CornerScribe

Archive for the ‘Publishing’ Category

You’re interested in selling some writing, maybe even starting to “freelance,” but where do you go to SELL your work? Here are some of the most popular sites and the pros and cons of using each.

Constant Content

After registering, you’ll submit your work for approval. You can submit content that matches up to a previous request, or you can write whatever you like. After the content is approved, it’s up for sale.

Pros: You can write about what you want and charge what you want. Writers can typically get more from Constant Content than from other sites.

Cons: Your writing skills need to be a bit more polished than other sites might require; otherwise, your content is likely to be rejected. Your content may not sell for quite some time, or ever. In my experience, most of the content sold here will sell for full rights, meaning that the writer gets no byline or credit for the piece. Writers will need to accumulate $50 in earnings before being paid.

Associated Content

Associated Content is similar to Constant Content. Associated Content has different payment categories, some of which pay up-front and others don’t.

Pros: You can get paid something for just about anything you’ve written. Even if they offer no up-front payment, you’ll get paid a small amount for each article based on its page views, so your articles can continue to earn for months or even more. Even better, Associated Content will begin paying you about a week after your first article is bought. Beginning writers will find their work more readily accepted here. Because writers can claim their works publicly, Associated Content also makes a much better portfolio than Constant Content does.

Cons: The pay is pretty low, sometimes only $3-7 per article. Priority is given to content that is unique to the site.

Helium

Helium allows you to post whatever content you want, like Associated Content. However, Helium is unique in that members rate articles, and those ratings determine which articles move to the top of their categories and get the most page views.

Pros: You get paid something for your work, but it may be a small amount since Helium pays a percentage of the advertising revenue the article earns. Helium also has a marketplace where buyers can ask for particular articles, but in my experience there are usually few options there.

Cons: The pay is low. You’ll need to accumulate $25 or more before you get paid.

Suite 101

I can’t speak to the pros and cons of this site since I’m not a member. Unlike the other sites listed here, Suite 101 requires writers to apply to write for them. From that point, they sound a lot like Helium; they pay a percentage of the ad revenue your articles earn.

Xomba is another site that works very much like Helium or Suite 101.  The revenue model for many of these is the same, you earn a share of adsense revenue.

You may be asking, why would I use any of these sites that share their ad revenue when I can write for myself and get all the ad revenue? That’s a good question, and I think it depends on what your ultimate goal is. Writing for your own site will build your blog or website and, over time, increase its traffic. However, you’re likely to earn very little if anything in ad revenue for some time. Sites like Helium can provide you with better initial traffic, and higher earnings. If you’re allowed to put links back to your own site, you can also drive some traffic as well (check the TOS first).

This is what I do. If the content would work well on one of my blogs, that’s where I put it. If it’s an article that I’m interested in writing but that doesn’t fit with my blogs, then I sell it.

Note that I’ve deliberately eliminated sites that pay you to write advertisements and reviews on your own site. Those are a bit of a different animal. I also didn’t include article directories that don’t pay but that drive traffic back to your site. I also didn’t include freelancing sites like elance or guru.  All those are for a future post.

My best advice is to experiment with different sites. Join, write an article or two and see what happens. You may find some easier to work with than others. I tend to post most of my work to Constant Content. If an article doesn’t sell after several weeks, then I might consider placing it on Associated Content or even Helium. In short, try for the biggest payout first, and only later settle for one of the lower paying options.

I’m talking about WeBook, a site I ran across the other day through StumbleUpon. From their about page…

Webook is an “online book publishing company, which does for the industry what American Idol did for music.”

That’s a pretty interesting intro, don’t you think? From browsing around the site, it looks like you can start a project, collaborate with others on projects, and vote for projects (the American Idol part). I haven’t joined, but I’ll keep it in the back of my head. Right now I’m more focused on finishing my novel than getting started with something like this.

Any members out there?

If you like this post, please take a second and use the buttons below to submit it to StumbleUpon, Digg, etc. I’d appreciate it!

