Career-building tips for mom writers from the author of Writer Mama, How to Raise a Writing Career Alongside Your Kids.
Cat!
Congratulations, Cat. You’ve won The Write-brain Workbook by Bonnie Neubauer.
To reread about what you’ve won, click here.
Please send me your snail mail address at writer mama at earthlink dot net.
Thanks everyone for participating! And don’t worry, there are still 21 chances to win!
Thanks for your help spreading the word about the 2008 Writer Mama Back-to-School Giveaway.
Don’t be shy about spreading the word, now. There are plenty of prizes all month long. 
1. I am now accepting scholarships for the Writer Mama Scholarship. The scholarship recipient is chosen by short application based on merit, enthusiasm, and need. All the info is here. Deadline is this Sunday at midnight. Value: $199.00.
2. I could use some nominations for best writing blog over at Michael Stelzner’s blog, Writing White Papers. Here’s the recent post in which I beg.
3. Before I re-announce all of our week one winners from the Writer Mama Back-to-School Giveaway, I want to thank our generous giveaway donors once again:
Day one: Chicken a la King & the Buffalo Wing by Steven Gilbar, Fix, Freeze, Feast cookbook by Kati Neville & Lindsay Tkacsik.
Day two: The Writer Mama Gift Set from Laron Glover at Ninth Moon
Day three: The Shy Writer by Hope Clark & Wooden “Writer at Work” Doorhanger from Laron Glover at Ninth Moon
Day four: The Travel Writer’s Collection from Laron Glover at Ninth Moon
Day five: 1001 Books for Every Mood by Hallie Ephron
Day six: Writer Mama by Christina Katz (Thanks, me!)
Day seven: A Writer’s Space Collection from Laron Glover at Ninth Moon (book by Eric Maisel)
4. Congratulations again to our week one winners: Jenna, Christine, Maribeth, Renee, Maribeth (again!), Cheryl, and Erin. Thanks for spreading the book-love!
Welcome to day nine of the annual Writer Mama Back-to-School Giveaway. One lucky winner will walk away with a brand, spankin’ new copy of Freelancing for Newspapers by Sue Lick.
Celebrity siting! If you subscribe to the other e-zine I publish, Writers on the Rise, then you know that Sue Lick writes the awesome monthly column: Freelancing for Newspapers Challenge. Read them all for great ideas on how to break into newspapers. By the time you are done, I’m guessing that you will really wish that you had a copy of Freelancing for Newspapers: Writing for an Overlooked Market (Quill Driver Books, 2007).
Here’s the description:
Ever wonder how any newspaper staff can produce so many stories every day, every week, every month of the year and keep up with breaking news, too? They can’t. They use freelancers. This book serves as a guide to newspaper freelancing, both for beginners and for more experienced writers who want to expand their markets. Topics include: the newspaper market, ideas, queries, research, interviews, writing, revisions, and the business side of freelancing.
Sue Fagalde Lick, author of Freelancing for Newspapers, worked as a staff writer, photographer and editor for newspapers in California and Oregon for many years before moving into full-time freelancing. In addition to countless newspaper and magazine articles, she has published three books on Portuguese Americans. She has taught workshops at Oregon Coast Community College, online for Writing-world.com and for Willamette Writers and California Writers Club. She offers an online course on reviews as well as individual coaching. See her website and visit her blog.
Today’s question: Have you ever been published in a newspaper? Have you ever been published on a newspaper’s website? Have you ever drummed up the nerve to pitch the editor of your favorite newspaper section? Have you ever wanted to but chickened out? Whether you dared or dream, tell us all about it (in 50-200 words, of course).
If this is your first post in the giveaway, please read “Da Rules.”
Post comment until midnight on September 9th to enter today’s drawing.
Erin Maher!
Congratulations, Erin. You’ve won A Writer’s Space Collection from Ninth Moon and a Writer Mama Creative Manifesto Throw Pillow.
To reread about what you’ve won, click here.
Please send me your snail mail address at writer mama at earthlink dot net.
Thanks everyone for participating! And don’t worry, there are still 22 chances to win!
Thanks for your help spreading the word about the 2008 Writer Mama Back-to-School Giveaway. Don’t by shy about spreading the word, now. There are plenty of prizes all month long.
