I need your votes!

I am applying for a six-month contract as Sam-E’s Good Mood Blogger. Please go to the button in the side column and vote for me before October 23rd. Tell all your friends!

This contract would allow me six months of time to work on my next novel as well as a chance to blog for a company I have patronized for several years now. So tell everyone you know, through email, social networks, standing on the street corner with a sandwich board … any way you want! I need your votes to become the next Good Mood Blogger.

Thank you in advance for spreading the word.

Rosemary

Conjuring the Ghost of Antoinette Perry

Every year during the Tony Awards, I get the urge to write that play. Well, not a play, actually, but a Broadway musical. Not some splashy color-soaked monstrosity with no real depth, but the “Gone With The Wind” of Broadway for our time. You know, a language-sanitized Rent or a post-911 A Chorus Line.

My ideas for my novels, non-fiction books and musical theatre productions are safe and sound on index cards in what my students know as the “Idea Box,” but I have yet to jot a word of that musical. I know who will write the music and help with the lyrics, though I will write the majority of the lyrics myself. I just don’t know how to fund such a venture without losing my house and neglecting my family. And what about those agents who are looking at my next novel or that ghostwriting gig I may have soon (from my mouth to God’s Ears!)?

Yes, every year I watch the Tonies and dream of seeing my musical as one of the featured performances because it is up for Best Musical that year. I watch, dream and hope I figure out a way to add about 10 more hours to my days.

Swimming Against The Tide

Did you ever have a time in your life when it seems as if you are swimming against the tide? I mean you are using the strokes you were taught in swimming class and kicking your legs furiously, yet you don’t seem to be getting anywhere? That is where I am today. I am writing the queries with style and finesse, and looking around the internet for assignments, but no luck. I have standing assignments from a few of my regular editors, but that does not keep me in my fuel of choice, coffee, or pay my phone bill.

Today I am also dealing with a collapsed retaining wall involving many calls to insurance (which will not pay for it) and the mason, invitations for a Communion party that need to be addressed and mailed, the need to help in Computer class at my son’s elementary school today, and tons of other mundane tasks that have no relation to work, but that need to be completed in order to be able to find my desk in the first place.

All of this adds up to the need to work which isn’t happening today.

How about you? How is your day going? Leave a comment and let’s complain together. Maybe it will make us all feel a little better knowing someone else is out there going through similar stuff.

Pipe Dreams

Do you know what’s cool? I can actually see the day when my first book, FIRST SATURDAY, is optioned as a screenplay. Some people would say this is a pipe dream, but this is actually my job! I am paid to write for people and I love it. I love that I can create people and events from my head for people to read about and enjoy.

This topic came up when a friend and I were talking about choices. We were discussing how when I was an actress in New York. People who were not in the business thought it was so glamorous to get on stage and accept the applause. I have news. Nothing is easy. It was hard work keeping my body and my voice in shape, prepare for auditions and get acting jobs. It was satisfying and fulfilling work because I loved doing it all, but work nonetheless.

That is the key to achieving your pipe dreams: work. You can choose to be successful or you can choose to just take a job. Those who just take any job without direction think things like optioning a screenplay or publishing novels are pipe dreams. Those who choose a path they enjoy and work hard, those people, my friend, are the people who achieve their dreams.

Go for it. Work at what you love and achieve your dreams.

A Few Freelancer Secrets To Saving Money

If you are a freelance anything, you carry all the costs of doing business. From paper clips to dues for professional organizations, it is all on you. You are your own IT Department, Accounts Payable (and Receivable :) ), and the person who makes the coffee in the morning or evening, whenever you start work.

So how do you cut some corners and save a little money even if you are not paying the expenses of a daily commute? I have a few suggestions. Some of the items may be obvious to you, but not so to the newbies. If you have any I have not thought of, send me some comments. I am always interested in cutting my freelancing costs.

• Re-use whatever you can. Mary Lewis re-uses bubble envelopes, and Sharon Wren uses a big ceramic planter as a garbage can. Sharon also uses a box that once held Harry & David chocolates as a place to store her Post-Its. (I think she would rather have the chocolate!)

