Make Cyber Waves!
Written by Michele T on January 27, 2008 – 6:01 am -Tired of being stuck in the same old writing rut? Think you’ll never reach your dreams? Hop on board with me and lets make cyber waves!
First, ask yourself the following questions:
- When describing myself, is writer the first word that comes to mind?
- How badly do I want my writing dreams to come true?
- Do I have what it takes to persevere in the writing world?
- Can I keep my chin up when tons of rejections come flying at me?
- Are seeing my name in print and earning cash with my words important to me?
If you answered yes to the above questions, the tide is rising!
Once you have the writer’s flow cascading, ask yourself a few more questions:
- Which magazines or websites would I like to see my byline in?
- Do I want to be published in anthologies?
- What genre sparks my interests and keeps my attention for hours?
- Am I willing to submit my work and give editors time to evaluate it without chewing my nails into the quick?
- Can I produce when an editor replies to my query with a go ahead to write that article?
Once you’ve made up your mind to write regardless of criticism and doubt from family or friends (and maybe even yourself), and decided which publications you’re going to target, you’ll be several steps closer to getting published.
Give yourself a pat on the back for purposing in your heart to make your writing dreams come true and then make a trip to the store. That’s right. If you really want to make cyber waves with your writing, you’ll need to get organized.
You may have heard it said, “An organized writer is a successful writer.” I believe this to be true as I’m finding continued success with my writing while practicing the following organizational steps.
There are computer programs you can purchase but if you don’t have much money to invest into your writing business starting out, simply go the less expensive route.
Here’s what you’ll need:
Two three-ring binders
Two packs of clear, plastic sleeve protectors
Yellow highlighters
Pink highlighters
Place one pack of the plastic sleeves in each binder. Put the highlighters in a decorative cup on your desk or in a drawer.
Now it’s time to make log sheets for keeping track of your work. I use my word processing program and design a table with the following headings.
Publication | Editor | Replies | Website | Pays| Title/ Word Count| Date Submitted |Results
You’ll have columns and rows to write in the information noted. I choose the landscape layout for the designing and printing because there are so many columns, it works out better. At the top of each page, you can choose a title targeting a certain market. For instance, I target anthologies, magazines, newspapers, and websites. So, on the anthology log sheet, I would title it “Anthologies” and so on.
To be even more organized, I keep my log sheets in alphabetical order in the front of my binder. More importantly, keep a master copy of each log sheet in a file or folder so you’ll only have to create them once. Whenever you get a page full (and it will happen faster than you’d think!), all you have to do is make a copy of the master and voilà! you’ll have a new log sheet for documenting your submissions.
As for the highlighters, they come in handy when you start receiving rejection letters and making sales. When I receive a rejection, I write in the date when it was rejected. Then I write “Rejected” in the Results column and highlight it in pink. That is my red flag or color coding system that shows me quickly that article was rejected.
When I make a sale, I write in the date and “Sold!” in the Results column and highlight it in yellow. This shows right away that article was sold.
Now, let’s focus on the other binder. This one is for your writers’ guidelines. There will be times when you may receive a writer-themed newsletter that includes various writers’ guidelines and you want to print them out. Or you can use your favorite search engine and type in words like, “writer’s guidelines,” “markets,” or “contributor guidelines.”
Don’t know where to keep them? That’s what the binder is for. Print out the writer’s guidelines you’re interested in and organize them alphabetically. They’ll be in a safe place and you can study them more easily.
Ok, you’re a confident, organized writer. What are you waiting for, silly? Crank out the words, take this cyber world by storm, and make waves!
Are you making cyber waves already? Are you organized or lost in the midst of paper chaos? Do you think a writer has to be organized to be successful? Do you have a method for keeping track of your work? Do you plan on using these tips? Make a cyber splash in the comments.
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Posted in Writing Wisdom | 28 Comments »
January 27th, 2008 at 1:18 pm
This is a great post Michele, quite inspiring for us newbies. I’ll be bookmarking this one for sure, so that when I’m ready to hunker down and get to it, I’ll have a good guideline to use. Thanks!
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January 27th, 2008 at 6:25 pm
Thanks, Julia!
Just jump in and get started as soon as you can. A wise woman told me: Do you think the Editors and Publishers are going to come knocking at your door? No! You have to write and submit!
I followed her advice.
Another word of wisdom she gave me: Accept rejection and move on.
I have followed this as well. Sometimes a publication has just published a story similar to what you’ve queried about or submitted to them. Other times, it’s just not the right fit for them. Don’t take it personally.
