|
Mary Rosenblum
|
Good evening all, and happy
spring! At least I hope it's spring where you are!
|
|
|
Welcome to our Professional
Connection live interview.
|
|
|
Tonight we'll visit with
Melanie Snyder, a 1998 graduate of ICL and a 2003 graduate of LWRG.
|
|
|
Melanie has published articles,
stories and poems with Cricket, Guideposts for Kids, Harcourt Educational
Publishers, LexisNexis, SIRS Publishing, AlbemarleKids, Charlottesville
Business Journal and a variety of other national, regional and special
interest print and web publications.
|
|
|
She has also received awards in
several short story contests.
|
|
|
Melanie, welcome!
|
|
Melanie Snyder
|
Thanks Mary! Good to be here
|
|
|
Mary was my LRWG instructor -
and she was terrific too!
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
I have to say that this is a
special pleasure to me, as your instructor! I think you have gotten the
most from the ICL and Long Ridge courses. And you were a great
student!
|
|
Melanie Snyder
|
Well, I think in terms of
Return on Investment ...
|
|
|
So I was determined to earn
back my tuition in article sales.
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
I'd say you are well on the way!
LOL.
|
|
|
Are you keeping track to see
when you reach the 'paid back' goal?
|
|
Melanie Snyder
|
Hmmm good question - actually
I haven't gone to THAT level of bookkeeping.
|
|
|
But maybe I will add up those
numbers - just to see!
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
Well, I know people have a lot
of questions, and we'll start getting to them in just a minute here
|
|
|
but first I'd like to say
something. One of the reasons I wanted to have you here is that you are a
good writer...
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
but you are succeeding because
you are working at it! And that's what I'd really like to share with other
students out there -- the fact that your talent is yours to make into
success or not.
|
|
Melanie Snyder
|
Well, it IS some work . . .
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
No kidding!
|
|
Melanie Snyder
|
It doesn't come easy. But I'm
having a lot of fun with it too.
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
So how did this all start?
Where did writing come into your life? Or should I say when?
|
|
Melanie Snyder
|
Age 9. A coal bin in my best
friend's basement. Janine Wenger and I had a writer's club...
|
|
|
Just the two of us. We'd sit
down there under a bare light bulb that swung from a thin cord from the
black ceiling
|
|
|
and we'd write poems. Here's
one of my first: "Cars and trucks and bikes go by
|
|
|
Airplanes and helicopters up
in the sky
|
|
|
How far to the airport? Maybe
a mile. Then suddenly, I smile a big smile
|
|
|
It goes on from there - about
2 pages worth of age 9 poetry. You can see I was destined for writing LOL!)
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
Wow, you were! AND you kept
that early masterpiece. I wish I had kept mine!
|
|
Melanie Snyder
|
I have a whole folder of
"Melanie G Snyder - The Early Years". Think I'd throw away what's
destined to be a collector's item?? LOL
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
There you go...contributions
for many charity auctions in the future! So what inspired you to sign
up for the ICL course?
|
|
Melanie Snyder
|
I had wanted to write for
children for YEARS - then I HAD one (a child, I mean) - and thought what
better test market than this?
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
That certainly is true!
|
|
Melanie Snyder
|
So, when I was home on maternity
leave, I thought a lot about how I'd get started. Those funny little ICL
"So you want to write for children" ads had always intrigued me
|
|
|
so I sent away for the info
packet. The rest, as they say, is history.
|
|
|
I started ICL when I was
living in the US
|
|
|
then moved overseas and
continued from over there.
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
Why did you decide to go on
with the adult course after you finished?
|
|
Melanie Snyder
|
I found that what really
thrilled me was writing non-fiction
|
|
|
and there seemed to be a good market
for it - in the adult as well as children's markets.
|
|
|
So I decided I wanted to
expand my "repertoire" and be able to write good non-fiction for
adults as well.
|
|
|
Funny thing is - it's ALL
about "story" - whether you're writing for adults or children.
