E D I T O R N O T E S
When I first got online there wasn't much of a writing
market. Salon, Feed, Suck, Urban Desires, Word and
a few others made a gallant effort to sustain themselves.
Salon, surprisingly, is still with us.
Most have disappeared but many excellent publications have
opened up the net writing market.
The net has gone from a nice, interesting toy to an
absolute necessity. It has grown into a fascinating,
exacting kind of necessity. You still have to walk through
the bear and bull baiting rings, prostitutes and legless
war veterans selling tulips on the corner to get to the
playhouse but there it is.
The dynamics are simple: everyone is on the beast. Every
publisher is on it, almost all the readers are on it, the
agents, booksellers, reviewers are all on it.
Instead of a nice, rational marketplace and literary system
there is a massive mosh-pit of types bumping and
grinding at the center of some green universe. It can
be overwhelming and very intimidating. It makes, at times,
the print publishing system appear genteel and simple.
Yes, the favorite mantra around here is, "the computer is
the publisher." Leaving aside the difficulty achieving that
goal one can say that the internet is a profound conduit
to the publisher.
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I get alerted to these things because of the correspondence
I receive as part of Questions and Answers. Mehfooz, for
instance, is a journalist and subeditor at the Daily Mashriq
Peshawar and wants to sell to foreign markets.
The internet has allowed him to see beyond his locality, out
into the huge, awful world.
It's not simply the Mehfooz's of the world but all of the
"web site writer/editor" jobs I come across running Sunoasis
Jobs. Writing for content on the web is becoming a
mainstream occupation.
The online market is as robust as it has ever been. And
this time around, unlike the late 90's, companies are
actually putting money in their web sites.
* * * * * * * *
The writing market is learned through osmosis. You can't
master it all at once.
Any decent library will have these resources and more:
- Bacon’s Newspaper Directory
- Bacon’s Magazine Directory
- Editor and Publisher International Yearbook
- Inland Press Association Membership Directory
- Directory of International Internships
- SRDS Business Publication Advertising Source
- SRDS Consumer Magazine Advertising Source.
- SRDS Print Media Production Source
- O’Dwyer’s Directory of Corporate Communications
- Gale Directory of Publications and Broadcast Media
- Gebbie Press All-In-One Directory
- Marketer's Guide to Media
- Literary Market Place
- Magazines for Libraries
- Ulrich's International Periodicals Directory
* * * * * * * *
The blogosphere is proving to be a place for writers of all types. Pick
out a product or service, research it, and then offer an interesting
package to the web master. Try it and see what happens.
Or learn the intricacies of a high-traffic blog. Here is where the
professional writer has a great advantage. Any subject you are
resourceful about can be turned into a blog. You still have to
market.
* * * * * * * *
The market is crowded with opinion of every sort. To write opinion
effectively don't simply write off the top of your head as most of
the amateurs do. Do an excellent search, read a lot of different
opinion, and continually revise what you write; blog or no blog.
H o w T o R e a c h B u s i n e s s W e b s i t e s
The need for writing in the business world is generally under-
appreciated.Even at this late date there are plenty of small
businesses that can be helped getting an online presence with
compelling written copy.
I always read the "web content writer/editor" ads that come
into Sunoasis or are posted on other sites. They are almost
always technical positions with a smattering of writing and
editing. The company is looking for that magical person who
combines web knowledge and savviness with writing and
editing talent. They are hungry for new and exciting content.
* * * * * * * *
It's crucial to market and to prepare a portfolio you can
send through email that shows a web editor your prowess
in making good copy and meeting deadlines. You might throw in
a little working knowledge of SEO copywriting as well.
* * * * * * * *
There are plenty of advertisements for "content providers" on Sunoasis
Jobs, Craigslist, Monster, MediaBistro, and others. But, a writer
can always do a Google or Yahoo search with a key word or phrase
that encapsulates the writer's expertise and see what business's
are open to a writer's talent.
Emphasize the benefit you'll bring to that specific company
Get fifteen to twenty core markets you feel confident you can sell
to. Get all the contact information, study them, prepare ideas and try
to develop a decent relationship with the web editor.
Peel back any organization that has written material to find out how
you can be of service to them. Every association or group has a
newsletter of one kind or the other.