The best kind of rejection is when they critique you and give you tips on what to do better next time, and urge you to try them again in the near future. Those are the best!
Best wishes writing the cyber highway!
Smiles,
Michele
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January 27th, 2008 at 11:19 pm
This is great info for us lurker wannabes! I love your comment (in the comments) about wanting editors to come looking… I’m impressed and inspired. I’ll be back!
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January 27th, 2008 at 11:54 pm
Hi Linda,
I’m glad you enjoyed this post! I wrote it a while back and thought now was the time to publish it here.
Yes, we have to realize Editors don’t know we exist, or even write, unless we submit to them! Sounds pretty simple but some writers just keep writing. The submitting part has to come in somewhere.
Thanks for stopping by! You’re welcome anytime.
Smiles,
Michele
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January 28th, 2008 at 12:51 am
Wonderful post, Michele. It’s interesting and information. Great job.
I’ve tagged you for a meme. I look forward to reading these 6 things about you.
Blessings,
Mary
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January 28th, 2008 at 4:51 am
Oh…I’m SO lost in the chaos. I’m trying to go the paperless route as much as possible, but goodness…it’s tough!!
Great post! Forgot about the binders…but have the highlighters.
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January 28th, 2008 at 8:02 am
Michele, you are SO organized. I did something kind of fun with a recipe box this time. I put in little dividers (first plot point, 2nd plot point, 3rd plot point, darkest moment, resolution. Then I jotted down scene on index cards and popped them behind the appropriate divider. When I was done, I typed it all up. And, voila–my outline!
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January 29th, 2008 at 11:09 am
I tend to go the cyber route when it comes to staying organized. I have my various Excel spreadsheets, Access databases, and a cork board type story boarding program where I keep track of markets and queries.
You share some brilliant advice and it is important to be organized as a freelance writer. Of course, freelancing is much more than articles in magazines if you want it to be. I’ve found I actually prefer comission work copy writing, editing, designing, and programming for clients.
Don’t forget you’ll need to keep finance records, income, expenses, collect receipts, print bank statements, invoices, contracts, etc. The legal jargon can be fun if you look at it in the positive light of having a professional career rather than a hobby.
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January 29th, 2008 at 5:46 pm
Hi Michele,
Wonderful post, great tips, especially for a very unorganized writer, like myself! Thank you for all the helpful tips and information.
Write on!
Renie
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January 30th, 2008 at 5:42 pm
Hi Michele,
Nice post. I’ll add “getting organized” to my chores this week.
You always manage to keep us motivated while trying to become successful frellance writers.
blessings,
julia ward
http://www.ablindingheart.com
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January 30th, 2008 at 7:24 pm
Those are great tips. I go the cyber route when it comes to staying organized. The less physical paperwork I have to deal with the better.
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January 30th, 2008 at 11:20 pm
Wow, I’m SO behind on comments. I’m sorry, y’all!
Mary,
I’m glad you enjoyed my post. You’re always so kind and generous with your compliments!
I’m behind, but I’ll try to do this meme soon – promise!
Smiles,
Michele
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January 30th, 2008 at 11:24 pm
Hi there, Grandy!
Ah, you’ll climb out of the chaos soon, hopefully.
I have gone a lot greener as I don’t print out articles just to edit them anymore, but it’s something I’m still working on. Yes, it’s hard!
See how the binders work for you sometime.
Smiles,
Michele
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January 30th, 2008 at 11:26 pm
Hi Barrie,
Well, I try to be organized but it’s not always easy.
I love your outline idea. Thanks for sharing the tip!
Hope things are going well for you. Haven’t ’seen’ you in a while.
Take care!
Smiles,
Michele
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January 30th, 2008 at 11:32 pm
Hi Rebecca,
*Winces* I know, I know, I really should go the paperless route but I’m just not there yet. I always fear something will happen to the computer and/or the backup discs and I’ll be left with nothing at all. Argh.
Yes, freelancing is more than magazine articles. I didn’t realize I only focused on that (Sorry).
I’m glad you liked my advice, though!
Don’t forget you’ll need to keep finance records, income, expenses, collect receipts, print bank statements, invoices, contracts, etc.
Hmm… I’ll have to share my system for these soon…
Thanks so much for your insight!
Smiles,
Michele
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January 30th, 2008 at 11:34 pm
Hi Renie,
Glad you liked the tips. Well, even an unorganized writer like yourself can be extremely successful, eh?!
Thanks for your generously sweet comment.
I’m writing on!
Smiles,
Michele
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January 30th, 2008 at 11:36 pm
Hi Julia,
Guess you’ve been chasing your muse again, eh?