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
You said it, dear! That's the
heart of writing...fiction or non!
|
|
ladybird39pm
|
Melanie did you have fears of
rejection as you sent in your early submissions?
|
|
Melanie Snyder
|
Hi Ladybird39pm (great name
BTW!) - ABSOLUTELY! I wanted to go to the mailbox - but DIDN"T want to
go to the mailbox - if you know what I mean...
|
|
|
But I read something recently
that made me think about rejection differently - and that is that every
rejection is, first and foremost, one person's opinion
|
|
|
and that having gone out and
sought that opinion is a sign of STRENGTH and COURAGE on your part as a
writer.
|
|
|
That the response - even if
it's a rejection - means that you are WORKING at being a writer. And that's
what you have to do.
|
|
|
My tactic for dealing with the
rejections is to have a list, before I send a piece out for the first time
|
|
|
of at least 5 markets where I
plan to send this piece.
|
|
|
As soon as I get the first
rejection, I send it off to the next market on my list and then get busy
writing or sending another piece.
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
That is VERY well put, Melanie,
and that is how I work, too. AND...as a professional for many years, I'd
like to add
|
|
|
that rejections are forever
part of the process. I still get them regularly. They are a 'no thanks’,
not a judgment on YOU. And when you are sending
|
|
|
work out, you ARE working as a
professional writer, whether you have sold or not!
|
|
coway
|
I never considered writing for
children, until recently, I wrote a couple of fun shorts for grandchildren
5, and 9, now they bug me all the time to write another one....but I don't
feel adequate writing for young children. It's away from my
direction, but it's fun to see their eyes light up. So I could do your
reverse and write for children as well as adults, maybe?
|
|
Melanie Snyder
|
That's right - rejection
really does just mean "No thanks" - not "you're a
loser" or anything dreadful like that.
|
|
|
I think if you're a writer,
you should always be exploring new genres, new audiences. It stretches your
creativity, helps you to grow professionally. Look at it this way.
|
|
|
If you were in an office job -
would you turn down different assignments that were something different
from what you do every day? Probably not. As writers, sometimes
|
|
|
we don't think of ourselves as
professionals, as business people, as having a "real job" - but I
think you HAVE TO think of it as a real job
|
|
|
and pursue the same kinds of
opportunities for training, expanding your knowledge, and growing your
business that you'd pursue if you were a business owner.
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
AMEN!
|
|
sailor
|
I've only submitted a few
articles so far. The magazines seem to take way longer than their
guidelines say to respond. Was that your experience in the beginning?
|
|
Melanie Snyder
|
Hi sailor (ok, I have to laugh
- I've ALWAYS wanted to say that! LOL) - Yes, often the magazines take a
long time to respond.
|
|
|
What is changing is that
simultaneous submissions are more "acceptable" than they used to
be
|
|
|
and also, it is perfectly
acceptable to contact a magazine editor (by email or by letter) after 4
months or so and just politely ask
|
|
|
whether they've had an
opportunity to review your mss and when you might expect a reply.
|
|
|
Editors do understand that
we're professionals out here trying to make a living
|
|
|
and they'll respond positively
to a professional and polite approach that shows them you understand that
they're busy
|
|
|
but that you also need to make
a living. (or at least sell this article!)
|
|
roe
|
Do you always wait for a
rejection before you send another piece to the same magazine?
|
|
Melanie Snyder
|
Terrific question, roe -
sometimes. It depends. (How’s THAT for a wishy-washy answer?)
|
|
|
I'll give you an example: I
sent an article to a mag last fall on spec (means they didn't ask me to
write it - I wrote it and sent it and asked them if they wanted it...
|
|
|
SO - while I was waiting to
hear from them, I had an opportunity to pitch (via query) another piece
that was ABSOLUTELY perfect
|
|
|
for that same magazine. So I
went ahead and sent the query, even though they hadn't responded yet about
the first article.