• Bundle your services. I am saving about $1000 this year by bundling my phone, cable TV. and internet service for one year. Yvette Deluca Davis suggests using freebie versions of document creation software such as Open Office. She says they provide quality as good as MS Word. She also suggests some of Google’s applications. I have recently been using Google Documents (look in Applications) for documents I am collaborating on with others. You can all work on the same document virtually. So far, it has been working well.

• Craig's List is a great place for freebies, too. The chair I am sitting on came from a group I discovered on Craigslist, and so did my webmaster, Zack Rosen. How cool is that? (Shameless plug: Check out my webmaster's work at http://www.rosemaryob.com/.) Incidentally, Craig's List is also a good place to find the odd writing or design assignment.

• Sometimes you have to spend money to save money or your valuable time. Take Norma Murray of Able Assistants, my new virtual assistant. I met her through a women’s networking group (Wild Women Entrepreneurs) and hired her to update my expense report. I dread inputting all of my receipts for the accountant, and frequently put off this task while the receipts pile up. Well, Norma took care of the pile and charged a reasonable amount to do so. A writer friend who hates typing now uses her for his transcribing. Yay, Norma!

• If you work from home, you may ignore all of the household chores in order to complete assignments. Dig out the old Crockpot, Google some recipes, and get dinner going. When you use it, cook enough for two meals and then freeze the leftovers for another busy day. Or check out my new favorite service, Emealz. The two sisters create seven dinner menus along with a shopping list. If you live near them, you get the added benefit of a shopping list tailored to the grocery store in which you shop. This is my first week with them and my family LOVES dinnertime (and I love the number at the bottom of the grocery receipt!). I saved approximately $80 on my grocery bill this week and got two meals out of their recipes a couple of times. For a modest cost, you save some time and money.

• Cancel any subscriptions you do not read such as women’s magazines, hobby and craft magazines, etc. While I love getting my scrapbooking magazines, I found them piling up while I felt guilty about not getting to them. Life is short. Look it up on the internet! It will save money, some paper, and you will not have to look at the pile you are not reading.

Give some of these ideas a try. You will definitely save money, and remember that time is money, too. Then leave a comment for me and let me know how it worked out.

Six Flags Military Appreciation Day

Saturday, August 9
Price is $37 per person and includes admission to both parks (Six Flags andHurricane Harbor), free parking and an all-you-can-eat buffet from noon to 2p.m. The menu includes: a quarter grilled chicken, char-broiledquarter-pound sirloin hamburgers or cheeseburgers, all beef hot dogs, fixingsbar, potato chips, ice cream novelties, tossed salad, pasta salad and aselection of soft drinks in the pavilion.

Tickets may be purchased at the ITT office (Newport Naval Station) or call841-3116/841-3137 for more details.

AAFES Offers Aspiring Young Writers Opportunity for Great Prizes

http://www.aafes.com/

DALLAS - School may be out for the summer, but the Army & Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES) has one more assignment for military dependents. The"Back-To-School Essay Contest" will give students in grades first through twelfth the opportunity to submit an essay of 200 words or less on "WhatAAFES means to me and my family."

Entering the Blogosphere

I am fascinated by the whole notion of blogging. I love it, especially after realizing what a powerful tool it is for journalists and authors. With a blog, you can promote your book signings, your published articles and generally anything you want to let the public know about.

Creating a blog is easier than creating a website. Companies such as blogger, typepad and wordpress let you sign up and create your blog in only a few minutes. You choose your background, choose what categories of information you would like, then upload your first post. You can then post your calendar of classes, publicize special events, or journal your thoughts on a particular topic.

When you do begin blogging, remember to always stay on topic. I blog about military spouse issues, freelance writing and parenting. I try to stay with these three categories, though I go off topic on occasion when I feel compelled to do so. If you stay on topic, you gain readers. If you gain readers, you get assignments and sell books.

Army Wives returns!
http://www.mylifetime.com/on-tv/shows/army-wives

Season premier of this fun show is at 10pm on June 8th. Some of the show is cheesy, but it's a pretty good illustration of the strong bonds we military spouses share.

