A Writer’s Office

Every writer needs a place to work and a home office is one of the best places for writers. What a writer’s home office looks like will depend on the budget. Some writers will be able to set aside a room for writing. Other writers may prefer to set aside a space for their home office.

A writer’s home office needs to be quiet and large enough to contain a desk and a chair. Most of the other equipment needed will fit on or under the desk. The writer’s chair needs to be comfortable and should fit under the desk.

A writer’s home office can be just like a normal office. Family photos on the desk will make the writing environment pleasant. Make sure the desk has room for a cup of tea or coffee – freelance writers spend a lot of time at their computers. Any drinks should be kept well away from the computer, though.

Writing Equipment

A computer is one of the most important pieces of equipment for a writer. A basic PC is not expensive and can even be bought on Ebay. The computer should have a keyboard, a mouse and a modem or networking card.

A better option for writers is a laptop. A laptop or notebook computer allows writers to write anywhere. Modern laptops also allow writers to connect to the internet from anywhere. An internet connection is essential for researching writing and receiving email from editors and publishers. Dial up is a good basic option, but if writers need to submit images with their writing, they may be better off with cable or DSL.

Writers may find it useful to have a printer for printing out articles. This allows writers to check their own writing for errors. There are also some publishers who only accept hard copy writing submissions. A laser printer gives a crisp, sharp look, but an ink jet is a good option for writers on a budget.

Writers will also need some way of taking notes if they do interviews. This could be a notebook and pen, which can be kept on the desk. A better option is a recording device of some kind to allow the writer to have a record of interviews and conversations with people. This can be a tape recorder, digital recorder or personal digital assistant (PDA) depending on the writer’s budget.

Organizing The Writing Environment

Once a writer has got a desk, chair and the right equipment for typing articles and taking notes, s/he will need a way of organizing the paper that covers every writer’s desk. This could be a series of file folders or filing trays to contain copies of email or snail mail letters to and from editors and publishers.

A good filing system is essential for writers. Writers need to keep track of what articles have been commissioned and when deadlines are coming up. Writers should also save copies of bills for travel and other expenses so they can claim tax relief or expenses.

Tip: Writers can print a list of their ideas for articles or stories and stick them up near the desk. These ideas may spark other ideas for writing and will help writers to have a goal when they sit down to write.

Sharon Hurley Hall gives writers advice on how to get paid to write [http://inspiredauthor.com/Business_Career/Freelance/GettingPaid/index.htm]. Sharon is a freelance writer, ghostwriter and editor who writes on freelance writing [http://inspiredauthor.com/Business_Career/Freelance/index.htm] skills and writer promotion for InspiredAuthor.com. For more information or to contact Sharon, visit doublehdesign.com.

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Why should a site owner hire content writers? First of all, we
need to talk about time. We always hear the statement “time is
money”! This is 100% correct. The most important reason to hire
a content writer is to save time. You then have more time to
devote to marketing and running your site. For instance,
instead of spending your time developing site content, you
could use it working to achieve a higher Google Page Rank,
which means more visitors to your site and more revenue for
you.

Speaking of Page Rank brings us to the second reason for hiring
a content writer. In order to achieve a high Page Rank and keep
your visitors coming back for more, your content needs to be
both fresh and informative. As you may know, the content of a
Web site and its promotion go hand in hand. Many site owners
simply do not know how to create writing that can be
successfully used for marketing. A content writer not only
knows how to do this, but does it on a daily basis. It does not
matter if your writer is a freelancer or works for a writing
firm. What is important is that the writer can give you that
valuable content that the search engines love.

Chances are high that your site was created with the goal of
making a profit. How can a content writer help you to realize
this goal? The most obvious answer is that the content writer
can create high-quality material for your site; but, in fact,
there’s a lot more to it than that. There are many different
types of content writers, classified according to their skill
sets and areas of expertise. For instance, one content writer
may excel in technical writing while another may be perfect for
creating newsletters and marketing materials. So many types of
content writers exist that you can find one that specializes in
whatever you need, no matter how esoteric, from blogs to adult
site reviewers. Ghost writers, article writers, Web site
writers, business writers, catalog copywriters, columnists, and
press release writers are all for hire. Why pass up the
opportunity? While you may be the expert in what you want to
tell your visitors, the content writer knows exactly how to
tell it to them. Most content writers are not expensive and the
investment you make will quickly be covered by your increased
profits.

One of the main reasons that site owners decide not to hire a
content writer is very simple. The owners usually think that
they can do the work of a content writer themselves and save a
little bit of money. Statistics show us that only 10% of site
owners are actually up to date with how a content writer should
write and only 50% of them (5% of all site owners) have worked
as content writers in the past. This translates to the fact
that, statistically speaking, only 5% of all site owners can do
the job of a professional content writer.

A good content writer can be a gold mine for you. Your writer
knows exactly how to write so that your subject and message
becomes appealing for your visitors and can even write in such
a way that the page is search engine optimized. This
means that when the site is crawled by a search engine it will
“enjoy” your content and place it higher in search results.
This means more visitors and higher revenues for you. On the
other hand, if your content is not properly created the
opposite will happen. Fewer visitors will come to your site
through the search engines. This is very bad because 90% of all
Web site traffic around the world comes from the three major
search engines: Google, Yahoo and MSN. Failure to please them
will immediately mean fewer visitors for you. Your content
writer will improve your site’s relationship with these search
engines and this is a very good thing.

There are many reasons why a site owner needs to hire a good
content writer. The one you need to remember is that a content
writer will both save you time and make you money. With this in
mind, the modern site owner or webmaster should always work
with a content writer or a team of writers. Whether you hire a
full-time writer to handle all of your projects or just hire a
freelancer on a per project basis depends on your needs and
your budget. Think about the fact that any article or piece of
news that you put on your site is written content. Writing it
in a professional way creates more revenue. Nowadays, when more
site owners have figured this out, hiring a content writer is
more important than ever. Competition is becoming steeper each
day and only the most resourceful and well-equipped webmasters
will survive.

Aijalyn Kohler writes for

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Please visit us at [http://www.ajp-services.net/metrotext/writing.html] for more information about hiring a content writer.

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Technical Writing

Technical writing is great for writers who have good technical aptitude. Technical writers these days are often software documentation writers, but many are writers documenting hardware (anything from washing machines to aircraft carriers), medical and pharmaceutical products, and other technical subjects.

Of course, you need more than just writing skills to be a good tech writer. You’ve also got to be able to learn technical material by reading engineering documents (specs in the software business), talk with SMEs (that’s Subject Matter Experts), and work with the actual product (unless it’s a nuclear warhead or something similar!). Your goal is to acquire a thorough knowledge of the product so you can then turn around and explain it in your document.

Technical Editing

Technical editing is related to technical writing. It’s the editing of technical documents, and requires not only skill in editing, but also an understanding of the technical subject matter so that you can identify possible errors in intelligent queries to the author.

Document Management

Document management is the processes and systems of managing an organization’s documents. Sounds a little dry, perhaps, but in industries like pharmaceuticals, for example, it’s absolutely crucial for an organization to have rigorous systems in place to track their documents through the writing, editing, and submission process. You don’t really want your drug company to lose the patient information sheet on someone’s individual hard drive, do you?

Medical Writing

Medical writing includes a variety of fields: writing about pharmaceuticals, medical products, medicine and its specialties, and others. Often medical writing, in addition to its scientific nature, requires attention to regulatory or other requirements that writers need to know.

Scientific Writing

Scientific writing is a subset of technical writing. Probably a plurality of tech writers today work in the software industry, producing either programmer or user documentation. Science writers, however, are typically a little closer to pure research, whether working with researchers in various fields of scientific endeavor to bring their articles to publication, writing documents required for regulatory approval, or perhaps grant proposals for scientific research.

Instructional Design

Instructional design (ID for those in the know) is the design of learning. (For lay people, that’s the design of training, except trainers like to focus on the learners, not themselves.) It’s by all means a field in its own right, yet there is some crossover especially between technical writing and ID. The training world has moved in recent years from CBT (computer-based training) to WBT (web-based training) to e-learning (also written elearning), online learning, and distance learning.

Usability and Interface Design

Usability for web sites and software programs refers to the ability of the intended users to intuitively navigate through the functions and achieve whatever their missions might be. Interface design is the art and science of creating usable web sites and software.

Nonfiction Writing

If you want to get published and make money in books or magazines, nonfiction is almost always the way to go. Sure, every now and then you read about a success in fiction such as Harry Potter, but nonfiction writers usually succeed far more than fiction writers.

Marketing Communication (Marcom)

Marketing writing – that is, writing in a marketing frame of mind, not marketing your own writing – is, like technical writing, among the sorts of writing that allow for a regular paycheck. And there are those who would say it suits would-be fiction writers, too, though we will venture no opinion on the subject!

