Thank You, Mamas & Happy New Year!

I have been buried in paperwork since I came back to work on Monday. Also the little things in life (flat tire, sick dog, packages to wrap and mail at the P.O.) seem to be slurping up more time then I’d like. But I’ve felt fairly relaxed knowing that most folks are on vacation this week. So anything I accomplish (including several deadlines) means I’m making strides.

I wanted to take a moment to give a heartfelt thanks to all the mamas who participated in the December Sell-a-bration! I hope, as the New Year rolls on, that if and when you feel discouraged, you will come back to the December archives and read or re-read them.

More than anything, I gained a renewed sense of collective success. And I loved reading all the ways that success was experienced and described.

As we move into 2009, it makes sense to look forward and confirm the plans we’ve been dreaming for the past few months. I’m going to post a few of my goals here and I’d love to hear you proclaim a few of yours with me.

Please comment with your top three goals for 2009 and let’s charge into the New Year…together!

Christina’s 2009 Goals:

1. Land a book contract for book three and complete the writing before the year’s end/Start a novel and have it roughed out by the end of the year.

2. Create enhanced and more centralized community resources for all of my tribes (writer mamas, nonfiction writers, and platform builders).

3. Make better use of technology in order to connect personally with writers from around the globe.

Some experts are saying that in the future, content is going to be king for writers.

I disagree. I think CONTEXT, not content, is the key to success. Not just today but in the future…

I hope you will continue to come here and share your collective wisdom with me and all the mamas who come here for sustenance and inspiration.

HAPPY NEW YEAR, WRITER MAMAS!

Is Your Next Best Book Idea Right In Front of You?

Mine was. You can read all about it in this WritersWeekly Success Story I wrote, which was published right before Christmas.

And if you live in the Portland, Oregon area, I’ll be offering a workshop on naming and claiming and ramping up to your next nonfiction book. I realized today, doink!, that I’d mis-posted this information for my upcoming January 10th live, six-hour intensive. So here it is, corrected:

Empowered Nonfiction Writer Boot Camp

If you are interested in cultivating your communication skills into  saleable articles, a book-worthy platform, and a contract-worthy book proposal, you’ll want to check out this six-hour workshop with two-time author, Christina Katz.

Come with an idea and leave with a  concrete plan as to how to expand your idea into a profitable writing career. Topics covered will include:

• How to brainstrorm your best idea for these times

• How to break in by writing short and tight

• How and when to query for longer assignments

• How to lay the groundwork for a solid platform that will grow with your career

• How to prepare and get started on a saleable book proposal plan

Give me six hours and I’ll help you plan a successful writing career that will take root faster thanks to time-tested strategies and writing templates you’ll take home with you.

Avoid the common pitfalls and get your writing year off to an informed start. I look forward to helping you jump start your career!

Location: The Wilsonville Library

Date: January 10, 2009

Cost: $199.00 (lower price only for first-time session) for six hours

To register, visit www.christinakatz.com.

December Sell-a-bration #29: Culitvating Inner Calm Led To Bigger Strides Forward

By Gigi Rosenberg

This year it was the simple things that catapulted me forward as a writer. I learned to not check email first thing in the morning and to work on my most important writing project first – even if it was one without a due date. That meant that later in the day when I got to the stuff I had to do, I didn’t mind: I’d already had dessert.

I cleared off my desk and bulletin board of all clutter so that everything in front of me relates to what I’m writing right now. No dry-cleaning receipts or half-off pizza coupons.

At the end of every workday I organized myself for the next morning.  So when I arrived at my office I knew exactly where to start. This helped me not get stuck in any more existential anxiety than necessary.

I took frequent walks and stretch breaks which helped me write more. Many writing snags unsnarled while walking my dachshund.

This year, I learned to go at a turtle’s pace: a few things done everyday led to bigger things done.  When I got anxious, I didn’t focus on the big things, I focused on the next thing. I asked myself when I was stuck: What could you do right now that could move this forward? Sometimes the answer was to let it sit.

