Life of A Writer

I remember 18 years ago when my favorite place to hang out was in the library with my nose buried in books. I would research time periods for my novels, information for upcoming articles and so much more. However, all of that changed when I bought my first computer and connected to the Internet. Sure, I still visit the library on occasion, but not as often as I use to.

The Internet opened up a whole new world of research for me. I can find just about any information I want from the comfort of my home. Besides, now-a-days when I visit the library, I usually have to wait a week or more for the books I need to be shipped to the library. By using the Internet, I can have the majority of the information I'm seeking immediately, without waiting.

Today I'm going to share some of my research resources with you. Some you may already know about and some you may not. Either way, I hope some of my resources will help you discover the information your looking for. The links to the resources will open in a new window so you don't lose your place here. Just add the resource to your bookmarks, close the window and visit the next resource. Continue to add the ones you believe will help you to your bookmarks until you're finished.

Some of these research resources came from On the Net Resource Guide for Writers. Do you have a great resource you use for research that's not listed here? Please share it in the comments section.

Facts & Statistical Reports

American Beverage Association
Dot-Com Layoffs and Shutdowns (Very useful if you're researching online businesses)
Fact Sheets From the National Institute of Standards and Technology
Food Marketing Institute: Facts & Figures
GovSpot
Mansfield University's Research Guides
National Center for Health Statistics
Nielsen//NetRatings
Subject Guide (Choose the subject you're researching)
U.S. Census Bureau
U.S. Department of Labor

History

Academic Info: U.S. History Gateway - American History
American Women's History
The History Net

Legal/Law

Law Dictionaries
Legal Information Institute

Reference

All Refer Reference & Encyclopedia
Biographical Dictionary
Encyclopedia Britannica
How Stuff Works

Photo courtesy of Flickr member, Viewoftheworld

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Last week Diane said she was looking forward to reading my articles at Newsvine and asked if I knew they had been removed. I didn't know the articles had been removed at the time -- thanks for the heads-up, Diane. When Diana alerted me to this, I tried to log into my Newsvine account to find out what the problem was, but when I logged in, I got a message telling me my account had been disabled for "promotional advertising." What! I couldn't believe it! I've never -- not intentionally anyway -- written "promotional advertising" content for clients (unless that's what they ordered) in all my years as a writer. I ALWAYS read the client's guidelines and etc. so that I could follow them. I read the Code of Honor guidelines at Newsvine, so I knew "self-promotional" and "promotional advertising" content wasn't allowed. However, I guess my definition of "promotional advertising" content is different than Newsvine's. To me, "promotional advertising" content is spam.

To make a long story short, I contacted Newsvine through their contact form to find out what it was I wrote that was considered "promotional advertising." The next day they replied and informed me that all three of the articles I had written for them was "promotional advertising." Maybe I misunderstood something, but they was kind enough to re-activate my account. However, the articles that were there were removed, so I have to start from scratch.

What did I write? Well, because I decided to go with writing and blogging news, I wrote one news article about upcoming teleseminars for bloggers. In my Upcoming Teleseminars for Writers and Bloggers news article, I began with a couple paragraphs about the benefits of teleseminars, and then I listed (and linked to) approximately four upcoming teleseminars for writers and bloggers.

My next news article was about a new digital pen that I thought would be a great tool for writers. Ok, I can in some ways see how this could be considered "promotional advertising," but it was news, and I wrote it as a news article. I listed ways the pen could benefit writers. Guess that's not allowed -- news or not.

Finally, I decided that each week I wanted to share a listing of writing and blogging jobs with fellow writers and bloggers, but according to Newsvine, this too was considered "promotional advertising." They stated in their e-mail to me that listings to teleseminars and writing or blogging jobs were "promotional advertising" and not allowed. I then wondered about interviews, so I e-mailed back and asked if I could publish interviews with writers and bloggers on my vine and also include a link to their website and blog. Newsvine replied back and said I could do that as long as it was "newsworthy."

I guess I just don't understand what Newsvine is looking for or I'm missing something. Before signing up I browsed the vines of other Newsvine writers to see what they were writing. I guess this is where I missed something. Anyway, after contacting Newsvine, I spent over an hour exploring vines again in an attempt to get a better understanding of what they wanted and to see what I may have missed, and I think I figured it out: They want short articles giving your opinion on the latest news in your niche. Plus, I noticed that many Newsvine writers "seed" news more than they write their own news articles. They "seed" articles, blog posts and etc. written by others and state their opinions about that piece in a couple sentences.

After all of this, I think I've come to the conclusion that Newsvine isn't for me. Therefore, I believe I'd be better off searching for other, more lucrative writing jobs that aren't as confusing. It may actually be simple if I spend more time there. In fact, later I would probably smack myself on the forehead and say "Duh!" but the truth of the matter as it stands now, is I simply don't have the time to waste to try to figure it all out. If Newsvine paid me an actual income instead of "Net Advertising Revenue" only, which is basically for page views and ad impressions, then I would probably spend the extra time trying to learn more about what they really want than what I thought they wanted. As for now, though, I think my time would be better spent writing for my current clients who pay as well as searching for other writing and blogging jobs that come with a guarantee of payment.

