═OST WRITERS DREAM AND FANTASIZE ABOUT SEEING THEIR NAME IN PRINT, SIGNING A
CONTRACT, PUTTING THEIR VISIONS IN THE PUBLIC FORUM. ╘HE ├ATCH-22 THEY FIND IS THAT THE UNPUBLISHED WRITERS TEND TO NOT GET PUBLISHED.
╚OW TO GET THE ┼XPERIENCE AND ╧PPORTUNITY
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╘HERE ARE SEVERAL LEVELS OF "GETTING PUBLISHED".
┴ GOOD WRITER SAVES EVERYTHING THAT GETS PUBLISHED AND BUILDS A PORTFOLIO.
┼DITORS KNOW THAT A PERSON WHO HAS WRITTEN FOR A NEWSLETTER UNDERSTAND
DEADLINES MORE THAN A PERSON WITH NO BACKGROUND.
┴ PERSON WHO WRITES NON-FICTION AND HAS A PROFESIONAL EXPERIENCE WILL BE TAKEN
MORE SERIOUSLY THAN ONE WITH NO TRACK RECORD. ╘HE KEY IS TO WRITE WHERE YOU CAN AND BUILD ON IT.
╔ DIVIDE THE PUBLISHING WORLD INTO 3 CATAGORIES:
1)╞EE ╞REE(╙CHOOL NEWSPAPER, SMALL MAGAZINES)
2)╙EMI-╨RO(LOW PAYING, OFTEN HAVE FEW OR NO STAFF)
3)╨ROFESSIONAL(╫E ALL KNOW WHO THEY ARE)
╞EE ╞REE PUBLICATIONS ARE USUALLY HUNGERY FOR WRITERS, AND ARE WILLING TO
LOOSEN THEIR STANDARDS. ╘HINGS THAT PROFESSIONAL WOULD REJECT REGULARLY SEE
PRINT IN FEE FREE ENVIRONMENTS.
╫ALKING INTO THIS SORT OF SITUATION AND WRITING AS IF YOU WERE A PROFESSIONAL
WILL MAKE YOU A 'STAR.'
╘HE EDITOR WILL SEE YOU MEETING DEADLINES, WRITING PIECES THAT ARE ON-TARGET, AND REALLY MATCH THE PAPER OR MAGAZINE.
╘HIS WILL ACCOMPLISH TWO THINGS:
1)╟ET YOUR NAME IN PRINT
2)╟IVE YOU PRACTICE IN BEING A PROFESSIONAL WRITER IN A PLACE WITH DEMANDS
╟OOD WRITING MAKES IT POSSIBLE FOR THAT LITTLE HOBBY NEWSLETTER OR TINY
SPECIALTY MAGAZINE GROW AND START TURNING INTO A MODEST PROFIT.
╔T IS A MAJOR FEATHER IN YOUR CAP TO BE SEEN AS ONE OF THE REASONS THAT THINGS
HAVE GONE SO WELL.
╫ITH FEE FREE, WE PRACTICED BEING A PROFESSIONAL.
╫ITH SEMI-PRO, WE CAN PRACTICE EXTENDING OUR RANGE.
┘OU NEED TO SHOW THAT YOU CAN WRITE IN SEVERAL AREAS. ╘HE MORE VERSITILE YOU PROVE TO BE, THE BETTER ABLE YOU ARE TO CONVINCE OTHERS THAT YOU CAN WRITE WHAT YOU WANT TO WRITE.
┼DITORS YOU WRITE FOR MIGHT NEVER SEE YOUR PORTFOLIOS. ╫HAT THEY WILL SEE IS YOUR PROFFESSIONLAISM AND YOUR SKILL IN THE CRAFT.
╞OR THEM TO SEE THAT, YOU NEED TO KNOW HOW TO GET THEIR ATTENTION.
╔N THE PROFESSIONAL WORLD, YOUR BEST TOOL IS OFTEN A COVER LETTER.
╥ULES FOR MAKING A ├OVER ╠ETTER
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1)╙PELL ALL OF THE NAMES RIGHT!
╔T IS AN INSTANT TURN-OFF FOR EDITOR TO SEE HIS/HER NAME BUTHERED ON YOUR LETTER.
