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How to Save Your Work and Sanity: A Definitive Guide for Writers

Posted on October 25, 2019 Written by Pinar Tarhan

Not me. I play it safe with my documents. 🙂

There is a fun meme on the Internet. I don’t remember the exact wording, but it goes something like this:

“I lost a couple of pages in 1998. Now I push the save button every three seconds.”

This is me. I’ve been using the computer since 94 from the age of 10. After computers became household items, teachers didn’t care for our handwriting in middle school. So we had to type. Which is great, since I tend to write like a doctor when I do it fast. But I have lost some of my work.

So when I was writing my How to Write an Amazing Romance Novel book (Amazon affiliate link), I included an entire chapter on saving your work.

My advice stands no matter the length or type of writing work you are working on. You can pick one, but I’d rather you used multiple tools. Most of them are free, and backing up in more than one space increases the odds of never losing another word again.

Click on the save button whenever you remember, even though it does it automatically.

Regardless of how caught up you are in your project, remember to save as much as you can. You never know when your program will have an error, and you’ll lose anywhere from a few sentences to entire pages.

Dropbox

Dropbox is free to use once you create an account, but make sure you jot down which email address you use in case you lose your password.

Free-to-use services can change terms and storage limits, so don’t make this your only back-up.

Google Drive

Currently, Google Drive for personal use gives me 15 GB for free.

Email

What I said for Dropbox also goes for email services and Google Drive. You never know when your beloved email service might charge you, so this shouldn’t be your only backup.

That said, I always email my documents to myself. This has them stored in two different places (the sent and received inboxes), and they hardly take up any storage space.

Print copy

I love the environment, and I love trees. But I need to have my documents printed. I don’t print posts or articles that take a couple of pages. However, I find it impossible to feel relaxed until I print my longer works like screenplays and novels. This makes editing easier and gives me peace of mind.

USB

USBs (Amazon affiliate link) are practical and relatively cheap alternatives to saving your work. They are easy to carry with lots of documents saved on a tiny device. You don’t always need or can afford an external hard drive, which store and cost much more , not to mention their weight adds up.Not something you’d want to carry with you every day.

External Hard Drive

That said, you do need at least one external hard drive (Amazon affiliate link) for your office.

What method(s) do you use to save your work?

Story Rights 101: What You Need to Know About Story Rights and When to Hold Out for Better Terms

Posted on October 20, 2019 Written by Pinar Tarhan

In an ideal world, writing would just be about writing.

I think even studying craft or marketing can be fun. I had some great days editing or rewriting. But those things are, as tiring as they might be, easier because they are mostly, if not entirely, under my control.

I can’t control how many of my pitches will be accepted, but I can control what sort of stories I will be pitching. I can also work on my pitching frequency.

But as writers, we must also need to deal with something annoying, mediocre, or awesome depending on the terms of our agreement: Our rights.

What are rights?

Rights are essentially how much ownership and control you are giving your client or publisher. Do they only own the story only in North America? Do they own it in both print, or online? Do the rights revert back to you after a certain period of time, or they own it forever? Do you have ownership should the story be turned into a movie/play/novel, or did you (un)knowingly relinquish that?

Types of Rights

– First North American Serial Rights: FNASR

It means as it sounds. You’re selling the rights to be published in North America once. After publication, rights are yours again.

– Other rights based on geography

Now, while you no longer have the FNASR after this, you can still sell it to Europe, Australia, the UK, etc.

– Rights based on medium

You can also offer first electronic rights for your piece to be published online.
It’s not necessary to know what right means what right off the bat as long as you don’t sign anything blindly.

– Rights based on time

Sometimes, you write a post for a site, and the guidelines indicate you can republish wherever after 30 days. The time can change depending on the pub, but it is in your best interest to check when/if ever you’ll be allowed to republish.

– Movie/TV/book/etc. rights

Who holds the rights, should the story be adapted to a movie, a TV show, a book? A friend of mine recently got a six-figures non-fiction deal through an article she wrote for a respectable pub. Had the pub bought all rights, this wouldn’t be possible.
This is a great example of a pub that respects writers. She got paid well, and she still got to make more money for her efforts as she deserved.

One right you might want to avoid relinquishing: If you can hold your ground, you should keep reprint rights. You should also avoid signing over all rights forever.

Yes, some pubs really do ask for it. And funnily enough, it is usually the guest post site that doesn’t pay or a pub that pays very little.

It is fine if you can never publish the piece anywhere for a month, even a year. But selling all rights permanently gets you paid only once.

Please note that my post is meant to be an introduction and a reminder without being too confusing.
For a thorough list of rights and their definitions, I recommend reading and bookmarking this fantastic article on Writing World: Rights: What They Mean and Why They’re Important.