|
|
|
The result was, the editor
responded almost immediately via email, said they were VERY interested in
the 2nd piece
|
|
|
and also that they were still
reviewing the first one. So now I had two possible sales to this market,
and had shown myself to be more than a "one hit wonder" (LOL)
|
|
roe
|
What type of non fiction do you
write?
|
|
Melanie Snyder
|
My "specialties" are
business & technology; parenting & education; and history & the
arts (let's see, did I leave anything out?)
|
|
|
I am actually trying really
hard to focus my writing energies right now in a couple of these areas to
really build expertise and - most of all - published clips
|
|
|
but, I got a request last week
from an editor for whom I had just written an in-depth parenting related
piece
|
|
|
who asked if I'd write some
HEALTH articles for them.
|
|
|
This is a major metropolitan
market publication
|
|
|
and this request came after I
had only written a single feature article for them
|
|
|
so I felt like I REALLY should
say YES to the request to do a health piece - which she immediately
assigned to me and I'm writing now (well, not RIGHT now ...)
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
(with her third and fourth
hands..)
|
|
Melanie Snyder
|
I have to say, in 10th grade
(25 years ago!!) I was scheduled for typing class by accident
|
|
|
and I thank my lucky stars
every single day now for that inept school administrator who put me in
typing class.
|
|
|
In those days - typing class
was for the girls who planned to go get an MRS degree - NOT ME!!
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
I had the same experience,
Melanie and I am SO glad I learned to touch type! :-)
|
|
babbles
|
After receiving a rejection from
one publisher do you ever send another story that is different from the
first one you sent in?
|
|
Melanie Snyder
|
Funny, isn't it, how sometimes
the stuff we're so MISERABLE about at the time turns out to be the greatest
gift!
|
|
|
Hi babbles - yes, I try to
keep "trying" with certain publishers - I spend a lot of time
researching markets
|
|
|
and I've found this to be so
important!
|
|
|
So, if I really REALLY want to
get published with a certain market, I just keep trying - and try to keep
learning from each rejection.
|
|
|
For example, in my writing for
children - "Highlights for Children" is kind of the pinnacle,
isn't it?
|
|
|
So, I bet in the last 10
years, I've sent at least 20 different pieces to them
|
|
|
All rejected ..... SO FAR!!
I'm not giving up yet. And, in fact, I've "graduated" from form
rejection letters with not even so much as a signature
|
|
|
to the GOOD STUFF - a
handwritten comment, with the signature of a junior editorial assistant's
assistant.
|
|
|
That was my latest rejection
from Highlights. So, you know what I did?
|
|
|
I re-wrote the article using
the suggestions of the junior editorial assistant's assistant, and wrote a
cover letter DIRECTLY TO HIM
|
|
|
telling him I appreciated his
suggestions, had incorporated all of them, and was submitting the revised
article as he had encouraged me to do.
|
|
|
So, I'm waiting to hear on
that one now!
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
Melanie that is great! My
fingers are crossed for you.
|
|
|
What you have done is EXACTLY
the way all new writers need to deal with markets. You don't say 'they
don't want me, I quit. You keep working at figuring what they'll buy and
sending it in! Good for you!
|
|
coway
|
Are you in medical field of some
sort to be asked to write Health article?
|
|
Melanie Snyder
|
It really is what you have to
do - pick yourself up, dust yourself off and say, OK - what should I do
next? I know - send out another article.
|
|
|
Hi coway - no - that's the
weird part - I'm NOT in the health field (unless you count the 4 years I
worked as a nurses aide in a nursing home to pay for my college)
|
|
|
but the editor contacted me
within an hour after I emailed her the very first article she had assigned
to me and
|
|
|
said she liked my writing.
|
|
|
She asked if I'd be willing to
write health articles for them. So, I will be interviewing doctors and
doing research (which I LOVE by they way
|
|
|
and encourage any of you
interested in non-fiction writing to hone your research skills!)
