Writers on the Rise

By Tiffani Hill-Patterson

Publisher’s Weekly: News and deals galore
If you want to keep up with book industry trends, you should be a regular at Publisher’s Weekly.
The website offers subscribers a virtual edition of its print version, and “with guaranteed delivery by 8 a.m. (EST) Sundays, each issue is fully searchable, printable and archived.”

In addition to the magazine itself, you can also sign up to receive newsletters on religion, children’s books, and comic works, as well as PW Daily, which features all the day’s publishing news.

Searching for a new read? Check out PW’s reviews section, which includes fiction, nonfiction, children’s and religion. Blogs abound, and all you have to do is click the tab on the front page and find the writer who interests you. And, finally, get the latest scoop on who’s getting the big deals in the book-writing world. Let us know when you make the list!
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Tiffani Hill-Patterson is an award-winning journalist with 13 years of writing and editing experience. She’s a regular contributor to The Writer Mama zine and Birmingham Parent magazine, and her articles on health, parenting, fitness and pop culture have also appeared in The Huntsville Times, The Moulton Advertiser and The TimesDaily. She lives in Alabama with her husband and daughter. Read more at http://www.tiffanihillpatterson.com.
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By Tiffani Hill-Patterson

In January, I profiled Writer’s Digest.com. In March, the publication did a little spring cleaning, and, boy, does the site look inviting! It’s simple and organized, and the content is easily accessible. On the new home page, you’ll find a Featured Article – recent ones include “The Importance of the Writing Environment” and “Back Up Your Work for Free.” The Writer’s Mart highlights services and products geared to help you polish your prose and get published. The revamped site also shares a Writing Tip of the Day, covering everything from nonfiction books to copyright to run-on sentences.

The blogs are neatly laid out on the front page. Got a question on queries? Find the answer at Questions and Quandaries, written by Brian A. Klems. Engage your poetry muse with Robert Lee Brewer’s Poetic Asides.

Critique Central, Writer’s Block Party, and Literary Hot Spots are places writers can seek advice, brag about successes and share their favorite community writing spots.

Of course, the Writer’s Digest free newsletter continues to deliver tips, advice and market news straight to your inbox. Check out the new and improved site to “write better and get published.”

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Tiffani Hill-Patterson is an award-winning journalist with 13 years of writing and editing experience. She’s a regular contributor to The Writer Mama zine and Birmingham Parent magazine, and her articles on health, parenting, fitness and pop culture have also appeared in The Huntsville Times, The Moulton Advertiser and The TimesDaily. She lives in Alabama with her husband and daughter. Read more at http://www.tiffanihillpatterson.com.

Freelance Success: Helping writers build a profitable career

Freelance Success or FLX as members call it, is a $99 “toolbox” that can help freelancers build a solid business.

A weekly newsletter that focuses on helping you improve your cash flow is the “hammer,” the big gun in the toolbox. The guide nails down inside information by interviewing editors of top-paying publications, says FLX editor and publisher Jennie Phipps on the About Us page.

The toolbox’s “level” is found in the forums, where colleagues offer steady advice and join in level-headed discussions about the business. Writers share editor and source contact information in the Freelance Success Forum. The Juggling Writer forum is described as being for “parents struggling to keep all the balls in the air, for those trying to cram full-time freelancing into a part-time schedule, and for anyone else who feels they’re truly struggling with freelancing.”

The site also includes a “tape measure,” or the Pay Check Database, where members can find and contribute information on publications’ pay rates and whether it’s a breeze or a battle to get a check.

Finally, the site offers a few nails, or 10 reasons to subscribe. If you want to try before you buy, a sample issue is available along with a few days of access to the forums.

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Tiffani Hill-Patterson is an award-winning journalist with 13 years of writing and editing experience. She’s a regular contributor to The Writer Mama zine and Birmingham Parent magazine, and her articles on health, parenting, fitness and pop culture have also appeared in The Huntsville Times, The Moulton Advertiser and The TimesDaily. She lives in Alabama with her husband and daughter. Read more at http://www.tiffanihillpatterson.com.

By Tiffani Hill-Patterson

Wooden Horse Publishing is a one-stop shop for writer’s guidelines and editorial calendars for more than 2,000 print magazines. For less than two dollars, you can browse the database of market guidelines, themes and contact information for 24 hours. If you like what you see, you can get a longer-term subscription. The site’s Fast News on the home page keeps you abreast of the latest magazine launches, and the free email zine tells you who’s in, who’s out and what’s new in the publication world.

According to the site’s About Us, founder Meg Weaver chose a Swedish “dala” horse for her logo because the “good luck charm has been part of her life since childhood.” Who knows? Maybe Wooden Horse Publishing will bring you good luck, too.

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Tiffani Hill-Patterson is an award-winning journalist with 13 years of writing and editing experience. She’s a regular contributor to The Writer Mama zine and Birmingham Parent magazine, and her articles on health, parenting, fitness and pop culture have also appeared in The Huntsville Times, The Moulton Advertiser and The TimesDaily. She lives in Alabama with her husband and daughter. Read more at http://www.tiffanihillpatterson.com.

By Tiffani Hill-Patterson

Funds for Writers
It’s all about the money at Funds for Writers. On her website, founder and editor C. Hope Clark says, “To FFW, success means earning a living doing what you love.” And she helps writers find that success by searching out legitimate grants, paying contests and markets, putting them all together in her free newsletters and sending them to subscribers. It’s almost like money in your inbox. If you have advice on making money through writing, tips on winning contests or ideas for breaking into a specific market, Hope, a Writers on the Rise contributor, also accepts submissions.

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Tiffani Hill-Patterson is an award-winning journalist with thirteen years of writing and editing experience. She’s a regular contributor to The Writer Mama zine and Birmingham Parent magazine, and her articles on health, parenting, fitness and pop culture have also appeared in The Huntsville Times, The Moulton Advertiser and The TimesDaily. She lives in Alabama with her husband and daughter. Read more at http://www.tiffanihillpatterson.com.

By Tiffani Hill-Patterson 

Good Ol’ WritersDigest.com
Most of us are familiar with the venerable Writer’s Digest, but did you know about the magazine’s companion website?

WritersDigest.com is jam-packed with information to boost your writing career. Check out the daily update of market listings, a searchable database of guidelines, a list of the top 100 markets  and free advice.

The online version also includes articles from the print version as well as writing exercises, blogs and contests. Sign up for the free newsletter and get tips, advice and market news delivered right to your inbox. Can’t get much easier than that!
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Tiffani Hill-Patterson is an award-winning journalist with 13 years of writing and editing experience. She’s a regular contributor to The Writer Mama zine and Birmingham Parent magazine, and her articles on health, parenting, fitness and pop culture have also appeared in The Huntsville Times, The Moulton Advertiser and The TimesDaily. She lives in Alabama with her husband and daughter. Read more at http://www.tiffanihillpatterson.com.