Greg Messel has now written three novels and two unpublished memoirs. His fourth novel, The Last of the Seals is the first in a trilogy of mysteries and will be published later this year.

Enjoy this interview.

Tell us a bit about yourself. Where are you from and how long have you been writing?

I’ve been writing most of my life. I supported myself in high school as a stringer for the local newspapers in Concord, California. I wrote movie reviews and covered sports. I was also sports editor of my high school newspaper. I’ve been writing ever since, including being the news editor, a columnist and reporter for a daily newspaper. I’ve only recently began writing novels. I never imagined that I would go that direction with my writing but I love it. I grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area. I’ve lived in Wyoming, Utah, Oregon and Washington since then. I’ve spent most of my life in the beautiful Pacific Northwest.

Tell us about your latest book.  What do you hope readers take away from it?

My new book is The Illusion of Certainty. It follows two parallel story lines about people dealing with sudden adversity in their life. I begin the story with a quote that says “the only certainty in life is uncertainty.” The story speaks to the theme that in the 21st Century through our amazing technology, we think we are in control of our lives. We track our schedules on our iPhones or Blackberries and are in constant contact with one another. We are deluded into thinking we are pulling the strings on the events in our lives. However, the certainty or control that we feel we have is only an illusion. The characters in my novel are always “connected” but only superficially to the people in their lives. The end of the book shows that the human touch and the healing power of love is what is sorely missing.

Share some of your writing goals.  What’s next for you?

I’m working on a new mystery trilogy. I’ve wanted to find a group of characters that could be the basis for a series of books. I think I’ve found them. My mystery series will be set in 1957 in San Francisco. A great time and location. I’m very excited about the new possibilities. Writing a series is a new challenge and so is writing a mystery. You have to figure out the mystery yourself but then as a writer you need to reveal it slowly in a way that draws the reader in. I hope I can do it.

What’s the most interesting book you’ve ever read?

That’s a really tough one.I remember when I finally tackled War and Peace. It was difficult at first with all of the Russian names and lots of characters. When I was done, I thought “this is a true work of art.” There are good books and then there are great books.

Favorite authors?

I really like Pat Conroy’s books. I met Michael Connelly at the Los Angeles Festival of Books a few years ago. I love his books and I thought he was the coolest guy I’ve ever met.

Book you’re currently reading?

Okay, now here’s an honest answer–Lady Chatterley’s Lover. I remember that when I was in high school and college that book was banned. I can recall walking by a bookstore in Berkeley which was featuring the banned book. I’m reading it now on my Kindle to find out what all the fuss was about. It’s a classic novel.

In your opinion, what’s the measure of a successful writer?

It’s always nice if your book can make some money. I think some so-called “best sellers” are garbage. The world of writing and publishing is changing so rapidly. It’s scary out there but there’s also some really wonderful opportunities which were not there before.  The self-publishing world, the social networking and ebooks are all very exciting. However, to me the greatest payoff is when I get a tweet or e mail from a reader who says “I really loved your book” and that it meant something to them. It’s wonderful when someone’s life is touched by your book. It is very interesting to see what your writing means to readers.

Where can we learn more about you?

I’m active on Twitter at @gregmessel, on Facebook and regularly write on my blog.

I also have a page on the Independent Author Network web siteand website at www.gregmessel.com.

More Books by Greg Messel:

• Expiation
• Sunbreaks

I’ve talked before about misconceptions that people have about freelancing, but I think it’s worth bringing up again. Just this week I was at the doctor, and the receptionist asked for my work phone number. I told her it was the same as my home number and she said, “Oh, so you don’t work.” No, I told her, I’m a writer. She looked at me like that was the same thing.

But it isn’t just other people who have these misconceptions. Writers themselves have them before (and sometimes, even after) they start freelancing. I had one girl at a networking event tell me that she couldn’t understand why I was always so busy because she was constantly “looking for something to do.”