I listened to my thoughts. When they swirled in negativity, I labeled them. I paid attention to how they affected my mood. I didn’t try to stop my thoughts or micro-manage them but I noticed the power of naming them.

This year I got the usual good stuff done: teaching, writing for new publications, collaborating with other writers, etc. But the biggest thing I did this fall was to clear my schedule of anything extraneous and finish two big writing projects. I worked on them like a turtle. I even took naps. This calm and steady pace is what I’m bringing into 2009.

How boring I might have once thought. But this year, I knew better.

December Sell-a-bration #28: Wrapping Up A Big Project First, Ultimately Made The Most Sense

By Krystyann Krywko

So many things to accomplish – so little time! Here I sit at the end of a crazy and crowded year and I wonder why I spent so much time trying to re-invent my writing – when the answer was lying right in front of me the entrie time!

My epiphany occurred in the midst of the Platform 102 class – the week where Christina asks everyone to take a long, deep look at their writing and map out the successes you envision for your writing future. While I greatly enjoyed the class and was full of all sorts of ideas for newsletters and blog posts – putting my thoughts down in black and white also made me painfully aware of the multiple writing lines I have left dangling and the need to reconcile some of them before I could move any further in bulding my platform.

What I really need to do right now is to finish my dissertation – that great big piece of writing that I have spent so much time and energy on, but one that sometimes becomes sidelined with my focus on querying magazines and writing personal essays.

I thought I could develop my freelance writing career, alongside writing my dissertation, alongside raising my two young children. Not to say that it isn’t possible, but I have had my priorities somewhat out of skew the past while. I need to focus on my dissertation first, period, the end! I have messed around with different schedules as to what days I would work on it, and what day I would work on my freelance stuff, but in reality the effort that I have put into querying and writing articles, has left me without a great deal of energy to pursue my dissertation research, and also left me with a very slow trickle of writing credits to my name.

So, I dedicate 2009 to the completion of my dissertation! It feels good to make this decision – I honestly cannot justify building a website/blog/newsletter at this time in my life – although I am excited to do them in the near future – I feel that I need to get rid of the big elephant in the room (my dissertation) and move on with my life.

I was recently approached by a publisher who is interested in my chosen topic and would love to work with me on publishing a book after I have completed my doctoral work. So, I ask you what is my problem? I am excited about my topic when I am immersed in it, I have just let too many distractions get in the way. I have a bad habit of jumping from point A to point Z without thinking about anything in between, and Christina has allowed me the time and space to realize that sometimes taking two steps backwards is the best way to move forward!

Here is to 2009 and the year of staying sanely focused!

Sell-a-bration Day #27: Determination Is Paying Off

Julianne Hale

There is no question that Writer Mama played a role in my freelance writing success. I remember seeing the advertisement for the book in Writer’s Digest and thinking, I WILL own that book. I bought it shortly after it was published and began reading it. I took Christina’s advice seriously and ended up signing up for an online class that helped me immensely. As a result of my hard work and Christina’s teachings, 2008 has been a very prosperous year for me.

I got my first published (but not paid) job for a new regional parenting magazine in my area after sending an e-mail to the editor. That editor embraced my writing style and, early in 2008, gave my name to another local editor who was searching for someone to do some monthly calendar editing work for their publication. I got the job immediately and now have a steady assignment every month that is completely lacking in creativity but pays quite well and affords me the luxury of a steady paycheck. The publication that I work for is a franchise and I have recently been approached to perform the same service for other areas of the country that publish the same magazine.

I continue to write regularly for the parenting magazine and my work is compensated (yay!) and I also write regularly for two other regional publications and have increased my resume this year to include upwards of 30 articles with one cover story. One of the coolest assignments I got this year was a feature on the Riverbend Music Festival that takes place in Chattanooga every year. As a result, I got to interview a celebrity and I also got press passes to the festival—a very cool little bonus. I have made tons of connections in the Chattanooga area through working for all of these great publications and look forward to another great year in ’09.