It’s harvest time, mamas. Can you feel it?
In his blog, author J.A. Konrath (we went to the same school), has this quote that I like:
“There’s a word for a writer who never gives up… published.”
This perfectly describes my experience as a writer. I have accomplished a lot since my daughter was born six-and-a-half years ago and perhaps it would be inspirational to share it with you, mamas, so you can catch a glimpse of what is possible:
And if you notice the repetition of the words, “hard” + “work” above, that’s not a coincidence. Writing career success is not about talent or luck. It’s really about whether or not you are willing to work consistently until you succeed. And believe me, I have worked.
And suddenly, I have 6 hours a day to work now that my daughter, Samantha, has entered first grade. I’ve been working so hard for so long–as a writer friend put it recently–around the edges of everything, that I’m not sure if I can remember how to manage a big chunk of consecutive hours.
But don’t worry. I’ll be fine. And it won’t take long to adjust to this new, expansive rhythm. I’m excited to see what it will bring next Fall. And I’m excited to rediscover more time for self-care, not to mention more time for my friends and family.
Maybe autumn isn’t technically the beginning of a new year, but it always feels that way to me. Happy harvest time, mamas!
In the writing spirit,
Christina Katz
Welcome to day eight of the annual Writer Mama Back-to-School Giveaway. One lucky winner will walk away with The Write-brain Workbook by Bonnie Neubauer.
With The Write-Brain Workbook, you’ll never have to face a blank page again. This one-of-a-kind guide provides a full year of writing excercises and games designed to get thoughts brewing and the pen moving across the page. It:
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Bonnie Neubauer is the author of The Write-Brain Workbook, 366 Exercises to Liberate Your Writing, and the forthcoming follow-up, Take Ten, coming out in 2009. She is also the creator of Story Spinner, a hand held wheel that generates millions of creative writing exercises. Visit her website, www.BonnieNeubauer.com, and click on Story Spinner Online and you will have at your fingertips, gazillions of free writing exercises whenever you want (or need) one.
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Today’s question: Do you incorporate the use of prompts or exercises as a regular part of your writing practice? If so, how? And if not, why not? Think first, you might mistakenly overlook some of the tricks you’ve developed over the years to prime your writing pump. If you have a trusty prompt or exercise, you’d like to share with us. Feel free!
If this is your first post in the giveaway, please read “Da Rules.”
Post comment until midnight on September 8th to enter today’s drawing.
Cheryl M!
Congrats, Cheryl.
You have won Writer Mama by Christina Katz (that’s me), a Writer Mama Creative Manifesto mouse pad, and a Writer Mama wall clock.
To reread about what you’ve won, click here.
Please send me your snail mail address at writer mama at earthlink dot net.
Thanks everyone for participating! And don’t worry, there are still 24 chances to win!
Thanks for your help spreading the word about the 2008 Writer Mama Back-to-School Giveaway. Don’t by shy about spreading the word, now. There are plenty of prizes all month long.
“The difference between a struggling writer searching for a book deal and the happily published author is a well-developed platform. (If you don’t know what a platform is, you really need this book.) It’s refreshing to read a book devoted to this very important part of the publishing process. Get Known Before the Book Deal is a must-read for any writer who wants to become a published author.”
—Lee Silber, award-winning author of thirteen books, including Self-Promotion for the Creative Person
“Katz challenges the comfortable myths writers often hide behind: I’m the exception, and I’m too modest for self-promotion. Marketing is the author’s responsibility, and new authors seeking ways to meaningfully increase their audience and reach—before, during, and after publication—will find hundreds of practical strategies here. Katz says: get over yourself. She shows you exactly how to do just that.”
—Heather Sellers, author of Georgia Under Water and Page After Page
“This should be the go-to book for every writer wanting to succeed in the highly competitive world of book publishing. As an agent, I know platform is as important (in a successful deal) as the quality of the written words on the page. Christina brings that home in her warm and accessible writing style of this book that’s filled with juicy tips!”
—Sharlene Martin, Martin Literary Management
“Every day I tell writers, ‘Build your platform!’ They ask, ‘How?’ Now I can point them in the right direction, to Christina Katz’s excellent guide to platform-building.”