***Pardon me while I shake my head.***

It’s not that writing in comfy clothes and drinking coffee at a leisurely pace doesn’t happen in the freelance writing world, but there are several realities a writer should know before becoming a full-time telecommute worker.

Freelance Writers Do Nothing But Drink Coffee, Look Out the Window, Watch TV, and Mess Around on Facebook

While it’s true that freelancers can make their own schedule, many of them us work eight hours or day or longer. My first years as a freelancer I worked ten or twelve hour days six or even seven days a week. Now, I work a full-time schedule, but still go over the traditional 40 hour week occasionally.

I do have flexibility, and as a freelancer you will too. Your days can be broken up into smaller blocks of time so you can accommodate other life events (kid’s ballgames, working out, meeting with clients), but nevertheless you probably will still log a hefty amount of hours, especially in the beginning.

How many times have we said it? Running a successful freelance writing business is no different than running any other small business venture. Writers need to put in the amount of hours needed to make their business profitable, and this usually means working quite a bit, especially in the beginning. The difference is that most freelancers enjoy their work immensely, and working from home does change the pace of their day.

Negative Clients

Not all the misconceptions about freelancers are centered on their schedule, however. Some are on other things, and one is that once you leave the corporate world you never have to deal with negativity. Many freelancers leave the corporate world with the idea that they will never have to work with another unpleasant person again.

Unfortunately, the reality is that freelancers sometimes do have to work with negative people. Writers always have the option to end a client relationship, but when the bills need to be paid, writers need to take the work they can get.

Freelance Writers Sit in Coffee Shops All Day

Many people envision a writer as someone that sits at the coffee shop all day and pounds away at their keyboard. That’s true for some people, but many freelancers work from home in a room somewhere in their house all by themselves. In other words, the freelance life can be a lonely one.

However, this is one misconception I actually hope comes true. I think more writers should get out more and socialize, even if it’s just working at a coffee shop to see other humans during the day.

More on Being a Freelancer:

• The Well-Fed Writer: Financial Self-Sufficiency as a Commercial Freelancer in Six Months or Less
• 102 Ways to Earn Money Writing 1,500 Words or Less: The Ultimate Freelancer’s Guide
• Getting Started as a Freelance Writer (Culture Tools)

Image: Just2shutter / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

I talked about exposure in another post, and I got several comments and questions about that. One of them was, “How do you turn a gig that isn’t paying into something that pays.” Well then, that’s the million dollar question, isn’t it? Here are my thoughts.

Going From Unpaid to Paid

Quite simply, you either think of yourself as a paid writer, or you don’t. Don’t be shy about asking to be compensated for your time. There are times when writing for free is okay. We talked about virtual tours and guest posts, and charity also falls into that.

But if you’ve been working consistently for a magazine, newspaper, company, or organization, and you’ve been writing for free and they are continuing to ask you to do more articles, then it’s time to change tactics.

First step: Ask to be paid. Here’s how you do it.

“I’ve enjoying working with you, and hope I can continue to do it. From this point on, I am searching for paid assignments, so if you have something like that in the future, please feel free to contact me.”

Then you leave it as is. They know where to find you. If they say they can’t pay, you tell them again that you’ve enjoyed working with them in the past, and hope you’ll get the chance to do it again one day. Your point is made, there’s no need to apologize for it or beg. If they can’t pay you, move on to someone that can.

Don’t Believe Sob Stories

I used to be a sucker for sob stories with magazines, “we’re small,” “we’re new,” “we’re hoping to be able to pay one day,” and then I realized that these places did have money to pay others. They have to pay people to do layout, printing, editing… so why not writing?

When someone says they can’t pay what they are really saying is that they won’t. That doesn’t mean they won’t pay others on their staff, however. Don’t get sucked into a sob story, because unless you’re independently wealthy, you need money to pay your bills, too.