Kudos to Writer Mama for recognizing our demographic and creating a manual for our success!

December Sell-a-bration #26: Writing Dreams

By Judy Miller

I had a dream last year. I dreamt of my eighth grade English project, where I created, wrote and edited my very first, and only, magazine. Long forgotten, but planted deep within the frazzled brain cells of motherhood, the memory was triggered by something during my day. I remember how proud I was and how I had thrown myself into it. Nothing had been left out; opinion pieces, expert columnists, fashion, sports, cartoons, crafts, cooking, and pet care were just some of the many topics covered. “A+++”, in red marker, was placed on the inside cover across from the publication credits, along with a paragraph from my teacher. The grade and kudos were great, but they paled in comparison to the charge I received from creating the work.

The dream went on and I was in the interview with my high school’s newspaper staff. I was asked if I could interview anyone, who it would be. My answer was God because I had so many questions for her. There was utter silence; I believe I scared the majority, if not all of the students and teacher sponsors in the room. The position went to another “more qualified” student. I wonder what would have happened if it had been me.

A lot of time has passed, since these events took place. I finished college, grad school, got married and became a mom to a busy bunch of kids. But, the “What if?” kept niggling within me…and it grew and GREW. “What if?” became “What’s keeping me from doing this?” The resounding answer was “Nothing.”

Feeling nervous and giddy and SO excited about the possibility, I committed to writing in January with the purchase of Writer Mama and enrolling in Christina’s class Writing and Publishing the Short Stuff. I went on to take three other classes with Christina and one with Abby Green. I was gently encouraged to dig deep, stretch and learn the craft while growing as a writer.

2008 has been a year of bringing my brain out of hibernation and finding time to be a productive and creative writer while raising my brood of four.

I’ve come away with:
Confidence
To trust that I have chosen the right path for me.
To express myself
To approach other writers with questions and help.
To put myself out there, vulnerable to criticism and rejection

Appreciation
For the networking I have been encouraged to establish and grow
For my emerging platform
For mentors and friendships
For personal and writing challenges, providing me with introspection, analysis and growth

Determination
To write every day
To seek balance
To persevere

Recognition
That encouragement and support garners friendships and helps all writers

I became a writer this year. I’m just at the beginning of my journey, but I can’t wait to see where I’m going.

I’d still like to interview God.

Judy Miller is an Indiana-based writer and mother to four gregarious kids. She has written for parenting magazines and has a story coming out in the anthology, A Cup of Comfort for Adoptive Families (June, 2009). She blogs about parenting her diverse group of kids at: http://theinternationalmom.wordpress.com/

December Sell-a-bration #25: I landed a book deal

Last January while my husband and daughters skied during a New Year’s family vacation, I opted to stay home and grab a few quiet hours to myself. I wrapped up in a blanket, made a cup of hot cocoa, and sat down in our rented condo to pen my writing goals for 2008. The list was ambitious. I planned to:

• write a weekly column for a suburban edition of my hometown newspaper, The Oregonian.
• write a column for Christina’s e-zine, Writers on the Rise, which had me interviewing agents and editors every other month.
• submit queries to The Oregonian for additional writing assignments.
• write book reviews and author interviews for my Web site, MotherDaughterBookClub.com.
• finish revising a book proposal I was working on for a mother-daughter book club guidebook.
• send out my proposal and have it accepted by an agent.

I knew I’d be squeezing in every spare moment between volunteer commitments at my daughters’ schools and leading their Girl Scout troops. But there was something about getting it all down in print on January 2 that felt hopeful too. The year stretched before me, and I felt that anything was possible. It was exciting and frightening at the same time.

Almost a year later I look back and see how many of my goals I reached, and how many more opportunities came up that I didn’t anticipate, all because I reached my other goals first.

As planned, I wrote my weekly column for The Oregonian, and the editor assigned me other articles even without a query. I interviewed agents and editors for Writers on the Rise, and near the end of the year Christina invited me to edit it in 2009, while offering me a column in her new publication, The Get Known Groove.

