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Friday, December 30, 2011

Eight Popular Posts from 2011 You May Have Missed

Yup, 2012 is around the corner and I've been working on my list of topics I'll cover on the blog next year. I'll share what I made money-wise in 2011 (newsflash: not as much as I expected to!), why I failed to meet my income goal, and how I plan to avoid that in 2012. I'll also be conducting another freelance income survey so we can compare 2011 to 2010 and identify some of the most lucrative areas for freelancers

But first, let's take a look at some of the most popular posts from 2011 you may have missed--and that  are definitely worth reading: 

Want to be a more successful freelancer in 2012? Why not preorder Writer for Hire: 101 Secrets to Freelance Success. You can write it off your taxes this year--and be one of its first readers when it releases in May. Win-win! If you're just looking for an entertaining read (which got good reviews from Publishers Weekly and Library Journal!), I suggest White Bikini Panties, or Did You Get the Vibe?, my first novel. Enjoy! :) 
 

Friday, December 23, 2011

Five Ways to Get More Done

Jane Friedman's post on getting more done is a great read as you figure out your priorities and goals for the coming year. While her blog is aimed at fiction writers, her advice is sound for writers of all stripes.

Her five tips:
1. Decide what you'll stop doing.
2. Pay something to do stuff you don't like doing or don't need to learn.
3. Say goodbye to guilt and obligation.
4. Be good at what you do.
5. Spend the most time on what matters most to you.

As I plan my goals (professional, personal, and family-related) for the coming year, I'll be keeping these five strategies in mind. I suggest you do too.

Monday, December 19, 2011

5 Things For Freelancers to Do Before Year's End

Wow, there are just two weeks left before we leave 2011 behind for 2012. I'll be taking some much-needed (and if I say so myself, much-deserved) time off for the next two weeks, but I'd like to leave you with five  suggestions for your freelance career before year's end:

1. Get a jump on your taxes. I never wait until April to do my taxes. I like to figure out my gross income and calculate a rough estimate of my net income before the end of the year. Then I send that number to my accountant for an estimate of what I'll owe. Sometimes the number is scary, but I'd rather know that going into the new year than wait and be surprised sometime in 2012. And besides, I use that tax figure to help determine how much I put in my SEP, or self-employment plan. 

2. Invest in your career. You can write off legitimate business expenses before the end of 2011, so this is the time to upgrade your computer, purchase software, buy writing-related books (like Goodbye Byline!), and other work-related products. You'll reduce your tax liability and hopefully have some time over the holidays to read or familiarize yourself with your new tools. 

3. Review your year. Every year, I clarify where my money came from. I usually send a holiday card and/or gift to my biggest clients. I also look for "lessons." Did I take on any projects that turned out to pay a lower hourly rate than I expected? Are clients asking for me to do work I need to gain more experience with? Did I have a steady stream of work, or was I facing a "feast-or-famine" scenario much of the year? What was the most worthwhile work I did? Which work paid the best? Which seems to have the most potential?  Is there any kind of work I want to cut from my roster? 

4. Set goals for the coming year. If, like many serious freelancers, you set an annual income goal, don't forget to calculate your daily nut. Average that figure throughout the year of 2012 and you'll meet your new income goal. Think about the other objectives you have as well. Do you want to branch into corporate writing this year? Do you want to become an e-book author? Is this the year you get serious about writing fiction? Should you spend more time on social media--or at least use it more effectively? Decide what your goals are, and put them in writing. 

5. Take time off. Until last year, I'd always taken the year between Christmas and New Year's as vacation time. I used the time to relax, set goals for the coming year, and read for pleasure--at least until the kids came along. Now that week is mostly family time, but I do give myself a chance to unwind and hopefully rewind before the new year begins. Last year, I didn't have that luxury--I worked every single day except Christmas and started 2011 burned out, cranky, and exhausted. Give yourself at least a few days during the holidays to do your own unwinding/rewinding. You'll start the year off with more energy and a better attitude. 

I hope 2011 has been a great year for you...tune in next year for more practical, proven advice about how to make more money as a freelancer in less time. 

