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February 10, 2012
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David G. Savage: Why activists may not be in a hurry to have High Court rule on alternative marriage
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February 8, 2012
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The Kosher Gourmet byDana Velden: Going to the bother of making soup? You know it better be good. This CREAM OF TOMATO SOUP certainly is! And it's a cinch to make, too (Includes techinques and serving secrets)
February 7, 2012
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Jeffrey Fleishman: In newly democratic Egypt, tens of democracy activists jailed, to stand trial; their groups are 'threatening the stability of the homeland'
Julie Deardorff : Researchers say antioxidants may not be that effective and could do more harm than good
Mark Clayton: How did Anonymous hackers eavesdrop on FBI and Scotland Yard?
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Edmund Sanders : Israeli official says Iran is creating missile that could reach East Coast of US
Victoria Kim: Immigrant-smuggling ring used black drivers to avoid racial profiling
February 2, 2012
Jim Carney: Wrong number call may have saved her life
Reza Kahlili : Ex-CIA spy in Iran's Revolutionary Guard: What Obama doesn't grasp about striking deals with Tehran
Tina Susman: For woodchuck rescuer, every day is Groundhog Day
February 1, 2012
Brian Bennett: US officials see increasing threat of domestic attack from Iran
Emily Brandon: How to Take Advantage of New 401(k) Fee Disclosures
January 31, 2012
January 30, 2012
Paul Richter and Ramin Mostaghim: Misreading Teheran's limits -- deadly and economically devastating as they may be -- is a risk administration, Europe seem willing to take
Suzanne Bohan: Warning: Nap-deprived tots missing more than sleep, study finds
Meg Handley: Banks Revamping Rewards Programs to Woo Customers
January 27, 2012
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Yochonon Donn: In liberal New York City, fervently-Orthodox Jews may soon be getting a district to call their own
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Katy Hopkins: New budget rules may affect how much money you get for college
January 26, 2012
Ed Koch: To the New York Times, calling for the murder of Jews by those capable of having their incitement taken seriously isn't news
Jeannine Stein: Mental illness struck one in five U.S. adults in 2010: Report
January 25, 2012
Richard Simon: House passes two bills endorsing the use of religious symbols at military memorials
Fred Weir: Putin: Multiethnic Russia cannot survive as a US-style 'melting pot'; must find its own way
Susan Johnston: 5 Sneaky Coupon Strategies Consumers Should Watch Out For
January 24, 2012
Carol Clark: The price of your soul: How your brain decides whether to 'sell out'
Caroline B. Glick: America lost most in 'Arab Spring'. Sadly, many voters still don't grasp the extent
Warren Richey: Drug criminal scores win in GPS ruling from conservative-leaning high court
Erika Bolstad: Black conservatives gather to talk about gaining strength
January 23, 2012
Melissa Dribben: Jewish voters to play a key role in Florida's Republican primary
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Ali Safi: U.S. envoy gives Taliban terms for peace talks
January 19, 2012
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Frank J. Gaffney Jr.: No-kidding red lines: U.S. response to an Iranian nuke may be bluster, but Israel's won't be
David G. Savage: They sued their principals after slandering them online --- now the cases are headed to the Supreme Court
David Francis: Where to Invest in 2012: With stocks expected to rebound, opportunity abounds for investors
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January 12, 2012
Warren Richey: Landmark Supreme Court ruling a 'resounding win' for religious groups
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John Fauber : Statins found to raise diabetes risk in postmenopausal women
Katy Hopkins : Consider This Before You Pay for an Online Degree
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January 11, 2012
Shari Roan: Millions of atrial fibrillation sufferers at risk for devastating, but preventable, stroke
Tom Hussain: Pakistan -- recipient of more than $21 billion in civilian and military aid -- speeds pursuit of Iranian pipeline, defying US
David G. Savage: High court signals it won't be loosening TV's 'indecency' rules
Stephen Ceasar: Oklahoma's Islamic law amendment can't go into effect, court rules
January 10, 2012
Reza Kahlili: From an ex-CIA spy: US must exploit new split in Iran's Revolutionary Guard
Karen Kaplan: Study: Nicotine replacement products ineffective when used in real-life situations
January 9, 2012
Michael Doyle: Put through legal hell over dream home, couple fought back hard --- all the way to Supreme Court
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Jewish World Review
March 7, 2006
/ 7 Adar, 5766
Making a living as a writer
By
Marty Nemko
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http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
The James Frey fiasco is just the latest tarnish on writers' credibility. Recall, for example, Doris Kearns Goodwin's plagiarism, New York Times reporter Jayson Blair's faked interviews, and 60 Minutes' Mary Mapes' false attacks on George Bush.