—Eric Maisel, author of Creativity for Life and A Writer’s Space
“Christina Katz’s no-nonsense guide to building an author platform is a shot in the arm, a kick in the pants, and a bracing dose of reality, not to mention chock full of sage advice, invaluable resources, and buckets of encouragement.”
—Hallie Ephron, author of Never Tell a Lie and 1,001 Books for Every Mood
“This book is an essential field manual for every new writer. In the increasingly competitive publishing world, those who follow Christina Katz’s advice will have a definite advantage.”
—James Scott Bell, author of Plot & Structure and Revision and Self-Editing
Welcome to day seven of the annual Writer Mama Back-to-School Giveaway. One lucky winner will walk away with this gift set from Ninth Moon:
A Writer’s Space Collection (value: $82.90)
- honoring your inner muse,
- sparking your creative impulse,
- making the most of the time you spend writing,
- devising personal rituals to start writing and keep writing,
- creating a workspace that complements the writing process,
- design a writing schedule that’s easy to follow—no matter what.
Bio:
Laron Glover is owner of Ninth Moon (http://www.ninthmoon.com), a boutique store that provides “gifts to delight and tools to inspire” writers. Ninth Moon specializes in treasures (not trinkets) and has recently added a line of author promotional items (bookplates/labels/stationery). Laron is a writer mama herself–her “baby” will be starting kindergarten this year, which means she no longer has to compete with a 5-year old for her laptop. She admires all parents who manage to write around jelly-coated keyboards and temper tantrums in pursuit of their dreams.
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Writer Mama Creative Manifesto Pillow from Writer Mama Stuff at Café Press.
Original Writer Mama cover art by Claudean Wheeler, modified by Burton Haun.
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Today’s question: How important is your writing space? Which aspects of your space are most important to you? Tell us about your dream writing space, if you don’t have the writing space you’d like yet. 50-200 words on your writing space, please.
If this is your first post in the giveaway, please read “Da Rules.”
Post comment until midnight on September 7th to enter today’s drawing.
Michael Stlzner is accepting nominations over at Writing White Papers for the best writing blogs.
This blog was nominated last year but didn’t make the final cut.
Well, darn it. I think we should have another shot. Don’t you?
If you’d like to nominate The Writer Mama Riffs blog, please follow Michael’s rules:
How to Nominate Your Favorite Writing Blog:
To make the cut, a blog must be nominated more than once.
The winners will be announced here and also in our 20,000 reader newsletter.
Nominations must be received by September 12, 2008.
No pressure, mamas. 
…someone who is going to be chanting “Woo-woo-woo!”
That’s right. Maribeth won AGAIN. Twice already and we’re only on day five.
Maribeth, I think you better go get yourself a couple dozen lottery tickets.
You have won 1001 Books for Every Mood by Hallie Ephron & Writer Mama Tote Bag!
To reread about what you’ve won, click here.
Please send me your snail mail address at writer mama at earthlink dot net.
Thanks everyone for participating! And don’t worry, there are still 25 chances to win! (You too, Maribeth. Show us what you’ve got!)
Thanks for your help spreading the word about the 2008 Writer Mama Back-to-School Giveaway.
Welcome to day six of the annual Writer Mama Back-to-School Giveaway. One lucky winner will walk away with Writer Mama by Christina Katz (that’s me), a Writer Mama Creative Manifesto mouse pad, and a Writer Mama wall clock.
About Writer Mama, How to Raise a Writing Career Alongside Your Kids:
As a mom, you want to spend as much time with your children as possible. But you’d also like to make some money doing something you enjoy. How do you get the best of both worlds? Writer Mama, How to Raise a Writing Career Alongside Your Kids by experienced freelancer Christina Katz tells you how. You can start a stay-at-home freelance writing career tailored to fit your family and lifestyle.
Writer Mama will answer all your questions about how to get started, in realistic, easy-to-follow steps. While conversational and easy-to-read, this book also does a lot of hard work for you. It gives you practical advice and exercises that help you get started in a matter of weeks. You’ll get tips on how to:
You’ll love the short chapters, sidebars, and exercises that let you get the information you need in small doses that fit into your busy schedule. Plus this book was written to grow with you. Once you master the skills of being an article writer, it teaches you how to pitch a nonfiction book idea and explore other areas of writing—advice you won’t find presented like this anywhere else.