Diversify Your Writing Business

I was sitting in a grant writing seminar today, thinking about how far I have come in the past year since I got serious about my business. I now do much more than write novels and articles for print. I have expanded to corporate writing, writing for the web, blogging – you name it. If it involves writing, I am probably doing it.

My adventures away from latest novel began when a) I needed to earn in order to write my next novel, and b) I attended a workshop all about making money as a freelance writer. The key is diversification. Now, I know some writers who will do many other things within the confines of their freelance writing business, such as running errands, but I find it taxing enough to stay within the realm of writing as a business.

Don’t get me wrong, I am always finding ways to diversify, but if I keep it to writing and anything to do with writing – teaching writing, reviewing other people’s manuscripts, press releases and such – then I find myself with more than enough to do with never enough time to do it all. That is not a complaint by any means! I love being busy and I love to write. The combination is perfect.

Why not diversify? I started with some of those low-paying freelance bidding sites such as Elance.com, proposing courses to my local continuing education departments, and finding an area on which to concentrate. Since I am a military spouse, this community made sense to me. I learned more about it by surfing the internet, attending spouse-related events such as SpouseBUZZ, and developing my blog with information that related to the needs of the military spouse. As more people visit, word gets around that I may just know a little about being a milspouse, and then the writing gigs come.

Another trick that has helped me has been job search sites such as Career Builder where I frequently responded to ads for writers as a freelancer. I figured if the company is looking for a writer, they might be able to use a freelance writer (ME!) in the interim. I have also learned a lot from the articles on Military.com’s Military Spouse Career Center . Here I read about how to package myself, my skills and my business as a military spouse. It is a discriminatory practice, but some companies do not want to hire the milspouse because they think you are going to leave all too soon. I also learned that we are a trustworthy, hardworking bunch and are assets to any company smart enough to hire us.

The moral of this story is to diversify your business. Write articles, but rather than just writing for print, write for the web or for corporations. If you write novels, why not teach one night each semester for a local library or adult education department? Teaching clarifies your view of whatever you teach because you need to boil it down for those who do not do what you do. Capisce?

Above all, enjoy whichever path you follow.

NEWS OF NOTE:

Bill Signed For Military Children
http://www.military.com/spouse/fs/0,,fs_MilitaryChildrenBill,00.html?ESRC=family.nl

Mom Salaries - We're worth $138,000 a year!

http://salary.com/aboutus/layoutscripts/abtl_default.asp?tab=abt&cat=cat012&ser=ser041&part=Par639&isdefault=0

Happy Pictures of Work-At-Home Moms

So many websites for WAHM’s show pictures of women holding babies, or with babies near their feet, while typing on their computer … with a smile on their faces. Get real! I am a WAHM with a successful freelance writing business and I have yet to smile while trying to meet a deadline with children underfoot. This has been especially true when the kids were young enough to hold in my arms. I remember trying to configure those puzzle-like babygates so as to keep my toddler occupied while I tried to write. He spent the entire time trying to figure out how to knock them down or climb over them. As a result, I wrote when he napped or after he went to bed.

When my second son was born, it was a bit easier. He has been into trains and cars since the moment he could sit up. As a result, he plays with his Thomas the Tank Engine set for hours on end. It was a bit easier, but I still never held him in my arms while trying to use my brain and write or research. In fact, the only time I held either of them while on the computer was while breastfeeding and then I typed with only one hand, which really does not work.

So when you see those photos of smiling working moms holding babies while sitting at their computer, just know that they are either online shopping, checking their horoscope or reading the message boards to keep sane while their writing waited for later when everyone was fast asleep. Any WAHM who tells you different is totally lying.

On Literary Agents

I am a firm believer in having a literary agent. After all, I am just a writer in the publishing world. Yes, I am also a businessperson, but I am not a businessperson in the middle of the publishing world. A literary agent, on the other hand, is exactly that. He knows who is looking for your type of book, when to pitch it, and how to craft a pitch that will get you that big advance. After the sale, the agent will also handle contract negotiations, contract advice to you, and will even be the person who collects your checks. After he receives your check, he deducts his well-earned percentage and sends you your share of the advance and later the royalties.

