Pinar Tarhan, Author at Addicted to Writing

What Non-Fiction Topics Don’t You Like Writing About?

Posted on July 28, 2011 Written by Pinar Tarhan

Writing Topics — Writing experts keep discussing whether a writer should be a specialized writer or a general writer. No need to worry. None of us can be that general anyway:)

There are so many writing markets out there, but it is hard to find the ones that are just up our alley. The thing is, even if you enjoy writing about a variety of topics (I know I do), there just seems to be plenty of publications that want queries in areas that exclude a lot of writers.

Obviously a writer can’t and won’t write about everything. But it can be frustrating to realize that there is a huge number of outlets you won’t be able to pitch to.

I’m Not Pitching to Publications On:

• Parenting/Family

I am not a parent, and I am not thinking about becoming one in the near future. I don’t have a degree /certificate in anything regarding parenting or children. And guess what? I don’t know any experts in these areas either. Which is a shame, because there are many high-paying publications that are parent/family-oriented.

• Brides/Wedding

I might be tempted to submit an article to a brides/weddings magazine if I get married and want to share the experience. But right now, I am just not interested. Plus, I really do have nothing to say…

• Fashion

As much as I love shopping for clothes, shoes and accessories, I just don’t like or follow fashion. I am against the idea of someone else telling me what is cool and what is hot. It is my style, my wardrobe and my body. So frankly, only my opinion counts (to me).

And being a bit of a shopaholic, I am more interested in quality, and quantity, than brands. So paying $100 for a T-shirt seems outrageous. So I guess being a huge fan of Sex and The City, doesn’t qualify me for fashion writing…

• Technology/Gadgets/Computers

While I might be considered somewhat of a geek when it comes to movie and rock trivia, I am just a clueless soul when it comes to computers and gadgets.

I like my laptop and other home office equipments, as well as my cell phone and mp3 player. And that is pretty much it.

• Technical Music Stuff

I might know my favorite bands by heart, but as to which musical instrument is better than which and why…Have no idea.

• Boy/Girl Scouts or Cheerleaders

Never been one.

• Ultra-techy WordPress Stuff

I’m a self-taught WordPress user and I know a lot about blogging on this platform. However, I’m a stranger to coding or web-design. So if a publication covers more of these, I’m out of my depth. But this is totally OK, because there still tons of stuff I can write about blogging and WordPress that don’t require me to be extra tech-savvy.

• Cooking

I rarely feel like performing my abilities in the kitchen. And when I do, it is usually to make uncomplicated desserts and vegetables, whose recipes are typically born from my imagination. Unless there are cooking magazines for people who hate to cook 95% of the time, I am not meant to write about this.

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So far these are the most popular subjects I can’t/don’t write about. What don’t you write about? And do you feel like your writing income would have increased, had it not been for those topics?

Gary Vaynercuk’s Crush It: A Terrific Guide for Bloggers!

Posted on July 24, 2011 Written by Pinar Tarhan

It is not a shocker that I didn’t discover Gary’s sites through my enthusiasm for wine. Frankly, I can’t stand the taste or smell of any wine most of the time. But I am always on the lookout for a good resource about social media and blogging, and I came across Crush during one of my book hunts.

Considering that Gary Vaynerchuk has been a famous online figure for quite a while, my discovery was a little late. After all, this guy has been on Conan and on Ellen and a lot of other places and yet I had no idea who he was when I bought the book.

And after reading, I didn’t find it strange that this guy was this popular.

For one, he uses a conversational tone, and he really knows what he is talking about it. He also has great pieces of wisdom to offer to any blogger/entrepreneur on every level.

Not to mention, Crush It! is recommended by guys like Tim Ferriss (author of The 4-Hour Workweek ,which I also covered on pinartarhan.com) and Kevin Rose (founder of Digg.com).

After having read the whole book, including the appendixes and all, I can safely saythe book is by no means just for bloggers. It is for anyone who wants to make money out of doing what they love (yep, including writers), who wants to make a brand for themselves-even though they are not selling or producing anything (let’s face it, we all sell our CVs at the very least).

So yes, Crush It! is for anyone who wants to take advantage of the internet, social media and the new age in marketing.What does Gary say in this book? I highlighted a lot of stuff and used some serious magic markers on i. Below are some of my favorite quotes from Gary:

“Skills are cheap. Passion is priceless.”

“There is room for everyone in the world of social media, which is the same thing as saying there’s room for everyone in today’s business world”

“…crying about how things should be instead of embracing how things are doesn’t do anyone any good”.

He proves his points by showing you what you can do with a blog-whether audio/video/written- what you can and should do with twitter and facebook. He lists resources, and names sites we should be keeping an eye on. And by sharing true stories, he proves over and over again why he is the right guy to write this book.

At 142 pages, it is a page-turner, but it doesn’t mean you should read and then do nothing. Take the advice, take the action. When you read his life story, you will understand how much he accomplished and so can you.

I am big on self-improvement books in the business area. And being a writer in the web-dominated age, I learned a lot from him.

* Gary blogs on Wine Library TV and you can check out his website Gary Vaynerchuk.

P.S. I love e-books, but I still prefer paperbacks. Yeah, I am one of those people who print out their e-books whenever they can:)

P.P.S. I used affiliate links for Crush It and The 4 Hour Work Week.

