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CREATIVE SMALL BIZ

Turn your talent into a flourishing business.

After all, if you're not making money from your talent --- who
is?
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Issue 25, March 15, 2003

Read this issue online at:

http://www.digital-e.biz/newsletter.html


Published and edited by Angela Booth

Contact me at: ab@...

Or visit: http://www.digital-e.biz/

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Digital-e Daily ---More tips and guidance at Digital-e's blog
(Web log): http://www.digital-e.biz/blogger/index.html

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(For instructions to join or leave the ezine's mailing list,
scroll to the end.)
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In this issue:

1. Editorial: Writer's Rip-Offs [From the publisher]

2. Writer's Rip-Offs [Article - A. Booth]

3. Your Super-fast, Super-easy, No-cost Web site [Article - A.
Booth]

4. Sponsor Ads

5. Classifieds

6. Free ezines & Other Free Stuff
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1. Editorial: From the publisher

=> Writer's Rip-Offs

Our feature article this week is "Writer's Rip-Offs".

Writers tend to be shy, nervy introverts, and present their work
to the publishing world with fear and trembling. This means that
the sharks of that world (and there are many) smell the blood in
the water, and merrily rip chunks out of them. Consider this
article your shark-spotting guide.

Our second article: "Your Super-fast, Super-easy, No-cost Web
Site" will help get your own home on the Web as fast as you can
type.

=> Check out IdeaCafe to read an interview with Birgitt

Our own Birgitt Thursby, the creative Web site genius who
designed and manages our Digital-e site has an interview and her
profile online at IdeaCafe, at http://www.ideacafe.com

Very exciting! Read it to learn more about Birgitt. (And if
you're considering a full-featured Web site, ask her to help
you.)


Until next week, be well and make $$$ from your talent---


Cheers from

Angela

mailto:ab@...

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=> Email Workshop For Writers <=

Writing To Sell In The Internet Age by Angela Booth

(A professional writer for 25 years, published by mainstream
publishers.)

Explode your writing profits!

The Internet gives you an unbelievable opportunity to rocket your
writing career into orbit. If you're feeling that you're not
getting your share of the exploding opportunities, our new email
workshop, Writing To Sell In the Internet Age, is for you.

More info, with the course outline at ---

http://www.digital-e.biz/ecourses1.html

Want a sample? Sign up for a free 3-day course based on the
workshop:

http://www.digital-e.biz/freecourses.html

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2. Article: Writer's Rip-Offs


Copyright (c) 2003 by Angela Booth


People who want to write form a huge market. According to
Writer's Digest magazine, ten per cent of the US population want
to be writers, and I assume that the numbers are similar in other
countries.

And where there's a market, there are scams. All over the world,
you can see vultures' eyeballs light up with dollar signs, can't
you?

If you're an aspiring writer, you can avoid becoming fodder for
vultures very easily. All you need to remember is: *writers get
paid to write*.

Let's look at some of the most common scams.

=> The "We're Looking For New Writers" Scam

Professional hard-working agents and editors don't need to look
for new writers. Ever. They don't have the time, because as soon
as they hang out their shingle, writers find them. This applies
to book and screenplay agents, and magazine, book, and Web site
editors. Once writers find them, there aren't enough hours in the
day to read, advise, and make deals for the writers on their
lists.

So when you read "we're looking for new writers" a big warning
light should go for you. This is your signal to run as fast as
you can in the opposite direction.

If the person displaying "we're looking for new writers" purports
to be agent, it means that there's a rip-off involved. Usually
the so-called agent will ask you for money. Perhaps to edit your
book, or to send your manuscript to editors, or some other silly
reason. Remember Writers Get Paid To Write.

A legitimate agent may ask you to cover out of pocket expenses,
like photocopying and messenger fees before she signs a deal for
you. I don't approve, to be honest. Fees like this are just the
cost of doing business, and if the agent wants to represent you,
she should cover them. (Ask yourself whether you really want an
agent who can't cover her own office fees.) However, some legit
agents do ask new clients who aren't earning to cover these
charges. I'd recommend that if you're asked, you tell the agent
to take them out of the first deal she makes for you. Up to $100
in expenses is reasonable.

If a magazine or a Web site displays "we're looking for new
writers", come on. This is the publication's way of getting free
content. If you're an established, published writer, and you're
using this venue to promote yourself, then you may want to use
the venue in a quid quo pro fashion. I send out free articles
almost daily to Web sites so that I get a higher profile on the
Web, and to promote Digital-e.