***Let me end this year with a plug for my books, too. If you're considering the lucrative field of ghostwriting, check out Goodbye Byline, Hello Big Bucks. If you (or someone you love) wants to get started writing for print and online markets, I recommend Ready, Aim, Specialize! Create your own Writing Specialty and Make More Money. There's my classic, Six-Figure Freelancing, which unfortunately has gone out of print, but its e-version is still available. And if you want to get a jump on next year, preorder Writer for Hire: 101 Secrets to Freelance Success, which will be released by early May, 2012.  Commercial over...happy holidays! :) 


Friday, December 16, 2011

Mark your Calendars...10th Annual Writers Fest

I'm happy to announce that I've been invited back to the 10th Annual Writers Fest at the University of Wisconsin/Milwaukee. Conference sessions and speakers cover topics including fiction, nonfiction, publishing options (I'll be presenting on that), self-publishing, specializing (I'm speaking on that as well), you name it. Check it out, and I hope to see some of you there! :)

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Another Great Review of Goodbye Byline!

If you're a book author, you know how important positive reviews are to sell books. Word of mouth may be the number one way to sell a book (at least that's been my experience), but good reviews make a huge difference. So I'm grateful for the great review of Goodbye Byline that Rochelle Melander (author of the newly released Write-A-Thon) just posted on her blog. If you check it out and follow the rules, you can also enter her giveaway. Thanks, Rochelle, and I hope you'll check out the review and her awesome blog.  

Sunday, December 11, 2011

Celebrating the OYIW ("The Oh-Yes-I-Will!") Moment

Last post I shared the fact that I'm in the midst of a deadline crunch. The bad news is that I'm still there. The good news is that on Tuesday, I hit an important milestone--the "oh-yes-I-will!" moment for a book I'm ghostwriting. I can never predict exactly when the OYIW will occur, but it always does. It's that sweet moment when I know that I will make my deadline. 


Let me explain. Yes, I always intend to make every deadline--and in fact, have never missed one in 15 years of full-time freelancing. Why? First, I avoid the "planning fallacy." The planning fallacy refers to a proven fitness concept that people almost always underestimate the amount of time it will take to lose weight or get into shape. The same is true for freelancing—most writers think that assignments won’t take as long as they wind up taking.


Not me! I always assume that a project will take longer than I originally expect—and plan for that. I suggest you do the same. For example, if you think an article will take a total of five days to research and write, plan for it to take seven. If you believe a book proposal will take you six weeks, plan for eight. It’s better to have more time to finish a project than not enough.   


Second, I get the lay of the land, so to speak, as soon as I take on an assignment. For articles, that usually means doing background research and identifying potential sources. After I’ve come up with potential sources (whether experts or “real people” anecdotes), I start contacting them to line up interviews. I have to have my interviews done before I can write the piece. If I'm working on a book project, I'll skim over the material I have, make notes about research I need to do, and sketch out a timeline for the work. I won't necessarily stick to it, but it gives me a jump on the project before I officially start it. 


But I've found that there's almost always anxiety attached to the work I take on that is large in scope (think books/book proposals). I worry (you might say, obsess) about those big projects pretty much from the time I sign a contract until my client says, "great job!" (and pays me, of course.) 


That doesn't mean I'm not confident in my abilities--I have a pretty good sense for what I can do. But I worry about my work, and my ability to do it, and do it on time. I'm just wired that way, and despite going to yoga twice a week, am not likely to change. And you know what? I think some level of anxiety/concern/worry is normal, especially for a challenging assignment, and that it can spur you to do better quality work. At least that's my theory. 


But when I hit the OYIW moment, my anxiety fades. I may still have a lot of work ahead of me, but I'm no longer worried whether I will do it. I know I will. For me, the OYIW is the the 5-mile mark in a 10K (6.2 mile) race. 


Even if I've lost enthusiasm for a project, the OYIW gives me a second wind. I can see the metaphorical finish line. I'm able to push harder now. I'm motivated to push harder now. I'm focused, confident, and productive--and I hit my deadline, usually beating it by days (or weeks!). I bask in the glow of a completed assignment, completely anxiety-free...until I sign the next big project, anyway. 


*Readers, what about you? Do you have this kind of writer's anxiety? Do you experience a similar moment with your challenging assignments? And does it spur you on to finish? I'd love to hear your comments. 


**Got a book you want to write (or have written), but aren't sure about your publishing options? Stay tuned for an announcement on my Jan 5, 2012 Webinar on publishing options today for Writer's Digest. And in the meantime, if you're want to break into ghostwriting, please check out Goodbye Byline, Hello Big Bucks: The Writer's Guide to Making Money Ghostwriting and Coauthoring Books. I'm teaching a ghostwriting class for Writer's Digest right now and will post here when it's offered again.  