So if you want to get started writing for publication, let writer mama Christina Katz help. If she and countless other moms can do it, so can you!
Hands down, a treasure!
~ Allena Tapia, About.com
Writer Mama is a solid, sensible guide that is sure to help any woman who wants to pursue a professional writing career while raising her children.
~ Eric Maisel, author of Creativity for Life
What a find! Writer Mama is a must for any woman beginning a freelance career.
~ Barbara DeMarco-Barrett, author of Pen On Fire.
Bio:
Christina Katz is the author of Get Known Before the Book Deal, Use Your Personal Strengths to Grow an Author Platform (Writer’s Digest Books, October 2008) and Writer Mama, How to Raise a Writing Career Alongside Your Kids (Writer’s Digest Books, March 2007). She has a BA from Dartmouth College and an MFA from Columbia College, Chicago. Christina lives in Wilsonville, Oregon, with her husband, daughter, and too many pets. Christina teaches over one hundred students a year, speaks at writers conferences around the country, and has published hundreds of articles in magazines, newspapers, and online. She is the publisher of Writers on the Rise with thousands of subscribers and has appeared on Good Morning America.
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Writer Mama Creative Manifesto mouse pad and Writer Mama wall clock from Writer Mama Stuff at Café Press.
Original Writer Mama cover art by Claudean Wheeler, modified by Burton Haun.
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Today’s question: First give us your biggest writing-related time-crunch challenge. Then coach yourself as to how to respond to the challenge in a way that will address it. (Why not test it out your advice this week and see if it works?)
If this is your first comment in the giveaway, please read “Da Rules.”
Comments accepted to this post until midnight on September 6th.
Renee!
Renee, I predict some travel writing in your future, even if you don’t believe it
You have won The Travel Writer’s Collection from Ninth Moon and a Writer Mama baseball hat!
To reread about what you’ve won, click here.
Please send me your snail mail address at writer mama at earthlink dot net.
Thanks everyone for participating! And don’t worry, there are still 26 chances to win!
Thanks for your help spreading the word about the 2008 Writer Mama Back-to-School Giveaway.
Congratulations, Renee!
Now accepting applications through September 14th for the October 8th Writing & Publishing the Short Stuff Class.
Are you a mom, who would love to take the Writing and Publishing the Short Stuff Class that starts October 8th, but you would not otherwise be able to afford it?
Then you qualify for The Writer Mama Scholarship.
The deadline for your short application is one week only: Saturday, September 6th - Sunday, September 14th by midnight.
Please read the guidelines below completely and double-check your application. The recipient will be announced by midnight, Monday, September 15th, in this blog.
Please feel free to spread the word about the scholarship, even if you do not intend to apply.
Only one scholarship is available per WPSS class during 2008. This is a full scholarship. The recipient commits to participating fully in the class and delivering all six assignments on time. Please do not apply if you cannot make the commitment to participate in the class.
The scholarship is not transferable if you fail to complete the class. The scholarship is also not transferable in the case of illness, family emergencies, a move, etc.
Please note that this is a scholarship, not a giveaway. Also, the scholarship is only for moms, not soon-to-be moms. The scholarship is offered by Christina Katz. No additional professional time or coaching is offered with the scholarship. It’s up to the scholarship recipient to make the most of the class, like everyone else in the group.
What is written in your application is considered private and will not be shared or sold. The only way to qualify is to apply each time.
To learn about future scholarship opportunities (four more next year!), please subscribe to The Writer Mama e-zine in the upper right-hand corner of this blog (click on the envelope glyph).
Applications will be reviewed in the order they are received. Send your application to: “writer mama 2 @ earthlink dot net”. This is the only email address for the scholarship. If you do not receive the scholarship, save your application for future scholarships, and re-apply. But double check the application, it may have changed or been updated.
The application questions are below. Copy and paste the questions into an email (though, for class you must be able to create and read Microsoft Word documents, no exceptions). Your application should not exceed one page in 12-point font, single-spaced in a Microsoft Word document, but please answer each question completely. Please write your application in Word and then transfer the text into an email.