On my Web site, I began offering promotions, because publishers recognize that my readership is an audience they want to reach. So now my readers have more reason to visit my site. I also started a quarterly newsletter for mother-daughter book clubs, and began having more interaction with my readers across the country. A by-product of the greater recognition was being interviewed with my daughters for an article in Family Fun magazine.

I also revised the book proposal I was working on, adding in the bits about my increasing platform. This led to my biggest writing achievement of all this year: Landing an agent and who brokered a book deal for me with Seal Press in October, to write Bonding Through Books: Your Complete Guide to Creating Mother-Daughter Book Clubs. It’s due out in 2010, and now I’m writing and learning so much along the way. The time I spend writing has increased dramatically, and I feel that the quality of what I write has improved along with my productivity during the year.

A new year is just around the corner, and I’m already itching to sit down soon after January 1 and write my new list of goals. Where will they take me this year? I’ll finish writing the book for sure, and start planning to promote it. I’ll continue to write for The Oregonian and start with The Get Known Groove while editing Writers on the Rise.

Where else will writing take me? I can’t wait to find out.

December Sell-a-bration #24: A Year of Gestation and Birth

By Sage Cohen

2008 was a banner year for my writing career. The previous year, I articulated my platform, pitched a book and landed a book deal. I spent 2008 delivering on the promise of my proposal while writing my book, Writing the Life Poetic: An Invitation to Read and Write Poetry, forthcoming from Writer’s Digest Books in March 2009.

In parallel to this gestation, another creative project quietly and joyously took root. Early in the year, my son Theo was conceived. While pregnant, sleep deprived, increasingly off balance and out of breath, my writing life momentum somehow continued! Thanks to a clearly articulated platform, a passion for my topic and my community and an unrealistic sense of what I could handle, I spent a good amount of time celebrating poetry publicly. My speaking gigs included: the Willamette Writers Conference in Portland, Oregon, the Pacific Northwest Writers Association Conference in Seattle, Washington and the Northwest Author’s Series in Wilsonville, Oregon.

The opportunity to teach also presented itself, and who was I to say no?! I spent a weekend teaching as Writer-in-Residence at the Oregon Writer’s Colony and launched “Poetry for the People”, an email class through Writers on the Rise. I was invited to read at seven bookstores, three poetry festivals and two radio shows. I had a poem published in The Sunday Oregonian and a poem nominated for a Pushcart Prize. Every month, my column “Beyond What You Know” appeared in Writers on the Rise. And every month, I continued to host the reading series I established at Barnes & Noble, Lloyd Center for audiences of up to 60 people. In a final act of bleary enthusiasm, I joined the editorial collective of VoiceCatcher, an inspiring anthology featuring the work of Portland-area women writers.

The culmination of all of this “doing” was the birth of my son, Theodore Luchs-Cohen, on September 17, 2008. Since his arrival, he has been initiating me into the practice of “being” as I reconstruct my identity and lifestyle to embrace my new “writer mama” badge of honor. I spend less time at the computer now, and less time in public. As the New Year approaches, I can’t wait to discover how I will take these two tender new roles of author and mother forward!

Sage Cohen is the author of Writing the Life Poetic, and the poetry collection Like the Heart, the World.  Her poetry and essays appear in journals and anthologies including Cup of Comfort for Writers, Oregon Literary Review, Greater Good and VoiceCatcher. Sage holds an MA in creative writing from New York University and teaches Poetry for the People. In September 2008,  her son Theo Luchs-Cohen initiated Sage into the life of the writer mama.

December Sell-a-bration #23: Asking For More

By Lori Russell

While I have learned many things from and about my writing this past year, the most valuable lesson has been about asking for more. More assignments. More feedback. More money.

As I watched gas rates go up, postage go up, the price of my haircuts go up, it seemed
everyone and everything was demanding a higher price. If I was going to keep up with my rising
expenses, something had to change. Either I had to write faster and more or I needed to be paid more
for the work I was already doing. Of course, the second option sounded much better than the first.