Writing Advertising Copy (Copywriting)

Writing advertising copy is another writing job that actually pays regularly, like marketing communication and technical writing. If you really want to write and get paid for it, that’s hard to beat.

Public Relations (PR) Writing

Writing PR – public relations – is the art of disseminating information to the media so that they print or broadcast your copy for free (unlike advertising copywriting or marketing communication). And yes, it’s also a writing job that actually pays regularly.

Proposal Writing

Proposal writing is another form of persuasive writing, like marketing communication or advertising writing. Perhaps the main difference is in its structure. Like the others, proposal writing is writing in order to sell, but the structure of proposals can be quite precise. Proposals for multimillion dollar software systems, for example, can be hundreds of pages long, with an exacting structure determined by the authors of the RFP (Request for Proposal).

Grant Writing

Grant writing is a specific form of proposal writing. Perhaps the main difference is in its audience: as we see it, anyway, proposals are mostly for business, while grants are mostly for nonprofits, for research, and related activities. But we admit the lines can be gray.

Journalism and News Writing

You’re at a party. Someone asks what you do. You say you’re a writer. Most likely, your interlocutor will think you write novels. But the second choice is probably that you’re a journalist. Journalism, whether print (in newspapers, magazines, trade journals), in broadcast media (television and radio), or online really comes down to getting the story and telling it well. And while most journalists are not rich, journalism is one of those writing jobs that do actually pay on a regular basis.

Sports Writing

For many people, a sports writer is someone like Oscar in The Odd Couple – loveable but messy. Doubtless there are sports writers like that, though the ones we know aren’t. What people who write about sports have in common, of course, is a love for sports and a love for writing.

Travel Writing

If you love travel and love writing, what could be better than writing about travel and getting paid for it as a travel writer? Visit far-away places or write about your own place – people love to read about places they’ve been to and places they haven’t, so there is a market out there for your travel writing.

Biography Writing

Perhaps the best stories are true stories of people’s lives, namely biographies. Biographies used to be of famous people only, but it seems these days that more and more people of various backgrounds merit biographies, and someone has to write those books.

Translating

To write a book, you need to have an idea and be able to convey it. To translate, you need to understand someone else’s ideas in one language and be able to convey them to other people in another language. Translation means (unobtrusively) getting inside the minds of the author and the reader. Translators are also interpreters, because they translate the ideas of the author, not just the words. If you are good at figuring out what other people mean, and if you have the requisite skills in both the source language and, even more important, in the target language, you could be a good translator. Of course, you also have to be a good writer before you can be a translator.

Magazine Writing

So you want to be a writer? A good way to start is with writing articles for magazines. This is true if your goal is to be a freelance writer and also if you are a writer of virtually any other kind: there’s nothing like having “clips” – published articles – to bolster your writing portfolio (even if they’re in the Journal of Left-Handed Bowling Techniques).

Of course, one of the good things about magazine writing is that there are multitudes of magazines out there that constitute paying markets for writers. Another is that most magazine writing is freelance, allowing you to write on your own time. There are staff writing jobs at larger magazines, and even small publications have part-time editors.

Newsletter Writing

Newsletters have been around for a long time, and writing newsletters (or writing for newsletters) can be a good way for writers with a message to make some money. Newsletters, whether paper or electronic, typically have a very tight subject focus, and each edition is relatively short.

Freelance Writing

Freelance writers don’t get rich quick. However – and this is good enough – you can make a nice income if you identify market niches that work for you. You can also supplement your income with the occasional freelance article. And if you do have a day job, there’s nothing like having published articles, or even books, on your resume to show that you are an expert in your field. Finally, freelance writing may land you a job as a journalist.

There’s another kind of freelance writing besides the common notion of a creative wordsmith toiling at night in a cloud of cigarette smoke or whatever. Many writers make a very regular, very decent living as technical or marcom or advertising writers, moving from contract to contract. And yes, some of them also work on writing fiction in the night.

Self-Publishing

In the old days, self-publishing meant you couldn’t find a real publisher to take your manuscript. While that may still be true in some cases, times have changed. For some, self-publishing is a way to make money. This is especially true when you know the precise market niche your book will fill, and it makes economic sense for you to be both author and self-publisher. Self-publishing is also an option when you have a pet project on a very specific subject that may not warrant the attention of a trade publisher, but will interest enough people for you to have a go at it as a self-publisher.

Wrapping Up

These 22 ideas can help you make money as a writer, whether you have dreams of one day publishing a novel or just like getting paid to write.

Steve Schwarzman is a writer, editor, and translator. This article is adapted from Writers Book Mall, a site that offers books, software, and other resources for writers of all kinds. Reprinting is permitted provided that no changes are made to the article or to this bio.

You can find books on each of the subjects mentioned in this article at the Writers Book Mall.

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The U.S. Government was in particular to take greater responsibility for the resulting upsurge in refugee writer escaping from the volatile situation for Iraqi writers, many being forced into hiding or exile and provide more for their protection and resettlement.

Central to PEN’s work is freedom of expression which it is vigorously pursuing as well as defending in all corners of the globe as reflected in 12 resolutions passed condemning the imprisonment of writers in China, Iran, Uzbekistan, Eritrea, Cuba and Vietnam, killings of journalists in Mexico and Afghanistan and the forced closure of a television station in Venezuela. Throughout the year it has been defending Russian PEN from closure by the government, initiating dialogue for peace in the Middle East and assisting threatened writers to resettle in safer countries.

Two courageous writers, each of whom played a vibrant role in promoting free expression in their countries, Anna Politkovskaya, the Russian investigative journalist who was assassinated at her Moscow home in October and Hrant Dink, the Armenian Turkish editor working for reconciliation between the two communities who was killed at his office in Istanbul in January had their lives and works remembered. So too were other writers who have continued to be harassed and threatened due to opinions expressed in their writing. Notable amongst these was Salman Rushdie whose recent knighthood sparked a resurgence of threats on his life. Focus was given to Turkey as well where the issue of insult and defamation laws have been used to silent dissent.

Many Centres had since Anna Politskovkaya’s murder been protesting the killing of the special correspondent for Novaya Gazetta, who had been known and supported by the members of International PEN amongst many other socially-conscious groups for her pioneering reporting and in particular her commitment to the people of Chechnya. Unflinching in her narration of contemporary Russia. PEN members have been marking her death with remembrances including vigils, tributes and events. (see related article on her here)

The new International Secretary Norwegian writer Eugene Schoulgin in expressing his belief that International PEN has an extremely important role to play in the world today, pledged his ambition ‘to make its voice louder and clearer, to promote literature from every continent..

PEN’s advocacy for freedom to write has a long history from January 1932 when it launched an appeal to “All Governments,” concerning religious and political prisoners.. They protested about two Italian writers in prison, even though the Rome Center assured that the writers were there for their political activities not their writings.

Adolph Hitler became Chancellor of Germany the same month that Galsworthy died, and soon afterward attained the power of dictator. Knowing that the writers of Germany posed the greatest threat of all to his authority propelled him into suppressing them and their writings. Many went on self-exile. The news of the persecution of the German intellectuals disturbed PEN. The German Center tried to soothe the London Committee, telling them not to believe “the alarmist views being put about,” but this time they stood their ground and demanded a statement on those who were reported to be in exile. As alarm grew the committee “met informally. They decided to consult the other centers by telegram, and inform the press on this. Then they issued a strong protest against the treatment of intellectuals by Hitler’s regime and came to the conclusion that ” if German PEN has been reconstructed in accordance with nationalistic ideas, it must be expelled.”

Then, still in 1933, came the Burning of the Books and the German Center failed to protest. Two weeks after that PEN held its congress in Dubrovnik. As The Manchester Guardian reported:

It is ironical that a meeting of writers pledged to stand aside from politics should have been the occasion of one of the stormiest of political demonstrations. The burning of books in Germany and the fact that the greater number of well-known German writers are living in exile cannot be ignored by an association which has always worked for the free interchange of ideas through literature.

Nearly four hundred persons representing twenty-six countries, were present, and it was inevitable that sooner or later the high tension generated by enforced restraint should end in an explosion.

Mr HG Wells, the new president who had just succeeded John Galsworthy, had the almost impossible task of keeping politics out of the discussion, of pacifying the more excitable delegates who were burning to attack the Hitler regime, and of seeing that the German delegates had fair play.

Henry Canby, the only American delegate, had come to the Congress with “a long and carefully worded resolution which reaffirmed the basic international principles of the P.E.N.” The atmosphere worsened when the German Center delegates arrived, clearly having been given their “intstructions:” .Henry Canby read the resolution which opened with a general statement of principle:

Whereas there are again abroad in the world aspects of chauvinism which debase the spirit of man, causing him to persecute his fellow men, robbing him of generosity, of nobility, and understanding; and whereas it is the duty of the artist to guard the spirit in its freedom, so that mankind shall not be prey to ignorance, to malice, and to fear, we… call upon all other centers to affirm once more those principles upon which the structure of this society was raised.

