The Secrets of Getting Published

The Secrets

of

Getting Published!

By Valerie Hockert

~~~

Smashwords Edition

Valerie Hockert

[email protected]

Copyright: © 1981, 1990, 2012 by Valerie Hockert All rights reserved

No part of this document may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of author.

SMASHWORDS EDITION, LICENSE NOTES. This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

The author, Valerie Hockert, is the Publisher of Reality Today Forum (www.realitytodayforum.com) and Family Today Forum (www.familytodayforum.com) and former Publisher and Managing Editor of the WRITERS' Journal, Today’s Family, and MINNESOTA INK, and has been a successful freelancer for many years.

INTRODUCTION

Although many of the how-to-books I have studied and reviewed, have titles on how to sell, or how to write best-selling articles/books, they seem to touch very lightly on the topic of monetary feedback, or attribute negative factors to earning a living writing. Yet these same books begin by claiming that following the author's listed ways, one will be able to establish a good financial position as a writer.

If one is to write highly saleable material, one would have to read many books, as these books leave a lot of things unsaid. Or you could learn the inside secrets from a publisher/managing editor.

Have you ever wondered what elements really do constitute a saleable piece of writing or how does one get the creative juices flowing so one can keep writing? Or what are the exact mechanics for a manuscript? Or how does one write a good query? Or why does one's manuscript or query get rejected?

Since I am a publisher and managing editor, I can present some very useful inside tips on creating and marketing your writing.

Other than the ability to write, the topics I believe are important areas in which a writer needs a good knowledge to be successful are:

1) Writing a Saleable Article

2) Where and How to Get Ideas

3) Creative Writing Exercises

4) What an Editor Looks For

5) Manuscript Preparation

6) The Query Letter

7) Rejections

8) Other Sources of Writing Income

This book will cover these topics--and more.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

INTRODUCTION

WRITING A SALEABLE ARTICLE

--AN INTERESTING SUBJECT

--A GOOD TITLE

--A GREAT LEAD

--SMOOTH TRANSITION

--COLORFUL DESCRIPTIONS

--TIGHT WRITING

--A SATISFYING ENDING

WHERE AND HOW TO GET IDEAS

CREATIVE WRITING EXERCISES

--BASIC EXERCISES

--STARTER SENTENCES

--CHARACTERIZATIONS

--SETTINGS

QUERY LETTERS

COVER LETTERS

MANUSCRIPT PREPARATION

--SIMULTANEOUS SUBMISSIONS

--WRITER'S GUIDELINES

WHAT AN EDITOR LOOKS FOR

OVER 150 SUBSTITUTES FOR THE WORD SAYS

REJECTIONS

OTHER SOURCES OF WRITING INCOME

CONCLUSION

WRITING A SALEABLE ARTICLE