|
|
roe
|
Congrats. Have you had special
training or education in these areas?
|
|
Melanie Snyder
|
No, roe, I haven't (if you
mean training in medical field) - if you mean training in how to do
research - I learned some in college - not formally --
|
|
|
just doing term papers, you
know, the usual stuff. The rest of it, I've taught myself by reading
incessantly.
|
|
|
Also, I have found I've had to
get REALLY good at interviewing people - another critical skill if you're
going to write non-fiction
|
|
ladybird39pm
|
My problem is that I choose an editor,
send for a sample and discover that my work is not suited for that
magazine!
|
|
Melanie Snyder
|
Hi again, Ladybird. If you're
talking about magazines - make use of the library and the Internet. Lots of
magazines now have at least portions of their mags online
|
|
|
and most libraries have a
pretty decent collection of mags....
|
|
|
Also (Mary - am I allowed to
promote a particular product??)...
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
Sure. Promote away!
|
|
Melanie Snyder
|
Well, I have found that an
online database called WoodenHorsePublishing is just terrific for finding
magazine and periodical markets.
|
|
|
I also subscribe to
WritersMarket.com.
|
|
|
Both are searchable, online -
they cost about 30.00$ each for a year, I think.
|
|
|
WoodenHorse has the full
writers guidelines and editorial calendars for the, I think, 2000 or so mags
and newspapers they list in their DB.
|
|
|
They also have some really
useful info like demographics of the mags readers --
|
|
|
well worth it if you're
serious about writing for magazines!
|
|
sailor
|
Mary said you turned a rejection
into a request from the editor to write a different article. Can you
explain how you did that?
|
|
Melanie Snyder
|
Hi sailor (giggle!) - yes -
what happened is I sent a query last fall to write an article for a
parenting magazine on teen gambling on the Internet ( a HUGE problem, BTW!
scary!)
|
|
|
I had already done a ton of
research...
|
|
|
and had, in fact (Mary knows
this) already written the article as one of my LRWG assignments.
|
|
|
Remember that one, Mary?
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
I do...
|
|
Melanie Snyder
|
So - I didn't hear anything
from the mag.
|
|
|
Then, out of the blue, the
editor emailed me, asked if I REMEMBERED sending them a query about this
topic.
|
|
|
(Of course I did - were they
kidding??)...
|
|
|
She asked if, instead, I'd
write an article about PARENTS gambling, how it impacts families, and how it
influences kids,
|
|
|
with a little bit of
additional info on how kids are now being influenced by so many forces
|
|
|
to get into gambling.
|
|
|
Here's the best part - THAT
SAME EDITOR - is the one who, as soon as I turned in the article on parents
gambling
|
|
|
asked if I'd write health
articles. SO - there you are. A rejection that wasn't REALLY a rejection
after all!
|
|
paja
|
It's a game for you, isn't it?
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
It is. You're having fun,
aren't you?
|
|
Melanie Snyder
|
Hi paja .. . hmmm - not really
a game. I try to keep it fun.
|
|
|
You have to - to deal with the
rejections! (I used to have a friend who'd say, "We laugh . . .
because we CANNOT CRY!)
|
|
|
But at the same time, amid the
fun, I take this all very seriously. I work like a maniac at it and want to
get to a point where I can do what I love - writing- fulltime and quit my
"day job"
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
And if it is NOT fun, you can
make much better money as a plumber!
|
|
Melanie Snyder
|
Well, the way I look at it, if
I don't try to have some fun and keep loving writing - that will show in
what I write - and then, it's all downhill from there!