Counteract the Exposure Claim

Listen, sometimes writing opportunities really are that good that they will automatically give you a boost in your exposure. There are reasons for writing for free, but you really need to be careful about this, because when you establish yourself as someone that writes for free, it’s very hard to make the transition to get paid.

If someone says they are giving you exposure, do your homework. Things you can do to help you decide if it’s worth it:

• See if they can give you a Google Analytics report on their traffic. Understand the difference between hits and unique visitors.
• Find out their Alexa ranking.
• Get their subscriber numbers.
• See how many Facebook likes they have.
• See how they use Twitter (not just the Twitter numbers they have.) You can have someone with a lot of followers, but if they don’t use Twitter often enough they won’t have the same influence as someone that uses Twitter the right way but has less followers.
• Ask if others on the staff are being paid. (That’s bold. I know. But you’ll surprised at what you hear. One site told a friend of mine that they did pay “certain writers.” If they can pay some writers, they can pay them all.)

If someone is really paying in exposure, they can do it in more ways than just giving you a link with your article. They can help promote the article and you. See if they regularly retweet their writers links, if they help promote in other ways, etc.

Be Ready With a Price

If you do ask to be paid for articles, you might be surprised when they agree. It happens. So before you even ask, have a reasonable idea in mind what you think you should earn, because they may ask you, “What would you like to be paid?” or “What do you think would be a reasonable fee?”

Do your homework and confidently give them a price. Don’t be shy or uncertain about it.

Here’s more info on getting paid to write:

• What If You Get Paid on PageViews Along?
• Types of Payment for Writers
• Get Paid From Companies to Write
• Lessons From Plumbers on Setting Freelance Writing Rates
• How to Raise Your Rates

Image: Naypong / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Artsy Blogging Links for this week.

Addicted to Love
Cherie makes a mixed media girl that looks (very little) like the girls in that Robert Palmer video.

Beading Arts
Nobody ever likes to talk about that necessary evil…pricing!

Creative Dreamer
June’s sharing how she creates the brightly colored backgrounds for her journals… come see how!

Eileen – The Artful Crafter
Have you tried using gel medium to transfer images to fabric? Eileen shares the how-to and the how-not-to!

Hey Writers! Another Saturday is upon us. How are you doing this week? Are you working on a special or exciting project? Did you just get a new gig? Tell us about it in the comments below. Brag a little, and inspire your fellow writers. Sometimes all it takes in improving the life of another writer is offering encouragement. Talking about how you achieved your own goals is one way to do that.

Here are some new articles I wrote this week:

• Is Being a Cougar All It’s Cracked Up to Be?
• Dumb Things People Say to Diabetics
• Girl Friend Keeps Bringing Another Friend Along
• Celebrating Valentine’s Day With Your Friends
• Valentine’s Gift Ideas for Friends
• Special Calendar Day Resources (this is a good one for writers)

The Savvy Book Marketer has a smart post about “7 Tactics of Master Book Marketer Amanda Hocking.”

Rachelle Gardner asks something I’ve been thinking about, too. “What Will Happen to Booksignings?” In the digital world, will we still be able to get our favorite author to sign a book we can keep?

Social Media Today has “5 Ways to Undermine Your Linkedin Profile.”

Search Engine Journal has “Why These 3 Ranking Factors Matter (but Nobody Seems to Care About).”

All Freelance Writing reminds us to “Stand Up for Your Rates.”

Writer Unboxed has a post about “Research vs. Observation.” Good points.

Galley Cat has a good one on “How Not To Read Poetry.”

All Facebook gives tips on “How To Protect Your Privacy On Facebook Timeline — Without Wasting Time!”

A fun post by Julie Butcher on “The Ten Commandments of Query Letters.”

At Daily Writing Tips, “100 Words for Facial Expressions.” Very useful

Open Culture has a good one with, “Writing Tips by Henry Miller, Elmore Leonard, Margaret Atwood, Neil Gaiman & George Orwell.”

Loved this one from Jeff Bullas: “30 Inspiring Ideas To Develop Content For Your Blog.”