But if you're a new writer what "we're looking for new writers"
means at a magazine or Web site is: "we don't pay money". Of
course you need clips, but write for venues which pay. Your clips
will mean more. If you're a new writer, you can't afford to write
for free --- you won't learn anything. And you can't afford to
write for promotion, because you have nothing to promote.


=> The "Contest Entry Free" Scam

Stay away from contests run by people and organizations you've
never heard of.

Not all contests are scams. Some writer's organizations run
contest for their members, and charge a small entry fee, and
these are legitimate. If you're a member of a large writer's
organization, or buy a writer's magazine, and they're running a
contest, relax, enter, have fun with it, and good luck.

One proviso: make sure that you get something out of your entry.
Will an editor from a large publishing house request a submission
from you if you win? Will you win money? (Remember: *writers get
paid to write*.)

However, if it's a contest run by an organization you've never
heard of, and they want you to pay $25, $50 or $100 dollars, and
assure you that your poem or short story will appear in a book of
"Best" entries at some date in the future, and this is your great
opportunity to see your work in print, ignore them. It's a scam.


=> The "Book Editor or Book Doctor" Scam

Never pay for editing. Never pay for a book doctor.

Remember: *writers get paid to write*.

When you sell a book to a publisher, they pay the editor. That's
why you approach major publishers, because they hire good
editors. A good editor is a writer's dream, because a good editor
can make your work much better, and can thereby teach you to
become a better writer. Being edited is painful, but it's a huge
opportunity to learn.

If you've sold a book to a publisher, and your editor feels that
the book needs major structural help, your editor may hire a book
doctor, after consultation with you. A book doctor can help turn
an already good book into a great book.

However, again, remember: *writers get paid to write*. You don't
pay for the book doctor. The publishing house pays, up front.
They may want to deduct the book doctor's fees from your
royalties, and you can negotiate that with them. But you pay
nothing up front. You're doing the writing, remember, and after
the book doctor has recommended revisions, YOU are the one who'll
need to write those revisions.

If you're an unpublished writer, have no agent and no publisher,
and someone calls themselves a book doctor or editor and wants
money from you, tell them to take a hike. You get edited for
free, once you sell your book.


=> The "Vanity Publishing" Scam

Vanity publishing is when you pay a publisher to publish your
book. Generally thousands of dollars. The vanity publisher
assures you your book will be reviewed, and will be in all the
book stores. He's lying.

Self-publishing on the other hand, is legitimate. If you're self-
publishing, you pay a printer a few thousand dollars to print a
thousand books, which you intend to sell yourself, either on your
Web site, or by traveling around book stores with the books in
the trunk of your car, or by selling at fairs, or when you give
talks, or when you give a seminar. If you self-publish, more
power to you. Self-publishing is a time-honored tradition, and
many writers have taken the self-publishing route to fame and
fortune.

Vanity publishing is different. In vanity publishing, the
publisher assures you that as well as arranging to have your book
printed, the company will distribute it. If you hear this, you're
about to get scammed. Run. Remember *writers get paid to write*.

How do you know you're being ripped off? Remember: *writers get
paid to write*. If you don't get paid real money, you may be
getting scammed.

How do you foil the rip-off merchants? Some ways:

* Write a lot, every day. You learn to write by writing;

* Trust your instincts, but use the Internet, especially
Google.com, to check out people (agents, publishers, editors) you
intend going into business with --- remember, publishing is a
business, not a charity;

* Learn something new every day;

* Love writing. If you love writing enough, all the rip-offs in
the world can't hurt you.

Good luck with your writing.

=================================================

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3. Article: Your Super-fast, Super-easy, No-cost Web Site

Copyright (c) 2003 by Angela Booth


Got a Web site? Come on, 'fess up. No?

OK, assuming you've got a spare five minutes, we're going to
build your first super-easy, super-fast Web page.

Look on this page as a combination calling card and portfolio.
It's not going to make you rich. However, it will make
communication with prospective clients and current clients super-
quick, and get you listed on Google.com so that you gain
credibility.

For this exercise, we're going to use a site called Online
HomeBase.com:

http://www.onlinehomebase.com/

I love this site because it's so useful. It's also free. Don't be
put off by that. In the case of Online Homebase.com free doesn't
mean that it's more overgrown with ads than a vacant lot is with
weeds. No ads. As the site develops more features, they may start
charging a small amount, but as of March 2003, it's free.

Here's some more info on Online HomeBase.com:

OnlineHomeBase is an online organizer and notepad. The wonderful
thing about this service is that you don't have to click your way
through dozens of mysterious menus and fill out endless fields.