An agent is a very valuable person to have on your side. And he is on your side. He is there to get you the best deal possible. The deal will not only benefit you, but it benefits him in a larger payment. The percentage he makes from you is what he works for. That being said, you should never pay a fee up-front, a reader’s fee or any other fee. It is unethical. Any copying fees are a deduction for their business, and no one should be paid to find themselves new work. Writer’s don’t get paid to find their next assignment, why should your agent? Your agent gets paid when you get paid after the sale of the book.

To find a reputable agent, I suggest you look to the Association of Authors’ Representatives http://www.aar-online.org/mc/page.do. The member agents have to agree to a code of ethics in order to become, and remain, a member, and none of them charge reading fees. You can also look in Jeff Herman’s “Guide To Book Publishers, Editors and Literary Agents,” or Writer’s Digest’s “Guide To Literary Agents.” In each of these books you will find addresses of agents, what they are looking for complete with a Q&A of each telling readers how the agent prefers your submission. As any good writer knows, the way you submit is half the battle sometimes. Agents and editors receive thousand of unsolicited submissions each week. Only a fraction of those submission will be even considered for representation, so they weed their pile by dumping those that have been submitted incorrectly. An incorrect submission includes sending an entire manuscript, sending a cover letter with no synopsis, typing in a font that is too small or embellished or on colored paper … the list goes on. Read the market books to get an idea of the format.

Are you shopping for an agent?

Feel free to comment with any questions or experiences you may have.


NOTE: I love reading your e-mails, but if you feel like going public, I would appreciate your comments on this blog. Any information you share may help someone else. You can write about writing, parenting, military spouse issues - anything that interests you.

To Agent or Not To Agent

Many new writers are getting into the self-publishing business. Through companies such as Author House and iUniverse, people with something to say have an easy way to say it. They simply write their book, pay the publisher, and get it out there. Of course, this is the simplified version that does not mention the revision process and all of the customer service some of these publishers offer, and it is all good stuff. The problem is who is going to read these self-published books? Where are they going to sell?

If you want to write something for the family to read, just want to see your name in print, or are producing a cookbook for a fundraising event, then self-publishing is a good idea. I attended a seminar presented by iUniverse at an ASJA conference a few years ago and discovered I could re-print my back listed novel for my readership, but why would I?

At the risk of offending self-published authors, or the self-publishers, authors need an agent. Yes, I sold my first book without an agent, but that was a fluke. A new small publisher requested it, and then accepted the book. I did not receive an advance, nor did I get much of a royalty check later. The result was that a publisher who chose good books published my first novel. They marketed to a degree, but being small, they could not do everything with their small staff. I ended up doing much of the marketing myself, which was fun, but left me little time to write the next book.

If I had an agent, it would have played out much different. After doing the “marketing” of my work and myself in order to snag an agent, I would have started writing the next book. Yes, I would have had to stop for revisions along the way after the editor got hold of it, but someone else would have been shopping the book to the big publishers. You know the ones with the royalty checks and advances not to mention the space on the bookstore shelves? Moreover, because my book would have been presented to a publisher by an agent and not by an individual author (known as an “unsolicited” manuscript), it would have headed to the publisher with a seal of authenticity. In other words, the publisher would know that the book is good and not fraught with typos, misinformation and bad writing. They cannot know that if you have published the book by paying someone to do so.

“So how do I get an agent?” you ask. You will have to tune in next week for an answer to that question. In the meantime, answer one of my questions.

Have you self-published a book?

Tell me about it. In the meantime, keep writing the next one.

Rosemary

Productivity and This Mom

Sometimes adding more to your pile of responsibilities makes you a more productive writer. It’s true! I just read a blog entry on Copy Blogger http://www.copyblogger.com/increase-writing-productivity/ that spoke about how having a baby can make you more productive. I agree.