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
Yep. :-)
|
|
pook
|
When you research a topic, do
you also give your opinion? How do you find your slant?
|
|
Melanie Snyder
|
Hi pook - if it's nonfiction,
I try to keep my opinions out of it. Having said that
|
|
|
I also write about things that
interest me, or things I feel are important
|
|
|
so I guess that in itself is a
form of "opinion" about the topic.
|
|
|
As far as slant - that's a
terrific question. Actually, I set a goal for myself at the beginning of
this year
|
|
|
to make sure that for every
TOPIC I was going to take time to research and write about
|
|
|
that I'd make sure I had at
least 3-5 possible markets
|
|
|
and at least 5 different
slants mapped out before I even started my research.
|
|
|
That way - the return on my
investment of time in the research and writing would have a much better
chance of being POSITIVE ROI!
|
|
|
(can you tell I was a business
major??)
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
ROI = Return on Investment for
the non-business majors out there. :-)
|
|
Melanie Snyder
|
oops - thanks Mary.
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
That is exactly how the
full-time freelancers I know do it, Melanie.
|
|
|
And they are supporting
families that way.
|
|
Melanie Snyder
|
I went along for a long time
NOT thinking about my writing as a serious business...and because I didn't
treat it like serious business, I didn't get very far.
|
|
|
It wasn't until I really sat
down, wrote up a business plan, set goals for myself, set up a website
(stand by for shameless self-promotion)
|
|
|
www.MelanieGSnyder.com
|
|
|
that I started really moving
forward. Yes - it has nothing to do with what KIND of writing you're
doing - writing IS a business! And, fortunately, also a great pleasure!
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
And, by the way, this same
sense of 'business' is what helps you in fiction, too. You CAN plan your
submissions to help your career!
|
|
roe
|
How do you decide which topics
to write about. You must have an interest in them obviously, but what makes
you decide?
|
|
Melanie Snyder
|
Hi roe - good question. As I
said earlier, I've been trying to focus a bit more.
|
|
|
So, I'm working right now on
topics in education (which I've always been HUGELY passionate about -
issues in public schools, character education
|
|
|
and also parenting (which I
HAVE to be passionate about
|
|
|
because I have two teenagers!!)
|
|
|
Sometimes I'll read something
that piques my interest and think, WOW, I really should know more about
that.
|
|
|
Next thing I know, I've delved
into research.
|
|
|
Then I think - gee, I know
enough that I could write a short article (that's how the Internet gambling
article got started!)
|
|
|
Then, of course, there's that
pesky health article assignment - on appendicitis! Anyone know anything
about that? Email me later at Melanie@MelanieGSnyder.com
|
|
rupbert
|
Will you submit educational
topics to professional journals?
|
|
Melanie Snyder
|
Hi rupbert - I tend to write
more "for the masses" - not scientific stuff or
professional-journal stuff really.
|
|
|
I aim for good quality
consumer magazines
|
|
|
and not just the ones that
appear on the popular mag rack at Barnes & Noble
|
|
|
(in fact some of those are
actually quite awful - though they're great to have as a clip!)
|
|
|
Anyway - I like to write about
topics that regular folks like me might be interested to know about.
|
|
rupbert
|
About how many experts do you
interview per article?
|
|
Melanie Snyder
|
Ooh - good question. To some
extent, it depends on the market, the audience and the length of the
article. But generally
|
|
|
for a 1500-2000 word article,
I'll probably INTERVIEW about 4-5 experts and then quote maybe 3 of them.
|
|
|
Also depends on whether it is
a highly controversial topic - then I'd probably quote a few more people
just to try to present many sides of the issue. And, of course, since I set
out at the beginning to write at least 5 different slants on the article I
"over-interview" - in other words, ask plenty of questions so I
have plenty of material to write all those other articles!
|
|
pook
|
Suppose you want to survey the
general public. How would you go about that?
|
|
Melanie Snyder
|
Hi pook - surveying the
general public - hmmm...I haven't done really broad-based surveys
|
|
|
but I have surveyed special
groups. For example: when I was writing an article about an educational
organization called the Core Knowledge Foundation
|
|
|
I located some teachers
organizations and some homeschooling organizations,
|
|
|
found their online discussion
boards and posted questions there
|
|
|
giving my private email
address so that anyone who was willing to respond to my questions could
email me.