I decided to begin by talking to the editors that I already wrote for regularly and who I knew liked my work about raising my rates. Whether as an employee or a freelancer, asking for more money always makes me a bit uncomfortable. What if I am turned down? Would it be better to avoid the conversation altogether and go after a better paying market? Not in my case. I liked my editors and I like the types of stories I was
writing. It was time to have the hard conversation.

I began by doing some research. What was the going rate for other similar publications? How long had
I worked for my editors at my current rate? I called other friends who were professional writers in
the area and asked them what rates they were making. Before contacting my editors, I determined the
range of rates I was making and the types of publications I wrote for.

Next, I emailed my editors and explained I wanted to make an appointment to discuss my rates. This
gave them time to consider the topic.

During our meetings, I reviewed with my editors how long I’d been writing for them, and the range of
rates I was making with my other publications. Just like asking the boss for a raise as an employee,
I presented my strengths and the value I brought to the publication.

In each case, I received a raise. One editor apologized for not bringing up the conversation sooner,
another gave me more than I asked for.

As valuable as the increase in my rates was, the feedback I received from my editors was equally
valuable to my career. They told me that while editors find writers who can write well valuable, they find writers who can write consistently even more so. I was surprised to learn that my ability to make deadlines, turn in
an article with the right word count, written coherently and on the topic that I had pitched was
also of great value.

I was shocked. Doesn’t every writer turn in solid copy, neither too long or too short, in the form and on the topic that was assigned? Apparently not. Those who can and do, become valuable to their editors.

I have made it a habit to asks my editors for more assignments by closing a conversation with the
invitation “if there is ever anything else I can help you with, let me know.” More than once an
editor has contacted me in a pinch when another writer has backed out, become ill or a story fell
through. Now these editors call me with story ideas and give my name to other editors who need
freelance help.

By asking for more, I now am making more money, receiving more assignments and working for more
editors. It was been well worth the risk.

Lori Russell has written profiles about people, their passions and their places for more than a decade. Her nonfiction articles have been published online and in magazines and newspapers around the country. She is a contributing editor for Columbia Gorge Magazine, a regular contributor to Ruralite magazine and has co-written the “In the Spotlight’ column for WOTR for the past two years. She is currently enjoying a writing residency teaching memoir writing to high school students through Columbia Gorge Arts in Education, an organization that brings professional writers and artists to the public schools.

December Sell-a-bration #22: Laying a Platform’s Groundwork

By Jennifer Kales

This year, I decided it was time to get proactive about my writing career. I took classes (two with Christina, one with Abby), did market research and pinpointed my writing platform.

To begin with, I launched “The Nut-Free Mom Blog” in January of 2008. When I began it, I really didn’t know if anyone would find it and/or read it. Imagine my surprise when my blog was mentioned and quoted on NPR this past September. My readership has steadily grown and my blog has inspired me to start working on a book proposal.

In March of this year, I met another one of my goals. My article “Playing Safe” was published in Chicago Parent magazine and was even one of those featured on the cover!

Since a platform is multi-faceted, I’ve tried to “get known” in other ways. Right after Thanksgiving, the Chicago Tribune published my lengthy Letter to the Editor in response to their 2-part investigation on food allergies. Following that, I received an e-mail from the president of the Illinois Food Allergy Education Association thanking me for my advocacy efforts!

Last week I was asked to be a “Featured Blogger” on the Wellsphere website (wellsphere.com) as part of their Parenting and Food Allergy communities. They said they really like my writing! I will have my own profile page, etc. and this will put my blog before many more readers.

Regarding essays, I’ve got several markets I’m targeting, essays currently circulating and many more ideas in the hopper. I feel confident that something will pan out soon.

Looking back, 2008 was a very productive year! I accomplished more with my blog than I had thought possible and feel like nothing can stop me now if I put forth the effort.

Jennifer Kales is a Chicago-area freelance writer and mother of two beautiful girls. She blogs about food allergies and parenting at www.nut-freemom.blogspot.com.