When I had my first son, I had the length of his nap to work. I then continued after my husband came home, then after dinner if needed. I scheduled any calls to the West Coast in the early evening so I could interview people later in the day when they were open to kicking back at their desks and talking on the phone. When my second son arrived, I was able to work while he played at my feet (the first NEVER wanted to do that!), but I still scheduled most of my work while he napped.

Now that the little guy is in preschool, I am back on my daytime schedule, but am much more productive than I was before my sons came into the picture. I sit at my desk at 9:30 each morning, submit my work ahead of time if my sources cooperate, and make the most of the hours when everyone is out of the house being productive in their own right.

No, the dishes don’t get washed, nor the laundry folded until later in the day, but the checks arrive because I get the work done. While I don’t advise having a baby simply to make you more productive, it certainly helped me!


LINKS OF NOTE:

Cell Phones for Soldiers
http://cellphonesforsoldiers.com

Hero Salute
http://www.herosalute.com/states/index.html

Merry Stress-mas

During this busy time of year, I find myself overwhelmed – again. I do this to myself every year since having my children. I plan on starting my Christmas shopping early, making homemade ornaments and cards, and getting my Christmas card list all spiffed up with cards sent out the day after Thanksgiving. Does it get done? Well, it used to before I had my children, but not anymore.

My days are filled with writing assignments, reading at one or the other schools (a fun thing!), running to pick up a gift from THE only store that has IT left on its shelf, and planning on making a few more batches of cookies to give. Notice I said, “Planning.” The actual “doing” does not seem to happen lately. These cookies are very important since we give them out as gifts to a few people who make our lives fun. Ever since my eldest (now 8) was small, we have gone around to the neighbors delivering cookies a few days before Christmas. We pick out the nicest-looking, unbroken cookies, pack them into pretty holiday tins, add a tag, and go to a few nearby houses and the Fire Department. Actually, the Fire Department has not gotten cookies in the past couple of years, but I plan on making tons this weekend and bringing them down to the House. (There’s that planning thing again.)

All of this brings me in a roundabout way to speak about the meaning of Christmas. We sung at Lessons and Carols at my church the other night. Readings and songs tell the story of Christmas. The Adult Choir, the Children’s Choir and several musicians get together with the congregation for this one night to enjoy the season in song.

As I stood in front of the choir, about to sing with three other people, I had the opportunity to hear both choirs for a change. Usually I am stuck at the end of the soprano section with only soprano voices to hear. When the children sang their verse, I was glad we were rehearsing first. I had to hold back my tears. Their little, innocent voices, so clear and pure, rose up and out, filling the air with their sweetness. I later enjoyed the little girl pulling up her stockings during a children’s song, and the boys in the back doing impromptu dances with their feet while remaining seated during another one of their songs, but the innocent moment stayed with me.

In this joyous season of Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa, take a moment to stop all of your rushing around and enjoy the innocence. There are few moments in life like the one I had the other evening. Make sure you notice them as they quickly pass.

What are your most treasured holiday moments?

Share them with us.

LINKS OF NOTE:

Wreaths Across America
http://www.wreathsacrossamerica.org/

The Wreaths Across America story began over 15 years ago when Worcester Wreath Company (a for-profit commercial business from Harrington, Maine) began a tradition of placing wreaths on the headstones of our Nation's fallen heroes at Arlington National Cemetery.

UPDATE: Over 3000 people laid wreaths at Arlington today. 'Just thought you would want to know.

California Family Leave Act
http://www.fordharrison.com/shownews.aspx?Show=3205

Under certain circumstances, California employers must provide up to ten days of unpaid leave to employees who have spouses in the military. California joins Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Minnesota, Nebraska and New York, all of which have Military Family Leave laws.

NORAD Santa
http://www.noradsanta.org/

Follow Santa’s progress as he treks across the world on Christmas Eve. (Note: My sons love doing this each Christmas Eve. It is part of our Christmas tradition.)

My Business Has A Name

Thank you to everyone who participated in helping me name my business. Unfortunately, the person who came up with the perfect name already has one of my books. In fact, it’s dedicated to him! My husband, Alan, came up with the name when I asked him if he was thinking about it. When he told me he could not read my blog because it was blocked at work, I filled him in. He said, “How about A Word Or Two,” and I jumped. I loved it and thought it was the perfect name for a writing business.

