(www.thegoldenpencil.com)
One of the finalists in Michael Stelzner’s Top 10 Blogs For Writers is The Book Deal. Subtitled “An Inside View Of Publishing,” it’s written by Alan Rinzler who bills himself as a Consulting Editor. The list of authors he’s worked with is impressive to say the least and each clickable link on his Authors page gives some insight in how the book came to be and came to be well known.
Rinzler’s blog does indeed give an inside view of the arcane world of trade publishing, plus some darn good information for writers. Take today’s post: Ask the Editor: …read more

(www.thegoldenpencil.com)
If someone asked you to write on the phrase take a break, what would your first thought be? Your second? I’m betting you would have first thought of time-off, either a little or a lot, and if you had a second thought it just might have been about something getting broken, but that’s a reach for me.
Kelly, our channel editor, though out that challenge with no limitations at all. You can find the results at Leadership Turn in a post called “Taking a break” across the channel.
You’ll find all sorts of takes on the phrase I never would have thought …read more

(www.thegoldenpencil.com)
As near as I can tell my first blog entry was on May 3, way back in 2005 titled: I’m not sure I…
This may have been done before I became part of b5media. All the apostrophe’s are missing and I’m betting they got lost when this entry and others were moved to a more permanent home. (Yes, I went in and fixed all I could find… I probably missed some.)
The value of this blog entry to you? I think it demonstrates that we ought to be willing to try new things. I remember how confusing I found blogging then, …read more

(www.thegoldenpencil.com)
It’s wordless Thursday around here because this week I’ve finished two major projects and my mind is fried.
I’ll probably go to the gym later today, and I’ll probably make it to the library, but that’s about it. Crashing with a dumb novel, that’s me today.
You’d think I wouldn’t be amazed any more at how much a long stint of good writing takes out of me mentally. But it does.
And I’m often surprised.
How do you recharge your mental batteries?
Write well and often,

Two newsletters:
Abundant Freelance Writing – a resource for freelance writers including 3x a week job postings.
Writing With Vision …read more

(www.thegoldenpencil.com)
I’m awarding myself and this blog a blue ribbon because sometime last night we passed passed a major page views milestone. I’ve been flirting with that mark for the last couple of months, but am now firmly over it. It’s only the 29th and I’ve already hit the mark.
The thanks, of course, goes to you, the reader, the subscriber and the linker who have helped make this blog grow, and grow, and grow. Big virtual hugs all around.
Write well and often,

Two newsletters:
Abundant Freelance Writing – a resource for freelance writers including 3x a week job postings.
Writing With Vision – for …read more

We end the week with 55 Writing, Blogging, Editing and Translation Jobs.
That brings our total this week to 166 – not bad considering it’s mid-summer.
Write well and often,

Two newsletters:
Abundant Freelance Writing – a resource for freelance writers including 3x a week job postings.
Writing With Vision – for those who want to get a book written.
Image from http://www.sxc.hu

I went looking for blogs about and by freelance writers new to me. Here’s what I found:

Chris Bibey, who calls his blog Freelance Writing, has been earning a living writing full time for about three years. Worth checking out.
Chesley Maldonado publishes daily freelance writing tips
Freelance Folder is a collection of posts mostly about freelance writing. There are also some posts about entrepreneurship in general, and I think we writers need that.
Laurie Pawlik-Kienlen, who is a real pro, has a blog called Quips & Tips for Freelance Writers that’s worth watching.
Sharon Hurley Hall has been writing freelance for over 20 years. …read more

Am I the only one who remembers The Mikado, a light opera by Gilbert and Sullivan? Probably not, but when I saw The Golden Pencil is on yet another list, the song, “I’ve Got A Little List” came to mind.
This time the list is from (on?) The Writers Resource Center and John has posted March Writing Blog Madness, an idea he says he got from PODdy Mouth.
Although I’m familiar with many of the writing blogs listed there, there are some that are new to me, including:

How to Start a Successful Freelance Writing Career
be the story
Crime Fiction Dossier

So many blogs, …read more

A roundup of interesting links on various freelance writing blogs:

Copyblogger has Three Great Resources That Won’t Cost You a Dime
Freelance Switch has a post called Interview with Linda Formichelli — Stretching Her Creative Paws which details how she got published in over 100 magazines.
Deb Ng over at Freelance Writing Jobs has a list of what she’s reading right now called Weekend Link Love
Kristen King links to Deb Ngs comments about how to get a freelance writing job and adds her own cogent comments at: Must-Read Advice From Potential Employers
Red Inked shares A New Word you may identify with.

What did I …read more

Eric, over at Common Sense PR stopped me cold with this headline: Don’t Edit your First Draft
You can imagine what I thought, can’t you? I was wrong!
Go on over and read the post, then come back and tell me how many people you know who can’t get passed the first chapter, or even the first paragraph.
Write well and often,

Two newsletters:
Abundant Freelance Writing – a resource for freelance writers including 3x a week job postings.
Writing With Vision – for those who want to get a book written.