-Erika-Marie S. Geiss

Well, I did it!! I just received a contract from MOMSense Magazine (published by MOPS International.) They accepted my list article “42 Ways to Play and Pamper” for their July/August 2008 print issue. It was the second article I submitted to them, though this one was much more specific to their requested theme list, and hence a successful sale!

I’m still shaking and I read the email last night! It was too late to call anyone, but I did scare the (bleep) out of my husband when I bombarded into the other room: “C’mere, c’mere, c’mere!” I shouted and dragged him back to my laptop so he could read the words in black and white!

I also forwarded the email to all my girlfriends and answered my first congratulatory call this morning at work from my friend Trish who shouted “Whoo-Hoo!” into my ear.

Christina, I want to thank you and your AWESOME teachings in Writer Mama, because before I read it I didn’t even know what a “list article” was. And lo and behold, it happened to be the first piece I wrote that got accepted!

As you know, I’m currently in your Writing the Short Stuff Class and we’ll begin the list article assignments this week. Now I have a success story to share with the class and hope to learn tons more (and publish tons more!)

And as Danny from Grease says, “This is just the beginning!”

On a writer’s high,
Mary Jo

All the credit goes to your focus and hard work!

And now it’s paying off. Thanks for the great example!

I read your book last summer, and it was very inspirational, but the prospect of becoming a “real” freelance writer was daunting to me. I floundered around for a while, trying to hone my writing skills and find someone who would be willing to publish what I had to say.

Last fall, I discovered your WPSS class, and those six weeks of WPSS made all the difference! I still haven’t published any of the articles I wrote in the class, but WPSS gave me the techniques, onfidence and direction I needed to help my writing take off. Since the class ended in Novemer, I’ve written a a 1,500 list article for Primal Parenting magazine, a 2,000 word list article for Natural Child, and a book review/filler for AllGreen magazine (my first PAYING article!). The editor of AllGreen also assigned me another paying filler, and one of my queries for a filler article has been accepted by Family Fun (I am REALLY excited about this one!!)

I am amazed at my own progress,and I can honestly say I owe it all to you, Christina. If I hadn’t read your book, I never would have known it was possible for someone like me to become a freelance writer. Thanks!

So, here’s what’s been going on in my life. In September, I landed an assignment with FamilyFun - a family travel article that has at last hit the stands this month (March issue). It was a huge article for my family (we took a four-day trip for it), and it’s exciting to see their lovely faces in print. I am now at work on another article for FF, another assignment rather than something I proposed. Also have a rock climbing/kids article coming out this summer with Wondertime, a sister magazine to FF, and just had another proposal accepted by WT on a topic close to my heart (kids and winning and how success can lead to poor coping skills when kids lose). I continue to write for a local magazine but in January I gave up the editing I was doing for it to make more time for writing. The next week, the FamilyFun assignment came through - that’s what I call meant to be.

I’m also entering the blogging world as Moxie Mom at a new website called neighborhood-kids dot com, based in Bellingham, WA for local parents. The posts should begin appearing next week (Feb. 19 or so). And a website is in the works - yes, I know it’s time, and I’m inspired by the websites I’ve found through the WM blog. I’m also learning not to say I’m a “sort of” writer. Actually, that’s not what I say. Until recently, I was saying “I’m trying to make a go of freelance writing.” Well, it’s a go.

On the full-time job front, the newspaper where I’m a copy editor just bought a local parenting magazine and they want to add more local copy. Guess who’s going to be writing for it? Me. Why? Because I asked. Sometimes it’s as simple as that: If you want something, you gotta ask for it!

Thanks!