Word Counter

Many of my jobs require that I write a certain amount of words. Here is a cool little app. that can help you with this.

 

http://allfreelancewriting.com/wordcount-tracker/

 

Look around, they also have an advanced version.

 

LiveJournal Tags: word counter,writing,books

Time management

Ok so here I am bloggin’ instead of writing on my book, but I needed to say that time management is very important.

I have come to the conclusion that I may be slightly ADD as I am extremely distractible. I have shut off twitter, Facebook and email to get real work done. I have to take breaks every hour and shift gears and shift back, but I can only sustain about 6 hours a day of solid writing time and that is a productive day.

I do find when I drink coffee I can stay focused longer. I also do better first thing the morning and then my production starts to waver about 3:00 PM. So I plan and pace myself.

My suggestion is to take a stop watch and time how many minutes a day you are actually typing. Do this for a few days- just hit the timer when you are typing, and when you go on to something else stop the time. See what your productivity is like and remove things that are sucking your time.

I qualify blogging as writing as it helps me focus on what I am doing and how to do it better.

LiveJournal Tags: writing,time management,coffee,starbucks,writers digest,freelance

Roll with it

LiveJournal Tags: coffee,book,publisher,editor,coautor,cinnamon dolce latte,starbucks,coaching,executive coaching

I recently finished writing a book that was actually my second run with it. This has been going on for two years and encompassed 2 contracts and a multitude of editors.

So I got the message after turning in the final manuscript that the publisher has decided that they wanted more from the book and decided to hire another to co author the book.

I thought about it. I was going to get paid the same and my name was going to be on the book. I did however stipulate that I wanted to actually look at the book before it went to print. If my name was going on it, I wanted to make sure that it in some way resembled something I would have written, and they happily agreed.

So I rolled with it, and did not get upset or angry, because I want to do future work with this publisher and in the end I still got out of it what I wanted and am hopeful that the book will be even more improved with a co author and be a smashing success.

Since now you know I am a total coffee addict I wanted to add that I am trying desperately to find the right combination of coffee, milk and syrup to make my own cinnamon dolce latte at home. Any suggestions?

Freelance Writing Rate Calculator - Freelance Hourly Rate Calculator | All Freelance Writing

 

Freelance Writing Rate Calculator - Freelance Hourly Rate Calculator | All Freelance Writing

I thought this was a very cool calculator. I can put in how much I want to make, how many hours in a day I want to write, and even how many vacation days I want a year and it calculates how much money I should be charging per hour for my work. The good thing is that I was only .75 cents off from what I really do charge. Check it out.

LiveJournal Tags: writing,freelance,cacluator,hourly,rate

 

 

 Freelance Writing Rate Calculator - Freelance Hourly Rate Calculator | All Freelance Writing

Wine Book Coming out soon!!

Here is the next book coming out- I do not have a definitive date yet. My favorite part of this book was an interview with John Langley. He was the producer of the show COPS and a number of other police themed shows and he has also down some films. (TIPTOES is my favorite.)

He was extremely nice and humorous. He has a winery down in Argentina called Urraca Wines. I got some samples to try that were out of this world. He runs this winery with his children, and is utilizing a award winning local vintner and wine maker that is familiar with the grapes that are grown in the region.

Urraca is the name for a magpie, which is a name John’s wife gave to him.

His wines can be bought through distributors or online through his website. If I had to pick a favorite it would be the Familia Langley Reserva. It is a blend of a Merlot, Malbec, Cabernet, and a Cabernet Franc. It is great with a red sauce pasta, and reminds me a good Merlot. It is heavy in the berry and grape tastes.

Try the wine, order the book and read the interview. (click the book above).

del.icio.us Tags: winemaking,wine,John Langley,Urraca,Atlantic publishing,new book,how to make wine

Writing Gifts Part 3

Ok so some sales and coupons have come my way. If you missed out on giving your writer something cool for Valentine’s day- check these out. I know I will! (Are you seeing this honey!)

Save up to 50% on Beautiful Cross Fine Pens during our Winter Clearance Event. Free Shipping on $50+.

Save 20% and get a free $35 Weekender Wallet with the purchase of a Johnston & Murphy Business Case.