The Writer Mama E-zine Columnists for 2009

I’m very pleased to announce our amazing line-up of contributors for the 2009 The Writer Mama e-zine.

Please help me welcome everyone:

The Writer Mama E-zine

Inspiration and advice for raising a writing career alongside your kids.

Published Monthly except in July/August and November/December.

2009 Editors and Columnists

Publisher & Editor, Web slave: Christina Katz

Christina Katz is the author of Get Known Before the Book Deal, Use Your Personal Strengths to Build an Author Platform and Writer Mama, How to Raise a Writing Career Alongside Your Kids (both for Writer’s Digest Books). A platform development coach and consultant, she started her platform “for fun” seven years ago and ended up on Good Morning America. She teaches writing career development, hosts the Northwest Author Series, and is the publisher of several e-zines including Writers on the Rise. Christina blogs at The Writer Mama Riffs and Get Known Before the Book Deal, and speaks at MFA programs, literary events, and conferences around the country.

Managing Editor: Sage Cohen

Sage Cohen is the author of Writing the Life Poetic: An Invitation to Read and Write Poetry, forthcoming from Writer’s Digest Books, and the poetry collection Like the Heart, the World. Her poetry and essays appear in journals and anthologies including Cup of Comfort for Writers, Oregon Literary Review, Greater Good and VoiceCatcher. Sage holds an MA in creative writing from New York University and teaches the e-mail class Poetry for the People. In September 2008, her son Theo Luchs-Cohen initiated Sage into the life of the writer mama.

Columnists:

Jennifer Applin

Jennifer Applin is a freelance writer living in Ohio with her husband and four young children. Aside from writing for many regional publications, she is regular contributor to eLearners.com and Projectworkingmom.com. She spends her days cooking, cleaning and caring for little ones; and her nights writing about pregnancy, parenting and the quest for peace (as in peace and quiet). You can also find her at Managing the MotherLoad.

Abigail Green

Abigail Green is a freelance writer in Baltimore. Over the past 12 years, she has written for national, regional and online publications including AOL, Bride’s, Baltimore Magazine, Cooking Light and Health. She blogs about the lighter side of pregnancy, parenthood and potty training at Diary of a New Mom.

Mary Andonian

Mary Andonian is former agents and editors coordinator for the Willamette Writers conference, one of the largest writing events in North America. In past years, she was also program coordinator and co-chair. Mary is represented by the Reece Halsey North Literary Agency and is a monthly columnist for the hit e-zines, Writers on the Rise and The Writer Mama. She has completed two books: Mind Chatter: Stories from the Squirrel Cage and Bitsy’s Labyrinth and is currently at work on her first screenplay, a romantic comedy. Mary is the mother of two girls and is the Brownie Girl Scouts leader for Troop 1102. Please visit her at: www.maryandonian.com.

Sharon Cindrich

Sharon Miller Cindrich is the mom of two, a columnist and author of E-Parenting: Keeping Up With Your Tech-Savvy Kids (Random House, 2007). Her next book debuts in the fall of 2009. Learn more at www.sharonmillercindrich.com.

Kelly James Enger

Author, speaker, and consultant Kelly James-Enger is a certified personal trainer and the author of books including Small Changes, Big Results: A 12-Week Action Plan to a Better Life (with Ellie Krieger, R.D.). Her book, Ready, Aim, Specialize! Create your own Writing Specialty and Make More Money, is aimed at novice freelancers; Six-Figure Freelancing: The Writer’s Guide to Making More Money will help experienced writers boost their bottom lines. Visit www.becomebodywise.com for free articles about freelancing and more information about her.

December Sell-a-bration #21: Small Steps = Progress

By Maureen Mirabito

I’m a firm believer in small steps–small steps turn into bigger steps, turn into strides–and I’ve taken several of them. In Writer Mama “list article fashion”, here are a few:

1. Submission of a personal essay to a magazine contest. The only expectation I had for this challenge was to do it. And I did. I set aside about four hours one afternoon–avoiding cleaning, cooking, laundry, and other distractions–to get a first draft in black and white. I revisited for the next couple of weeks to fine tune and adjust before circulating it among a few close friends for an objective read. Finally, I sent it, well in advance of the deadline. It felt good.