This resolution ended with an open attack on the German Center which had been removing from its membership all Jews, liberals, and writers of any kind who did not support the new German state:

The International Congress was called upon to take definite steps to prevent the individual centers of the P.E.N., founded for the purpose of fostering good will and understanding between the races and nations, from being used as weapons of propaganda in the defence of persecution inflicted in the name of chauvinism, racial prejudice and political ill will.

All centers were also implored to reaffirm the principles of the charter. Other delegates framed a more explicit resolution which the Germans refused to accept on the grounds that it was political. It was amended;. The German delegates stated that they would now support the motion on condition that there was no discussion. Mr Wells refused to bargain.

H. G. Wells chose the resolution from among many to present at the opening of the Congress. It passed unanimously, the German delegates voting with the rest.

Ernst Toller, a Jew, a radical, a former Communist, and also a very fine playwright, was one of the writers exiled from Germany. He had been invited to speak at the Congress and his name was on the agenda. The German delegation was determined that he should not be permitted to speak. Enst Toller’s appearance provoked enthusiastic applause, as he asked if he might speak after the resolution had been passed. The German delegation objected and when H.G. Wells upheld his right to speak, they withdrew their support for the resolution and walked out, leaving the meeting in uproar.

The Manchester Guardian’s correspondent ended his account: ‘It is the prevailing opinion that this year the PEN has entered upon a new phase. The gracious, astute, steadying presidency of John Galsworthy has given place to the highly stimulating but more provocative presidency of HG Wells.’

This blatant attempt to silence Toller was evidence of just how effective the Nazi movement was at infiltrating the ideals of those who belonged to an organization like P.E.N.. The Congress erupted into chaos. However, Wells, unruffled by the commotion, put the question of Toller to vote. Toller was permitted to speak by majority rule.

Toller’s speech, which was appropriately on the subject of fear, evoked both hissing and cheering, and the German delegates walked out.

PEN formally expelled the German Center at its next international meeting and turned its attention to the needs of the exiled German writers who were flocking to London. The committee organized parties. Humbert Woolfe, the poet, offered to look after those in distress. The refugees formed the first of PEN’s exile centers: The German-speaking Writers Abroad.The Austrian and Italian PENs were both in a state of upheaval. H.G. Wells was driven to emphasize PEN’s determination to champion freedom of literary expression. The committee wrote to the Italian Centre on this subject and about yet another Italian writer in prison. They protested to the German government on behalf of Ludwig Renn, also in prison.

As the thirties progressed and Europe seemed to be rejecting PEN’s ideals, HG Wells suggested launching a special fund for writers persecuted by their governments.Then in 1936 another blow fell as the Italian PEN announced itself solidly in favour of the Italian government and maintained that they were defending civilization and justice in Ethiopia. But as H. G. Wells, growing old, resigned, the decision on their expulsion was postponed.

In 1937 Arthur Koestler, in Spain on behalf of the News Chronicle, was arrested in Malaga and condemned to death. A hasty cable was sent to General Franco, appealing for Koestler’s release and bearing the names of some forty writers,including E.M Forster and Aldous Huxley. The protests worked and inJune 1937, Koestler wrote to PEN:

Arriving in London after more than three months imprisonment in Seville, I want to express my deep gratitude for the unstinted help your organisation gave in obtaining my release. I am fully aware that it was no personal merit of my own, but in the deeper interests of the free expression of opinion, which is the life-blood of democracy and humanity that this help was given.That a free public opinion should have thus proved so strong is as much to me as my own personal liberty.

The next congress held in Prague. had the treatment of the Jews in Poland and the war between Japan and China on the agenda. Japan was to be asked to spare China’s cultural monuments and universities. In London they were collecting money for Austrian and Czechoslovakian writers, sending food parcels to those in Catalonia.

In 1938 Storm Jameson became the first woman president and had immediately to protest to Italian PEN. as their Bulletin had contained a poem glorifying the exploits of Italy in destroying the Abyssinians, who were described as ‘black ants.’ Her letter received no reply.

Soon after the outbreak of war, the Home Office appointed PEN as an adviser on internees and, led by Storm Jameson, the committee worked hard to provide the information needed to obtain the release of the German writers, establishing their identities and proving that they were not spies or members of the fifth column who wished to claim release under CAT 20 to write to the Secretary of PEN.

The next Congress took place in the last days before World War II with its basic rationale being “the necessity of reaffirming the right to speak and to differ in a world where it seemed to be vanishing.”

There were many exiled writers at the Congress of 1939, such as Ernst Toller and Thomas Mann of Germany. These and other writers like Jules Romains, the International President of P.E.N, spoke eloquently on the tyranny that existed then in Europe versus the freedom of the human spirit. These speeches were broadcast over the radio

After the war, refugee writers in distress abounded and the funds ran out.. In the late forties appeals and protests were being sent to the Greek government which was ill-treating its writers. Chile was asked to allow the poet, Pablo Neruda, to leave the country. In 1950 a protest was made to Iran, where the political prisoners were enduring great hardship.

During the 1950s an Hungarian writer, Paul Labori, joined the English Centre and suggested an International Writers in Prison Committee to investigate the cases of writers imprisoned solely for their writings and opinions and to co-ordinate the actions of the centres. The Committee was formed in 1960 .

Amnesty International was not founded until the following year.

There was, however, a bitter conflict that arose at this Congress regarding the Hungarian P.E.N. Center. The Hungarians had been in the forefront of the uprising against Communist rule in October 1956. When this revolt failed, the Austrian P.E.N. Center in Vienna found itself struggling with the pouring in of refugees. The American Center sent twelve hundred dollars to Vienna to help the Hungarians there to find food and shelter. Some Hungarian writers got to the United States and work was found for them through various sponsoring organizations. The American Center sent a letter to each refugee to learn of his or her individual special needs through a small grant from the Fairfield Foundation.

When Tibor Dry, a Hungarian novelist who resisted both the Nazis and the Communists, was sentenced to prison along with twenty-three others, the Hungarian P.E.N. Center made no protest. A resolution was on the agenda which stated that the Hungarian Center had violated the P.E.N. Charter by “its tacit support of the current regime and should be suspended.” The President of the Hungarian Center had written a three-page justification of its positiom..Meanwhile, the International P.E.N. had continued to struggle for the release of Tibor D ry and Julius Hay, keeping up a constant pressure. In 1959, the American Center issued its own “call to conscience:” an open letter to the Hungarian government with 259 signatures. This letter was forwarded in December, 1959, to the United States delegate at the United Nations, and it received very wide publicity abroad. Not only was there no answer from Hungary, but the Hungarian government clearly stated that the P.E.N. would do well not to push for the release of prisoners.

In 1960, however, news came that Dry and Hay were released. The Hungarian Center and its new president were permitted to attend the Congress that year in Rio de Janeiro.The Congress in Rio de Janeiro set up a permanent Writers in Prison Committee. It also passed a manifesto urging that released writers be permitted to return to work, as part of a general effort “to re-establish the freedom of writing wherever it is suppressed.” Elmer Rice who cared so much about the subject. was the delegate to this Congress. Back in 1958, Rice was elected unanimously and with great enthusiasm to become a Vice President of International P.E.N., the first time for an American to hold that post

One of the basic principles of P.E.N.is that writers should never be judged by the activity of their governments,. So PEN worked relentlessly with the State Department.so that in June of 1965, they were officially informed that the Department would not object to the participation of a Cuban delegation at the Congress.There had been concern that the Cuban Center would be refused entry since it was a Communist country and a deeply mistrusted enemy ever since the Cuban missile crisis..An invitation went out to the Cuban Center in the normal way, with a second invitation sent to its President the same day. No reply was received in either case..

At the Congress, the American Center sponsored a resolution which was passed unanimously. It put the P.E.N. on record as disapproving of “measures taken by any government which have the effect of preventing P.E.N. members from leaving their own country or entering a foreign country” in order to attend a P.E.N. meeting. The free movement of writers could sometimes be as important as the movement of free books, and with each victory came the greater possibility of subsequent ones.

The international tone of the New York Congress was largely due to Arthur Miller being the International President. He understood what the P.E.N. stood for, and he emphasized a vital point in his opening address on June 13th: “None of us comes here as a representative of his country. None of us is obliged to speak here as an apologist for his culture or his political system.”