Social Media Examiner has “26 Tips for Writing Great Blog Posts.”

Alan Rinzler has some really good info on “Ask the editor: Is it OK to cross genres?”

I’m on Pinterest now. Are you? I’m finding it very interesting, and I came across this article from Media Jobs Daily which seems to say it all: “That Was Fast: Pinterest Drives More Referral Traffic Than G+, ‘Nearly On Par With Twitter’”

Really loved this one from Michael Hyatt, “3 Actions You Can Take Now to Shift Your Emotional State.”

Word Stream has a post a lot of us can use: “Using Google Insights for Search to Fight Blogger’s Block.”

Search Engine Journal has “7 Reasons Why Blogging Is Still Important in 2012.”

From ProBlogger, “How to Create and Host a Blog Carnival.”

Promote Your Book:

• 21 Ways to Promote Your Book on Twitter
• Virtual Book Tours

Image: Master isolated images / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Like so many authors, Barbara Howell has worn many hats, including her many careers: farmer, cosmetologist, wife, mother, grandmother, woodworker and now author.

Enjoy this interview.

Tell us a bit about yourself. Where are you from and how long have you been writing?

I laughingly tell people I’m proud to be from the country—more specifically from the hills and hollers of Tennessee. I was born and raised in a small town about 70 miles south of Nashville, but later as an adult I also lived in Tulsa, OK for about 10 years. Through my business, Southern Ladies Showcases, I have had the opportunity to travel extensively across the United State, especially in the South East and Mid West regions.

My love for writing began almost 50 years ago as I started writing plays and skits for a youth group at my church. Pretty soon that developed into a stronger passion and years later in my 40s I had the opportunity to begin taking college writing classes to develop my skill-set. From there, I spent as much time as possible writing, but found that at that time, ‘my story’ hadn’t yet been completed. It would be 20+ years later before I realized the book I was actually supposed to write–the story having been in the making all of my life.

Tell us about your latest book. What do you hope readers take away from it?

My book, Splinters: Splinters: The Pain, The Passion, The Point is a story of hope and encouragement that is actually auto-biographical in nature. Splinters shares my tale of growing up with a several hearing loss handicap that would later prove to drastically effect my life. The story is a candid look at the triumphs and struggles that I overcame, and the ultimate victory I experienced, making it to the ‘other side”.

The message I hope every reader walks away from is something that I’ve built my life around. I saw a cartoon many years ago of a bird trying to swallow a frog. The frog in turn, had his hands around the birds throat even from within it’s mouth. The caption reads, “It Ain’t Over Til It’s Over!” and that cartoon inspired me so much that I had an artist paint it for me and I have it hanging in my house to this day. When I was ready to write Splinters I knew I had to share that motto with my readers. Regardless of the situation or circumstances, a reminder that “It Ain’t Over ‘Til It’s Over!”

Share some of your writing goals. What’s next for you?

I’m currently working on my second book, a book that delves deeper and centers around one of the topics in Splinters: my brother-in-law’s murder conviction. (Readers will have to grab a copy of Splinters to get a preview of this story!) In addition to that, I currently speak to groups, churches and clubs and hold regular book signings promoting Splinters. I am proud to say that Splinters has won several awards, including “Best Christian True Story” for 2010 and an Award of Excellence from Graphic Design USA.

What’s the most interesting book you’ve ever read?

That’s a tough question as I read anything I can get my hands on—but I especially love books of an encouraging and inspirational nature. One of my favorites currently is a book called, The Bloodline of a Champion By Mark Hankins. I love books that push me to grow and help to serve as a reminder that as I tell others, “It Ain’t Over ‘Til It’s Over!”

Book you’re currently reading?

I am actually reading several books currently especially as the holidays are behind me—I can always count on a hefty variety of new books to delve into after gifts are exchanged! Among these, I gravitate toward other books that are biographical and I’m currently reading books about the lives of John G. Lake and Nancy Reagan.

