The Fabulist Flash

Number 15

Sand Patterns Journal

In This Issue:

1. This Week
2. Writer's Bookshelf
3. Feature Article
4. Tip of the Week
5. About the Fabulist Flash

1. This Week

Welcome to Issue Number 14 of The Fabulist Flash. Please forward it to all your writing friends.

It's been an exciting week. I signed a contract with a literary agent and my first book contract is already at her office. What a way to end and start the year. These recent successes realized two of my 2004 goals.

As 2004 fades, it's important to take stock of the year that's passing. Pull out that yellowed list of resolutions and goals from last January. What did you plan to accomplish this year? Did you make it? What worked for your career? What didn't? Are those goals not accomplished still of interest and value? If so, put them at the top of your 2005 goal list. If not, let them go.

Goal setting is important, but just as important is remembering that goals, like needs and likes, change over time. Set goals that are important, but be flexible enough to realize when your goals need to change. They're your goals and it's your life, after all. As you grow you'll need to expand your dreams, too.

This week's feature article, "Planning Your Freelance Writing Success" by Bonnie Vaughan, explains a few goal setting practicalities.

Holiday Sale! Save $10 on $50 purchases of my photo Art Cards and Gifts. Hurry, sale ends 12/20/2004. Coupon code: CPFESTIVE

Until next week,

Gregory
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Gregory A. Kompes is a freelance writer and photographer. Learn more about Gregory and his work at http://www.Kompes.com
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2. Writer's Bookshelf

Travel Writer's Guide by Gordon Burgett

A review by Gregory A. Kompes

If you're interested in writing travel articles or stories connected to travel Gordon Burgett's Guide to Travel Writing is a must have.

Mr. Burgett describes in step-by-step detail how to come up with an idea, research it, sell it before you take your trip, and then write it when you get back. Mr. Burgett also explians how to sell article reprints and photographs. The latter is excellent advice, even if you're not a travel writer.

There is also a section with 365 story ideas. The list isn't complete or even totally comprehensive of travel story ideas. But, this list does get you thinking about the questions you need to ask yourself while planning and researching story ideas.

The thing that most impresses me about Mr. Burgett's text are the sample letters. I use these examples as templates for queries and reprint letters to editors frequently. The sample letters alone are worth the book's cover price.

Mr. Burgett's website also provides some excellent short reports and address lists of potential markets, in addition to his other writings. Check it out at: www.Gordon Burgett.com

For this title and others of inspiration to writers visit The Writer's Bookshelf.

3. Feature Article

Planning Your Freelance Writing Success

by Bonnie Vaughan

Congratulations! You reached your goal of becoming a freelance writer. For a successful freelance career, you need to set some new goals for 2005 based on your lifelong writing goals.

First, determine what you want from your writing career. Would you like your essays to appear in national publications? Do you want to publish 100 articles, earn a six-digit annual income, or have Fortune 500 companies as clients? Whatever you want to accomplish as a writer, you'll have a better chance of doing it if you set realistic, measurable goals each year that move you closer to your career goals.

For example, if you want to write a best-selling travel book but haven't sold any travel articles, your plan for 2005 might focus on selling articles to build your credentials as a travel writer. You might include goals like these in your annual plan:

1. Complete a travel writing class
2. Read a book on travel writing
3. List 10 markets for travel articles and study the markets
4. Take a trip every quarter to research articles
5. Write a travel article each month and submit it to the top market on the list
6. If a market returns an article, submit it to the next market within a week
7. Read a best-selling travel book each month

If you completed such a plan next year, you would take a giant step toward achieving the larger goal of writing a best-seller.

Or if you need to earn your share of family expenses, your goals for 2005 might be more financial:

1. Win a prize in a writing contest
2. Sell an article or essay
3. Send a book proposal to an agent or publisher
4. Earn enough to reach $50,000 a year in five years

Of these four goals, you would have complete control over only the third one. For a goal such as the first or second, you couldn't control whether someone awarded you a prize or bought your work, but you would have some influence. You could write articles and essays, enter them in contests, and submit them to magazines, newspapers, and newsletters.

On first read, goal four might seem unrealistic, but with some planning, you might be able to reach it. Although the average annual income for freelance writers is about $4,000, some make $50,000 or more consistently. If you could double your freelance income each year, your annual income over the next five years, working backwards from $50,000, would break down like this:

2009 $50,000
2008 $25,000
2007 $12,500
2006 $ 6,250
2005 $ 3,125

You would need to sell enough of your work to make $60.10 a week next year, or $260.42 a month. Depending on what the markets pay, that would probably mean selling from one to 11 articles or essays each month. If your average return rate on submissions is one out of 10, you'd need to send 10 to 105 submissions a month to markets that pay $25 or more.

The writing and sending you can control, just as you can control the direction of your career. As you map out a work plan for the New Year, make your ultimate writing goals your beacon. May you enjoy successful freelance writing in 2005.

About the Author:
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Bonnie Vaughan is a freelance writer who recently escaped from writing computer manuals for IBM. She has published many articles and columns in magazines, newspapers, trade journals, and newsletters. Interviews and profiles are her specialty. Her home office is in San Jose, California. You can contact Bonnie by email at bonniev@sbcglobal.net

4. Tip of the Week

Start a dream journal.

Treat yourself to a new journal. Make a list of all your dreams. These aren't necessarily goals, but rather those things, large and small, that you'd like to do in your life. Make lists. Draw pictures. Write stories and scenarios with you as the focus, the leading man or woman.

5. About the Fabulist Flash

ISSN: 1554-0804

The Fabulist Flash is dedicated to helping freelance writers find resources and inspiration.

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