The Congress of 1966 put the P.E.N. charter into action: “the unhampered transmission of thought within each nation and between all nations.” The whole ideology of the P.E.N. rested on this, as was later demonstrated in an incident involving Carlos Fuentes, a Mexican novelist who had been invited as an observer to the Congress. Fuentes was both shocked and impressed by what he saw there: “the improbable spectacle of 500 writers~conservatives, anarchists, communists, liberals, socialists~meeting, not to underline their differences or to enunciate their dogmas, but to….bear witness to the existence of a community of the spirit while accepting the diversity of intentions.” In 1969, Fuentes was at first denied permission to enter the United States because his name was on a list of foreigners who were considered “undesirable.” The American Center protested immediately to the State Department; Fuentes sent his “profound gratitude,” noting that “once more P.E.N. has proved its immense value as an active force in defense of the freedom of writers.”

When Boll turned to the subject of the struggle to free writers from prison, he could only advise P.E.N. never to be discouraged. One of the most constructive acts of the past year had been the establishment of an emergency fund by the Dutch Center to be used for both the families of writers in prison and the writers themselves if censorship had taken away their livelihood. Individuals and Centers make donations to this fund.

P.E.N.’s devotion to the struggle to free writers from prison continued unabated into the Seventies and Eighties, with the Freedom to Write program as one of its prime examples. The committee included Edward Albee, Allen Ginsberg, Arthur Miller, Bernard Malamud, and Ken McCormick. This Committee was responsible for investigating cases of imprisoned writers in many different countries around the world, including Chile, Czechoslovakia, Korea, the Philippines, Poland, Puerto Rico, Romania, Taiwan, South Africa, Turkey, the USSR, and virtually anywhere else on the planet where writers were incarcerated. P.E.N. would then protest these cases along with other human rights organizations.. For example, an inquiry from the American Center went out to the Dutch P.E.N. Center on September 28, 1976, concerning a Dutch journalist Peter Custers, who was imprisoned in Bangladesh. He was released shortly afterwards. On October 7, 1976, a letter was sent by the American Center to the U.N. Mission, congratulating the Bangladesh government on the release of Custers and requesting information on the status of other writers imprisoned in Bangladesh. A similar approach was taken with all other cases, and it was partly due to P.E.N.’s aggressive and relentless pursuit of each individual case which resulted in the release of many prisoners.

P.E.N. during the same time implemented its Prison Writing Program. Each year, P.E.N. accepted and reviewed original writing entries from convicted prisoners in various genres and categories. P.E.N. would then award first prize, second prize, and two honorable mentions to entrants in each category. This program was aimed at recognizing and fostering the creative urge in individuals typically cut off and shunned from society. It was also meant as a vehicle for rehabilitation.

P.E.N. always had been, and remains deeply interested in the subject of censorship. In the Seventies and Eighties, the repression of writers’ freedom of speech was going on everywhere in the world, and P.E.N. was deeply involved in these domestic problems as it was overseas. P.E.N. kept close watch on individual cases of harassment across the United States. One good example is its involvement in the protection of the underground press when it was being politically harassed in the Seventies. The American Center kept track of scores of cases of small struggling newspapers which were continually threatened out of existence by the government. At the hub of all this was Allen Ginsberg, who did much to keep the fight going for the underground press.

One of the largest, most publicized, censorship struggles P.E.N. faced was the 1981 case of Island Trees Union Free School District Board of Education versus Steven A. Pico, a student. Pico and four other students, with their parents, charged that the Board had violated their constitutional rights by “improperly removing” from its school library shelves nine books, which personally offended the Board’s sensibilities. Four of these nine books were authored by P.E.N. members: The Fixer by Bernard Malamud; Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut; Down These Mean Streets by Piri Thomas; and A Hero Ain’t Nothin’ but a Sandwich by Alice Childress. The other five works were A Reader for Writers, edited by Jerome Archer; The Naked Ape by Desmond Morris; Best Short Stories by Negro Writers, edited by Langston Hughes; Soul on Ice by Eldridge Cleaver; and Go Ask Alice by an anonymous author. Unfortunately for P.E.N., the Board was upheld by Judge George C. Pratt of U.S. District Court of the Eastern District of New York in Westbury, Long Island, stating that, although it could be construed as a “misguided” educational decision, the Board did not directly violate the First Amendment, and that the board of any educational institution had a responsibility to uphold the values and morals of the community in which it was based

Sources:

http://www.pen.org/page.php/prmID/155

http://www.pen.org/page.php/prmID/155

http://www.englishpen.org/aboutenglishpen/history

Related Article:

http://ezinearticles.com/?International-Pen—Its-Creation-And-Development-To-Bring-The-Worlds-Culture-Under-One-Umbrella&id=872702

Arthur Edgar E. Smith was born, grew up and was schooled in Freetown, Sierra Leone. He has taught English since 1977 at Prince of Wales School and, Milton Margai College of Education. He is now a Senior Lecturer at Fourah Bay College where he has been lecturing English, Literature, as well as Creative Writing for the past seven years.

Mr Smith is widely published with his writings appearing in local newspapers as well as in West Africa Magazine, Index on Censorship, Focus on Library and Information Work amongst others.

He was one of 17 international visitors who participated in a seminar on contemporary American Literature sponsored by the U.S.State Department in 2006. His growing thoughts and reflections on this trip which took him to various US sights and sounds could be read at lisnews.org.

His other publications include: Folktales from Freetown, Langston Hughes: Life and Works Celebrating Black Dignity, and ‘The Struggle of the Book’

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Arthur_Smith

Any company, whether large or small, can benefit from hiring a freelance writer. A large company, which already has staff for marketing and communications functions, can supplement staff when there is a surplus of work. A smaller company, which does not have its own communications staff, can hire a freelance writer as and when needed, and can thereby save money by paying the writer per project instead of hiring an employee.

A freelance business writer will help you communicate effectively with your customers and employees. You can use writers to create advertisements, brochures, catalogs and sales letters, as well as for company newsletters, technical documentation, annual reports, website content, and public relations materials. Some additional ways in which your business can benefit from hiring a freelance business writer:

1. A fresh perspective. Because you run your business, you’re obviously very close to it. Being very close to your business is not always a good thing – it can prevent you from getting a fresh look at how your business appears to outsiders. A professional writer from outside your business can provide a fresh perspective and a makeover for your company’s communications.
2. Improved sales. A professional copywriter can revamp your company’s sales material with more persuasive copy. She can improve the effectiveness of your sales materials, either print or online, by identifying, from her extensive experience, what kind of copy will bring in the best results. She can create a newsletter for distribution to your customers, bringing increased sales, and create copy for your website so that it can be readily found by the search engines. She can focus on your products and services from the perspective of your customers, and create a message which focuses on benefits to them.
3. Professional contacts. Professional writers have their own networks of contacts. When they work with you, they add you to this list, and they are more likely to direct their other contacts your way.

What to Look for when Hiring a Freelance Business Writer

Hiring the wrong writer can be disastrous and costly, both in money and in time spent. Following the steps below should help prevent such costly mistakes.

1. Determine whether your project is suitable for outsourcing. As a general rule, the projects you outsource should be either specialized or one-time. If the project is specialized, or does not require ongoing management by a skilled employee, hiring an expert freelancer can be far more cost-effective than using in-house staff with a learning curve. Your company’s writing projects are often better managed by writers who are specialists in their field and have a broad range of writing experience than by in-house employees who do not have that depth or range of experience.

2. Clarify your requirements. Before hiring a writer, specify in as much detail as possible your requirements and the scope of your project. You need to know exactly what you need done before you communicate this to a freelancer and seek quotes. Writing down your requirements can aid the process of clarifying what you need, both for yourself and for the writer you hire.