* * * * * * * *
Another good source to use are the "yellow pages."
* * * * * * * *
Almost every company has a media kit. These are prepared for possible
advertisers who come looking for space to place their ads. In the media
kit is a summation of the demographics for the business entity. That
is a very useful piece of information that can tell you the slant,
tone, and possible ideas to bring to an audience of a business
website. Remember, the more you know about the people the website
targets, the greater chance you have of penetrating the needs of that website.
* * * * * * * *
The three articles of faith in writing for the web are, "be concise,
be scannable, be objective." In other words, study copywriting
and poetry.
Scannable simply means that people go to the Net looking for information
useful to them. Most people pick out key words and phrases, tracking down
the piece of information they really need. I admit I'm in the minority
of those who go to the web for reading pleasure. The facts favor the
majority.
It makes sense to follow the advice of usability experts and learn
the writing techniques that seem to work.
Try this ten-minute Internet Writing Guide if you are new to the
net.
* * * * * * * *
We look in the marvelous Oxford American Writer's Thesaurus and
see that some of the terms connected with information are:
instruction, advice, guidance, direction, counsel, even enlightenment.
The Oxford American Dictionary says, "1. facts told or heard or
discovered..."
Information is the the gold people are hunting for.
Try to discover the structure of organization and what the
relation is between the web master and the web editor. Many
times, as we alluded to, they are the same person. But one
of them is responsible for buying new content. And they are
experimenting with content to figure out what works.
The goal isn't to attract readers to read ads so much as
it is to keep readers in the site, clicking all around.
* * * * * * * *
Writer Krista McGruder has an excellent idea: Connect with web design
companies in your area and give them your package. The web design
companies are many times called in by businesses to do the technical
end of a commercial website. We talked about "networking" last
issue: A perfect example of a node in the network good to know.
The important thing is to study a website as you would a magazine.
What is the purpose of the website? How do they make revenue? What
content is already on there?
O B S E R V A T I O N S:
- Advertising, the driving engine of publishing, is moving online.
As one executive put it, "the kids aren't reading newspapers or
watching TV; they are online." And we say, good for you kids
because this is one monstrous resource if you do it right.
- Corporations are spending billions of dollars trying to upgrade
the writing skills of their employees. Why? Business lives
and dies through communication. Writing either provides
a business with credibility or destroys the credibility. And
since business is using the internet more and more there are
plenty of opportunities to help businesses develop a credible
interface with the public.
- The blogosphere is rapidly turning into a commercial enterprise
for information and marketing purposes. They are, apparently,
perfectly adaptable to the daily, rapid-fire, and linked platform
of the internet.
- New and odd sorts of writing appear such as "SEO article writing,"
or syndicated articles about your subject of expertise that links
back to your website and give you more traffic.
- Major print publishers are now rallying the troops to go integrate
with the internet full-speed ahead. Whether they do it right or
not is anyone's guess but by doing so they double the space for
written material. And shrewd writers know that writing for the
net and print are different animals.
- Self-publishing has grown dramatically as writers learn the
sophistication of making and marketing their own books through
print-on-demand or old fashioned, do-it-yourself-ism.
- A real effort is underway to start using the aggregator technology
to create a more efficient, less chaotic internet through which
people will routinely customize their news and information.
- Many, many learning curves await the world for good or ill.
But it means that there will have to be a lot of written
communication explaining these things to a fascinated but
befuddled world.
- I do see more and more advertisements for freelance writers posted around
the net. I still think the free-agent needs to find the market and
then reach out to it with a compelling package. But, maybe I'm old
fashioned.
Funny Stories About Writers Trying to Market Their Wares:
---- Agatha Christie disappeared one day, her car was found abandoned
and thousands of people got in on the hunt for her, including Sir
Arthur Conan Doyle. She emerged eleven days later in a motel claiming
she had temporary amnesia. They are still trying to figure out why
she checked into the motel under the name of her husband's mistress.
---- When I was a teen-ager I read a book "Report From Iron Mountain" that
supposedly was a high level discussion on the absolute probability
of nuclear war and how the elite's could survive it. It created a
firestorm but was eventually outted as a hoax devised by two political
satirists.