Hope you’ve been doing well! Just find a system that works well for you so you can be most productive in your writing endeavors.
I’m so honored you consider me motivation. Well, get to it then!
*Giggles*
Michele
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January 30th, 2008 at 11:38 pm
Thanks, Opal!
Like I told Rebecca in an above comment, I fear losing the info forever to a computer disaster. I’m working on being even more green than I am, so maybe I’ll eventually arrive to the “cyber route.”
Thanks so much, all of you, for your kind words, compliments, encouragement, and generous comments. I cherish every single word!
Smiles,
Michele
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January 31st, 2008 at 12:14 am
One of the most important lessons I’ve learnt (and I can’t remember which book it came from) is that sometimes you have to “Just let it go”. I know, we all dread the idea of a cosmic catastrophe that destroys our work, there are safeguards against it like backing up and cyber copies but ultimately, if disaster strikes there is a reason. I know, sounds fatalistic but honestly, it won’t be the end of the world.
Yes, it will hurt, yes you’ll feel crushed, but there is nothing you have created that you cannot rebuild. When you do you’ll rebuild it with the experiences you’ve had an will create something even better than the original.
Some writers say, “Write the first draft. Burn it. Start over.”
Honestly, if you can learn to let go, have faith and trust yourself you’ll save a lot of ink, paper, and filing space.
Don’t forget, even the paper prints could go up in flames or water damage etc. In fact, the paper is a fire hazard.
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January 31st, 2008 at 9:17 pm
When you make your living writing, it mean juggling numerous projects. You better be organized. You have to track deadlines, contracts, invoices, release dates, and all the rest of it.
I like to use those large desk blotter calendars, only I hang it on the wall and put in the deadlines. It has to be in front of my face.
The folders for current projects need to be OUT ON MY DESK. If it’s put away, it means it’s complete.
I use submission logs for work submitted, but a Pitch Track Log for pitches only, and flip back and forth between them.
For ongoing gigs, I keep track of them in Excel, and I’m very good about keeping track of invoices and payments.
If I’m not paid, I can’t pay my bills.
If I’m not organized, I don’t get hired again. The only excuse for missing a deadline is death, preferably your own.
Devon
Ink in My Coffee
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February 1st, 2008 at 6:39 am
Michele,
Very thorough discussion of organization for the freelance writer! Wonderful tips for developing an effective system for tracking submissions and all the detailed data they include.
I’d say that’s worth a stumble!
Cheers!
Jeanne
http://www.writersnotes.net/
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February 1st, 2008 at 6:49 am
Ah, Rebecca, “letting go” is the hardest thing for this gal to do!
Argh. I’m going to try in the future though. I don’t know how soon, but I am going to try….
You’re right, it wouldn’t be the end of the world but it sure would feel like it for a while – to me, anyway.
Some writers say, “Write the first draft. Burn it. Start over.”
My problem with that is trouble with my memory (result from the domestic violence/head crashing into walls) so, we’ll see.
I do realize paper is a fire hazard, but I try so hard to keep it all organized.
Thanks for your wise words, Rebecca. I always appreciate them!
Smiles,
Michele
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February 1st, 2008 at 6:53 am
Hi, Devon,
Awesome advice! Thanks so much for sharing your organizational tips and tricks.
I also have a different space for my queries, and it is pretty easy to keep up with invoices and payments isn’t it?
The only excuse for missing a deadline is death, preferably your own.
I laughed out loud on this one! That is a fantabulous quote!
Smiles,
Michele
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February 1st, 2008 at 6:54 am
Hi Jeanne,
I appreciate your compliment! I try to share what I learn as I go along, and what works for me.
Thanks for stopping by, and for the stumble!
Smiles,
Michele
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February 1st, 2008 at 5:21 pm
hi michele!
just stumbled upon your blog while looking into freelancing. it’s something i’ve wanted to do for a while now and finally have the time to hunker down and do it. thanks for all the advice and i hope 2008 is my year for freelancing!
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February 1st, 2008 at 11:00 pm
Hi Working Girl Two!
Welcome to Writing the Cyber Highway! I’m so glad you stopped by and left a comment.
Yes, hopefully 2008 is your year for freelancing!
Stay on the cyber highway and don’t give up!
Smiles,
Michele
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February 3rd, 2008 at 1:15 am
Michele,
Great tips! I definitely need to get organized. Thank you!
Smiling right back at you,
Tina
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February 5th, 2008 at 11:01 pm
You’re most welcome, Tina, and thank you!
I’m glad my humble tips could help you.
Thanks for visiting. I miss you when you’re away!
Smiles,
Michele
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