3. Find writers. Once your requirements are clear in your own mind, you need to let professional writers know about your project and seek bids. This process usually involves sending or advertising a request for proposal (RFP). You, the buyer of services, are seeking bids on a project from sellers, the freelancers, who view your RFP. An RFP normally consists of a description of the project, along with an estimate of the time it will take and how much you think it will cost. You also can specify a time limit for the bidding process. A realistic price is important. The temptation is to post a low price, but you will sacrifice quality by doing so, as the only takers are likely to be the bottom feeders. Providing a detailed description of your project is also important, as it puts freelancers in a position to be able to research and prepare their bids, and make estimates of time taken to do your project. An RFP is guideline only – it is not set in stone. The project and its estimated price or time requirements can be modified if this becomes necessary. Indeed, sometimes, it is preferable to omit a price estimate – this way, you can test the market and determine the going rate projects of this kind. You can find professional writers in your local Yellow Pages, on the web through a Google search, or by visiting online directories which list professional writers and editors

4. Select writers. After you have received a few bids on your project, you will need to go through a selection process to determine which writers you would like to work with. Some professional databases screen freelancers – however, even in these cases, you would do best to check the freelancer’s reputation yourself. To evaluate a freelancer, you can examine the work that she has posted on the web. Often, by using search engines, you can find more examples of a candidate’s work than she has sent to you, and you can also get in touch with the freelancer’s previous clients. As well as examining the references you’re given, which are likely to be the best ones, you can search for and contact the writer’s other clients on the web. Additional considerations to keep in mind when deciding on whom to hire:

* Cheaper is not better. Avoid choosing a writer by price only. Some companies, for instance, ask for professional writers to work for 1 cent per word. This is way below what any self-respecting professional writer would be willing to accept. “You get what you pay for”, as they say – if you are only willing to pay 1 cents per word, then you’ll probably end up with low quality. (More information on standard rates is supplied in the section below on freelance rates.)
* Experience counts. Newbie writers may be cheaper, but if you want quality, go for a writer who has a couple of years or more of experience.
* Look for a professional website. If the writer has a professional website, this can indicate that she has a serious commitment to her profession. The website could include samples of her projects, a biography, references from previous clients or employers, and a description of areas of expertise. Examining the information on the website should give you an idea of the writer’s creativity, level of experience, and educational background.
* Distance is not always as much of a handicap as you may assume. Many professional writers say it is not always necessary to meet clients – they can communicate just as well using email or phone. Simple, standard projects are safest for distance contracting, where determining exactly what you want, and how long the task will take, can be done with minimum interaction. Many writing projects fall into this category.

When you have selected a writer, you’ll need to prepare a formal agreement – a contract that describes the expectations of both parties regarding the quality of work, when the work or its installments is to be submitted, what will happen if the freelancer does not deliver on time or to expectations, and what is to be done if either of you decides to terminate the project before it is completed. Some points to consider when creating the contract:

* Deposit. If the freelancer does not know you, he or she might require as a deposit a percentage of the fee. Offering this demonstrates good faith.
* Additional expenses. The job might require phone calls, couriers, international postage costs, or other items. You should decide who will cover these costs.
* Performance standards. Your freelancer may be unable to complete the project for some reason – perhaps because of illness. She may do an unsatisfactory job. Would you be willing to pay a kill fee in such cases? You need to consider how you would deal with such possibilities in your contract.
* Payment arrangements. Consider the time frame for payments, and whether you will pay in installments as key milestones of the project are completed. Perhaps, on the other hand, you prefer to pay a lump sum when the project is complete. Consider also whether your payment will take the form of a flat fee or whether you will pay by the hour. Such decisions will need to be made in consultation with your writer, of course.

After the terms of service have been signed, and the project has commenced, make sure to keep up to date with the progress of the project and provide the writer with the information she requests. As key milestones in the project are reached, make sure to pay the invoices promptly.

What to Watch Out For

Plagiarism. Writers who charge very low rates may be plagiarizing material. If you suspect plagiarism, copy may be checked online at http://www.copyscape.com

Non-native English writers. It can be tempting to cut costs by hiring a writer from a country whose native language is not English. Such a writer may speak the language you need your material written in, but probably won’t fully understand the colloquial use of subtleties of the English language.

Freelance Rates

Note: the rates below are estimates only. They are based on the assumption that that the writer has relevant education and experience in the area of expertise listed. Rates quoted by freelancers may differ according to skills, experience, education and location.

Type of Writer: Copywriter

Area of Expertise: Newsletters, Marketing literature, Advertising,Brochures

Rates: $45 – $90/hour

Type of Writer: Technical writer

Area of Expertise: Documentation, User manuals, Online help

Rates: $50 – $80/hour

Type of Writer: Instructional writer

Area of Expertise: Training/course materials, Curriculum materials

Rates: $60-$90/hour

Type of Writer: Proofreader

Area of Expertise: Checks spelling, punctuation, grammar

Rates: $25-$35/hour

Type of Writer: Copy editor

Area of Expertise: Checks grammar, consistency,formatting and index

Rates: $30-$60/hour

Type of Writer: Web content writer

Area of Expertise: Web ads, Web copy, Web articles,Search Engine Optimized Content

Rates: $40 -$80/hour

Type of Writer: Science/ medical writer

Area of Expertise: White papers,Articles, Manuscripts,Brochures,Clinical studies

Rates: $69-$100/hour

Nicole Bishop, Ph.D, is Founder and Managing Director of the website http://www.writerfind.com, which lists professional freelance writers who are available for work globally. She has a background in education and communication.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nicole_Bishop

Art of writing changes as does the changes of time. But the love of words remain steadfast and strong.

Yes, writers are an elite class of people.

For within each of us there’s a desire, to write. express, share thoughts, views and ideas. We look for that pat on the back, the praise, recognition. For writing well done. To see our name in print. A sense of self accomplishment.

Far too many of us have collections of promising articles and stories in various stages of incompletion. Fearing of not believing in ourselves.

Fearing rejection. We personally are not being rejected. Our writing is. It may not be exactly what the editor be looking for. Disappointing? Of course. End of the world? No!

Close your eyes, imagine you are an editor facing hundreds of equally qualified submissions. But the need is a mere handful for one issue. You see, editors jobs are not that easy.

Move on, because rejections are not signs of failure. Each rejection brings us closer to acceptance.

Continue to write and rewrite those articles, stories and essays to perfection. Editors are busy people.

Remember we are trying to make a sale.

Continuously submitting, improving our craft, coming up with new ideas and angles is our job.

We must know each publication and guidelines. We must know the expectations of the editor. Follow their every instruction. Remember they are in control.

We need them. It’s not the other way around. Make sure every submission is error free. Proof read many times. Never rely on spell checkers alone. They do miss errors. There is no perfect system out there. Put it aside for a day or two.

Be positive that each submission, envelope, cover letter and hard copy is clean and professional looking.

So let’s get to the post office, mail out those pride and joys.

Each Email and postal submission must remain clean and professional. Follow the guidelines of the publication. There is no excuse for sloppy work. Never be cute in e-mails or postal cover letters. Be professional through out. Never address the person by their first name, even if they do.

Are you staring at a blank computer screen, thinking: “What am I going to write, I can’t think of anything?”

Write as it flows to mind. The rest will follow. Even if it makes no sense. Just get those thoughts down first. As long as you write daily. Don’t be hard on yourself, have fun.

Start your story where ever is convenient for. It doesn’t matter at this point.

Writer’s block does not exist. What is lacking is inspiration. You must write something, Write anything daily. Whatever it is, it’s far better than nothing. Take a break. Get inspired by looking out the window, taking a walk. Observe, taking in everything. I prefer recording those notes on my mico-recorder. You may choose a small pad and pen.

Once you are refreshed, write down what you observed. The longer you don’t write -the more difficult it becomes, Write, write, write.

My micro-recorder and pocket-sized notebook are with me where ever I go. Not only have they been instrumental in keeping notes for ideas that are captured through my days journey but has done wonders in my readbacks. My nightstand have both, just in case.

Goals must be in short attainable steps, easily within your grasp. Otherwise they are useless and you won’t be able to determine if they’ve been met. As long as it’s realistic and attainable. It has to work for you. It’s great to have big dreams.

Don’t ever stop dreaming. But you need a plan with goals. Step by step to get there. Without a plan you go nowhere or you go in circles accomplishing nothing.

Have a writing plan, a goal. There are many free courses. out there if you help. Check these out first. My friends Rob Parnell and Judy Cullins are excellent sources of information.

Review your progress once a week to find. You will need to know if you are on schedule, ahead of schedule, or falling behind.

If your first three months haven’t brought you any closer to your goal, don’t waste another three, doing exactly the same thing! Revise accordingly. Be realistic. Goals are like maps, they guide you to where you wish to go. The beauty of goals they can be changed as needed.

Beware of Scams. Never pay to have your work read or published. They are to pay you.

Most poetry magazines do not pay. It’s sad but true. If an editor accepts your work, that’s fantastic. You are one more step closer to success.

Check businesses out with the Better Business Bureau. If a red flag goes up in your mind, listen to it. Remember anyone can hang a sign out saying they are such and such. But are they legitimate and honest?

NEVER give up your source of income. Keep your job. There are no guarantees in this writing profession as you are starting out. You will need food on the table, a roof over your head, heat to warm you in the cold of winter and air conditioning in the sweltering heat. You and your family come first. You know I’m being realistic.

It’s too easily to get side-tracked if your goals are unrealistic. Don’t listen to those sure fire secrets to success in many writing magazines and web search. They do offer up a hefty advice on writing ideas. But they fail to mention the strategies are not for everyone.

Beware of those writing magazine advertisements that try luring your monies out of your pocket into theirs. Hold tight to your dreams, goals, monies.

Writing classes could help you toward your long-term goals. Thoroughly investigate. Ask questions. Most importantly will they provide you the knowledge you seek? What are their credentials? How long have they been in business? Be careful when disclosing your personal information, especially online. Above all get everything in writing, signed receipts with dates.