How to Decide When to Fight for More

– Prominence of publication
– Payment
– Relationship with editors
– Your attachment level to the story
– Other writer’s experiences: positive and negative

All the points above are meant to help you ask and answer this question: “Is it worth it?”
I’d love to be published by Vanity Fair, for instance. So I could see myself giving up a bit more to obtain that byline. It also depends on the paycheck. You may not (and should not) be ready to give up on too many rights if you are offered a couple of hundred bucks. But what if you are getting more zeroes in your paycheck?

Still, only you can decide if it is worth it.

Early in my career, there was a publication in one of my favorite niches. They published from new and experienced writers alike, as long as your pitch and writing were solid. The only problem was they bough all electronic rights permanently. It was all very good when the site was online. I could show it as my portfolio pieces with the comments and shares along with my byline. Even though I save religiously, I haven’t saved all these pieces when they were online. And now I can’t find some of the drafts.

You live, you learn.

In theory, I could resell the pieces to print magazines. But there are few print magazines dedicated to writing and freelancing. Not all of them accept reprints (even though your article was only published online), and each magazine, even if it is in the same niche, operates differently. Some base editorial calendars on themes, so your idea may not match for months – if at all.

It’s your story, your baby, your career and your livelihood.

Interview with Writer Liza Brock: Author of the Novel Hot Chocolate in Wonderland

Posted on October 3, 2019 Written by Pinar Tarhan

For my second author interview this summer, I talked to my friend Liza Brock, author of Hot Chocolate in Wonderland about her publishing and creative journey. Liza and I both wrote for OC87 Recovery Diaries and met first online when we were invited to the publication’s writer’s retreat by our wonderful editor there, Gabriel Nathan. The retreat took place in Cape May, New Jersey, and as the five international guests, we started a WhatsApp group where we bonded. We were already close by the time we met at the retreat, and we how to see each other in person again soon.

On to Liza:

Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

I’ve been married for 15 years and a mumma to 3 children, 14, 12 & 9.

We live in Brisbane Queensland Australia.

I have travelled the world and love living in Hot Climates. I don’t do cold!

My favourite place is Istanbul, Turkey, without a doubt. Germany, Singapore and the rest of Europe. I’m not a fan of the United States. I lived in Los Angeles for a year and I didn’t enjoy it at all. I do however like New York but who doesn’t? Right!

I’ve had a very diverse career working within the entertainment industry from the age of 15, as an actress, successful recording artist, TV Presenter and business owner of a theatrical agent representing Australian Actors here and in LA. I now own an online e-commerce eco-friendly business and I’m a passionate Vegan.

How/when/why did you start writing?

In 2011, I started writing after a long arduous bout of depression. I’d been clinically depressed for over 6 months and was admitted to hospital.

During my stay, I was put on medication that worked. All of a sudden it felt as though the cork of a champagne bottle had exploded. My creativity was bursting. Oh, how I’d missed the creativity. (I guess after 6 months lying on the floor depressed, that will do that to you!) before I knew it, I’d written a novella in a space of 2 weeks.

The title changed three times.

‘Insanity and Beyond” (Toy Story reference)

‘Louise May, Truth love and Madness.’

And……… tell you later on.

My twice-named Novella stayed sitting on my laptop scared stiff.

But I knew, I needed to tell this story. I contacted a friend who is a writing consultant, and we got together. He was the first person ever to read my Novella. It scared the shit out of me.

Anyway, he helped me find my voice and gave me the license to be me. It stayed like that for a couple of years. Not published.

When I came out of the hospital and subsequently was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, I jumped onto as many bipolar Facebook forums as I could. Must admit, I was pretty agro at my diagnosis and added a few unpleasant truths here and there.

The editor of one of America’s award-winning bipolar online magazines (bphope.com) reached out and asked me to be there international blogger, which of course I did.

I spent two years blogging with them and during this journey, another online mental health company reached out and I wrote an essay for them. This lead to being flown to America on a female writers retreat and a short film doco being shot about my personal journey with bipolar depression.

It was really strange the way my writing career began. As weird as this sounds, it literally found me. I was not seeking to be a writer, I just had opinions and all these opportunities started to come my way.

I also had an English writer reach out and I contributed to his book, ‘The Recovery Letters’, that was published by Jessica Kingsley Publisher in the UK and USA. Subsequently, this book has won an award. Not because of me, lol.

Can you tell us about Hot Chocolate in Wonderland?

What’s Hot Chocolate In Wonderland? Ahh! well – there it is. The 3rd title of my book.

Hot Chocolate in Wonderland (aff. link) was my novella turned into a novel. I have a writing mentor and he worked with me to restructure the book and encouraged me to write more about Louisa’s life journey before her depression.