2. 20-minutes of daily writing time. I had been pressuring myself to write full articles with this time, but when I fell short of that expectation, I started avoiding it altogether. I had a stern talking with myself and gave myself permission to use the time to write observations, ideas, and even dabble in some fiction writing. Abandoning self-imposed rules regarding my writing (unless the rule is to do it) has really made the whole experience a lot more fun.

3. Reviewing high school and college writing. I was so creative before adulthood. My words were emotions, feelings, experiences and mine. They were my words. Somewhere along the way I became a little too concerned about how my words would sound, agonized over their choice, their placement, their impact. Similar to #2 above, I’m trying to relax the rules and put to rest that nagging little voice over my shoulder.

In three small steps, I’m positioning myself for a breakthrough. It takes some work everyday but at least it’s fun work.

December Sell-a-bration 20: 2008 Was About Connectivity

2008 has been a year of connections; namely, creating and maintaining connectivity as a writer.

I took Christina’s “Writing and Publishing the Short Stuff” online course last fall, fully intending to work on fashioning a freelance career. However, through connections at the Curves where I was a member, I was hired as a circuit coach. The hours were perfect: during the day while my girls were in school.

During the winter months that followed, I allowed the dead ends and rejections kill the momentum of the WPSS class. I did not allow my connection with Christina to wither away; on the contrary, I continued to read her blog and cheer her on through the publication of her second book. Connection through blogs remains a key component of connectivity for me.

I continued working at Curves, and occasionally blogging, through the early months of this year. Then I was asked to be a contributor on the Wives of Faith blog, as I had been following the writing of fellow military wife Sara Horn. Sara is an author and co-founder of a support group for wives of deployed Reserve and National Guard. Because my husband began his military career as a reservist, I found many ways to connect with Sara and also her blog’s readers. Now I continue as an occasional contributor and book reviewer on the Wives of Faith blog.

I serendipitously made a real-life connection this year as well, this time at the dance studio. I became friends with a fellow dance mom, an English teacher who, like me, has taken a teaching hiatus. She works part-time for the local National Writing Project affiliate. As a former member of another NWP affiliate, I had an instant connection with her—not only as a mom and a teacher, but as a teacher of writing and as a writer in my own right. She invited me to join their group at an in-town retreat this fall, and I immediately felt at home in that community of writers.

The latest in a long line of online connectivity resources is Twitter. Twitter is one of the most intriguing and fun concepts, and I “follow” several different writers on Twitter. Some of them, like Tricia Goyer, post all day long about what they’re doing. Others post regularly but less frequently.

I achieved a milestone this year as well: in my fifth attempt in as many years in National Novel Writing Month (www.nanowrimo.org), I finally accomplished the goal of a 50,000-word novel written during the 30 days of November. For someone who has trouble finishing goals, this one was a biggie. It is quite possibly the worst disjointed novel ever, but it is mine.

All in all, I’d have to say that 2008 was the year of connectivity for me. I hope that 2009 will bring with it more of the same, as well as increased writing output and perhaps even publication.

December Sell-a-bration #19: Steady Progress Has Lead to a Surprise Offer

By Donna McDine

What a perfect time of the year for reflection. At the beginning of 2008 I took the advice of a writing mentor and wrote down my goals for the year.  And to my pure delight I have had great satisfaction checking many of them off.

The following consistent positive steps I have taken throughout 2008 have been instrumental in my success:

Maintaining and updating my website at least four times per month and blogging two to three times a week. Both my website and blog offer writer’s of all levels an opportunity to learn from veteran authors with personal interviews, book reviews and valuable writing information links to writer’s resources. Up-to-date information will keep readers informed on  upcoming events at the Metro NY SCBWI, Eastern NY SCBWI, and Musing Our Children.