So, that is the new name: A Word Or Two. I will get to work on my collateral materials, send out a press release, and what I have been doing for years will no longer be a sole proprietorship, but an LLC.

While waiting for my tax number, I had to start scheduling next semester’s round of adult education classes. I teach The Business of Freelance Writing, and Write Your Novel. The first is about the mechanics of making a living as a freelance writer such as the things you need to have in place, the way to get jobs, etc. The Novel class is the way I personally organize things when I write a novel. I am very good at researching using the internet and many other writing-related skills.

What other courses might be of interest to my students?

If you have any ideas, I would love to hear them. It is always rewarding meeting new writers and helping them along their journey to publication. I would love to know if there is anything I am missing.

While I wait for your wisdom, here are a few tidbits for you.

When you are making out your Holiday card list this year, please include the following:

Cards for our American service members. (Remember, they are not all soldiers, but other service members as well.)

A Recovering American Armed Service Member
c/o Walter Reed Army Medical Center
6900 Georgia Avenue,NW
Washington,D.C. 20307-5001

Aqua Dot Recallhttp://www.canada.com/theprovince/news/story.html?id=4f76018a-9856-485c-962f-8ffb2bd67ca4

It seems the little "dots" can turn into a deadly substance if kids put them in their mouths. Mine will remain hidden until they figure this one out.

National Novel Writers Month
http://www.nanowrimo.org/

I signed up, but have no written a word of my book yet. It is SO not going to happen, but I thought I would let readers know about it. Perhaps you can consider it for next year.

Have a happy and productive week!

Help for Small Business

I spent yesterday morning attending a workshop presented by S.C.O.R.E. (Service Corps Of Retired Executives). Their presenters gave their time to help those of us starting businesses to get it right. Taxes, business plans, marketing strategies – all of this and many more topics were covered in the 4-hour workshop at the local community college.

If you plan on starting a freelance writing business, I would highly advise scheduling a 1-hour consultation with one of their consultants. It is free and can get you going in the right direction in order to open a profitable business. Now that I am serious about building my business, I plan on paying their consultants a visit every now and then to make sure I am on the right track.

The people at SCORE are doing a great service to those of us who are creative, but need some help with the practical side of business. Give it a try if you are serious about becoming a freelance writer while you support your military spouse.

As a result of the workshop, I have a different-type of poll this week. I need help naming my business and who better to ask than military spouses? Since the word “mom” is in my blog, I am frequently asked if I have a son or daughter in the military. I like the name, Writing Military Mom, but I want to make sure those who need my services can find me more easily. I would like to keep the word military in there somehow. On the other hand, the name evokes the question, “Do you have a son or daughter in the military?” which then starts the conversation in which I can explain that I am a proud military spouse. Help me come up with the perfect name by answering the question:

What should I name my copywriting business?

Here are some ideas:

Writing Military Mom
Writing Military Spouse
Writer Gal
The Last Word
Word Wrap (not sure about this one)

Help me and if your suggestion is chosen, you will win an autographed copy of my novel, FIRST SATURDAY. It is out of print until I find an agent for paperback rights and movie options, so this is the only way you can get it. So, get creative and help me name my business.

Good luck!

Article Gardening

Barry Morris’ article, The Article Garden: The writer’s secret to a bountiful harvest of good writing was in part an affirmation of my own work habits, and mostly an excellent how-to about something I take for granted.

Since I have always had a terrible memory, I have developed coping skills. One of these is listing ideas on a simple page. I originally began an index card file before computers were so widely available, but have moved much of my idea file over to a simple word processing file. I list ideas for articles, novels, poetry – anything I may want to write in the future. When I am mining for stories, I go to the file and pull out an idea and begin research.

Barry Morris’ article takes this idea one step further by exploring how to grow these seeds planted on the virtual page in your computer. Take a look and get inspired.

How do you keep track of your ideas?

I’m back from my vacation, but buried under e-mails. Thank you to Barry for providing me with my topic this week. I am much obliged.

Rosemary