For those of you who were looking forward to my weekly writing and blogging job listings, I have some good news! I think I will share what I discover here at Life of a Writer. I'll begin listing telecommute writing and blogging jobs next week. Subscribe to my RSS feed or by e-mail to stay up-to-date with my weekly listings of telecommute writing and blogging jobs.

What do you think? Am I making the right decision? What would you do if you were in my shoes?

Photo courtesy of Eric I.E.

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Because my future books will be Christian novels I'm working on a new design for my author site. Problem is I'm stuck between two Christian looks and I'm not sure which one to go with. With that said, I'm looking for a little assistance from you. Could you please visit both links, and then use the poll below to tell me which design you like better? I sure would appreciate it.

Note: When you visit the two designs, the links will be dead links, but once the site actually goes live, the links won't be dead. I'm just putting them up this way so you can view them better. I could have done screenshots of both, but I felt the screenshots wouldn't give you the best view.

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I can't begin to tell you how many times in a given day I use to get so caught up in reading and studying that I lost track of the time. Next thing I knew I didn't have enough time left in the day for my writing. Can you relate? If so, here's some advice to help you tackle the dilemma of reading and studying so you can get your writing done. And if you think I'm going to suggest you cut reading and studying out of your habits, think again! Reading and studying, in my opinion, makes us better writers. Therefore, both should definitely play a part in your writing career, and the good news is there's a way to work all three into your writing life. I've been applying the following advice to my writing career for a while now, so I know it can be done, and today I'm more than happy to share my strategy with you.

Add the Activities to Your Schedule

I know, here I go with schedules again, but I truly believe in schedules because they help you organize your writing life and get things done. That is if you make yourself follow the schedule.

Take Advantage of the Bookmark Feature on Your Browser

If you come across an interesting article, blog post, story or etc., bookmark it and read it on the day you've scheduled a free reading or studying day. Same goes for all those newsletters and e-zines you've subscribed to, and since those usually arrive in your inbox, just move them to the "read later" folder.

As for books by your favorite authors, do as I do, read in bed. I like to read before I go to sleep, usually two to three hours, depending on how good the book is, of course.

Take One Day a Week for "Me" Time

I just started doing this five weeks ago, and I love every minute of my "me" time! This is basically a day off, which is something every writer needs to recoup. You can use this day for whatever you like. For example, on my "me" day I update my website with new information and/or resources, read the newsletters and e-zines I placed in my "read later" folder, read articles and stories on the Web, go for a drive or walk, visit friends or family I haven't seen in a while, get some things done around the house that I've put off, plant flowers, play games with the kids or whatever I feel like doing. Then, when the next day arrives and it's back to work, I discover that I'm ready to go again, and the creative juices are back to their natural flow.

There you have it. That's how I tackle my reading, writing and studying dilemma: with a schedule. One last tip, when you sit down to make that schedule (or update one you've already written out), schedule your paying clients first, and then include everything you want to do in terms of reading, writing and studying. Yes, this includes trend or other research as well. Your schedule is, of course, part of your work schedule, and reading, writing and studying are all a part of writing, because they help you become a better writer, wouldn't you agree?

Do you have any tips for tackling the reading, writing and studying dilemma? Please share your tips in the comments area.

Photo by John-Morgan

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Just the other day I read Keeping Up When Your Blog Takes Off by Harry at Men With Pens. It got me to thinking, what would I do if I reached fame and fortune, and it's what inspired today's post. So, Harry, thanks for the inspiration!

Now, to publicly answer the question I asked myself, if the Lord ever blesses me with fame and fortune -- even a small fortune -- I've always told myself I would share the blessings He's given me with others, and here's what I would do and how I would share my fame and fortune: I'd love to have enough money to pay my bills and still have quite a bit left over to buy my kids something nice, support the family where hubby wouldn't have to work if he didn't want, and donate a large amount to charities as well as help those in need. As for a following of fans (yes, this is the fame part) I'd enjoy having them come up to me and tell me how my words inspired them or how I helped them in some way. I would even be delighted to give them my autograph and answer any questions they may have. As for a fancy house and limo, I don't want any of those things. Instead, I'd just like to have a nice modular home and a new minivan. Because I don't like to drive, I would pay someone to drive my new minivan and take me where I needed to go. Of course, I'd also pay someone in desperate need for a job to feed their family to clean my house while I continue to dedicate my time to my writing and children. Gaining fame also increases another writer's paycheck if he or she can gain an exclusive story or interview with the famous person. With that said, I would do my very best to help an aspiring writer, or a writer just starting out, to get the first bit of unpublished news about my writing career so that writer could move up another step on their ladder to success.

