Books or eBooks - Which is Better for Writers?

Do you think traditional books are better than eBooks or vice versa? For me, the answer as to which I prefer is not that simple.

When it comes to reading fiction books, it is traditional style books, hands down, that I prefer. But eBooks have their place too - I tend to prefer them for how-to books, particularly those that offer me tips and advice for making money online or through writing.

I started a debate on this Squidoo lens - why not join in?

Anyway, eBooks have really changed the way we write. Clients want us to write them - and the pay isn't all that bad. They allow us to self publish rather easily and give as an avenue to make some money from our websites while still sharing what we know.

I personally love writing eBooks.

On the debate page, I said that I prefer traditional books and for the most part, I do. But I also think that eBooks have a permanent place in this writer's life!

Organize Your Freelance Writing Business

I knew I'd miss this blog! That's why I never took it down. I decided to start posting again so look forward to more posts from me in the future.

Anyway, the thing that's been on my mind lately is organizing my freelance writing business. I've done a lot of soul searching and finally came up with a series of spreadsheets, databases, and word documents that help me get everything in order. This definitely helps come tax time!

• Earnings and Expenses - I will have one spreadsheet for earnings and expenses.

• Contacts - This is where I'll keep track of editors, other writers, etc.
  

• Markets - I like to keep a running list of markets I might submit to.

• Queries, submissions, and pitches - One spreadsheet for each category of ones that I send out.

• Current work - This will keep track of my assignments, due dates, when they were paid, and how much.

Remember that the important thing is to come up with a system that works for you!

I've had fun with this blog but...

It's time to move on. I've been thinking of moving everything over for a while to my own domain. The problem with this blog is that I felt that things have been changing. My new project is more in tune with where I am right now.

The topics I cover include:

• Writing
• Inspiration
• Blogging
  
• Internet marketing
• Work at home

You can read it here. Oh, and if you're a writer don't forget to sign up for my list. I have an ecourse to help you get started. To sign up, enter your name in the box at the left.

Is graffiti writing art?

I've been researching keywords lately to try to up my blog traffic. I plugged in "writing" in my keyword tool and the most searched for term was graffiti writing... So that got me thinking - why is it such a popular search term?

I don't look at graffiti as a bad thing. Some of them are extremely well put together and the artist shows some serious talent.

There's something out there called "guerrilla art" that a lot of people enjoy doing. This is where you leave works of art or things such as poems in places for people to find. Graffiti sort of falls into that category, don't you think?

If you want to see some examples of great graffiti art, check out graffiti.org.

Keri Smith on her blog has a playful take on the concept of guerilla art. You can read her blog post about it here.

Squidoo Lenses for Writers - Check Them Out!

I thought I'd put together a list of my lenses for writers so that you could benefit from them. Lots of good stuff here on how to make money as a writer...

• Make Money Writing

• Get Freelance Writing Jobs with Rentacoder

• Beginner's Guide to Freelance Writing

• Find Creative Writing Ideas

• Make Money Writing Articles With Associated Content

• All About Food Writing

• How to Write a Query Letter

• Make Money Writing Short Articles

Check back often - I always update them and add new lenses. Look for other subjects as well besides writing. I'm changing things around!

Business Plan Check for April

The first three months of 2008 are behind us. How are you doing with your goals? It's time to dust off your business plan and go through it. Or, if you don't have a business plan written yet - finish it.

I know that people put off writing a business plan because they think it's complicated. But it doesn't have to be. You don't even need to put it on your computer.

At its most basic you should include:

• What your goals are
• How you will make your money
• How you will market and promote your writing business

And that's it. It's a way to hold yourself accountable. I have a few ventures going on, and each one has its own mini business plan. But you can make it all happen at once. Just do what makes sense for you.

PayPerTweets and the Great Twitter Debate

I signed up for twitter when I first heard about it. I logged in, didn't get it, and ignored it for a solid month. I gave it another chance and I'm glad I did! Here's why:

• A great way to get to know others.
• It's a lot of fun.
• Promote your work.
• Show some link love.
• Offers me a way to take a quick break.

But, I just heard that people are offering to pay others for mentioning them in a twitter post. Of course, this shouldn't come as a surprise - there are Pay-Per-Posts and other forms of advertising. At first, I used to do this kind of work. But, I realized that all it really does is ruin the integrity of my blog.

I feel the same way about twitter. It's a fun site. I think the ads will hurt that. What do you think?

If you aren't already following me, visit my twitter URL here. I'll follow you in return. :)