigh
"I think you must have a desire to write, otherwise you wouldn't have enrolled for the Writers Bureau course.
I always find anything new rather daunting, but it always passes in time. Once you get started on the course, I'm sure you will not look back. So please put pen to paper and join us all in our quest for publication!"
Jane Grimshaw, by email
"I read with sympathy Fina Jiri's despair at struggling to start the Writers Bureau Course. She has to get that first piece of writing sent off. Receiving that first piece of advice back from your tutor is 'worth it's weight in gold'. It really spurred me on to continue with a strong belief that I could achieve success.
It has taken me longer to send in my second assignment but only because I want to give it my best shot and have taken time to do additional reading so that I can submit a quality piece of writing.
Many of us have additional demands on our time but you have to take some quality time out and get that first assignment sent in, you will be glad you did!!"
Jane Farrelly, Manchester
"One of the best ways to get yourself motivated to do this course is to think about your priorities in life. Write down a list. These will point you towards your goals, what's important to you in your life. The next step is to think about why you enrolled in the Writers Bureau course, and how you thought it would help you reach one or more of your goals. Was it for financial independence? Were you interested in a career change? Whatever, if that goal or priority is still high on your list, think of half a dozen ways that finishing the Writers Bureau course could help you towards it. Imagine seeing your name in print, having friends and family comment admiringly that they'd read your published work, making money for sharing your thoughts and ideas with the world. By now I hope you're ready to grab that first homework assignment and start writing like there's no tomorrow! Good luck!"
Wendy, by email
"I've spent many years not knowing what to do for
me. I was petrified to take a chance and change my career. Since I've
started this course I have found peace of mind and enjoyment just by
putting my thoughts down on paper. Start the course Fina, enjoy it first
then consider where it will lead later."
Deborah Stanley, Malvern
I hope you all found something of use there! As ever, keep your thoughts and comments coming to the usual address: ezeewriter@writersbureau.com with 'Feedback' in the subject line.
If you have a question you want answering then send it to: ezeewriter@writersbureau.com with 'The Writing Clinic' in the subject line. We only answer your questions in this section of the e-zine and not individually.
"I have been writing for a local magazine where I live in South of
Spain. They were a nightmare when it came to paying me and I no longer
write for them!
I have two questions following this experience. Can
emails be used as legal documents? They put my article on the net without
my permission or a byline and no extra pay, is this legal?
Thank you very much for your help and great newsletter!"
Kim Henry, Spain.
THE WRITING CLINIC'S ANSWER
Dear Kim,
At one time faxes and emails were not considered legal documents, but
this no longer applies. If someone confirms a commission and payment details
by email this is just as binding as if they had sent you a letter.
As regards using your article on the net, they are not allowed to do this unless you have given them the rights. If you signed a contract did you read it through carefully? If you didn’t sign a contract did you make it clear to them what rights you were offering?
Many publications now want full rights in the work they buy so that they can use it on their website as well as in print; writers are having to adapt to this. But payment is usually higher than if they buy first serial rights only.
Without knowing further details we can’t be more specific than this.
But we must stress that you should always check carefully what rights
a magazine wants to buy and think what you are prepared to sell before
making a commitment. In this case, if you are unhappy about them using
your work on the net – and without a byline – then contact them
and politely ask them to remove it or provide you with a credit. We suspect
they won’t be prepared to offer more money – but you can always
try!
***
"I have recently started off with Writers Bureau and am very excited
to learn, grow and get accepted as a published writer. While waiting for
comments on my first assignment, I was practising to write query letters
to editors in my country but got stuck at the point where I had to introduce
myself as a newbie.
My question is: With a brilliant publishable idea, no problems of spelling
and grammar and an attention-grabbing opening paragraph how do I set myself
apart from queries coming in from established writers? I have no similar
clips and no major publications in my resumé."
Rabya, by email
THE WRITING CLINIC'S ANSWER
Dear Rabya,
Unfortunately, if a magazine says ‘no unsolicited material’ the only way to approach them is with a query letter and an outline. Instead of introducing yourself as a ‘newbie’, concentrate on telling them why you are the best person to write the article you are proposing. For example, if you are sending an article on a particular breed of cat or dog, it will help if you can say that you have owned/bred that particular type for a number of years.
Next, make sure that both the letter and the outline are well written. If you have no clips to show then this must be the showcase for your writing style.
Never tell the editor that you are currently studying a writing course. Courses are very helpful but if you have not yet sold any work this emphasises that you are new to the game and editors may have doubts about how professionally you will behave.
On a brighter note, if the magazine does accept unsolicited material
just send the complete article with a very brief covering letter. Most
editors will take the time to glance through your work if it is neatly
presented – so it’s up to you to make sure that what you send
is perfectly targeted and well written. No editor can resist such a combination!
***
"I have a bundle of stories a la James Herriots "It Shouldn't
Happen to a Vet" – only mine revolve around my time as a midwife
in England. Because of client confidentiality I know I will need to be
very careful about personal details and protecting people's identity etc,
but want to know how far I can go in telling the facts. Beyond changing
names and not revealing places I still worry that I may get into trouble
if people suspect I am using their stories. Please advise."
THE WRITING CLINIC'S ANSWER
Dear PML,
We would like to say that if you change the names and do not mention places, then everything will be fine and you can go ahead. Unfortunately, it is not quite as simple as this.
You must make sure that no-one reading your work can use any of the information you provide to put two and two together and say “Ah yes, that must be Mrs. X that she’s talking about…” As a midwife – for whom strict confidentiality is part of the job – this would create serious problems for you.
But you have the answer to your problem when you mention James Herriot. His books may have been based on his experiences as a vet but they were still sold as fiction.
He had taken his experiences and the characters he met, but then ‘mixed-and-matched’ events and character traits to produce novels where the locals – and their often bizarre behaviour – provided subplots interwoven around the story of the vet and his family life.
It’s up to you to work in the same way, and if you feel you can’t ‘fictionalise’ your experiences so that people will not recognise themselves, then sadly you should forget about a book of this kind.
Note: If you are a student of The Writers Bureau and have a question relating to your course please contact the Student Services Department direct at: studentservices@writersbureau.com
Children's book publisher Walker Books have launched a website with a
range of useful information for writers, including their submission guidelines
for manuscripts and illustrations. Go to:
www.walkerbooks.co.uk
Interested in crime writing? Have a novel underway at the moment? Then go to www.thecwa.co.uk for details of their annual competition. Sponsored by Orion in partnership with the Crime Writers Association, winning this competition would give you real kudos. The site also offers useful and amusing advice on how to get your entry noticed.
Young, fun and packed full of useful information for writers, bloc-online is well worth a visit. They are also looking for contributions for the next issue of bloc on the theme of revolution! Full submission guidelines online. www.bloc-online.com
www.firstwriter.com is an indispensable 'one-stop-shop' for writers. From finding an agent, listings of competitions, or details of proofing and critiquing services, this site has it all under one easily navigable site.
That brings us to the end of this month's issue. Next month's feature article tells you how to conduct successful interviews.
If you have a website suitable for writers – let us know. If we
like it we'll publish your site address for FREE.
As usual, if you've any suggestions or would like to comment on content
then please contact Teresa at:
ezeewriter@writersbureau.com
And don't forget – if you've enjoyed this issue of E-zee Writer
and found it useful, tell your friends about it so that they can subscribe
too!
www.writersbureau.com/resources.htm
THE WRITERS BUREAU, SEVENDALE HOUSE, 7 DALE STREET, MANCHESTER, M1 1JB,
ENGLAND.