I know, that's a big dream and it may never happen. But it's like I tell all my readers and the fans I have now, "Never give up on your dreams, work toward them." And that's just what I plan to do. I will continue to work hard and do my very best to please my clients and readers so that maybe one day I can give back with what the Lord continues to bless me with.

Even though I've not reached fame and fortune, there are still things I do to give what little the Lord has blessed me to help those less fortunate. Would you like to be able to do the same? Here's a list of some of the ways I give back now, so feel free to apply them to your life as well; it will make you feel good about yourself and shows that you're a true Christian:

1. When possible I try to give to local charities and fundraisers. When I have it to spare, I give money. If I haven't got the money to give at that time, I donate a copy of one of my books to their giveaways or silent auctions. I've even gone as far as helping organize and plan fundraisers and volunteering to work and/or bake.

2. Because I feel God blessed me with my writing talent, I try to inspire and help others through the words I write.

3. Usually, I don't write for free, but if I read about a good cause looking for writers to donate a short piece, I'm happy to participate if I have the time. My latest donation was a few years back when I donated an essay entitled Behind Closed Doors to the Stories of Strength anthology, which was lead by Jenna Glatzer. In addition, I helped promote the anthology after publication and volunteered to help with several other things before publication. (All the proceeds from each sale benefits disaster relief charities.)

4. When aspiring writers contact me, I share advice and answer any questions they have. It may take me a few days to respond to them because of my busy life as a writer, but I ALWAYS reply to each and every one of them. If I can't help the writer, I give him or her links to resources that I think can help them.

5. One thing I'd love to do, but haven't yet, is call in to a telethon such as St. Jude's and give. However, because I don't have a lot of money to give, I would feel embarrassed, and the reason is because several who are in business like myself, call in with huge donations of $25,000 or more -- something I can't even begin to match. I know every little bit helps, but I just feel I should be able to give more, and maybe one day I will.

Those are a few of the many ways I try to give back as a blessed Christian. Like the Bible says, "Give and ye shall receive." Maybe one day I will receive, but even if I don't, I'm happy knowing that I've helped a few, and the fan mail that I do receive, brightens my day and lets me know my intentions to help others through words is working, which gives me what I need to keep on writing no matter how tough it sometimes gets.

What would you do if you reached fame and fortune? And how do you give back today? Feel free to share in the comments area or in a blog post of your own.

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Last Wednesday I asked you to give me your opinion on what you'd like me to write about on Newsvine, and the majority of you said you'd like to read a mixture of blogging and freelance writing news. Since your opinion matters most to me, I listened. With that said, at least twice a week (usually on Wednesday and Friday nights) you can see what writing and blogging news I'll write about on my Vine over and Newsvine. While you're there, please vote for each of my articles to help me get out of the Greenhouse for new writers.

Since I just began this new writing job, I only have two news articles up, but I'm sure you'll want to check them out, right? They are as follows:

Free Teleseminars for Writers and Bloggers
Great New Product for Writers

In addition to writing and blogging news, check out the sidebar for books, blogs and news sites I recommend. You can also subscribe to my vine's RSS to be notified each time I publish writing and blogging news, also found in the sidebar.

Finally, if you have any writing or blogging news or you're looking to hire a writer or blogger, send your press release or information to news(at)mistisandefur.com (replace (at) with @). Furthermore, I plan to do some interviews with freelance writers and bloggers, so if you'd like to be interviewed via e-mail, feel free to contact me with your interview request as well. Please include information about yourself, and send me a link to your website and/blog so I can find out even more.

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I would like to get to know you better so I can write blog posts you want to read. Therefore, over the next few months, I'm going to run polls so that I can get to know more about you. Your responses will help me compose blog posts that you want, because, after all, I write for you.
We'll start with the basics for now and move on from there. To assist me, please take a few seconds of your time to answer the question in my poll, which can be found on my sidebar. Finally, if you have any suggestions on post you'd like to see in the near future, please leave me a comment with your suggestions.

Thanks in advance,
Misti Sandefur

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I've taken on another writing gig for Newsvine. Newsvine is a subsidiary of MSNBC Interactive News. There I'll keep you updated on news around the web. However, I don't officially begin this writing gig until Friday, so before I start, I'd like input from all of you. Your opinions matter to me, and with this new writing gig, I want to deliver the news that you would look forward to reading from me. With that said, please vote here.

Since I already write on blogging and freelance writing, I would like to use this new writing gig to bring bargain hunting news to my readers, but I'm going to go ahead with the poll to see you really want. The bargain hunting option is a choice in the poll, so if you think it's something you'd like to read about, then by all means, vote for it. Either way, though, I will take the results into consideration for my decision, and once that decision is made, I'll announce it on my blog.

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