What do you like to do when you’re not writing?

When I’m not writing, I can almost always be found in my woodworking shop, crafting wooden display cases and overseeing operations for Southern Ladies Showcases. The circumstances that led to my profession as a female woodworker are detailed in Splinters, but the passion I have for the activity is still just as prevalent today. I love being down in that shop!

Where can we learn more about you?

You can actually find out more about me on my website at www.splintersbook.com and on Twitter @splintersbook

Anything else you’d like to add?

I would just finish up by reminding readers that regardless of their current situations or how bad their circumstances look, there IS a new day tomorrow and things can turn around almost immediately it seems. Just a reminder that if they will keep fighting, keep persevering and stay after it they too can determine that “It Ain’t Over Til It’s Over!”

I’m getting a lot of questions about guest posting here, which I understand because so many of us are trying to get back links or promote blogs or books or whatever. So I wanted to let you know about my other blogs, in case there is a fit for your post there, too. You can do an interview here, guest post there. Or whatever. Promote away! I’m an author too and understand where you’re coming from. It’s hard to get attention for your book or blog when there are so many great ones out there. Here’s an update on where you can guest post with me, and if any of these interest you, contact me.

Working Writers

You’re here already! We have a lot of guest posters and interviews here, and then I chime in too and give my opinion. A lot of things have already been covered, so to not duplicate, it’s a good idea to take a look around and see what we might have already done. Things like the basics usually won’t get you the views, but if you can personalize it, that’s better. For example, an article on the basics of making money on a blog might not work, but if you can say, “here’s how I make money at blogging” that would be great. Basics on getting an agent has already been done, but if you want to talk about how you personally did it, that would be of interest.

If you’re writing a guest post, see if you can help out a fellow writer. We all love tips about how to get more out of our creative juices, so make your post helpful (and not just a promotion for your book!)

And do I need to say this? This blog is about writing. Now, it’s pretty broad, because we have a collection of different writers and bloggers here, so you can write about blogging, freelancing, or the like and anything that goes with it (clients, publishing, making money, running a small business, finding inspiration, etc.). Just don’t send me a blog about how to wear the perfect black dress. Which someone did. That doesn’t apply here. (Even if you’re wearing a black dress to write. It still doesn’t apply.)

As of December 2011, Working Writers traffic was:

Unique Visitors: 8,000 per month
Number of Visits: 25,000 per month
Pages: 99,000 per month
Hits: 315,000 per month

The Dating Blog (aka “Ms. Dating Consultant”)

The Dating Blog is my oldest blog, because I started as a dating and lifestyle writer. (And guess what? I still am! Isn’t that awesome when you can write about what you love and make it a niche?) Topics for the blog include everything related to finding a relationship: dating, date ideas, wedding stuff, knowing when you’ve met the one, etc. The focus is on relationships and not sex.

Again, since this blog has been around a while, a lot of things have been covered. So if you’re submitting, try and see if you can put a new spin on something. There is always something new to talk about in the dating world, so find that special viewpoint or relate to your own experience, and write something up.

What types of writers might like to submit to The Dating Blog? Dating writers (obviously), relationship or lifestyle experts, and novelists. Yes, novelists! If you have any type of romance or struggle for love and acceptance at all in your book, you’re the perfect candidate to guest post. Talk about your process for getting your characters together, or how you’ve drawn on your own experience, or what you think about romances in pop culture today, and the like.

As of December 2011, The Dating Blog’s traffic was:

Unique Visitors: 4,500 per month
Number of Visits: 18,000 per month
Pages: 40,000 per month
Hits: 85,000 per month

Her Geek Life

Her Geek Life is a lifestyle site especially geared toward girly geeks. While this may sound very specific, it’s actually very inclusive of all those odd facts and articles you might not be able to place anywhere else. As a geek girl myself, I like a variety of things, and so do a lot of other girly geeks out there. Anything related to health, beauty, fashion, your love life, happiness, odd facts, movies, gadgets, technology, rants, TV, food, and you name it. Check it out and you’ll get an idea of what’s on there.