So what Kind of writer do you wish to be?

First-timers sometimes negotiate their own book contract if they have no agent. It is advisable to get an agent. Contracts may range from three pages to fifteen pages or more. Much of what is within the contract simply states the rights of the author and publisher issues which may be negotiable are:

Advance. Royalties Various rights being sold and purchased. usually listed near the end of a contract.

To understand the basic language of the contract you should consult with a lawyer. Contracts are not always clearly written. Never sign anything you do not understand.

There are so many paths to choose in the field of writing. Do you picture yourself as a successful novelist? Writing the evening news? How about political speeches?

Are you interested in scientific journals or university magazines? Academic writing may be for you. When academic magazine writers are published, it is considered an honor. There’s no other pay for it.

Those articles help them keep their jobs as teachers, professors and/or scientists. The published articles or books are results of years of studies within the writers’ field, and can make or break careers. Aspiring writers should steer away from this type of work:

Article writers write short pieces on specific topics or news items. The market for write well-written articles are vast. Article writers can be freelancers or staff writers. Travel writers, food writers, medical writers are specialists on their topic and usually write for many magazines. Experienced writers with a deeply specialised knowledge can make a very good living in commercial, pro-level magazines.

Commercial newspapers and business magazines hire both freelancers and staff writers, for their Business Writing. Read by high-income readers. Business writing is considered well paid work, and there are many markets both on and off line.

Columnists follow and comment on trends rather than news. Columns are a staple item in newspapers, magazines and newsletters. The better class of columnists are syndicated with their columns appearing in hundreds of newspapers. Larger newspapers and magazines have staff journalists with an established name who provide the regular columns.

Copywriters are among the best-paid writers in the business. All marketing is written to sell the consumer something. Evoking the interest and enthusiasm about a product while retaining the readers’ trust. A dollar or more per word is quite attainable for average freelancers, and many copywriters are staff writers in marketing bureaus.

Erotica writers requires a lurid imagination with a handful of standard plots and formulaic scripts that most erotic stories follow. If the writing is very good, many may be on contract with advance royalties. They mostly work as freelancers.

Freelance writers do not make their living of one full-time writing engagement. Many beginning writers will find freelancing work a lot easier to get than staff writing positions, but only veterans working full time can make a decent living from it.

Game Writers create and write all of the surroundings,the plots, dialogue and characters used in a game. This is usually done with with a team. Larger game companies have staff writers, but most of the small studios selling game prototypes to the big companies engage freelancers.

Ghost writers write for other people as if they were these persons. The writer must plan the book with the client, perform a number of interviews, do research on the topic (in order to understand it) and be able to capture the client’s writing style. The work is challenging, requires substantial people skills and much patience — considerable rewrites are often necessary. Naturally, the ghostwriter is obliged not to reveal his or her work in the book.

Grant writers are copywriters in a class of their own. Specialised skill to write applications for grants from governmental and private institutions that hand out cash for various purposes. Requires knowledge of both law and business language.

Journalists are the writers read by the most people; working in the national and local newspapers and magazines that are read every day by millions of people. The one unbreakable rule: Keep the deadlines.

Many journalists are freelancers, Full time and experienced journalists, usually make a living. Part-timers can make a respectable side income.

Non-fiction book writing is like article writing. Requires fact research for accuracy.Most non-fiction writers work with a publisher one book at a time, just like novelists.

Novelists {authors} write fiction books that are approximately 200,000 words long for some genres; They must keep track of the progress of plots and each characters’ development. Requires an abundance of planning and patience.

Online writers are freelancers who do their writing for websites and e-zines. Unfortunately this vast market are based on getting work from authors for free. It is possible to make a modest living. It’s great for those just starting out. Remember to keep that day job to pay your bills with food and shelter.

Play writers: The number of beginning playwrights out numbers those who get are successful. Amateur theatre companies accepts the occasional manuscript, but there’s very little income in that. Radio is a market, if you can get in.. To get a play script accepted it is not essential to live in the right place But it is essential have the right connections in the theatre business.

Poetry doesn’t sell, here in the United States. Over seas, such as the United Kingdom the market is booming. Beware of contests where the top prize is an anthology that you are asked to purchase, Beware of anyone that ask money up front.

There are poetry websites and e-zines purchase the occasional poem for small sums, Unfortunately poetry writers can not make a living. Perhaps someday this could change. If enough of us got together and changed it.

Resume writers take the information given by the client, interview the client to find out further information. To focus on the clients most important accomplishments.

Reviewers must be informative and entertaining without repetitiveness.

Screen writers write scripts for motion pictures and television. Script acceptance is as difficult as getting a book published. Getting movie scripts accepted. That is why it is best to reside within the vicinity of the studios in order to be able to do changes during production. Networking is very important.

Song writers, Many musicians are songwriters as well. As with screenwriting, living close enough to the studios is important.

Speech writers. We know many leaders can’t write speeches for larger audiences. That’s why corporate heads and politicians depend on talented speechwriters to shape and liven up their messages into friendly speeches.

Staff writers are staffed by larger newspapers, magazines, marketing bureaus, publishing houses and companies with permanent needs for writing work. Staff writers are told what to write as well as not to write. Deadlines are extremely vital.

Story writers are freelance writers. Specialists in writing short tales of many genres of fiction. Before moving on to book-length stories, many well known authors began as story tellers.

Technical writers requires the expertise in the professional levels of knowledge in the relevant technology and product fields. Though often employed as staff writers in bigger companies, many easily find work as freelancers for small companies.

Translators are usually freelancers; exceptions happen in major news-publishing companies where translations must be done urgently. Becoming a professional translator sometimes requires a degree.

So whatever your choice in writing, be determined. Be dedicated. Don’t ever give up your dreams or goal. It’s a long road, paved with hard work and rejections. I’ll see you on the other side of the rainbow.

Keep writing, Keep on Smiling.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Robert_Kelleher

There are three simple steps that any writer can take that will enable them to achieve the title of “writer,” while making them worthy of it. The first step to becoming a writer is to start to think of yourself as a writer. Many writers believe that they cannot be known as writers until they are published, but this is not true. Anyone who thinks of themselves as a writer, and writes on a regular basis should talk about themselves as a writer.

Many unpublished writers have the habit of saying they want to write, or saying that they write, instead of saying “I’m a writer. When learning how to become a writer, it is necessary for writers to realize that you don’t have to be published to be known as a writer. Although, it may seem ideal for introductions and make it easier for others to see you as a writer, being published does not make one a writer. Writers should see themselves as people who write, and not as people who write for a living.

For most writers, being published is validation of their status as a writer and even the start of the path to success. However, there are many published writers who are not very successful, famous, or rich. Obviously, being published is a great way to show your work to an audience, and gain recognition, no matter how great or small. On the path to becoming a writer there are many who lose sight of the fact that they don’t stop writing once they are published, so it is not wise to only write to be published.

There are many ways to start to think of yourself as a writer, and in this first step on the learning path of how to become a writer there are smaller steps that help you proclaim yourself as a writer. Firstly, take a moment or two to say the words “I am a writer” aloud to yourself. Then keep repeating them as many times as possible until you sense yourself starting to acknowledge that yes it is believable!. Next, find a specific place in your home for your writing. It can be a room, section of a room, or a studio. Now you are starting to think like a writer because you have your writing space.

It is also important to make the “writing space” as comfortable as possible, and to ensure it meets your writing needs. Of course it is important to get the proper writing tools, such as pens, pencils, notebooks, and a computer that is used specifically for your writing. Aspiring writers can also find lessons on how to become a writer in style books, which should be kept as a writing tool also. It is also helpful to befriend other writers, and read their work and others as a writer and discuss passages of books or chapters with other writers.

The second step to becoming a writer is to make time to write. When learning how to become a writer, novices will always be advised to make time for their writing. Many aspiring writers often mess up on this step, and although they want to be writers they slack on how much they write, You would not believe how many writers are left with unfinished works. It is important to set aside a particular time or day for writing and to stick to that schedule, because deviance from a writing schedule usually means unfinished work.

The final step to becoming a writer is by far the simplest. To become a writer it is imperative that you write. Writing is the simplest step to becoming a writer and the most important step. When learning how to become a writer, you must take some time out and write!

Paul Duxbury writes extensively on a wide range of subjects and has received many accolades for his writing. He has recently released How To Become A Writer

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Paul_Duxbury

This article not only provides invaluable tips for budding freelance writers, but also tackles the following issues:

· The freelance writing market in India

· Branding yourself as a freelance writer online

· How to submit articles to various publications

· How to handle rejection

· How to network with other Indian freelance writers

· Top Freelance writing websites in India

Do you often receive mails from publications saying ‘While your article is very interesting, we find that it does not fit in with the style and ethos of our magazine…’ or ‘we have just carried articles on topics similar to yours a while ago and deeply regret our inability…?’