I recently headed over to Constant Content to shop for some articles for my sites. I was surprised by some of the things I found. If you’re having trouble selling your material, then maybe one of these is the reason why.

1. Your sample was too short. I want to see a good size chunk of the article before I buy it. I think some writers resist putting in a large sample because they’re afraid someone might “steal” their idea. If you want it to sell, you’ll need to put in a real sample.
2. And the point is? If I read the sample, and I’m still not sure where the author is going with the article, I’m not likely to gamble that it’s going to get better in the part that I can’t see.
3. Errors. If there are a lot of errors (grammar, punctuation, etc.) in the article, then I’m not likely to buy it. I don’t want to have to take the time to clean it up myself, and I wouldn’t put it up on my site in that condition.
4. Usage rights only. I’d be more likely to purchase unique or full rights than usage only. Any number of people could buy and post the same article under a usage contract, and that can lower my SEO.
5. Overpriced. I looked at one article, as an example, that was priced at $50 for usage rights. I think that’s a bit expensive. For that price, I’d expect to at least get a unique license, especially for a short blog post article.
6. Underpriced. I also looked at an article that was $1 for 1000 words. Wow. The article had been bought only twice, despite the bargain price.  I have to wonder if it’s worth even the dollar.
7. Passive voice. I’m not usually a stickler about the passive voice, but when it pops up in the first paragraph, I tend to notice. I don’t know how many articles I read that began with some variation of “Much has been discussed about…”
8. Weak introduction. If you don’t catch me on the first paragraph or so, you’ve lost me. This is more important on a site like constant content than even in your blog, where loyal readers will cut you some slack.
9. Inappropriate slang. Another example, in an article obviously intended to sound professional, the writer used the phrase, “They’re just too hung up on themselves…” While that’s perfectly okay for a casual blog post, it’s not appropriate for an article intended to sound authoritative.
10. Lack of details. One article turned out to be a list of links, with no explanation. Another turned out to be a quickie article that looked like it took all of five minutes or so to write. If I’m going to buy it, it needs to be fleshed out a bit more than that.

As I’ve mentioned here before, I write for Constant Content, and I’m happy to say I’ve sold about 75 percent of what I’ve written there. You can see my profile and articles here. I hope that these tips can help you sell more there, or wherever you’re trying to sell your content.

Book collection

Originally uploaded by Ian Wilson

Techdirt has a great article about publishing and the internet, and how the publishing model will need to change in the future. I’m sure you know about the RIAA and/or MPAA and their many lawsuits against users downloading their content without paying.

It doesn’t take much imagination to see it happening with books as well. (more…)

Really. Yes. No kidding.

Finding an agent doesn’t have to involve searching through publications, acknowledgment pages, and a myriad other places. Here’s a site you’ll want to try, LitMatch.

First, you can search for an agent or agency. Their search feature allows you to filter by several categories like genre, fiction/non-fiction, geographical area, agent name. You can further limit your search to agents with web sites, those taking queries, and those who accept e-mail submissions.

For each agency, you’ll see information to help you decide if they’re right for you. This includes a list of other authors they represent (you can search by that as well). Users of the site report their interactions with the agency, including response times, whether rejections are personal or form, and acceptance information. Users can even enter comments for the agency.

The site also has an area to allow you to track submissions. If you have a book you’re interested in sending out, enter its information and track which agency you’ve sent it to and the response.

Overall, I think this site looks great, so if the time is right for you to approach an agent, this is definitely a great place to begin looking.

As you know, I’m busy NaNo-ing this month. For those of you who may have missed these, here are five of the most popular blog posts on the site. Take a minute and check them out, and then get back to your novel!

Get Ready for NaNo

Two Great Market Resources

Short Story Markets

Writing Tools

What’s Holding You Back?

I ran across an interesting blog tonight, which covers self-publishing through Lulu. I’ve linked to her most recent post, but I’d recommend exploring the site further. She gives some good tips and insights into how Lulu works and what some of the pitfalls are.