What types of authors or bloggers might want to post there? A wide variety. Anything nonfiction or fiction could apply. That sounds very vague, but the site covers a lot, and I’ve yet to find anything that doesn’t really work on it. It’s a lifestyle site, so the focus is on things you like or favorite things or ways to improve yourself, etc.

As of December 2011, Her Geek Life’s traffic was:

Unique Visitors: 3,500 per month
Number of Visits: 12,000 per month
Pages: 45,000 per month
Hits: 85,000 per month

Eiffel Trifle

Eiffel Trifle really is a random and specific blog. I started it because I love Eiffel Tower stuff, and wanted to blog about it. So I write about things I find that are cool. Because this is such a random blog, I don’t update it very often, just when I feel like and/or have time. I bring it up here because every once in a while someone will ask me if they can guest post on it. I haven’t accepted guest posts on it yet, mostly because I can’t imagine that someone would want to post on such a random blog! But some writers or blogs have focused on Paris or the Eiffel Tower in some way, so if that’s you I’ll open it up to guest posters. The traffic reflects the randomness of the blog and the blogger’s posting habits (meaning: it’s small).

As of December 2011, Eiffel Trifle’s traffic was:

Unique Visitors: 1,000 per month
Number of Visits: 2,000 per month
Pages: 6,000 per month
Hits: 20,000 per month

Promotion

If you guest post on any of my blogs, I do promote every post on Twitter and Facebook for sure, and usually some other sites as well.

More on Blogging and Guest Posts:

• ProBlogger: Secrets for Blogging Your Way to a Six-Figure Income
• Creative Blogging: Your First Steps to a Successful Blog
• Virtual Book Tours

Image: Stuart Miles / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

One thing I adore about the blogging community is just how friendly and generous they are. Connie Brimmage from Salvage Savvy says something similar at the end of this interview. Connie’s blog is fairly new (less than a year at the time of this interview), so I hope you’ll all give her a big, hearty, Working Writers welcome.

Enjoy this interview.

I really adore your blog. When did you decide to start it? Was there a “I’ve got to write about this” moment when you were doing a project?

Thanks so much Cherie! I decided to start Salvage Savvy in March of 2011. I’ve always loved interior decorating, and I am constantly doing DIY projects around our home. However, I didn’t spend a lot of time on the computer and had never read home decor blogs [I had NO idea what I was missing!]. One day I stumbled upon a blog via Nate Berkus’ website [I just love Nate, don‘t you?!] and something just “clicked“ inside of me. It was like finding the missing piece to my creativity puzzle. I called my sister and told her I wanted to start my own blog and then immediately began designing and writing ideas for it [well, once I got her blessing… you know how important that is if you have a sister!]. The idea of sharing my passion with others was SO EXCITING and I couldn‘t wait to start. Looking back, I realize that the timing was pretty much insane! You see, our baby girl was three months old at the time [which is the perfect time to start blogging… if you love utter chaos and despise sleep] and I really had no idea that beginning a blog is essentially equivalent to having another child!! Nevertheless, I’m so very glad that I went ahead and took the leap and wouldn‘t change a thing. This is truly my passion so all of the hard work is worth it.

How often do you update the blog?

I’m still a fairly new blogger [I can use that excuse until Salvage Savvy is a year old, right?!] so I’m still figuring out what posting schedule works best. Here’s the thing: I don’t have alot of extra time to sit around reading blogs all day and I realize that my readers don’t either. Therefore, I only write two or three times each week but I really want each post to inspire, inform or make people laugh in some way [and if I can do all three then it's a really good day!]. I try to keep Salvage Savvy a fluff-free zone! Also, because I focus on sharing projects with my readers, I add one new project to the blog each week. Yes, that keeps me busy, but I recognize that DIY projects are the “pulse” of Salvage Savvy so it’s important!