Hot Chocolate In Wonderland is a semi-autobiographical heartbreakingly funny look at one woman’s journey into the void of depression and bipolar disorder, with two of the worst alter Egos you could possibly ask for.

Think, Bridget Jones Diary, Meets, Silver Linings Playbook with a touch of Ab Fab.

What was your publishing journey like?

Where to start?

I have published 3 books now. I created a workbook diary for people struggling with depression, anxiety, etc.. This is called ‘THE HAPPY MIND WORKBOOK’. I created it and published it via Lightning Source which is now owned by Ingram Spark. My wonderful husband did all the graphics for it and the hardest part is getting all the specs right and proofing etc. It was sold in Hard Copy however most of my customers were in the US and to post my book from Australia is way expensive. So, I made it only available via e-book.

The Second Book, The Recovery Letters, was one of those land in-my-lap invitations.

The publishing contract was in place and all I had to do was contribute my piece.

OC87 recovery diaries is an online publisher that reached out and I submitted my essay. The Editor in Chief, (Gabriel Nathan) worked with me to fine-tune it. Very easy wonderful process.

Now. Hot Chocolate in Wonderland has been one hell of a journey.

I was determined to get a writing agent and to be traditionally published. I had that stuck in my head. A part of me and, I’m sure other writers think that, unless you get ‘traditionally published’ you’re not really published! or worse still, you’re NOT a writer.

Well, I know that’s how I felt.

I submitted my work for 2 years to agents. My mentor said after 100 agent rejections, then think of self-publishing. Well, I got to around 60 and my ego couldn’t take another rejection so I decided to self publish via Ingram Spark.

This was a very good idea. It’s fantastic to finally after many, many years, have my book out for all to see.

Do you have any tips for writers reading this?

Yes. Don’t be afraid of anything. We are all writers and unique in our own way. Don’t compare yourself to any other writer. (you’d never write a thing)

Read! read and read SOME MORE! THIS IS THE BEST ADVICE I’VE EVER BEEN GIVEN.

Find a mentor, someone who can give you solid advice.

Give your book to people, get them to read it, ask them to tell their friends and spread the word. Don’t be backwards coming forward. Writing is ART.

Your ART.

Let people read it.

Mentors are not that hard to find. Reach out to someone you admire within the industry. It’s surprising how ‘open’ particular the more mature successful people are to help out a new writer.

Self Publish, don’t be afraid – like me. It’s not a failure. It’s awesome. This is the way it all seems to be heading.

Beware: of Vanity Publishers!

Vanity Publishers are a new breed of publishers that basically will rip you off. They advertise online asking people to submit their work. They then will come back with a contract to publish, however, they will want anywhere from $5K+.

It may work for some people but I can tell you. You do NOT need to pay that. Do it yourself as mentioned. They simply are a con artist and rip you off.

If you do self-publish, make sure you pay for your book to be professional FORMATTED and get a smashing book cover!

I see self-published books with no appealing cover. Your book cover sells your book.

Go to fiverr.com and employ someone with great reviews. They’re out there. And they’re cheap.

And that’s that.

I wish you joy and many many, stories to float around in your head.

Where can follow you on social media?

INSTA @hotchocolateinwonderland

FB: Hotchocolateinwonderland

email: hotchocinwonderland@gmail.com

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7 Things to Never Say to or Ask a Writer

Posted on July 13, 2019 Written by Pinar Tarhan

This writer was probably asked/told one of these things before this picture was taken. 🙂

While this post targets the non-writers in our lives, I thought it’d be a fun read, and one you can just save and show whenever weird or unwelcome questions about writing bother you. 🙂

And if you have anything to add, please do so in the comments!

There is a rare breed of writers who have thick skin. They never get offended, annoyed, or upset. The unluckier but more common group, however, just learn to deal with these emotions. We develop ways to remain professional and calm while dealing with the turmoil inside.

Then we probably create a fictional character inspired by you and make sure that character gets what’s coming to them. Hey, it is fiction. Anything is allowed.

Look, we get it. We are in a weird profession. Many of the curious folk who utter these words mean well. They either want to find out more or don’t want us to suffer any more than we already do. But they inadvertently get under our skin.

Because despite all the love, passion, fun, entertainment, and satisfaction writing fills us with, we manage a lot of unpredictability, instability, rejection, fear, creative blocks and anger (and then some!) on a daily basis. So we don’t need any more negativity from other sources, especially if those sources are family and friends.

It is an easy list. Go ahead, internalize it. The writers in your life will love you more for it.

Get a real/another job.

Fun fact: we actually like money.