Do you then listlessly, go back to the grueling job of looking for other publications while seeking, searching and surfing an indifferent market for that one editor who may accept your article and actually pay you for it?

As any freelance writer worth his ink knows, getting established as a respected writer is a daunting task. As for earning a living from it, nah! (Does anyone make a living from writing alone???) In this dog eat dog world, ‘respect’ is still forthcoming only to that writer who draws a regular wage from an accredited newspaper, magazine or tech company and not to the immensely talented freelancer who doesn’t have a single published article to his credit.

A career in freelance writing is not a cakewalk

To succeed, a freelance writer must swallow his pride, his acute disappointment and keep knocking doors with renewed energy. He needs to, like Robert Bruce, try and try again till he eventually succeeds in catching the imagination of a discerning, wage earning editor who can help get his name up in print, cyber or otherwise. More often than not, this salaried genius of an editor pays him a pittance or not at all.

Moreover, ideas upon ideas and hour upon hour of creativity can all be junked at the click of an editor’s delete button. Being a famous freelance writer may be your goal, but the path you must take is disheartening, to say the least. You know, you are good but unfortunately those who control the paying market may not think so and with Lady Luck playing truant when you need her most you are back to playing SCRABBLE with your other unemployed friends!

But it is not so bad either!

Take heart all you brave freelancers. Things are about to change .In fact they have already changed. The print media alone not dominate any more; the Internet is akin to Ali Baba’s cave as far as writing jobs are concerned. The good news is there are more publications and websites looking for writers than ever before. Professionalism combined with payment ethics together with the world of ‘outsourcing’ has made ‘writing’ a highly lucrative career. Work-from-home freelance writers, especially web content writers, are a much sought after tribe these days and before you know it, healthy ‘respect’ may follow too and yes needless to say the moolah will come in as well!

Become a specialist

Today the demand is for good ‘niche writers’. Restrictive though it is, like everything else, even here, the need for specialization is at an all time high. Travel writers, Creative writers, Copywriters, Resume writers, Content writers, Technical writers, Essay writers, you name it, and there is a market for it. If you are slowly able to, after a few initial experiments, carve out a niche for yourself by specializing in any one such field and you get published (usually without payment first!) you are almost there. Once you manage to sell your ideas, you are home and running.

How to get started

Your best bet is to email/call up editors and constantly surf the net for opportunities. Make Search Engines (Google, yahoo) your trusted lieutenants and use them to help you seek, search and finally apply to advertised or possible opportunities.

If you find good websites you could write for, look for submission guidelines or send in your query. A query letter is not a waste of time. On an average three out of every five will elicit some kind of a response that will take you forward.

Though it is usual practice in established writing circles not to start writing till an understanding is reached, you the newbie can take no chances. So, till you have sufficient work, give them what they’ve asked for, quickly, whatever the subject, or send them something you have already written. Odds are that they will use it and pay you with a nice “Thank you for your submission’ letter or not at all, but if rejected or if you don’t hear from them ever again, which is highly likely, don’t lose heart. Move on. Just keep those articles as ready-reckoner samples for later use. Stockpile them in a folder for the future, to be sent on to other editors who may seek samples of your written work.

If they are freelance writing markets, narrow in on the popular ones. Subscribe to their newsletters. Most of them are free. It will give you a fair idea of their reliability. Generally avoid those that promise you the moon. Look for those that seem sincere. But do not subscribe or pay for anything till you are sure of a website’s credentials. Also, remember to check out the various published lists of dishonest and fly-by-night operators often. Soon you will be able to sift the wheat from the chaff.

Occupational Hazards

Occasionally, you might also find your article published without you getting a cent of the promised amount or worse, published under another writer’s name. And oh yes, it could also undergo a complete makeover (usually, very ineptly) so much so, you might not even recognize it as your own barring the name. It could very likely put you off writing, totally. The print media specially is notorious for this! But that is a hazard you must realize, that comes with your occupation. Though new laws are being introduced and forums being convened to prevent such occurrences, there is very little one can do, to actually thwart them, other than avoiding such sites and magazines in the future.

Patience Pays (Literally!)

So your article was rejected?

Disappointments and rejections not withstanding you need to keep your spirits up and patiently continue to write everyday – about something, about anything!
Never stop. Never give up. Also don’t sell yourself short. It is only a matter of time before your articles start finding a market, eventually on your terms

Do not get bitter with an editor because he/she rejected your article. Try and build relationships with your editors. Send them query letters every now and then gently remind them you exist! More often than not you may get no reply. But persist. Who knows, they might just remember to call on your services when the need arises. Or your email might reach them at a time when they are looking for someone with your skills. And when they start contacting you to get articles written, they start paying too. Slowly but surely you will soon start finding more and more of your contributions in print/uploaded and along with this will come ‘recognition’. And this recognition will soon translate your output into bucks even if it is not instantly megabucks. And then you the lowly work-from-home freelance writer would have arrived.

Ways to network

You could also pick up many a useful tip by becoming a member of various interesting writing communities and lists (Yahoo, Msn etc) on the web .And you will realize that you are not the only freelance-writer out there plowing a lonely furlough. It makes for a great sense of belonging and helps hone your creative skills.

Online freelance writing markets for Indian writers

While there are no guarantees that your article will find a home instantly or that all sites on the net are legitimate, there are many sites and publications that do accept and survive on freelance submissions .You need to sift through them to pick the genuine ones and choose those that will suit your purpose. And just as there are many sites, which insist on a membership or subscription fee to check out their market database there are also many that post interesting, paying offers –free!

Chillibreeze.com

Of special interest to both writers and corporates is the Indian website Chillibreeze. The Chillibreeze network of writers includes talented individuals from diverse backgrounds.

Operating out of India but spanning the world through the web, it matches writers and projects quite effectively. Chillibreeze is devoted entirely to the savvy freelance writer! The writer selection process takes into account several factors including the writer’s profile and the quality of the sample submitted to our website. Says Dr. Nishi Viswanathan, Chief Content Officer of Chillibreeze, “Chillibreeze gives Indian writers an arena to showcase their talent and work with clients from all over the world. Our writers love the flexibility and freedom we offer them. Every article written by a writer at Chillibreeze goes through a meticulous process of editing and QC before it is sent to the client, so our clients receive high quality error-free content. We are growing at a steady rate and are well on our way to becoming one of India’s top content companies. Hope we are able to provide more opportunities for Indian writers in the coming years.”

According to Dr. Viswanathan, Chillibreeze will soon launch a new website exclusively for Indian freelance writers.

Visit the Chillibreeze website for more details.

Freelanceindia

This is a freelancing job portal for Indian freelance writers. While Projects posted here appear to be genuine the website also allows you to post your profile for free. The team at Freelanceindia describes the portal as a website “For freelancers, to unleash their potential and avail of the global opportunities and in turn get best dues for their skills professionally and financially.”

Guru.com

This is another freelance writing portal that is India specific but this website is not very user friendly. Writers bid for projects and the lowest bid wins. Often, writers end up getting paid a pittance.

Thehoot.org

This is a website that targets journalists, users of the media including lay readers and viewers, students and teachers of journalism and communications. It also attempts to provide tools for communities and individuals to interact with the media. According to the team at thehoot, the website “will attempt to hold a mirror to the way journalists practice their craft in this region.”

Ten steps towards a successful career in freelance writing

· Surf the net every day for new opportunities regularly, both print as well as online media.

· Respond to as many postings as you can. Set an hour aside just for this each day.

· Send query letters to editors for topics you think you could write about

· Choose a few editors and ask them if you could write for them or send them what you’ve already written

· Start a dialogue with them. Forge a strong relationship with your editors.

· Enter as many contests as you can. The confidence you gain is tremendous.

· Become an active list member and use the forum as a sounding board.

· Patience and persistence will be your best assets.

· Keep writing and keep sending your pieces to various publications. Your masterpieces will eventually find a home!

· Don’t ever lose heart. Rejections are a writer’s stepping-stones to great success!

Looking for more resources? Hang on.

Chillibreeze.com will be launching a free online resource guide for Indian freelance writers. This short guide will include around 100 paying markets/websites that are both popular and freelance writer-friendly. Watch out for this valuable guide.

Good luck with your freelance writing career!

Sreelata Menon is a freelance writer who enjoys writing on all kinds of topics. The more controversial, the better! Her ‘letters to the editor’ on current happenings appear with unfailing regularity in newspapers while her articles appear in various printed and online publications. A Masters in history from Mumbai University, she has worked as an Asst editor with the Onlooker and World trade Magazines .She has taught history to undergraduates, has had a stint as an Accounts executive in an Ad agency, and has been interviewed on television as an up and coming professional before switching over to full time freelance writing.