More DIY Resources:

• DIY Projects for the Self-Sufficient Homeowner: 25 Ways to Build a Self-Reliant Lifestyle
• DIY Art at Home: 28 Simple Projects for Chic Decor on the Cheap
• Real-Life Decor: 100 Easy DIY Projects to Brighten Your Home on a Budget

Writers are always looking for places to get their book reviewed, right? Well, here’s a source you might want to check out.

Enjoy this interview.

How did your blog get started? What was the thing that made you think, “It’s time to do this”?

I first learned how to write reviews in the “professional” sense when I was taking a Children’s Materials and Services class in the Library and Information Studies program at the University of Alabama. Normally when someone thinks of a book review, it might be a review on Amazon.com where someone writes, “Amazing book!!!!!” or “I hated this book!!!!!” and simply leave it at that. In the Children’s Services class, we were taught to analyze juvenile books as children’s librarians. Why is this a good book for children? Does it teach a lesson? Is it entertaining? Is it biased or outdated?

Technically there are four blogs, all hyperlinked to each other. One is devoted to adult fiction/nonfiction, one to children’s literature, one to young adult literature, and one to graphic novels. I was surprised at how much fun these reviews are to write. Reviews start with a “teaser” of sorts, like something you would read on the back of a book to get you interested. Then you analyze the book’s merits, and give suggestions as to what age range is appropriate, or who would be interested.

How often do you update the blog?

I try to post a review on each blog at least once a month.

What kind of posts do you write and accept?

For the adult blog, I have decided to set “themes” for myself for each month. January’s theme is Doomsday Literature (the world’s supposed to end this year, so why not embrace it through fiction?). I accept any and all comments from readers.

Let’s switch gears to books. What’s the most interesting book you’ve ever read?

Duneby Frank Herbert. It’s a classic science fiction novel that’s laden with wonderful world-building details. It’s not just a book you can read, but a place you can live in while you read it.

Favorite authors?

Too many to count! But just to name a few: Stephen King, Alison Weir, Antonia Frasier, Anne Rice, Mercedes Lackey, Neil Gaiman.

Where can we learn more about you?

I have a Facebook page where I’m listed as Elizabeth.

Anything else you’d like to add?

I’m entertaining myself with the book reviews while working on a novel entitled Pathos Fair, and searching for a method of publishing it.

More on Book Reviews and Promotion:

• The Slippery Art of Book Reviewing
• Faint Praise: The Plight of Book Reviewing in America
• Virtual Book Tours

There’s writing for free, and then there’s writing for free. What I mean is, there is a difference between exposure for exposure’s sake, and backlinks. We all write for free these days occasionally, but there is usually a good reason for it. You’re guest posting to get backlinks, you’re doing a favor for a blogger friend, you’re promoting your book or blog, etc. After all, much of what happens on a virtual tour is free writing in the form of guest posts on other people’s blogs.

But then there’s the notion of exposure, and that’s what I want to talk about here. The other day I saw a note on one of those places where writers look for resources and interviews, and this person posted about needing “contributors” for their “upcoming magazine issue.” What I found made me mad. Let’s talk about it.

Pay in the Form of Exposure

It took me several clicks at the magazine’s site to discover that they were strictly an online mag that charged a hefty monthly fee to subscribers. Nothing wrong with that, and at first I thought it was encouraging because with a large fee they must pay their writers. Right?

Wrong.

They paid in the form of “exposure.” Their site looked terrible, so maybe they were a startup. Still, though, they were going out to recruit writers for several free articles for their magazine for February in a variety of categories.

Now, the question is, should you write for them? What’s the difference between doing a virtual tour or guest post, and writing for exposure?