I know a lot of us will have a novel rough draft in a month or so, and if print-on-demand is what you’re thinking of, then you’ll want to check this one out.

As writers, we often don’t want to  think about finances. That’s too “practical” and we tend to be the artsy, creative types. Right?

Wrong. If you want to write for a living, you have some serious financial planning to do now.

Walking away from a 9 to 5 job with benefits is going to be tough when the time comes, regardless of the planning you’ve done. However, it will be impossible if you haven’t done any planning at all. Imagine it, you get your first book deal, and you still can’t afford to quit work and write! Not exactly what you’re dreaming of, is it?

Let me say that once more…. Unless you plan financially now, you’ll never be able to quit work and write for a living.

So, what are you doing about it?

Over the past year or so, we’ve been working on our finances and planning/hoping that my writing career can be my main source of income eventually. Here’s what we’ve done.

• Stop going into debt. This one really is a no-brainer. We don’t charge gas, food, clothes, etc. We don’t even charge bigger items, like furniture.
• Pay out of debt. If you’re not going INTO debt, then paying off the debt you have becomes much easier, and faster. If you’re able, add a little extra to one of your bills each month so you can see it disappear even more quickly.
• Layaway is your friend. Many stores still offer layaway plans. This is great for larger purchases you might put on a credit card otherwise. We bought a home recently, and we’ve been furnishing it with layaway. It feels great bringing a piece of furniture home knowing it’s paid for!
• Cut expenses. Sit down with your last few bank statements and track where your money is going. You don’t have to do a fancy spreadsheet, just look. Are you paying for a service you no longer need or use? I recently found a subscription I hadn’t logged in to for over a year, and it was costing me $15/month. Other easy techniques are searching online for coupons before you shop (online or in-store!) and asking for interest rate discounts from the credit cards you currently hold. If you can talk them into even a small decrease, it will make paying the balance off that much quicker.
• Save! Sign up for one of the online savings accounts and start putting something in every payday. Once you’re used to saving that amount and you no longer miss it, up the savings by a few dollars. When you get a raise, put at least half of it in the savings.
• As time goes on, put more of your paycheck into savings and practice living on your spouse’s income only, if you’re in a two-earner family. Start slow and gradually put away more and more of your income as your expenses and debt decrease.

Yes, living on an erratic source of income can be scary, but it’s also very doable! Plan on making just one financial change this month that can put you closer to that goal. What will yours be?

Note: This entry is part of a group writing contest being held at Get Rich Slowly, which happens to be a great site for finding advice on living more frugally, budgeting, getting out of debt, etc.

Imagine that you’re walking down the street, and you spot a mother pushing her new baby in a stroller. You stop to admire the newborn, gaze at her, tilt your head, and look up at the mother and say, “Wow! That’s one ugly baby you’ve got there.”

That new mom is going to stomp a mud hole in you. Unfortunately, many writers react like that new mom when they’re asked for edits.

1. Your book or story is not your “baby”

I feel a certain emotional attachment to my work too. I spend a lot of time on my writing, and when I need to cut out a scene that I particularly like, it can hurt. However, I also know that once my writing leaves my computer and goes out in the wide world, it will be read, interacted with, and (gasp) judged by others.

Let your baby grow up!

2. Whom are you writing for?

If you’re writing only for yourself, then by all means, ignore your editor. Of course, if you’re writing only for yourself, why are you sending your work out anyway?

If you’re writing for others…well, shouldn’t you be taking others’ opinions into consideration?

3. Get some good criticism

“Good” criticism doesn’t come from your mom, husband, wife, or best friend. Those people will tell you your book is great no matter how horrible it truly is. They love you, or at least like you, and they want you to feel good about yourself.

A writers’ group may be a source for a good critique. However, sometimes strangers are just as likely to feel uncomfortably offering criticism, even when it’s constructive. If your critique group doesn’t usually suggest something to improve on, they’re probably not giving you an honest critique. How many writers are there, after all, who really don’t have room for improvement?