Sunday, December 4, 2011

7 Ways to Survive a Deadline Crunch

I've posted before about time-saving strategies, and I'm using pretty much all of them right now. My sitter had to cut her hours, which means I've lost the majority of my dedicated work time. I have a big deadline before Christmas, and let's just say I'm a bit stressed. I'm relying on several strategies to be as productive as possible when I do have a sitter, or have a couple of hours at the Y to work:


  • I always tackle the "ugliest" task of the day first. Usually that's drafting a chapter or a section of the book I'm ghostwriting. That takes the most mental energy and focus, and I find that both fade as the day goes on. 
  • I TK everything I can. If I need a piece of information from my client, I'll send a quick email asking for it. If it's something more complicated that I need to research, I'll TK it and do the digging later. I don't want to burn my serious work time doing research I could do while watching TV in the evening. 
  • I do lots of "prep work" (also known as WWYNRW) to take advantage of my work time. I'll print out a rough draft of a chapter I'm struggling with, read through it and make rough edits during Ryan's basketball practice--then the next morning, I can jump right in as soon as I open Word. 
  • I map out not just the week, but the month. A couple of weeks ago, I sketched out the coming weeks, and planned what chapters I would write when, working in several other projects as well. It's a hellish schedule, but at least I have a plan. That alone made me feel better.  
  • I keep a running list of everything on my plate (not just work-related), and I'm eliminating what I can. Our Christmas tree is up, but a holiday letter this year is looking less and less likely. I still have shopping to do, but my son will not be participating in the school science fair in January. I've been grabbing some dinners from Noodles & Co. and Panda Express instead of throwing something together at night. If I can cut it out of my schedule right now, it's getting cut.  
  • I dangle a giant carrot in front of my nose. Most years I take the week between Christmas and New Year's off; so does my husband. We spend the week sleeping in (if the kids allow), doing stuff as a family, and sometimes tackling various projects at home. Last year, I was writing a book and two book proposals during that time. My clients'  deadlines meant that worked every day except Christmas and it stunk. From December 24 until January 2, I will be on vacation, and I'm going to enjoy it. As I slog through the next few weeks, I remind myself of that fact, and will be able to savor that time even more. At least that's the plan.
  • I do take small chunks of time off. On Friday, I had my sitter stay an extra 90 minutes so I could get coffee and go to yoga. (Nothing like caffeinated yoga!) I can't even describe how much better--calmer, saner, less crazed--I felt afterwards. Tonight, I'll work for a while, and then knock off to watch a movie with my husband, who's in the midst of multiple deadlines himself. The small breaks I take translate into more productivity tomorrow.  
Of course, if you asked me how I feel about my current work situation, I would say, "it SUCKS!" And it does. But it's temporary, and survivable, and part of freelancing, alas. The feast-or-famine nature of the business, and how to address it, is a great topic for an upcoming post. Agree?  

Sunday, November 27, 2011

10 Ways to Treat your Writing Business Like a Business

If you read this blog regularly, you know that I'm a business owner first, a writer second. That's one of the reasons I've been able to keep my freelancing business afloat for fifteen years, despite the massive changes afoot in the publishing industry. So it's not surprising that the topic of my latest article in The Writer was on 10 ways to treat your writing business--well, like a business!

Pick up the December, 2011 issue of The Writer at a bookstore near you (yes, they're still out there!) for the full article. In the meantime, those 10 ways are: 

1. Develop resilience. Don't let a bad day of freelancing (or two, or three) sour you on the business.
2. Keep regular hours. It shows that you take freelancing seriously.
3. Be responsive. Your clients should know that you'll get back to them, fast.
4. Track your income. You should always know what you're making, who owes you, and how much.
5. Track your expenses. How else will you write them off your taxes?
6. Stretch yourself. You've got to continually learn new skills to stay marketable.
7. Follow up on every pitch. Following up isn't being a pest; it's being a pro.
8. Think before you write. If you're not sure whether you send that email, don't.
9. Project success. It will attract clients.
10. Set goals. If you don't know what your goals are, how will you know whether you reached them?

