Tag Archives: writers

editorial, featured, fiction, resources

What’s New With BigDifBooks

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BigDifBooksSince starting up a little more than a year ago, BigDifBooks.com has come a long way.

You may remember our early plugs for the site.  We think it’s a great place for kids and parents to find really inexpensive or absolutely free original eBooks.  Just as important from a Freelance-Zone perspective is the opportunity that BigDifBooks gives writers to share their work.

Without jumping through the hoops of the traditional publishing world or paying big money through self-publishing or eBook distribution outfits, BigDifBooks allows writers to share a story for young readers – and maybe even make a few bucks from it.  If a book is accepted at the site, the author retains all copyright and decides whether to share it for free or offer it for $1.99.  The author is paid a 50 percent royalty ($1.00) for each $1.99 book sold.

We checked in with Tom Watson, the site’s founder and asked him to catch us up, as well as highlight a few of the latest books available:

How’s it going at BigDifBooks?

It’s going great.  We’re not quite Amazon, but we like our little niche.  We have about 80 books up and available.  And we really like the way our selection is balanced.  About half are offered for free.  About half are $1.99.  There are a bunch by professional writers, a bunch from adults who simply want to share a story for fun and a bunch by kids themselves.

What else is new?

We have several classroom books available now, which is something we really like.  A teacher out in Utah, Christy Frazier, worked with her class to put up a book called Animal Advice, which is terrific.  Christy is an author and contributor herself.  One of her books, Once There was a Snow Bear, is one of my favorites.  Another class from the Chicago Public School system in Pilsen, contributed five or six titles.  They worked in small groups to write original stories and do the illustrations.  They did a great job.

How about a new set of book descriptions?

You got it.

The Argument

by Annie Harmon

Annie Harmon is a talented author and award-winning illustrator.  Her second book with us is a gem.  In the story, the rain, sun and wind compete to prove who is the most powerful.  They also brighten the day of Emma, who is experiencing the wonder of the outdoors.  It reminded me of a folk tale and is illustrated beautifully with bold colors that kids will love.

I Want to be a Superhero

by Mike Winn

What child hasn’t dreamed of being a superhero?  Mike’s new book turns that dream into reality for one little boy.  It has everything – a bright costume, a space alien to fight and parents to tuck him into bed after a long day battling crime.  It’s illustrated with Mike’s great watercolors.  He is an art teacher in Chicago.

Anne Louise – The Adventure Begins

by Soo Mullen

Soo is a terrific storyteller from Cincinnati. Her first book with us, “Anne Louise – The Adventure Begins” revolves around some real winning subjects for young readers – birthdays, girls and puppies.  Kids will identify with the illustrations and writing style.

Annie Fannie

by John Schmitz

This book is all about  a little boy and a sickly puppy with a remarkable gift. It’s this talent that the puppy uses to rescue the boy when he really needs it.  Utilizing charming characters, a clever story and a longer-form narrative, this book is great for the 7 – 12 age group.

A Children’s Book of Very Short Stories

by Pauline Saul

As she says herself, Pauline Saul is ’95 years young.’  Her first book with us is about a lifetime of experiences with animals.  Often told from each animal’s perspective, the stories include heroic rescues and daring adventures.  Included are dogs, cats, a mouse, a rooster and more.  We think it’s great.

Animal Advice

by Christy Frazier’s grade school class.

Christy Frazier is one of our favorite authors – and now she’s helped her third-grade class write and illustrate a terrific book.  In “Animal Advice,” each student provides first-hand guidance from a specific animal. The monkey says, “Go bananas.” The Peacock offers, “Show your true colors.” The frog says, “Hop to it.” We love that it’s kid-written and kid-illustrated.  It’s good fun.

For more information on how to get involved with BigDifBooks, or to see all the current offerings take a peek at their website.

advice, client relationships, lifestyle, Marketing yourself

Relationship Maintenance 101

Catherineby Catherine L. Tully

Being a writer means cultivating a variety of different contacts. You need to develop relationships with editors, other writers, and depending on what type of writing you do, companies, associations and other venues. The good news is that a writer who keeps these relationships in good repair will have a network of people to turn to for work and advice. The bad news is that all this takes time.

First of all, people can really tell when you are faking it. If you are going to drop an e-mail to a writer buddy to ask a question, don’t think they won’t remember that the last time you e-mailed you wanted something as well. Be genuine. Foster relationships with people you like and it will be a heck of a lot easier to care about what they have been up to in their writing career. Make it easy on yourself.

