Writing with Jennifer

Before the COVID hit, I spent some time working for a small publishing company. I went into it as a writer, not knowing what publishing was all about. I learned a lot. For example, there are approximately 7 million kinds of paper (Okay, I might be exaggerating, but it's a lot!) My job was to help walk authors through the process from start to finish. Here are a few things I learned that are crucial to writers.  You need editors.  I spoke to so many writers who told me that their manuscripts were "already edited." None of them were right. That's because most people have not invested in a professional editor, and editing is often still needed even after a professional has been over the work.  At a minimum, you need a couple of different types of editors on your team. A developmental editor is one who looks at plot, consistency, story flow, character arcs, and other literary elements of the work. That person may also notice spelling and grammar issues, but that's not...

Great writers need great tools. Here are some that I use often. Grammarly Proofreading for spelling and grammar is essential. No matter how much education you have in editing and no matter how many times you've looked over your own work, you are likely to miss something. That's where Grammarly comes in. No, it's not perfect and it doesn't replace a human proofreader. But it's a helpful tool.  Hemingway Editor Simply paste in your work, and you'll get instant feedback about passive voice, adverbs, and how hard your work is to read. You'll also get insight into the reading level of your writing. The site is free to use online, but you can also pay $19.99 to have it downloaded to your desktop.  Omni Writing Calculator If your writing goals are overwhelming you, a site like this can help. This calculator tracks how many words you need to write each day in order to meet your goals. You set the goal and the date, and the calculator will tell you what you need to d...

There are several different ways to score freelance writing gigs.  Research writer's guidelines for a specific publication and send a pitch Cold pitch blogs and publications Cold pitch business owners about website copy Apply for jobs on a freelance writing job board.  This post is about the 4th option. Here's a quick list of my favorite places to look for freelance jobs.  ProBlogger ProBlogger is my favorite. I'm not sure why, but the listings tend to be straightforward, and the site is easy to navigate. It's free to search and apply to jobs, and I have had good luck with the listings being legit.  BloggingPro I like this one, too, but I haven't been as successful here for some reason. It's similar to ProBlogger - easy to navigate and free to use.  FreelancWritingGigs Another similar job board.  FreelanceWriting Yes, they are all different sites. They just seem to be exactly the same.  SimplyHired The listings here tend to be for more long-term jobs t...

Most beginning authors shy away from cold pitching, and there's a good reason for that. It hardly ever works. But when it does, it's an absolutely fantastic feeling.  Cold pitching is where you send an article or a query for an article or story to an editor who hasn't asked for it. This might happen if you have something to contribute to a publication but you can't find any writer's guidelines. So you track down the email of the right editor, and you pitch your idea.  The reason cold pitches rarely result in a home run is that magazine editors have tons of articles pitched to them nearly every day of their professional lives (and probably most days in their personal lives as well).  Here are some tips for the cold pitch.  Do your homework. Make sure you've looked everywhere for those writer's guidelines. If they exist, the editor will expect you to use them.  Know that your pitch is right for the publication. If you are going to gain that editor's attent...

If you've done some writing, you may have heard the term "beta reader." A beta reader is just someone who reads your work before it's published and gives you some feedback. It's as simple as that. Beta readers are like a focus group where you can test out your project to see how it is received.  Having beta readers is important if you are serious about selling your work. You need to understand how other people are seeing and processing what you've written before you thrust your writing out into the world in general. Ideally, you'll have several beta readers who represent different aspects of your target audience.  Where do you get a beta reader? This is where things get trickier. There are many sources for beta readers, but some are more valuable than others.  People you know Chances are that someone in your life is willing to read your work and give you some thoughts and opinions. The problem is that someone who knows you is already coming at your writing...

So what exactly does it mean to be a ghostwriter?  A ghostwriter is someone who creates a piece of writing for someone else. The other person owns the work, and the ghostwriter remains quiet about the whole affair.  Why do people hire ghostwriters? There are several reasons that someone might hire a ghostwriter. The most common reason is that someone has a story to tell but doesn't feel equipped to write it in a way that will do justice to the story.  What kinds of projects call for ghostwriters?  All kinds! Here are a few examples.  a novel based on an amazing idea illustrations without words to go with them a true story that deserves to be shared family history to be preserved for future generations How does ghostwriting work?  When you hire a ghostwriter, you communicate the story to your ghostwriter. The ghostwriter writes the words and shows them to you. You provide feedback about what you love and any changes you'd like to see. You own the finished pr...