Yet the call to make a living as a writer remains loud for many of us. But should you try to make a go of it?
This self-assessment may help. The more yeses, the more optimistic you are justified in being:
Should you be a professional writer?
1. Are you likely to be willing and able to create at least 200 words of professional-quality prose per hour, at least 15 hours a week, year in and year out?
2. Are you an endless source of story ideas?
3. The most valid evidence of your professional potential is not praise from friends or even teachers, but to ask yourself "How easy has it been, so far, to get people to pay you for your writing?"
4. Will you be willing to spend at least ten hours a week marketing your work, during which time, you'll probably, usually get ignored, rejected, or receive offers to write for near minimum wage, if not for free?
5. Are you willing to do business writing: newsletters, business reports, press releases, brochures, catalogs, annual reports, copy for e-commerce sites, and so on? Business writing is the most likely to be remunerative.
Top Ten Ways to Get Paid to Write
Still want to take a shot at being a professional writer? Here are ways to maximize your chances of success: Most are derived from The Freelance Writer's Bible by David Trottier:
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Build a collection of work samples that would impress your target customer. Even if you have to do some writing for free to get published, do it. Employers are more impressed by published work than by Microsoft Word documents.
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Pitch your work to art directors. They have connections with ad agencies and other employers of writers.
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Use Writers Market and/or your public library to find the best print prospects for your writing. Before writing an article, send a punchy query letter to a high-level editor in which you explain why the topic is right for that publication, how you'd approach it, and why you're qualified to write it. If possible, sell only the first right to publish it. That way, you can later resell it and thus get paid twice for one article.
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As in all job searches, pitch everyone you know: "Do you know anyone who could use a good writer?"
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Cold call small businesses in a niche you'd like to write for. Ask if they need a brochure, a copywriter for their Web site, etc.
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Try nonprofits. They endlessly need marketing collateral, fundraising letters, and telemarketing scripts.
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Pitch online training developers. They are writer-dependent because, except for the graphics, all lessons must be conveyed entirely in writing.
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More money is spent producing business and education videos that on the entire U.S. film industry. Check out your Yellow Pages and Business-to-Business Yellow Pages. Look under "audio-visual," "video producers," "video production", and "film producers."
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Technical writing. For your first jobs, try fledging firms in manufacturing or software. They often need employee manuals and owners' manuals.
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Ghostwriting. Know a celebrity, politician, or famous expert? Propose ghostwriting a book. Make an agreement and then approach publishers to assess the concept's viability. Also, professors, scientists, and technical people need help getting into professional journals and magazines. To find them, advertise in publications read by the types of people for whom you'd like to ghostwrite. Similarly, many professional and business executives would like someone to write their one-page autobiography or 300-page version. Some people want their life stories or family histories written with no intent to make money. They just want to give books to friends, families and business associates.
A word about book writing. The odds are at least 1,000:1 against a first-time, non-celebrity novelist earning as much per hour from their novels as they could from flipping burgers at McDonald's. The odds are even worse for children's book authors and, of course, for poets. The Poet Laureate of the United States, Ted Kooser, in an NPR interview, asserted that it is impossible to make a living from poetry. I've even soured on how-to books, which is the most likely route to making money in book writing. Although I have had five how-to books published, which have sold over 200,000 copies, I don't plan to write any more books nor do I recommend you do unless you're a celebrity and/or have a major national platform: for example, you're a columnist in the U.S. News and World Report magazine. Today, ever more people get their information free, just-in-time, in bite-sized pieces on the Internet. And if they want a book and are willing to forego the public library, Amazon.com sells used copies at a deep discount. The author doesn't make a dime on any used book sales.
Writers, of course, know that their income potential is minimal, but many of them, perhaps wisely, prefer the writer's life poor than the straight life rich.
For more on how to make a living as a writer, see www.writersdigest.com and www.mediabistro.com.
Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in in the media and Washington consider "must-reading". Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here.
400+ of Dr. Nemko's published writings are on www.martynemko.com. Comment by clicking here.
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