4. Art or Excuses?

Ah, this is the one that’s likely to give some folks an apoplectic fit. Keep in mind my background… I did a grad degree in English and suffered through  endured was a part of many discussions about writing and art. These also included many deprecating comments about genre fiction (try saying it with a sneer, that works best… “genre fiction”… ew).

I write genre fiction.

Needless to say, I’m not big on the “art” side of things. I’m not interested in grad students doing theses on my work. I don’t care if some academic finds me worthy of study. I want to tell a good story and have readers enjoy it.

And that means I need to listen to readers when they tell me something isn’t working.

No, that doesn’t mean that I’d necessarily take any advice given, but I will consider it, and honestly. In most cases, the editor is right, and I make the changes requested.

Yep, this post was inspired by a request I got this week to make some changes to a short story before it’s published. Of course, I’ll make the changes, because the editor was right on the mark.

How do you feel about changing your work at an editor’s request?

If you’re reading this blog, I assume that you have at least some interest in making money from your writing. Maybe you’re very optimistic and hoping to support yourself completely or simply looking to supplement your income or buy dinner once a month or so.
So, what are you doing about it?

I know quite a few writers, both online and in the real world, and many claim to want to publish and make money writing. However, very few even manage to make anything, let alone enough to live on. Why is that?

The Artist

The artist won’t compromise his work for anyone or anything. To complicate matters, proofreading, editing, and rewriting all seem to fall under the large umbrella of “compromises” that he won’t make. Forget working with an editor, this person refuses to change the most egregious errors. None of the really great writers are appreciated until after they’re dead anyway, right?

The Chaser

The chaser will compromise her writing for nearly anything. What’s the latest bestseller? She’ll start a novel that’s similar. She reads that children’s literature is booming; she’ll write a children’s book. Never mind that she has no interest or background in the genre, she wants in on the action. When asked about her “voice,” her most honest answer is “Whatever you want it to be.”

The Perpetual Novel

This is the novel that sits in the writer’s drawers (not those drawers!) and gets pulled out occasionally. A paragraph is tweaked, a sentence is labored over, the novel is stroked, loved, admired, and slipped back in the desk. It must be perfect before going out in the world. As everyone except the writer knows, nothing is perfect, so this novel is doomed to be admired by one.

The Almost Writer

These are the folks who sit down and scribble on a poem or story for a few minutes, and then weeks or months go by with no writing. Still, they hope to one day write full time or publish. They’re sure they can do it, when they get the time.

The Sprinter

These writers start strong on a work and then fizzle out. Sometimes it’s the work that doesn’t quite make it, but often it’s the writer’s stamina that’s at fault. Novels are a marathon, not a sprint. Persistence and stamina count.

Fixing it

Okay, maybe these are a bit tongue-in-cheek, but I bet most writers can see a bit of themselves in the descriptions. I know that I can. What do you do to fix it? How do you get on the path to writing success?

1. The Artist. Get over yourself. If you want to publish and/or make money, then what you really want are readers. If you’re writing for yourself, it’s one thing. Be as attached to your work as you like. However, if you’re writing for someone else, you need to take others’ opinions into consideration.
2. The Chaser. Don’t look at the bestseller list. Skip those articles that talk about the next hot genre. Write only what you’d enjoy reading. Given time, you’ll develop your own voice. Besides, you can’t predict what’s going to be popular, and by the time it IS popular, you’ve missed out on the trend.
3. The Perpetual Novel. Finish it. Set a deadline, and declare it finished as of that date. Send it out to an agent on that very day, and absolutely resist the urge to rewrite until an agent or editor tells you to. Then, start another novel!
4. The Almost Writer. Write every day. Not a couple days a week, not most days, every day. When you’ve really developed a strong writing habit, you can take a day off here and there, but not until then. At a bare minimum, write every day for thirty days.
5. The sprinter. Do you have a novel that’s partially finished, AND that’s promising? Dig it out, and spend time every day finishing it.

In short, stick with it!