Business & Laptop Case Winter Sale. Save up to 73% on Top Brands- Kenneth Cole, Zero Haliburton, McKlein, Siamod and more!

Save up to 70% on Top Brand Leather Writing Pads and Covers. Shop the Winter Clearance Sale at Executive Essentials.

These Waterford Fine Pens are Now on Clearance up to 50% off. Plus Get Free Shipping on $50+ at Executive Essentials.

This is the Best Time to Own or Gift a Historic Faber-Castell Pen. Save 20% with code Faber20 Plus Get Free Shipping on $50+

Traditional Magazine Freelancing

The boards are abuzz with magazines closing left and right. This has freelance writers very nervous. In addition, the magazines that are left are holding payments, killing articles or they are not hiring anyone, because there just is not any money.

People are talking about getting $1 a word. Depending on the size of the article, this is may could mean a payment of between $200 maybe up to $1500. That may sound great until you consider that most magazine pay much less than a $1 a word and some writers are waiting months or never getting paid.

Freelance writers, like myself, have to adapt. It is the Internet where the real money is these days. I get all of my jobs from the Internet through sites and word of mouth. I write books, eBooks, ghost write, create articles, and the lists go on. I have clients all over the world.

To those troopers trying to hold onto the dream of making a living as a magazine writer- it is time to adapt or find a new line of work. The days of the paper magazines are limited indeed.

del.icio.us Tags: writing,freelance,magazine writing

 

The Creation of a Book part 2

One of the first things I do in creating a non fiction book is to gather research materials. My publisher sends me whatever books I may need (I am lucky in this respect as not all publishers will do this). I also look for online resources.

As I am gathering the online resources I am making a list of where and what time I gathered the materials. If at all possible I use these materials for research and rarely quote them, as it is sometimes hard to ascertain the actual author and websites change so often. This  why it is important to note when you collected the information. Later in these posts I will deal with the formatting of a bibliography.

For my beer book I have about 6 resources for making beer at home and as many for growing grains, hops and herbs. Now it is a matter of actually getting the words on the page!

The Creation of a Book part 1

I am working on my eleventh book called, The Complete Guide to Growing Your Own Hops, Malts, and Brewing Herbs: Everything You Need to Know Explained Simply. (Atlantic) Over the next couple of months I will take you step by step through the process of creating a book.

I have already signed a contract for this book and they have approved my detailed outline. This outline consists of a skeletal outline of the chapters followed by a detailed explanation of each chapter.

The editors have looked it over and made some suggestions and we agreed that the focus of the book will be on the gardening aspects rather than just a book about home brewing. In fact, I am in negotiations to create a more traditional home brewing book.

So right now I am working on the first 20k words. When I am done I will submit the work, the editors (2 tier) will review and send back to me with corrections and I will next stage of 20k words until we reach 65k.

 

Here is my latest book on the shelves. I have two that are in layout- one eBay income basics and the other is a more general wine making book. 

I am off for my Via coffee. More soon!

del.icio.us Tags: coffee,via,starbucks,atlantic publishing,writing,homebrew,beer,wine,winemaking

Beer and More Beer

del.icio.us Tags: beer,book writing proof editing,writing,publishing,health

Currently I am working on two different beer books. The first is how to grow a beer garden in your own backyard. This is a how to manual for daring home brewers to grow the ingredients at home.

 

The 2nd book is on creating healing beers and wines. This one is already fast tracked to be published in four languages. (ipublicaides)

I have been a home brewing for many years and so both of these books are very exciting projects. This is of course means a lot of pubs, microbreweries and taste testing. It is research, do you hear me tax man!

New Year- not again

So we swing around to Twenty- Ten. (Yep that’s what I am calling it). No more excuses. I am going finish that novel. Too many reasons I have given myself concerning time- or lack there of.

LiveJournal Tags: writing,new year,2010

I am going to have Hephaestus forge some time for me. I hear him slamming his hammer in the dark, with the heat and sweat. Sparks flying from the cold metal hammer as it strikesinto molten metal, making time more malleable for me to use. It will happen. I will do it.
So on the paid book front- finishing the coaching, then starting onto the beer. Now how many people can claim that? I can go into microbreweries, sit and talk about hops, drink me a pint and call it a tax write off. It is research, right?

