Archive for July, 2008
Of Note: A Few Strong Words
Lately I have been following Graham Strong’s A Few Strong Words blog.
I thought that WritingThoughts readers would enjoy Graham’s blog, so I’ve decided to make it this week’s “Of Note” blog.
Some recent posts of interest include:
- What the Heck is Blog ROI? - A continuation of Graham’s recent discussion on Do Blogs Work?
- The Writing Tip I Learned from Paris Hilton (True Story) - It just goes to show that just about anything can inspire a true writer.
If you’re looking for a good writing discussion, then Graham’s blog is the place to be.
Our most recent “Of Note” blog was Writing For Hire. You can read a short review of that blog here.
Note: If you’re consistently posting great information and haven’t seen your blog featured in “Of Note†yet, I apologize. I’ll probably find you soon. But hey, why not drop me a note (laura at symbol writingthoughts dot com) and tell me why you think your writing blog is notable? If I agree, then I just might feature it here.
Contents (c) Copyright 2008, Laura Spencer. All rights reserved
Image Source: Laura Spencer
Of Note: Writing For Hire
Am I officially moving the “Of Note” series to Monday?
I haven’t made a conscious decision, but it certainly seems to be trending that way this month.
Anyway, this week’s “Of Note” blog is Debbie Mack’s Writing For Hire. Debbie covers a diverse range of topics for writers.
I like Debbie’s weekly quotation, which is always thought-provoking. Another recent noteworthy feature is a series of posts on Lessons Learned About Freelancing.
If you haven’t discovered Debbie’s blog, then you should stop by at your earliest convenience. Writing for Hire is definitely worth your time.
Last week’s blog “of note” was AvancedFictionWriting.com. You can read about it here.
Note: If you’re consistently posting great information and haven’t seen your blog featured in “Of Note†yet, I apologize. I’ll probably find you soon. But hey, why not drop me a note (laura at symbol writingthoughts dot com) and tell me why you think your writing blog is notable? If I agree, then I just might feature it here.
Contents (c) Copyright 2008, Laura Spencer. All rights reserved
Image Source: Laura Spencer
FAQ: Do You Accept Rush Jobs?
I am often asked whether I accept rush writing jobs.
My answer to that question is: Yes!! Sometimes. . .
I will take on rush work when I can complete it without affecting other project deadlines.
You see, as a professional, I know that your deadlines are important. When I agree to take on your project you can rest assured that I will do everything in my power to meet your deadline.
That means that I will not put your project aside for last minute work even if that work pays more. I will fit a rush job into my schedule only if it will not negatively impact projects that I have already committed to.
However, if I can safely fit your rush job into my schedule, I will.
What is a Rush Job?
That is an excellent question and I’m glad that you asked.
Like most writers, I plan my schedule at least a week in advance. The earlier that you give me notice of your project; the better I will be able to fit it into my schedule.
People tend to think that a rush job is always work that is due the next day. That is not necessarily the case. What is considered a rush job varies depending on the scope of work and amount of effort required as well as the project due date.
On the one hand, if you contact me today about a project that requires forty hours of effort and is due in five business days I would consider that a rush job even though it is not due for a week because it is a large effort.
On the other hand, if you contact me today about a project that requires five hours of effort and it is due in five business days I would not consider that a rush job.
A handy rule thumb: it is easier for me to fit smaller jobs into my schedule than larger jobs.
Do You Charge Extra For Rush Job?
In general, I charge my regular rates for rush jobs. A few people think that by paying extra money they can get me to push other client’s deadlines back.
In my opinion, this practice is not fair to the clients who planned ahead and provided me with adequate notice of their project.
If I can’t fit a rush job in to my schedule and still honor my commitment to other clients, I won’t accept it and no amount of money will change that. Period. For that reason, I do not charge rush rates.
I Have a Rush Job Right Now, What Should I Do?
(Edited to incorporate changes on 9/19/09.) You can contact me with your rush project information. I’ll review your information within eight twenty-four business hours (often sooner) and let you know if I can fit your project into my schedule.
If I can get your work done according to your time frame, you will be provided with a free custom project cost estimate. If I cannot complete your work within your specified time frame, I may suggest writing colleagues for you to contact. (Added 9/19/09) For a reasonable fee, I may also offer to select and supervise qualified writers for your project.
Contents (c) Copyright 2008, Laura Spencer. All rights reserved
Image Source: www.stockxpert.com
Of Note: AdvancedFictionWriting.com
I did it again. I missed posting the “Of Note” selection during the recent (U.S.) holiday weekend.
Not to worry, however. I have selected an “Of Note” choice for this week and I think that you’ll enjoy it.
To find this week’s selection I decided to perform a Google search for “Writing Blogs.” On the very first page of my search results I noticed a blog that a lot of my online StumbleUpon friends have reviewed - the blog was Randy Ingermanson’s AdvancedFictionWriting.com.
While Randy’s blog is new to me, I decided that the StumbleUpon friends were probably right about the blog so I decided to take a look. (I must admit, I was a little nervous about Randy’s tag line which includes the phrase “America’s Mad Professor of Fiction Writing.” A quick look at Randy’s blog calmed my fears, however.)
Randy uses a question and answer approach in most of his blog posts as he deals with fiction-writing questions from his readers. Randy also uses popular fiction examples to illustrate his points. The result is a highly readable learning treat for the fiction writer, or aspiring fiction writer.
If you are a fiction writer (or want to become one), then I’d definitely recommend that you take a look at Randy’s blog.
Last week’s “Of Note” blog was Words of Redemption. You can read my mini-review of that blog here.
Note: If you’re consistently posting great information and haven’t seen your blog featured in “Of Note†yet, I apologize. I’ll probably find you soon. But hey, why not drop me a note (laura at symbol writingthoughts dot com) and tell me why you think your writing blog is notable? If I agree, then I just might feature it here.
Contents (c) Copyright 2008, Laura Spencer. All rights reserved
Image Source: Laura Spencer
A Photo of My Door (And Other Miscellaneous Topics)
First of all, thanks to all of you readers for being so patient and waiting for me to get through my move.
(As for those of you who lost patience and unsubscribed to this blog, well, you probably aren’t reading this - are you?)
First of all, I promised on Twitter that I would post a photo of my office door - so here it is. As you can see, the door to my office shuts (which is something I didn’t have before).
Naturally, things are taking longer than I thought - but I have gotten the opportunity to work in my closed office this week. What I’ve discovered is that I miss the noise just a tiny bit. When I shut the door the quiet in here even seems a bit eerie.
Right about now you’re probably thinking to yourselves, “what, she complained and complained about how noisy her office was and when she finally does get a door she complains about that too.”
Well, hold on. I’m not about to give up this new office by any stretch of the imagination.
However, I do think that my slight homesickness for my noisy office just goes to prove how adaptable we are. (We are probably more adaptable than any of us realize).
I had adapted and become accustomed to working in a very noisy environment so now a quiet office, my ideal environment, seems a bit strange to me.
(Of course, in a few weeks I will have adapted to this environment and it will feel more familiar. In fact, I expect to spend many productive hours in here.)
What all this really means is - no more excuses. Whatever circumstance it is that you think is holding you back probably isn’t.
Contents (c) Copyright 2008, Laura Spencer. All rights reserved
Image Source: Laura Spencer