Editors also know if you are always coming to them with your hand out. Why not drop a line once in a while just to wish them a nice summer or share an article that reminds you of them. Stop thinking of everyone as a gateway to a paycheck and start thinking of them as a person. It matters.

Next. Relationships necessitate regular contact. Continue reading Relationship Maintenance 101 →

advice, resources

A Few Resources For The Writer…

Catherineby Catherine L. Tully

Hey there! Today I’d just like to share a few good resources with my fellow writers…things that might help you out here and there. I stumble across these from time-to-time and stick them in a folder until I have several to post.

Here are the latest for you to peruse:

Citebite – Link directly to quotes in other webpages with this cool little resource. Just paste text and the URL and get a link – it’s simple!

The Quote Garden – I use this site all the time–it has some really terrific quotations for a wide range of subjects. Handy.

Poynter – Great reading and good resources for the writer.

Hope something here works for you. As always, if you have a good resource to add, by all means, do so! Having the right things at your fingertips can make a huge difference in terms of productivity!

editorial, featured, lifestyle, resources

Review: Mobo For The Writer

Moboby Catherine L. Tully

I was admittedly skeptical when someone from Mobo offered to let me try out this ergonomic workstation. I have a pretty fantastic office chair and I doubted that this would make things any better. After all, when you sit at a desk for 7 or 8 hours (or more) a day, pretty much nothing is comfortable, right?

Wrong! I have to say that I really got into this, and it felt terrific. My hubby set it up, so I can’t tell you how difficult/easy it was, as I am a truly helpless human being when it comes to putting things together. (He didn’t seem to have any difficulty though.) Everything you need is included, with the exception of a Phillips head screwdriver.

Once I was settled into the chair with my Mobo on, I felt like Captain Kirk. Talk about a modern workstation! It was comfortable, practical and sturdy. I use a laptop, and it fit nicely on the Mobo (the keyboard surface measures 22?x12-1/2). I do admit the one thing I would change is the fact that there is no way to lock down the middle part to make sure you can’t accidentally flip it. (Still, I doubt that is very likely to happen. But I can be clumsy, so….)

I loved the fact that everything was supported, and it was extremely comfy. It definitely felt better than working at my desk. Nothing felt cheap about it, and the company states that the device is made from “high quality industrial polymers (polycarbonate and ABS)”.

Without a doubt, the best part of the whole thing is the fact that I felt cool in the chair with the Mobo attached. It really seemed like a “modern” way to be a writer. I would have to say I’d recommend it–despite my initial hesitancy. I don’t use it every day–I like to mix things up, as I believe that helps keep the repetitive stress injuries at bay, but when I really need to settle in for a marathon day of writing, it’s the Mobo that I turn to–not my desk.

So there you have it. As writers we are at a particularly high risk of getting Repetitive Strain Injuries (RSIs), so something like a Mobo can really be helpful. I wouldn’t recommend it if I didn’t like it–but I do. The regular price is $89.95, but it is on sale (don’t know for how long though) right now for $79.95.

editorial

Happy 4th!

fireworksby Catherine L. Tully

Happy 4th of July!

Today I would just like to take a moment to say thank you to all our readers.

Freelance-Zone.com has been on the web now since 2002, serving the freelance writing community. Our goal has always been to help other writers navigate the ups and downs of this career. It can be a tough one–we know from experience.

We have gathered a great stable of writers over time–and I’d like to also thank them for their contributions. The unique voices we have here come from all corners of the freelance writing world, and they are all amazing.

So readers…writers…have a happy, happy holiday. We’re more than half empty when it comes to 2011. We hope it has been good to you so far…and we hope to be serving you well into the future.

Thanks for reading.

advice, editorial

Tighten Up Your Writing

CatherineSubstitute “damn” every time you’re inclined to write “very;” your editor will delete it and the writing will be just as it should be.  ~Mark Twain

I love this quote. It’s so true.

Every single writer can tighten up their work. (And I include myself in this category.) Here are some ways you can improve your prose and stay sharp:

+ Have someone else read through your work and give you feedback. (Another writer is often a good choice.)

+ Find a good thesaurus. Use it.

+ Try to become aware of your habits as a writer. Any catch phrases you depend on or adjectives you use again and again should be pruned so that you aren’t repeating yourself all the time.

+ Ask yourself what you can eliminate. Writers have a tendency to think that more is better. Get rid of the excess and you will probably find that things read much more clearly.

+ Read critically. When you are reading someone’s writing, think about what you would tighten up. Magazine articles are ideal for this type of exercise.

Do you have any tips for tightening up your writing that you can share?