Proof Your Book Too

LiveJournal Tags: book writing proof editing

I can say from experience of righting a few books that nothing is more stomach wrenching than to open my book straight from print and seeing grammar or spelling errors.

I believe the these types of errors are a shared responsibility. I write the words- type type type. I go over them a few times to try to catch errors- check, check check. After I am satisfied I submit the manuscript. I am a firm believer that you cannot proof your work alone, as your brain will play tricks on you. You will miss things because your brain will fill in errors and not alert you that there is a problem. The universe was nice enough to provide editors for this purpose.

That does not mean that I should not do my level best to try to fix and all all errors in a manuscript it is just that it is a shared responsibility of the editor to find and pick out what I might have missed.

When I am writing a book, an editor will go over my manuscript with a fine toothed comb and many times there there will be a senior editor that will look over as well. Once this is done and everyone is satisfied it is sent to the printer who then sends back a proof. This proof is then reviewed once again and approved for print.

So how can errors make it through so many reviews and still make it to print? Well as an author you have to be proactive. Edit as much as you can and hand it to someone you trust and has a close eye for details to look it over before you submit it. Ultimately, if an error reaches the page in print, it is the author’s fault. try to get a hold of the proof before it makes it to the printer to give it another good looking over. Once it is in print it is permanent, at until the second edition comes out.

What I say every time

Every time that a new book that I have written comes to the house in that cool brown box I say the same thing, “THE PHONE BOOKS HAVE ARRIVED.”

If I have to explain that this is a line from “The Jerk” with Steve Martin, the joke will be lost on you. But to me- I laugh every single time.

Wedding Planning Book hits #1

I was browsing through Amazon.com today and looked at the Wedding Planning Book I wrote and I saw:

#1 in
Books > Business & Investing > Small Business & Entrepreneurship > Retail Businesses

It’s a niche category, but hey I think it is awesome- New York Times Best Seller List here I come!

As a writer, it is nice to know you are appreciated and that your books matter. I am still very new to all of this. I can tell you that it is inspiring for me and makes me want to write a lot more when I get a little boost every once in a blue moon. Writing is a very solitary profession that can be a little lonely at times.

I don’t live in a big city, and I am not a superstar so I really don’t have any fans ( unless one of your out there want to start a fan club- HA!) But seriously it is a nice boost to see that my writing is recognized even a little. If you would like a copy of this book that takes you step by step about how to create an awesome career as a wedding planner go to:

http://tinyurl.com/dap3af

 

Children Writing a Book

So what is worse than writing a book yourself? Having two children decide they are writing a book. My wife often says that the solution to the war in Iraq is sending middle school girls. There is nothing more scary or totally insane then angry young girls. They do not play by any rules except the ones they create, and even those are subject to impulsive revisioning.

My daughters , Loreena (11) and Sarah (14), thought it would be an excellent idea to write a book together. It is a romance thriller that begins in the early 1900’s and spans to modern day. It’s theme is one of second chances in love.

Sounds great right? I was sent the first chapter and thought,” Wow this is good stuff. My girls have some talent.” It is at this point that things get a little out of control.

The fighting began two nights ago, mostly about artistic differences and disagreements about plot structure and who was responsible for which chapter. Now in the world of writing this is not an uncommon event, but with pubescent girls, the gloves came off. The fighting, not unlike a Monday Night Wrestling Throw Down, ensued. There is no logic, no begging to be reasonable, just lunacy.

 

At this stage they agreed to do a story board and outline. For now, there is peace, but I am not too hopeful. In the end, they will probably get a fiction book published before me because their passion is unchecked and their energy unmatched.

How do you write about topics you are not an expert in?

 

When I wrote the book about Wedding Consulting, my friends, family and peers looked at me strangely. I am 6’1” of burley Italian man. Not the typical wedding planner persona. Although I would argue that I do not exactly fit the piccolo player persona either.