Virtual Tours

I want to focus on virtual tours for a minute because so many authors are doing them, and I can attest that they are valuable if you have a book to sell. They give you plenty of backlinks that stay long after the “tour” is over. In many cases on these tours you’re writing specifically about something related to your book, so you get to talk about it, link to it, and get readers interested in it.

Is this worthwhile for writers? Absolutely.

Guest Posts

Guest posts are trickier, in my opinion. I still do them occasionally, especially for other bloggers that I’ve gotten to know or people I’m trying to get to know. For example, when I first started writing about friendship, I was asked to do a couple guest posts from other friendship bloggers. (One was about understanding about your girlfriend’s healthy problems at Girlfriendology and the other was about “What I Know Now” about friendship at Girlfriend Circles.

These bloggers were “competitors” of mine to a degree, but we decided to band together and help each other out. (Which is just one reason I love other bloggers. They get that we can all benefit from helping each other.) Another scenario with guest posting is when you’re trying to just get some backlinks, or get to know other bloggers, or establish your name in the area in which you write.

Is something like this worthwhile? You bet.

Before You Do Guest Posts

Before you do a guest post, however, you need to be clear about your goals, and this is where the distinction will come in when you’re comparing guest posting to writing for exposure only. In guest posting (virtual tours, etc.) you’re able to link to your website (and if you’re not, why the heck are you doing it!), you’re able to give a short bio of yourself, you’re probably blogging about a subject you have chosen and really enjoy, you’re probably able to talk a little bit about something near and dear to your heart, and on and on. You need to decide what the value is in a guest post for you.

For example, when I first started out as a freelancer I needed to accomplish a couple things. I needed people to come visit my website and I needed to establish my name as a serious blogger. I wasn’t a hobby blogger, but no one knew it back then because no one knew me. I’m not famous now (that’s not what I’m talking about), but I do have a reputation as being a serious blogger and freelance writer. One thing that helped me establish that was guest posting on various places where I could show that I was an expert in things like lifestyle and relationships. I made sure that the sites I chose were getting decent amounts of traffic, and had an influence of some sort with the audience I was trying to attract. If I wrote a guest post that helped me with the criteria I wanted most, I did it.

Writing for Exposure

Magazines or sites that hire, search for, and recruit writers to work solely for exposure, though, are tricky. They are more tricky than guest posts, because if “exposure” is all you’re looking for, you need to make sure that the site is really going to give it to you. As I said, when I clicked through to that online magazine in question, it was obvious they were new and probably didn’t have much traffic. Will that get you exposure? Doubtful.

Also, if exposure is what you want (and that’s not a bad goal), you can always get it other ways than just guest posting. Think about offering yourself up as an expert for radio or TV shows, get exposure in your community by volunteering to teach a class at your community center, enter a reputable awards contest, get interviewed by another blogger, and on and on. There are a lot of ways you can promote yourself if you want exposure.

Getting Experience

The other argument with writing for a rinky dink magazine for free is that you get “experience” and writing credentials. Well, yes and no. I did this too when I first started out, and anywhere I wrote for free didn’t hold a lot of weight with the people I was trying to get a paid job for. If you write for a non-profit for free, that’s something different. What I’m talking about are those magazines who actively recruit writers on job boards and on places like HARO for work, promise a lot, and don’t deliver. It can be difficult, especially when you’re new, to protect yourself against them.

• Before you take a job writing for free, ask yourself:
• Is this an opportunity that is better (traffic-wise, pay, connections) than if I posted on my own blog?
• Will doing something for free for this person help me get other paying jobs? (In other words, is the editor really connected where they would hire you again for a paying gig down the line? Do some checking.)
• Will doing this gig establish that I’m willing to write for free. (That’s a hard precedent to break.)
• Will doing this gig take too much time away from promoting myself in other ways?

More on Guest Posting:

• How To Market Your Business With Guest Blogging
• Guest Posting Secrets-Building Business With Guest Posting On High Traffic Websites-AAA+++
• Virtual Book Tours

Image: Stuart Miles / FreeDigitalPhotos.net