2)╦EEP IT SHORT. ╘HE LETTER SHOULD STAY TO ONE PAGE.
3)┬E SPECIFIC ABOUT WHY YOU ARE SENDING YOUR SUBMISSION
4)┬E POLITE AND TO THE POINT. ╞ORMAL IS BETTER THAN INFORMAL
5)┴VOID GIVING A SYNOPSIS, UNLESS REQUIRED.
┴ SYNOPSIS IS AN EXCUSE FOR THEM TO NOT READ YOUR SUBMISSION.
6)╫RITE THE LETTER IN PROPER BUSINESS FORM. ─O NOT USE A DOT MATRIX OR XEROX COPY.
═OST PUBLICATIONS, BOOK PUBLISHERS, ETC. HAVE RULES FOR WRITERS:
"─OUBLE SPACED ONLY."
"╬O FUNNY ANIMAL STORIES"
"┴LL STORIES MUST HAVE A MORAL"
╨ORTFOLIOS CONTAIN EVERYTHING YOU'VE WRITTEN THAT'S PRINTED. ┘OU CAN BE
SELECTIVE ON WHAT TO SHOW THE EDITOR, BUT KEEP EVERYTHING. ╦EEP THE PUBLICATION AND DATE VISIBLE ON THE CLIP.
╘HE BEST WAY TO GET PUBLISHED IS TO HAVE A FRIEND AT THE PUBLISHING COMPANY WHO CAN WALK YOUR SUBMISSION TO ALL THE RIGHT PEOPLE. ╙INCE WE ARE NOT LIKELY TO HAVE SUCH A FRIEND, OUR COVER LETTER HAS TO MAKE WHOEVER READS IT OUR FRIEND.
╥EMEMBER THAT PUBLISHING IS NOT A ONE PERSON BUSINESS. ╙EVERAL PEOPLE WILL SEE YOUR WORK BEFORE YOUR WORK SEES PRINT. ╞ACTORS THAT HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH YOU WILL HELP OR HINDER IT. ╘HE COVER LETTER MUST GET THE PERSON WHO READS IT TO BELIEVE THAT YOU RESPECT
THEM, APPRECIATE THEIR TAKING THE TIME TO READ YOUR SUBMISSION AND KNOW THAT
YOU WILL WORK WITH THEM AS A PROFFESSIONAL IF THEY CHOOSE TO USE YOUR PIECE.
╘HE UPSHOT OF THIS LITTLE SPEECH IS THAT YOU MUST WRITE ╞EE-╞REE/╙EMI-╨R/╨RO WHEREVER YOU CAN AND AS WELL AS YOU CAN TO ESTABLISH YOURSELF WITH THE PUBLIC, INCREASE YOUR PORTFOLIO, AND FINE TUNE YOUR SKILLS.
╞REE╫RITING
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╞REE╫RITING IS THE ╫RITER'S HAMMAR AND CHISEL BECAUSE IT BREKS ╫RITER'S BLOCK.
╘HIS IS A TECHNIQUE OF A FEW RULES THAT HELPS THE WRITER DEFEAT THE BLANK PAPER
THAT STARES INTOP HIS/HER EYES FROM THE DESKTOP.
╥ULES
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1)─ECIDE ON A SET AMOUNT OF TIME IN ADVANCE
2)╙TART WRITING ANYTHING THAT COMES TO YOUR MIND, IGNORE GRAMMAR, SENTENCE
STRUCTURE, AND PLOT.
3)─ON'T STOP. ╔F YOU ARE STUCK, REPEAT THE LAST WORD UNTIL YOU ARE UNSTUCK OR START A NEW TOPIC. ╬┼╓┼╥α╙╘╧╨α╫╥╔╘╔╬╟
┴DD-┴-╠INE
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┼XCELLENT PARTY GAME THAT IS ALSO AN EXCELLENT WRITING TOOL.
╥ULES
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1)┼ACH TAKES TURN ADDING A LINE TO A STORY.
2)┼ACH LINE SHOULD MAKE SENSE IN RELATION TO THE ONES BEFORE IT.