These are only 10 ways to succeed as a freelancer. For 91 more, why don't you preorder my new book, Writer for Hire: 101 Secrets to Freelance Success, which will be released in April, 2012 by Writer's Digest Books? It's a compilation of the 101 strategies I (and other successful freelancers) use to make more money in less time as self-employed writers. One of those 101 strategies is become a ghostwriter (ghosting and coauthoring is the lion's share of my work these days), and if you want to learn more about this lucrative field, check out Goodbye Byline, Hello Big Books: The Writer's Guide to Making Money Ghostwriting and Coauthoring Books.  



Monday, November 21, 2011

Tips from the Experts, Take #3: Go Online!

Continuing the series of tips from the ASJA panels in Chicago 10 days ago, we have Gina Roberts-Grey weighing in. Gina is an extremely successful freelancer (and fantastic person!) who has who has written scores of health and consumer issues articles for women's print and online markets including Glamour, Better Homes & Gardens, Woman's Day, Redbook, Self, Essence, MSN.com, InsuranceQuotes.com, iVillage and others, as well as numerous celebrity profiles.


Gina built her business writing health features for big women's pubs like Glamour, Redbook, and Women's Health, but several years ago, realized it was time to add something new to her repertoire. "Ads were disappearing, and it was time to create a new specialty from what I had already done," she says. For her, that meant both cracking online markets and developing a new specialty. After writing a 250-word piece on credit cards for Good Housekeeping, she pitched CreditCards.com, and got an assignment. Since then, she's written dozens of financial-related articles for that site and for InsuranceQuotes.com among others.  


More importantly, she says that now the majority of her work and money comes from online sites rather than print publications. "Websites may only pay $1/word [compared to $2/word or more for national print publications], but you can make a lot of money writing for $1/word when you're not doing two, three, or four rewrites," she says. "You write 1,000 words, and you get paid for 1,000 words." [Note: as someone who's experienced "rewrite hell" and "story creep" many times, she has an excellent point!]


So, tip #3: Go online, young man (or woman.) If you're not writing for online pubs, you're missing out. There's more work available online than ever before, and many sites are more open to new writers than their print counterparts. 


"All of your favorite mags have dot.coms. They use original content because they have to, and they're constantly updating their sites" says Gina. "Query those [online] editors. It's easier to break in than going the print route." You can then use those online clips to get your foot in the door with the print publication--or you may find you're perfectly happy writing for the online magazines. Gina and other freelancers agree there's less hassle involved and often a higher per-hour rate as well. 


**Readers, what say you? Do you agree with Gina's analysis? Do you write for online pubs and print magazines, and find that online markets involve less hassle? Please let me know! :) 







Thursday, November 17, 2011

I'll be at the Westmont Public Library Tonight!

Just a reminder about tonight's program at the Westmont Public Library (IL) at 6:30 p.m. I'm speaking about the pros and cons of different book publishing options. Hope to see some of you there! :)

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Tips from Freelancing Experts, Take #2: Start Tweeting!


As a freelancer, you've got to be able to network and create relationships. You already know that. Fortunately there's this thing called social media (you've heard of it, right?) to help you do so. Using it can help you develop relationships and get assignments from editors and clients you haven't worked with before. 


So tip #2 from last week's ASJA board member panels in Chicago is to get social-media-savvy. Specifically, get on Twitter, recommends ASJA board member Randy Dotinga, who writes stories, blog posts and book reviews for The Christian Science Monitor and a daily email newsletter for Voice of San Diego (a leading non-profit investigative news organization). He's nabbed numerous assignments from actively participating on Twitter. "Find people who are like you in the writing business, and follow them," says Dotinga. "If you write about science or the environment or health, look for writers and editors who cover those subjects and follow them...and use Twitter to promote yourself as a freelancer." Twitter has helped him make "warm calls" to new clients and editors because they "know" him from his Tweets. 


He also suggests that new writers consider smaller-scale publications in addition to national ones. "Think about local publications, alternative weeklies, nonprofit organizations, and news collectives," says Dotinga. They are often overlooked by freelancers and can be a good source of work. By following people in your area "who know what's going on," you're also likely to find story ideas you can spin into pitches. 

Bottom line? "Use social media," says Dotinga. "Use it to market yourself, promote yourself, and promote your work." 

**Readers, what about you? Are you using Twitter to build your freelance business? Has it helped you get work? If so, share your stories here! 


