Over time, Wadadli Pen has added a fair amount of writing and publishing information – from interviews with authors and publishers, to the reading rooms, to the opportunities pages (technically posts not pages). This post-not-page is something slightly different, though there’ll probably be a bit of overlap. Like the reading room and opportunities (which you can use the search box to find), it will be updated from time to time; its purpose is to gather and share information related to publishing that writers need to know – information that too many of us have to learn the hard way. Hope you find it useful on your writing and publishing journey. Also visit the Writer’s Toolbox. Disclaimer: We don’t take responsibility for the information provided on any of the linked sites. Remember, do your own due diligence and seek the advice of an agent and/or lawyer if you can.
Authors – Getting Paid
11 Frequently Asked Questions about Book Royalties, Advances and Money
The ABCs of School Visits with an Independent Bookstore Some good tips here but worth remembering that we live in the Caribbean where the gumption of an author asking to be paid for school visits (in any form) is often met by a … huh? (and likely some behind-the-back grumbling about the author lacking community spirit). These posts are however a reminder to value what you do (give what time you can and/or choose to, of course, but don’t let anyone shame you for valuing what you do or for not giving what you cannot or can no longer afford to give). Shift the paradigm.
Festival Appearances – Guidance for Authors (UK specific but the principles, especially the breakdown re why authors should be paid, applies to authors everywhere)
School and Library visits – a Guide
Copyright
10 common—and crucial—copyright questions for communicators
Basic Copyright Concepts for Writers
Copyright Information for Writers
Following Copyright Law while Blogging
Permission Guidelines for Using Copyrighted Material
Two Easy Steps for Using the DMCA Takedown Notice to Battle Copyright Infringement
A Writer’s Guide to Permissions and Fair Use
On the Hustle – Tips for Freelance Writers
5 Red Flags to look for in a Contract
5 Tips for Aspiring Features Writers
31 Ways to Freelance Yourself to Financial Freedom
Case Study: How I Get Paid $100 a Week to Write Rants About Video Games
“Find your minimum…and charge no less than that. If someone comes to you and says ‘…can you go lower?’ just say no… If you’re getting a lot of low paying work, you just need to learn to say ‘no’ more…You are worth a certain rate as a writer and when you go below that you are undervaluing yourself and as a result that paints the wrong picture of you to your clients.” Very good webinar on navigating the freelancing life.
“As a writer, you set the bar for acceptable pay. Don’t settle for less than you deserve and look for opportunities to upsell your services.” – Five Ways to Upsell Your Writing Services
Freelance Fees (insights to how freelancers charge)
How to become a Professional Ghost Writer
How to Market Yourself without selling Your Soul
“If you’re still a little unsure of your abilities, keep telling yourself that you have skills and experience that people are prepared to pay for. You’ve been invited to a meeting for a reason. You’ve won their approval thus far; you now just need to bring home the business by impressing them face-to-face.” – Learning how to sell yourself: how to win over a new client during a pitch by Katy Cowan
“Most freelancers spend about 30 percent of their time completing non-billable work like pitching, researching, interviewing, responding to emails, marketing, networking, and invoicing…That means an eight-hour workday only leaves you with about five billable hours. So when finding your own rate, be realistic with what you can charge and how many hours in the week you can work.” – Rates
Negotiating tips
Rates (a sample of some freelance publication rates)
“So be bold. Go after the writing you want, keep yourself at the forefront of editors’ minds, ask for fair compensation, and see what happens!” – Reminder to Be Bold when pitching
Should You write a Free Sample to get a Freelance Writing Gig?
Troubleshooting not getting Paid as a Freelancer
The Ultimate Guide to Recurring Income for Freelancers
What to do about freelance writing when you update your resume
What to do at every stage of a late payment
What to do when asked to give away your work
When your publisher goes out of business
Why what you write matters more than where you publish
Writing for others – what to charge
Publishing – Books
The 10 Most Common Manuscript Submission Mistakes
An Author’s Guide to Praise and Endorsement Best Practices
Carly Watters – Literary Agent Blog – I’m sharing this here because I don’t really have an agents’ blog on this site but I find, just perusing her comments section that she’s quite responsive and has some insights about the industry that might be useful, whichever agent you pitch.
Don’t Fall Prey to Publishing Scams: 7 New Writer Mistakes to Avoid
Everything You ever wanted to know about Book Sales
GATE opens a window to the world of e-publishing
Guidelines for formatting your manuscript before submission and more guidelines BUT remember to check the publisher website for any guidelines specific to her.
Negotiating an e-book contract
Nine Ways to a Faster Book Deal
The Pros and Cons of Book Awards
The Pros and Cons of Traditional Publishing
Publishing 101 with Eugenia O’Neal
Publishing Contracts 101 (Protect Your Work)
Ten Principles of Fair Contracts
What to do When Your Book goes Out of Print
Why You need an Author Platform – and How to get One
Why your blog is your best promotional source
Publishing – Journals, Anthologies
Formatting manuscripts for submission
The Legal Side of Writing for Anthologies
Submitting Something Somewhere: Things to Consider
Publishing – Promotion
The Art of Publicity: How Indie Publicists Work With Writers
How to Tame the Social Media Beast (a primer for writers on the use of social media as a promotional tool)
“Consider the topic being more than about the book’s release, and instead more about the impact of the book, a strange intriguing fact about how the book came about, how the book meets an urgent need, how a famous/semi-famous person reviewed your book and what they thought. In other words, the book isn’t the news…something else amazing related to the book is.” – Press Releases: a Blast from the Past by Greta Burroughs
Reaching Readers – Blog Tour Magic
Social Media Playbook for Authors!
What Facebook’s 2018 Change Means for Authors
Writing
It’s not about how fast you write but how well
Xtras
10 Things Every Blogger Should Know About Working With Brands
About your e-signature and how to utilize it as a marketing tool
Grants and Artists-in-Residences are Awesome Opportunities
How to Hire a Skilled Editor and What You’ll Pay (because some writers really do need to consider what’s involved before pushing back on the rates – negotiating is fine, disrespect and derision is not) – rates and reasons vary but this isn’t a bad guide
On merchandising fictional characters – a legal primer
As with all content on wadadlipen.wordpress.com, except otherwise noted, this is written by Joanne C. Hillhouse (author of The Boy from Willow Bend, Dancing Nude in the Moonlight 10th Anniversary Edition and Other Writings, Musical Youth, With Grace, Lost! A Caribbean Sea Adventure, and Oh Gad!). All Rights Reserved. If you enjoyed it, check out my page on Amazon, WordPress, and/or Facebook, and help spread the word about Wadadli Pen, my books, and my freelance writing-editing-coaching-workshop services. You can also subscribe to the site to keep up with future updates. Thanks.