Its pages are called sheets, and that's just what they are ---
blank Web pages with a few buttons along the top.

When you create a new sheet, you decide the format: blank page,
calendar, columns or column and calendar. Then you just start
typing, or paste in information you've found on the Web, or
that's stored on your computer.

Once you've got the info in your password-protected
OnlineHomeBase account, you can access it from any computer
anywhere and anytime.

You can also share a sheet with other people, by selecting the
"Share" option, so that the page gets a unique address outside
your protected account. This share option means that you can use
a page as a separate, public site, to post anything you like
about you and your business.

Since a sheet on OnlineHomeBase can have 100,000 characters of
text, or roughly 20,000 words, you've got sufficient space to use
it as an online portfolio or resume, or as a mini-site.

(And before you ask, in the interests of disclosure, NO I don't
have an interest in, or connection with, this company. They've
just got a great useful product, and I like it a lot.)

Before you rush over to Online HomeBase.com and sign up, we've
got some thinking to do. What will you put on your mini-site/ Web
page?

Of course, you can simply type in the material on your business
card, but since you've got enough space for 20,000 words you may
as well use it.

Here are some ideas of what you may want to include:


=> Your Unique Selling Point

This is a business page, so we'll start with your Unique Selling
Point (USP). You've already got a business name, or maybe you're
using your own name, that's fine. So what's unique about your
business?

Think about your business. Who are your clients? Why do they come
to you, rather than to a competitor?

If you're starting out, and you don't have any clients, what will
be unique about you?

If you're a photographer, do you shoot wedding videos? Portraits?

If you're an artist, do you do graphic design? What sets you
apart from other designers?

If you're a writer, what do you write? For whom?

Think about your target audience, and their needs, and slant your
USP to those needs.


=> Testimonials

Browse through your files, and look for testimonials. You may be
like me. When someone compliments me on work I've done for them I
smile, say "thank you", get a nice warm glow, and then forget
about it. This is not the attitude of a born sales person.

Testimonials can work for you. Someone took the time to
compliment you, so take a moment yourself to not just thank them
for the kind words, but also to ask them if they mind if you
share those words with others.

They always say yes --- it's a compliment to them, that you think
their words are important enough to share.


=> Your bio

In last week's Creative Small Biz, we discussed bios and why
they're important to freelancers. We said:

>> Your freelancer's bio is a vital job-hunting tool.

While traditional job hunters have CVs and resumes, independent
writers and other independent professionals have biographies,
because as an independent, you're working *with* your clients as
a consultant, rather than working *for* them as an employee.

Yes, bios, plural. You need at least four bios of various
lengths: 200 words, 100, 50 and 25. Over time, you'll create
dozens of bios, as you emphasize your various strengths to suit a
situation. >>

If you missed this article, you'll find it online in the CSB
archives. Go to:

http://www.digital-e.biz/newsletter.html

Click on the Archives button, and find Issue 24, or use the
Search feature. The article's called " Maximizing The Effect Of
Your Freelancer's Bio".


=> Be creative: what else could you put on your page?

You can put anything you like on this page.

Think about the material you usually send to prospects. Anything
you send out --- especially if it makes a thick, heavy bundle
that costs a mint in postage or courier fees is a candidate.

How about:

* Your media kit;

* Work samples;

* A list of credits;

* Your client list; or

* Articles you've written.

OK, enough reading. Start thinking. Hurry up and create your page
--- and then you'll be able to smile, and say: "Yes of course I
have a Web site. Here's the URL. Drop by anytime."
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6. FREE EZINES & OTHER FREE STUFF Ezines are fun, ezines keep you
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Got an ezine? Want to swap ads?
Contact me:
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FEEDBACK

Send questions, ideas, and feedback to:
mailto:ab@...?subject=feedback
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Creative Small Biz: Copyright (c) 2003 by Angela Booth. All
rights reserved. (Individual articles copyrighted as indicated.)
You're welcome to use my articles on your Web site, or in your
ezine, as long as you email me first. I'll send you a copyright
notice, a bio note and a site link that I'd like you to include.
Thank you!

PLEASE FORWARD THIS EZINE in its entirety to friends who might
find it useful, but add a note to say why you're sending it to
them, otherwise they might think I sent it to them without their
permission --- many thanks.


YOUR PRIVACY

Your privacy is important. You've signed on for this ezine in
good faith. Thank you. I will never betray your trust by making
the subscriber list available to others.


Creative Small Biz

PO Box 181

Para Hills SA 5096

Australia

ab@...


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