Sunday, November 13, 2011

Tips from Freelancing Experts, Take #1: Write about Technology

I was the organizer of last Friday's ASJA panel (open to both members and nonmembers) on successful freelancing and book publishing at the Silversmith Hotel. The six panelists had plenty of great ideas, tips, and advice for both new and experienced freelancers, so my next batch of future posts will highlight some of them.  

Tip #1: Write about technology. According to Minda Zetlin, author/coauthor of five books and regular contributor to Inc. magazine and the Inc. website, as well as many other online and print publications, technology writers have suffered less from the recession because of the constant demand for stories on the subject. "In the tech world, assignments have not dried up," says Zetlin, "I have more work that I can go after, and there is a lot of work out there--well-paying work." That work ranges from reviewing products to business stories that have a technology bent to writing white papers to ghostwriting


As a freelancer, you may be writing for companies, for markets that target high-level tech workers (think CIOs, or Chief Information Officers), for markets aimed at lower-level tech employees, or for markets that target people who use technology--in other words, just about all of us. (Hey, I don't officially cover "tech" but I've still written stories about the value of tech toys for toddlers, the benefits of downloadable heart rate monitors, and how college students use technology. And that's just the tip the iceberg when it comes to tech-related topics!)   

Zetlin admits that it takes extra effort to pitch a timely tech story (the editors are likely to have covered the latest software, for example), and encourages writers to think outside the box for relevant topics. Years ago she saw a news item about the fact that the average CIO stays at a company for only four years. She used that stat to pitched a story to a national magazine on how tech employees can cope with this kind of turnover as it as likely they'd be dealing with a new CIO every four years or so. 


Her point? "Take something in the news, or something new, and spin it," says Zetlin. "Make it more thoughtful or useful to the audience." That's good advice for any type of topic, but especially relevant when writing about tech.


**Technology is actually one of the "top ten" freelance specialties I address in Ready, Aim, Specialize! Create your own Writing Specialty and Make More Money


   

Book Publishing Options Program at the Westmont (IL) Public LIbrary This Thursday

Thinking about writing a book, and want to know more about your options? If you live in the Chicago area (especially the western suburbs!), come see me present on book publishing choices (and the pros and cons of each) at the Westmont Public Library on Thursday, November 17. The program starts at 6:30 p.m. and I plan to have plenty of time for questions. Let me know if you're planning on attend, and please pass this along to anyone who may be interested!

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Chicago-Area Freelancers--Join Us Friday, November 11!

If you're a freelancer in the Chicago area, please join us at this event Friday, November 11, at 7 p.m. at the Silversmith Hotel. Here are the details: 

Surviving—and Thriving in—Today’s Freelance Market: ASJA Board Members Share Strategies that Work

The freelance market can be challenging to negotiate today, but it also offers new opportunities to both new and seasoned writers. This special event featuresmembers of the board of directors of the American Society of Journalists and Authors. Whether you’re interested in writing books or freelancing for a variety of print and online markets, you’ll benefit from decades of experience from these seasoned, successful writers.

Location: Silversmith Hotel, 10 South Wabash Avenue, Chicago, IL
Date: Friday, November 11, 2011
Time: 7 p.m.-8:30 p.m.
Price:$10, payable in cash or check at the door


This event will include two concurrent panels, one on book publishing and one ongeneral freelancing and is open to both ASJA members and non-members. ASJA board members speaking include:

On the Successful Book Publishing Today panel (moderated by ASJA member Kelly James-Enger):

  • Caitlin Kelly, author of Malled: My Unintentional Career in Retail (Portfolio, 2011) and Blown Away: American Women and Guns (Pocket Books, 2004).
  • Russell Wild, author of more than a dozen books, including, most recently, Exchange-Traded Funds for Dummies, Bond Investing for Dummies, Index Investing for Dummies, and One Year to An Organized Financial Life.
  • Janine Latus, is the author of the international bestseller If I Am Missing or Dead: a sister’s story of love, murder and liberation, which has been translated into six languages.