She is currently busy reinventing herself as a web content writer with quite a few projects in hand. She is based in Allahabad.

Resources: http://www.chillibreeze.com and http://www.thehoot.org

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sreelata_Menon

The opportunity is fantastic, and so is the writer’s life that you could enjoy. But where can you find the jobs you need to establish a full-time writing career?

One way to start is through working the Internet job boards. Here aAlso included and listed separately are resources for business and technical writers, editors, journalists, and translators.

Writers’ Resources–General

Absolute Write – freelance writing, screenwriting, playwriting, writing novels, nonfiction, comic book writing, greeting cards, poetry, songwriting. One stop shop

Emily’s Writing for the Web Emily A. Vander Veer gives professional writers the tools needed to promote, publish, and sell work to the largest and fastest-growing market in the world: the Web.

e-Writer’s Place For writing inspirations, motivations and prescriptions.

Freelance Writers is a searchable database of writers from all around the world.

Freelance Writing This is the ultimate job board for freelance writers.

Freelance Writing Organization – Int’l This site hosts one of the largest free writing resource links databases in the world! It offers education, daily news, a writer’s store, creativity advice and forums, to name a few of the resources. Over 2,000 free writing resources in 40+ categories of writing

FundsForWriters – A plethora of sources where freelance writers can find paying jobs

Momwriters A community of professional and new writers … who face the unique challenges of writing with children underfoot.

National Writer’s Union ‘The only U.S. trade union for freelance and contract writers.’ We offer contract advice, grievance resolution, health & dental plans, member education, Job Hotline, and networking. See also: Writers Union Job Hotline

Published! Articles and resources…from Marcia Yudkin, author of eleven books and hundreds of magazine articles, syndicated columnist, public radio commentator, writing coach

Published – The Directory of Independent Writers & Artists. searchable directory of independent Writers & Artists

SharpWriter Grammar. Complete writing resources. Lot of good stuff here but not geared expressly for freelancers

Suite101 This is an online community for writers. Not only is this a great site for work-at-home resources. You can apply to become an editor for them and get paid for your work.

Sunoasis Jobs for Writers, Editors, and Copywriters Employment opportunities for writers, journalists, new-media types on-line off-line in reporting feature writing reviewing editing free-lancing editorial content providing etc. … Recently submitted job offers: Copywriter, Freelance. Monarch Design, a design and advertising agency,

The Burry Man Writers Center freelance job links, resources for fiction and nonfiction writers, working professionals and beginners

with particular support for writing about Scotland

The New Writer – the monthly magazine with the best in fact, fiction and poetry. aimed at all writers: the short story writer, the novelist, the poet, feature writer, anyone with a serious intent to develop their writing to meet the expectations of today’s editors.

The Writers Home A Web Site For Writers, Editors And Lovers Of The Written Word.

TrAce Online Writing Community trAce connects writers and readers around the world … with the focus on creativity, collaboration and training. New media writing, web development

Worldwide Freelance Writer How to sell your writing overseas. Find out where to sell your freelance work. Detailed guidelines for paying writing markets all over the world.

WriteCraft Writers Resource Center Companion to the WriteCraft Critique Group – where writers learn the trade.

writejobs Job Title. Company. Location. Proofreader/editor. Bioedit Ltd. Freelance. Digital Photography Writers …

Writers Unbound Writing resources, Internet resources related to writing, writers, publishing, epublishing, authors and more. Articles and resources related to creative writing.

Writer’s Software SuperCenter Writer’s Software SuperCenter has software for writing books, articles, novels, and screenplays, including Writer’s Blocks software, StyleWriter editing software, StoryCraft, and more!

Writing World – Moira Allen provides writing tips, markets, news, contests and more.

The Writer’s Gazette Writing resource site for writers on freelance and publishing, including articles, job board, contests . Nice, comprehensive list of writers’ job boards.

Business and Technical

Copywriter world Freelance writers bid for writing projects such as resume writing, documents in APA style or MLA style writing, poems, sonnets, research papers, business plans, your biography, free e-books, your business proposal, essays, marketing plans, web content, ghost writing, ad copy, catalogs… virtually any form of writing.

Freelance Online – a professional online service for freelancers in the publishing and advertising fields. Free for employers; freelancers pay $15.00/year for membership.

Freelance Success Freelance Success is a community of professional, nonfiction writers who subscribe to a newsletter that guides them toward well-paying markets and editors. There is not a job board located on this site.

Techwriters Employs technical writers on and off site. The pay is excellent, but you must have a lot of experience with the topics

writingassist.com Provides local freelance technical writers for projects such as manuals, policies, software documentation, and work flow integration.

Children’s Literature

Institute of Children’s Literature offered the premiere writing course, books, and a newsletter to adults interested in learning how to write and be published for children and teens.

Editing

Manuscript Editing Fiction and Non-fiction; Serving writers, literary agents, and publishers since 1976.

Fiction

Fiction Factor – The Online Magazine for Fiction Writers. NEW!

International markets

Australian Writer’s Marketplace The essential resource for getting published in Australia and New Zealand.

Author Network – resources for writers including links, articles, monthly columns and ePublishing services.

Canadian Writer’s Journal Canada’s Independent Writer’s Magazine.

Freelance Spain – the online Spanish resource for editors and journalists.

FreelanceJournalist.co.uk Helping journalists build a presence on the web. The web directory for UK freelance journalists.

Freelancers.co.uk offers you the complete guide to freelancing for publishers as a copyeditor or proofreader.

New Zealand Writers Website Writing Resources for New Zealand writers

writelinkpro.co.uk WritelinkPRO is the content provider for top UK monthly newsletter and website. We pay on acceptance for writing articles, fiction, poetry, reviews. We offer free e-book workshops, free e-book on travel writing, exclusive Members Area.

Journalism

International Federation of Journalists – The world’s largest organization of journalists, representing around 450,000 members in more than 100 countries.

News Jobs Network Journalisms resources and News jobs in US, Canada and Utah.

UK Links 4 Journalists the most useful sites on the web. This is the journalist’s section.

Translation

ProZ: Freelance translators, translation services, agencies, jobs and directory …

Writers’ Federation of Nova Scotia Fostering creative writing and the profession of writing in Nova Scotia.

Writerfind New Zealand Linking New Zealand writers with local and global markets.

Playwriters

writernetwork. We provide dramatic writers with the tools they need to build better careers and redefine the

About The Author

Janet K. Ilacqua is a freelance writer based in Tracy, California. She specializes in academic writing and ghostwriting of books and manuals for individuals and small businesses. For more information about her services, check her website at [http://www.writeupondemand.com].

jilacqua@aol.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Janet_K._Ilacqua

If you’re a coffee lover and a travel writer, why not marry your two loves together? You do not have to be a “typical” travel writer. When you travel, you can stop at cafes and review them. This is a great niche market.

To begin your career as a cafe reviewer, start in your own backyard. You could review Starbucks and compare the chain to independent cafes. Another angle could be writing about cafes that offer live music.

Do you have a need for coffee?

People love their coffee. Wouldn’t it be great if you could provide them with great information about cafes around the world? The one thing that is the same about cafes is the product which is coffee. However, each cafe is unique. Be a travel writer who describes the ambiance of a cafe. Is there music? Is it live music? Do they have poetry night? What is the decor like? Take the reader inside a cafe and make her feel as if she is seeing what you’re seeing.

As a travel writer you could compile your articles into a book and become a published writer. You could title your book “Wake Up, Smell the Coffee – cafes Around the World!” Did you ever see the Seinfeld episode with Kramer and his coffee table book? This could be you, except less Kramer like!

Make sure you take many photographs of the cafes you visit. In fact, you could probably publish a photographic book of the different cafes you visited. You may find yourself in another career, photographer extraordinaire!

Get out of your rut

Wouldn’t it be fun to be a travel writer who pushes beyond the ordinary scope of a travel writer? The truth is you do not write the same old, same old destination travel articles. Writing about cafes is step in the right direction. How many travel writers cover this niche? The answer is probably not many. Will you take advantage of this opportunity?

Inspiration

Sitting in a brilliant cafe can give you inspiration. Here’s a tip: The Elephant House in Edinburgh, Scotland is fabulous. I visited The Elephant House in August 2007 and it was packed – great coffee and scones. By the way, J.K. Rowling wrote Harry Potter in this cafe. She may not be a travel writer, but she’s doing just fine!

Our website is dedicated to aspiring and experienced travel writers. You’ll find inspiration, encouragement, and education on everything travel writing.

Sign up for our weekly blog recap. If you’re about to travel this is a great way to keep up-to-date with the latest in travel writing. Also, check out our forum. If you have a question, login, and with a click of a button you’ll have the answer to your question.

URL: http://www.Travel-Writers-Exchange.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rebecca_Ann