I consistently obtain and study sample issues from the children and parenting magazine markets to get a feel for their slant. My submission goal per month is a combination of three to four queries, articles, and short stories.

My ongoing participation in two critique groups has been critical to my success as a writer. The critique of each member’s manuscript not only benefits the person that submits, but the person that critiques. A wealth of information is exchanged and helps all involved in developing a stronger writing voice. It is a true give and take opportunity to learn and grow as a writer…resulting in a camaraderie that develops over time.

Attending children writer’s conferences has given me the opportunity to reach beyond the computer and network face-to-face with fellow writer’s and have manuscripts critiqued by seasoned professionals.

My marketing (hmmm…I wonder where I learned about getting known before the book deal…LOL) efforts include the development of my December debut free newsletter, “Write What Inspires You!”  Momentum continues to build and I’m already at 85 opt-in subscribers.

Giving support and asking support through my weekly interaction and commenting on fellow writer’s blogs, and the Institute of Children’s Literature and SCBWI boards has also become another instrumental marketing tool for my writing career.

These consistent positive steps rewarded me with publishing success in over 15 print and online e-zines.

To top off the year, a surprise offer was made to me at the Muse Online Writer’s Conference in direct relation to my marketing efforts of my writing career.  My official announcement will be made on January 1, 2009.  Until then, mums the word.  You can check back weekly at my blog – http://www.donna-mcdine.blogspot for teasers and hints to this unexpected offer that will take my writing career down a path I had not even thought of.

December Sell-a-bration #18: 2008 Was My Year of Success

By Mary Jo Campbell

Each January, I would sum up the theme of the year before in a singular word. But, I realized I was going about this all backwards, naming the year after the fact. I needed to decide what I wanted the year ahead to hold for me and name it accordingly. So, 2008 was dubbed “The Year of Success.” I decided to manifest what I wanted to happen instead of being a sponge that absorbed my circumstances.

First, I applied for and won the Writer Mama Scholarship, not on my first shot, however. (Never give up!) I learned about non-fiction writing: tips, lists and fillers—more than all of my previous college writing courses provided. The friendships and contacts I gained through the class was an added bonus.

Learning the art of the list article and how to tighten my writing proved successful when I landed my first byline in MOMSense Magazine (a MOPS International Publication.) “42 Ways to Play and Pamper” even made the cover and was highlighted on their website that month!

While I pursued the “short stuff,” my 9-year-old son derailed my focus. (Kids tend to do that.) He was hungry for a social network of writers his age and persuaded me to start a volunteer program at the library hosting a young writers’ workshop. Since I needed to add a volunteer project to a grant application, I thought, “kill two birds.”

But, what did I know about teaching? I so nervous for my first class, I made two wrong turns just getting to the library I visit weekly. After four solid weeks last summer, I fell in love with teaching and the kids fell in loving with writing! I was asked to continue the series at the library as a monthly workshop throughout the school year.

From the library stint, I was invited to teach a Saturday series through a non-profit organization, for pay! The program organizer happened to be the mom of two of my summer students. So, this fall I taught a Young Writers Workshop through Friends of the Gifted and Talented. I took the kids through the challenge of NaNoWriMo.

That experience gave me the opportunity to interview a NaNo representative, who posted a link to my blog on their site. My blog received 208 hits in one day. One Day! Prior to the interview, I had about 15 visits total. The interview resulted in another article, which appeared in Hope Clark’s Writing Kid Newsletter.

I’ve been asked to return for the winter session of FRoG and added a Publish Me! class where young writers will learn about markets, revision and approaching editors.

2008 has been a very successful year. I learned that sometimes, despite fear or lack of experience, you just need to jump. You may encounter scratches and bruises, or you may just fly!

When Mary Jo Campbell isn’t playing Ninja Warrior with her two sons, she can be found offering encouragement to writers on her blogs: http://writerinspired.wordpress.com and http://writelikeCRAZY.wordpress.com.