On the Successful Freelancing Today panel (moderated by ASJA president Salley Shannon):

  • Minda Zetlin, author/coauthor of five books and regular contributor to Inc. magazine and the Inc. website, as well as many other online and print publications.
  • Gina Roberts-Grey, who has written scores of health and consumer issues articles for women's print and online markets including Glamour, Better Homes & Gardens, Woman's Day, Redbook, Self, Essence, MSN.com, InsuranceQuotes.com, iVillage and others, as well as numerous celebrity profiles.
  • Randy Dotinga, who writes stories, blog posts and book reviews for The Christian Science Monitor and a daily email newsletter for Voice of San Diego (a leading non-profit investigative news organization). He also regularly writes for MSNBC.com, HealthDay News Service, Health Behavior News Service and other outlets.
Please spread the word to all writers who may be interested--we're hoping for a big turnout! And if you follow my blog, please come up and introduce yourself. I'd love to meet you in person! :) 

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

The Overlooked Niche, Take Two: Getting Started in Business Writing


Recently I talked about how writing for businesses and corporations is an often overlooked freelance niche. Now let's talk about how to approach potential clients. 
If you want to write for businesses, you'll probably have to cold-call to get started. Identify potential clients, research their companies, and find out who hires freelancers or writers--and then reach out to that person. 
            After you’ve introduced yourself to a potential client, ask whether you can meet in person or send samples of your work. Be prepared to quote an hourly rate, as most corporate clients pay per hour or per project instead of per word. Experienced copywriters charge hourly rates of $100-150 and up, depending on their expertise. Starting out, I’d suggest $50 to $75/hour as a fair rate for new writers, assuming you have some experience.
What do corporate and business clients want? First, they want you to understand their business. That means you should know what they sell, who their competition is, and how they position themselves. Before you make a cold call, you should have done some research on the company so you’re not stuck if the person you’re calling asks what you can do for them. The more specific an answer you can give the better (e.g., when contacting a sporting goods manufacturer, “I noticed you have an online newsletter for customers, and I write articles about sports and fitness”). You want to make the most positive, memorable first impression you can make.
Still, though, the background is only the beginning. When working with a corporate, business, or nonprofit client, you’ll need to question the person hiring you so you can deliver what he wants. You should know what type of product or service the client provides, and plan to ask questions like:
·       How is your product or service different than that of your competitors?
·       What features and benefits does your product or service offer? Which ones would you like to highlight?
·       Who are your customers? Can you describe them for me?
·       What is the purpose for the piece I’m writing? (For example, a newsletter’s purpose might be to build brand loyalty; the purpose of an advertisement in local media might be to attract new customers.)
·       Who is the audience for this particular piece? The audience may be the company’s current customers, or it may be a different group of people.
·       What kind of call to action would you like to make? The call to action is what spurs readers/viewers/listeners to do something, whether it’s to pick up the phone to call and order or to visit a website. 
·       What message do you want the audience to remember?
Use these questions as a starting point and remember that the more you know about your client, the better you can serve him. I wrote a lot of brochures for small businesses when I started freelancing, and I made sure that I understood each business and what it did before I started a draft. I often had to remind clients that their potential and current clients cared more about what the company could do for them (i.e., provide gorgeous landscaping that would increase their homes’ value, add beauty, and make their neighbors envious) than the company’s bragging rights to how many years they’ve been in business.
Formats may vary, but writing for business clients isn't that different than writing for magazine or book publishers. Research your subject. Keep your audience in mind. Give your client what he or she wants. Do that and you can add copywriting and business writing to your writer’s resume—and boost your freelance income as a result.


Monday, November 7, 2011

Can you Write a Book in a Month? Sure!


You may already know that this is National Novel Writing Month, which makes it perfect timing to announce my colleague's new book. Author Rochelle Melander just released Write-A-Thon: Write Your Book in 26 Days (And Live to Tell About It). Laying the foundation for fiction and nonfiction writers alike to write a book in less than a month (and survive), Write-A-Thon provides the blueprint to do it all in less than a month! Write-A-Thon contains three sections: Training, Write-A-Thon, and Recovery. 

Each section utilizes introductions, brief valuable essays filled with practical tools, and just enough encouragement for the writer to press on and finish what may very well be the challenge of their life (or simply the challenge of the month). Perfect for accomplished authors or those who simply write, Write-A-Thon provides the complete guidebook for brainstorming, writing, and finishing that book (preferably with all sanity intact)!

As a ghostwriter and author, I haven't written a book in a month (eight weeks is my record), but I'm sure I could if I used Rochelle's practical, inspiring strategies. I was happy to be asked to guest-post on Rochelle's blog tomorrow (on 5 ways to make the most of your writing time) and encourage you to check out her blog and new book.  

**And remember my Ghostwriting 101 class starts this week! Let me know if you have any questions about it and I hope to "see" you in class! :) Please pass on this info to freelancers who may be interested in the class. :)