We don’t need to be rolling in it to feel happy or complete, but we recognize it as a necessary tool to survive and thrive in the world. We don’t need yachts, extra homes, or opulence (I’m not saying we object to those things. I’m just pointing out that we don’t need them), but we do need health insurance, food, shelter, some savings, and a bit more dough for the little social things that make life a bit more enjoyable: like the occasional meal out, seeing our favorite actors on the big screen, or going on a short vacation.

So if our writing isn’t bringing us enough money for the time period, we will get a job. Math might not be our favorite subject in the world, but we get the equation involving expenses and money earned.

Exceptions, of course, do exist. If we trust your judgment and ideas, we might ask you to brainstorm with us on ways we can get a better job or make more money. Then, please, share your ideas away. We asked for it.

Aren’t you wasting your education/training/intelligence/skills/previous job experience?

What we studied in school, whatever jobs we held don’t matter in the slightest if that is not the area we want to work in.

It doesn’t matter that we busted our asses getting into college to study law/medicine/engineering/business/advertising/whatever. If we wanted to work in these areas, we would. (Some of us are, but hey, you wouldn’t be asking them this question.)

We spend 1/3 of our lives at work. Imagine that. Why would you want or expect us to do anything other than we love?

Maybe we studied something for years before we realized it wasn’t for us. It’d be depressing to see that as wasted time. Instead, we learned a lot about something and moved on.

Did you know that Dave Evans, the co-author of the New York Times best-selling book Designing Your Life: Build the Perfect Career, Step by Step (aff. link) who is a designer and a design professor, first intended to be a marine biologist? As a fan of the book, I for one am glad he carved a different path. (And he carved it because he discovered he didn’t enjoy being a biologist.)

Maybe we are writing about the areas we studied in. We are creating characters who work in those industries or penning non-fiction pieces we managed to get from editors – you guessed it – by mentioning our education and any work experience.

When I’m not writing, I can be found teaching English to adults. When I teach Business English, unlike a lot of teachers, I don’t have to spend hours familiarizing myself with the jargon or finding interesting industry examples to help them learn better. Why? Because I did study business and advertising in college. I didn’t get a job in advertising because I don’t enjoy it. I do. That’s why I studied it. I just don’t love it enough to dedicate 1/3 of my life to it.

So is John Grisham/Stephen King/J.K. Rowling on your speed dial?

This might be just about me.

Sorry to disappoint you, but I don’t know any famous writers. Although I know a plethora of authors, none of them are household names yet. But fingers crossed, one day they will be. They deserve it.

Can you make money writing/Do you make money?

Yes, you can make money writing.

Did you know I once got $400 for expressing my opinion? While there is a lot more to writing an op-ed than just telling people what I think, it doesn’t change the fact that there is money in a writing career.

When you can sell many copies of your books, you also make money. If you option or sell your script, you make money.

But do people regularly ask you your salary? Why are you so concerned with ours?

How do you make money?

OK, actually this question is allowed if we have entered an interesting conversation about the nuts and bolts of how a writing career works. You are also allowed to ask it if you are a budding writer who wants to learn or another experienced writer who wants to compare notes.

You are not allowed to ask it, however, in a condescending, shocked, or worried tone.

Yes, we make money. But we would also keep writing if we weren’t. That doesn’t give anyone the right not to pay us what we deserve. It just means that we feel compelled to share our written words with the outside world.

When I was in high school, I created a romantic comedy TV-series. I wrote it in screenplay format, printed out, and handed interested friends the episodes in order. We talked about their favorite events and characters, what they hoped would happen, what worked well and what didn’t.

I learned a lot, but I also had so much fun. I didn’t make a dime, but I got read. It was glorious.

Because I am a writer. I write.

How will you retire?

We won’t! I mean we save money for emergencies and contingencies, but we won’t quit if we can help it. That is the whole point. For us, it is not just a job or career. It is a calling. It is a part of us. We are always filled with stories.

What do you write?

How much time have you got?

Technically, there is nothing wrong with it if you ask a writer who only writes in one genre or niche, but most writers won’t a short answer.

Unless you are an agent, manager, editor, or a producer, you won’t get an “elevator” version.

My short answer is: Screenplays, novels, and non-fiction.

Longer answer: I write romantic comedies and dramas. With non-fiction, I generally cover lifestyle topics in essays, blog posts, articles, or op-eds. It is a shorter list if I go over what I don’t write about than what I do.

Don’t get us wrong. We like it when people are interested in us and in our work. We don’t mind questions that every profession begets. We are just tired of people who treat us like weird creatures living life in a fantasy bubble that don’t know how the world works.

We know exactly how the world works. That’s why so many of us became writers. To change it, enhance it, to make it better.

So the question is, will you behave, or will you become the villain in our next story?