I usually respond two ways. The first is that I contact experts in the field that I am writing about. I get their perspective about the material matter and they supply tips for the readers. I take the the material they provide for me and shape it into a book. This is not the case for all the books, as the one I am currently working on about making wine, I do have some expert knowledge about.

The second way I approach it is that I do a ton of research. I read everything I can about the subject I am writing about. While this may not make me an expert, I can then spin the material I have learned from experts into a readable and easy to understand format. There is a saying that there are “ No new things under the sun.” While mankind does continue to evolve, we are building and spinning things in new and interesting ways, the material at its core is not new.

It is the job of a good author to make old knowledge or ancient plot to turn and develop it in a unique way. There might be new names, faces and backgrounds, but most good stories are eternal.

 

Check out what experts have to say about starting a wedding planning business. If you buy this book through my website, send me a message and I will mail you bonus book or material. http://osirispapers.books.officelive.com

Ebay Book Coming soon

 

I was excited to hear from the publisher that my book on powerselling on Ebay should be released soon. It was a very interesting process to create this 300+ page book.

The underlying message throughout the book is that it is difficult to reach the powerseller status, but it is even more difficult to maintain it. If a Ebay store is to survive they need to look beyond selling garage sale items and act like a real small business. This is what truly separates the average ebay seller from the Powerseller.

There were a number of experts and powersellers that contributed to this book, and without them, it would not be the power tool that it has become.

If you have any questions about powerselling on Ebay, do not hesitate to ask. If I do not have the answer, I will ask one of the experts!

 

John Peragine

Longevity

I have learned that in the writing business, that after a year of creating books that I now have longevity. I am outliving my editors. I guess I should thank the writing Gods for their blessings.

 

I started writing full time August 2007. In that time I have had 5 books published and 2 on the way. I have written for three magazines on a regular basis and had more freelance work then I can handle. I don’t live in NY or LA or any other large metropolitan city you can recognize with two letters. (unless you can recognize WS)

 

I have a BS degree in psychology and a Phd in Natural Health. So what is my secret of relative success?

 

I can break it down to two points.

 

The first is hard work. Being self employed and working from home is some of the hardest, most constant work I have done in my life. Even as a musician I have breaks. As a writer my waking and sleeping mind are constantly working and churning. Don’t get me wrong, I totally love it. People ask me if I am near burning out and my response is that I wish their more hours in the day to write.

 

The second point is that I am always working on the next project. I do not allow lag time. I use time each day looking for new projects and bolstering marketing efforts. I do this through blogging, social networking and bidding on projects on sites such as Elance.

 

My word of advice NEVER EVER give up.

Sitting In A Library

 

I guess this is the place where I am a “Super Star.” The public library. It is here that I can scan the shelves and find my name. Kind of cool.

Today school is out and there are children scampering around like mice. The librarians who are speaking loudly about where they are going to lunch are shushing the children.

It brings me back to my childhood. I was an odd child that would spend hours in a library. During the summer my parents worked, so I would ride my bike with sandwich in tow to spend the entire day at the library.

For me, it is a magical place. There are so many choices of places to go, it was like a literary train stop. At the library in my hometown they had these carpeted wooden tubes you could crawl into in the nooks and crannies of the children’s section. They had a hole in the top to allow light in.

I remember grabbing Tolkien, Herbert and other fantasy writers while I crawled in a tube and would be transported all day.

The library also had a room with type writers. All I had to bring was paper. I would type up science fiction stories about wars in space, and a reluctant retired space general. I guess I was already stamped and ready to ship to writer’s land.

Have a great day and visit a library soon.

Holy Twitter Explosion Batman!

I have been working on a book about Twitter for a client. In the spirit of research I actually tried the techniques I was writing about.

 

It worked- Better than I can describe!

I am under contract for this Ebook so I can not tell you what particular technique put over 500 new users in my Inbox this morning, but I will send a link to where to get the Ebook when I am done.

I have been writing about marketing techniques for awhile and I can honestly say what I did for a few minutes last night was amazing.

I am now on the lookout for life and executive coaches to help me with my new book, so if you are out there please contact me at drjohnnd@hotmail.com. You name will be in a published book plus you will receive a free copy of the book.

You will be the envy of all your friends.