The scholarship recipient will be chosen based on the following criteria: Demonstrated effort, Need, and Enthusiasm as determined by Christina Katz. The most important consideration is demonstrated past effort, so please don’t skimp on details of your past writing efforts.
No one else will view your application.
Applications accepted from U.S. residents only at this time. Thanks for understanding.
Here’s the application (copy and paste it into a Word doc, answer each question fully, do not exceed one page, then copy and paste your final application into an email when you are ready to submit it):
[Begin application form]
Name
Address
Phone
Have you read the book, Writer Mama?
How long have you been reading the WM blog?
What version of Microsoft Word software are you currently using?
Have you applied for The Writer Mama Scholarship before?
Write a short paragraph in response to the following questions:
[End application form]
Please Note: The Writer Mama Scholarship is only for moms who legitimately cannot afford class tuition for whatever reason. So if you work at home, earn money, receive money, or your spouse or partner earns enough money for you to afford the class, please expect to pay full price.
To register for the class as a non-scholarship candidate, please visit the classes page at writersontherise.com. Next class starts on October 8th. The class usually fills early, so please don’t wait until the last minute to register.
Post any questions about the scholarship to the comments section but, generally speaking, just do your best and send in your application according to the posted guidelines.
I’m pleased to be able to offer one free class per semester to one deserving mama. Good luck!
Welcome to day five of the annual Writer Mama Back-to-School Giveaway. One lucky winner will walk away with 1001 Books for Every Mood by Hallie Ephron & Writer Mama Tote Bag.
1001 Books for Every Mood
For the voracious reader, 1001 Books for Every Mood is a guide to 1001 wonderful books–fiction and nonfiction, old and new, classic and iconoclastic–chosen to suit your every mood.
These 1001 great reads are sorted by the reader’s mood. Find the perfect book for when you’re in the mood for “a good laugh,” or “a good cry,” or “a wallow in the slough of despond,” for “a kick in the pants” or “a shot in the arm,” “a trip in the fast lane” or “a trip down memory lane”… and so on through more than 70 moods.
A short summary of each book gives the flavor for what lies between its covers. Icons highlight books of particular literary merit, as well as those that have been provocative, influential, inspirational, or just downright funny. Easy reads and page turners are highlighted, as are books that are challenging, kid friendly, or can be consumed in short sittings.
Think of it as mood therapy in a book and your personal guide to the outstanding funny, sad, thrilling, inspiring, mindbending…books of all time. With an introduction from a reader’s best friend, NPR’s Susan Stamberg.
Author Bio:
Hallie Ephron (www.hallieephron.com) is an avid reader, writer, and award-winning book reviewer. She grew up in a family rich with literary talent and in a house overflowing with books. Now she is the author of 1001 Books for Every Mood (Adams Media).
In the book’s introduction, Susan Stamberg of NPR says: “Hallie Ephron is like the best, friendliest, hippest librarian you ever met. Her taste is exquisite, her writing’s a hoot, she’s done her homework, and it’s very clear that she loves, loves, loves books.”
Hallie’s psychological suspense novel Never Tell a Lie comes out in January from Wm. Morrow/ HarperCollins. Ann Hood (”The Knitting Circle”) says “Never Tell a Lie should come with a warning label: You will not play with your children, cook your dinner, or go to sleep once you start reading Hallie Ephron’s debut novel! You will just keep reading, turning the pages with increasing speed as this suburban nightmare throws lies, plot twists, and suspense at you. When you read the final sentence, you will be exhausted, exhilarated, and awed by Ephron’s tale.”
Hallie teaches at writing workshops all across the country; her Writing and Selling Your Mystery Novel was nominated for Edgar and Anthony awards.
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Writer Mama Tote Bag from Writer Mama Stuff at Café Press for all of your books!
Original Writer Mama cover art by Claudean Wheeler, modified by Burton Haun.
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Today’s question: What’s one of your favorite books and why? We would like to know. Please tell us in 50-200 words. [Re-worded to take some of the pressure off. But if you want to tell us about your "favorite book of all time," go ahead.]
If this is your first post in the giveaway, please read “Da Rules.”
You may post your comments until midnight PST on September 5th.