: Author Gary Vaynerchuk. Image via pinartarhan.com/blog

10 Things You Need to Do After You Sent That Awesome Query Letter

Posted on July 21, 2011 Written by Pinar Tarhan

waiting for the editor to reply, writing cartoon — You can't just wait for the editor to reply to your query. If you do, you'll die an unpublished old maid/dude...:) Excuse the cartoon, my first creation ever:)

We all know it’s essential to craft an intriguing, easily readable query letter. That’s how we (hopefully) get the editor’s attention. And if you need to polish your query skills, I suggest reading 7 Great Query Letter Resources: A List of (E-)Books, Articles and Blog Links.

This post is about what happens after having sent that great query letter.

1) Keep track of your query. I prefer a simple excel sheet. I note when I sent it, when I should follow up (should I not hear from the editor before), what other publications the idea might fit if the query is rejected or doesn’t get a response after the follow-up. I also include a section for brainstorming for other ideas for the same publication. After all, I want to write for this magazine more than once.

2) Keep researching other markets and their guidelines, and make sure you take notes about the guidelines, payment terms, topics and articles already published on the publication. After all, your querying days are never really over.

3) Write for, market & optimize your blogs. If you’ve a writer’s blog, work on it. If you don’t have a writer’s blog already, it’s time to start one. You don’t need to write about writing related topics, but you need to post article samples and links to your published work. The blog will serve as a portfolio, so take full advantage.

Plus, the more you know about blogging, the easier and more fun it will be for you to get blogging jobs, and/or monetize your own blogs.

If you have several blogs, work on them too. They all serve as your portfolios as well, proving your writing skills in those niches.

4) Keep networking with other writers (and bloggers).

5) Assuming you heard from the editor before needing to follow up, go ahead and start working on the article – keeping the editor’s notes in mind. Sometimes writing a killer article that will satisfy your editor might be harder than writing the query.

If the editor liked the idea but requests a few tweaks, or another query based on these tweaks,

Do so.

If the editor tells you they liked your style but can’t use that piece, keep querying .

6) Assuming you didn’t hear from the editors, follow-up on your old queries at the suggested time period. Many publications offer their response time and when you should follow up if you don’t hear from them in that period. If no specific time is given, follow your gut. If it is a massive magazine, you might want to wait for a couple of months. If it is a website, 2-3 weeks before following up should be fine.

7) Read about the topics you are writing on. This is great for self-improvement, discovering markets you weren’t aware of, getting to know the markets you know better, finding authors to network and giving you new article ideas.

8) Query other publications, and keep track.

9) When You Get An Answer or No Answer After the Follow-Up:

If you haven’t heard up from your follow-ups after a couple of weeks, feel free to pitch the idea to other publications. But to be on the safe side, notify the first editor nicely. This is to be on the safe side, and not to burn any potential bridges.

Of course, keep tracking queries and their responses.

If you got a no with some suggestions from the editor, keep them in mind. But there’s nothing much you can do after a “no, thanks”. You cross your fingers for the next publication.

10) Use this list in order and/or mix things up. Add your own points and apply them at a pace that suits you best.

Best of Luck.

7 Great Query Letter Resources: A List of (E-)Books, Articles and Blog Links

6 Reasons Why Every Writer Should Blog

Challenges of Writing A Novel & Some Great Resources for Tackling Them

Posted on July 11, 2011 Written by Pinar Tarhan

I used to think that there were two challenges about writing a novel: 1) finding a great story, and 2) trying to get that great story published.

While I still believe these are the biggest challenges a writer faces, I realized there are 4 more challenges that came along my way:

1) Novel or Screenplay?

You love reading novels. You love watching movies. And you love creating dialogue-heavy stories. So how do you decide whether your story works best as a novel or a screenplay?

As a writer with no connections to Hollywood, I realized that I had a better chance of finding a publisher that might be interested in my novel. Now, please notice that I said easier, and not easy.

Getting a novel published seems to be relatively easier than getting a screenplay to Hollywood. I had a sneaking suspicion this might be the case and this is the article that helped me make up my mind: The Novel vs. the Screenplay: a Tough Love Guide for Talented Writers.

2) POV : Point of View

So you decided you’d rather write a novel. You have your characters, and you have your story. But from which point of view are you going to tell everything?

I really struggled with this decision. I tried different ones through several chapters, and then saw what worked best. I also looked at my favorite books in the same genre to see what other authors did.

Remember your options:

Third Person Limited

Third Person Multiple (or Author Omniscient)

First Person

Second Person

Articles That Helped Me With POV

Whose Point of View?

Picking the Perfect POV

Good reasons for multiple POV

Point of View, Parts 1 & 2

3) Order of Scenes

Which chapter will you start with? How do you order your scene?

I think that with all the other decisions regarding your novel, you have to decide what works best for you. I rewrote, reordered and rewrote again. And, I did eventually go back to my first order. It provided the best flow.

4) Quantity of Dialogue

Since I was originally planning to write a screenplay, my chapters are filled with dialogue. I am not saying it is all dialogue, but my characters talk a lot. And because I decided to go with Third Person Omniscient, I think the amount of dialogue works for the story.

But of course I have to remind you that I am only in the writing stage. I haven’t finished the story, and haven’t sent queries to any literary agents. Right now, my only concern is to put my story on paper. There might be many changes along the way. And of course we don’t know if agents/ publishers are going to be interested yet.

However you should keep in mind that you need to have a story to be able to get a rejection or approval. So come on! If you have a story to tell, start writing it. Then you can deal with formatting and querying.