---- Baby-boomers on the list remember the Clifford Irving hoax. He
claimed to have written an autobiography of Howard Hughes and it
generated tremendous interest. Later it was discovered as a hoax
and Irving had to give back the money he made from it and was sent
to prison.
---- How about Harlan Ellison who used to write in store windows and
then go on TV talk shows to be interviewed about what he had written?
---- How about the self-publishing author whose book didn't sell
anything so he opened The One Book Bookstore in Bisbee, Arizona?
He self-published another book and opened another bookstore, named,
The Other Book Bookstore that carried only copies of the second
book. He sold 30,000 copies from this stunt.
And who can ignore that wild and crazy guy who wears a yellow
suit of clothes with question marks all over them, selling his
government information books?
* * * * * * * *
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R E S O U R C E S
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=========================
For Freelancers Only:
Writer Jenna Glazner offers her tips on "tightening the
line" when fishing for assignments.
Writing markets list from the Open Directory.
From Writer Magazine.
=========================
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B u s i n e s s o f W r i t i n g :
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Planning a book signing tour from The Writer's Life
This site has model contracts for all types of writing.
The authoress has insight into why books go out of print.
Getting down to the business of writing.
Taxes for Writers.
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W r i t e r O r g a n i z a t i o n s :
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Horror Writers Association
American Association of School Librarians
Association of Booksellers for Children
American Booksellers Association
International Reading Association
Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators
Just Think Organization
The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press
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P u b l i s h i n g :
Another prediction of the "end of print," at least as a medium
supported by advertising.
What happens if you are a first-time published author and want
the exposure Google's scan of library books could bring but your
publisher says no? In fact, it sues Google over the fact.
What makes book publishers become book sellers?
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Back to Table of Contents
M A R K E T S A N D L E A D S
POLITICAL MAGAZINES: Make sure you locate the
editor of a magazine, contact her and request a sample copy
and writer guidelines. If you think you have a story for
her, send an excellent query. Search back issues and try
to understand the type of articles the editor looks for.
We provide the guidelines or mail addresses and phone
number of the publications when available.
Church and State
Pays $150-$300 for articles
Empire State Report
Pays $100-$700 for articles
The Nation
Pays $225-$300 for articles
The Progressive
Pays $250-$500 for articles
Reason
Pays $300-$3000 for articles
Don't hesitate to tell us what you are looking for.
Here is an index of writer guidelines.
JOBS
Writer - Human Resource Communications
Location: Valley Forge, PA
Vanguard, one of the world's leading investment management companies,
needs a creative, talented writer to research and write human resource
communications. Your work should be engaging and accurate, educate
your readers, meet business objectives, and be delivered on time.
This position is available part-time (25 hours per week) or full-time.
You'll regularly brainstorm with clients, colleagues, and senior
management to develop creative concepts for Web, e-mail, and print
delivery.
For Full Ad go here.
Director of Publications/Editor in Chief
Location: Dallas, Texas
Established in 1972, Meeting Professionals International (MPI) is the
leading global community committed to shaping and defining the
future of the meeting and event industry.
MPI has an immediate opening for a Director of Publications. This
position will be responsible for overseeing the strategic planning
and direction of The Meeting Professional and ancillary publications
products; introducing magazine best practices for design, readability
and content; ensuring editorial content meets segmentation and
market needs of MPI s membership; weaving business language,
practices and experts into publication content delivery...
For Full Ad go here.
Back to Table of Contents
Job Links for new leads!
If you have any suggestions about markets you want
guidelines for, just drop a line
A T C/ O A S I S
The Young Man Who Said He Wouldn’t Eat Chocolate Again
by Tom Sheehan
Today it all came back. Once again, 
on another brilliant dawning, the Western Yetness still calling me, I woke with a toothache. A stupendous one! In half an hour, despite quick brushing, the stimulator poked here and there, gargling, all proving useless, the ache remained in force. It was, without a doubt, the chocolate again, or the mere thought of chocolate. I knew I was weak to most any candy, and to chocolate in particular, right from the beginning.
Two Poems by Aidan Andrew Dun
Black Passing
April Time
Two Poems by Ivan Silverberg
The Day Nicky Lived Forever
The Draining