|
|
pook
|
Do you tape your interviews?
|
|
Melanie Snyder
|
Actually I don't. I do the
vast majority of my interviews over the phone (including 6 people in NY
over the last month - and I live in Virginia!
|
|
|
What I do is TYPE their
responses into the computer directly while I'm interviewing them on the
phone.
|
|
|
Thank goodness for the MUTE
button!
|
|
|
I send an interview request
email to someone I've located who I think would be a good person to quote
|
|
|
and ask that person if they're
willing to be interviewed, what the topic and slant of the article might
be, the publication it will appear in, if I know that at the time.
|
|
|
Then wait to hear from them...
|
|
|
Then, I tend to send them some
prelim questions thru email, ask them to respond and then do a follow-up
in-depth interview by phone.
|
|
|
That way I ensure that I'm not
wasting too much of THEIR time or mine on the phone call - I already have
some basic info from them that often leads to other questions.
|
|
paja
|
I've tried typing during
interviewing. It really slowed things down for me. Any suggestions?
|
|
Melanie Snyder
|
Hi paja - well, I do get
hand-cramps sometimes (like NOW for instance). Do you interview over the
phone?
|
|
paja
|
Just twice for a religious
periodical.
|
|
Melanie Snyder
|
You could just take notes by
hand - it helps if you have some sort of abbreviations or
"shorthand" that you can use.
|
|
|
Also, if you pose some initial
questions by email and get their email responses - then THEY"VE done
the typing for you for at least a little bit of it.
|
|
coway
|
Do you ask if they want to read
the article before publication, after you do the interview?
|
|
Melanie Snyder
|
Coway - that is a terrific
question
|
|
|
and one that people in the
writing business DISAGREE ABOUT
|
|
|
so this is going to be just
how I do it - and lots of other people disagree with this - STRONGLY.
|
|
|
What I do is I tell each
interview candidate in that initial request to interview them on topic X
|
|
|
that my "offer" to
them is that if they agree to be interviewed
|
|
|
I will provide a draft of the
article BEFORE I SUBMIT IT TO THE EDITOR
|
|
|
for them to review to be sure
that: 1. I haven't MISQUOTED them and
|
|
|
2. That I haven't taken what
they said out of context.
|
|
|
I do NOT give them "free
rein" to edit the article
|
|
|
and, this is very important, I
do NOT accept their comments or input on OTHER parts of the article, other
than where I've quoted them
|
|
|
or directly used what they
said.
|
|
|
Now - some writers think this
is not a good thing to do - but the way I look at it,
|
|
|
when I write a non-fiction
piece - MY reputation is on the line - but so is the reputation of the
people I've quoted
|
|
|
AND - who knows - I may want
to come back to some of them some other time and ask to interview them for
some other article.
|
|
|
If I've messed up somehow on
that initial article - misquoted them or taken what they've said out of
context...
|
|
|
and have damaged their
reputation somehow - of course they will NOT ever want me to interview or
quote them again!
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
It may make a potential interviewee
more comfortable if the topic is controversial. I have never received a
copy of an interview before the interviewer published it, by the way. And I
have been misquoted, so it might have been nice!
|
|
sailor
|
How important is it to get
geographic variety when selecting experts to interview?
|
|
Melanie Snyder
|
I've found that the key is
being VERY CLEAR in what you tell them about what you're offering for them
to "review"
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
Good point!
|
|
Melanie Snyder
|
Good question - it depends on
the publication. If it is a regional publication
|
|
|
they almost always want LOCAL
/ REGIONAL experts,
|
|
|
but for a national
publication, you really need to be interviewing people with some cachet in
their field .
|
|
|
So it isn't so much about
geographical variety as it is about the right experts - with the right
level of knowledge - on the right subject.
|
|
pook
|
I've read a lot of material on
interviewing but none of it seems to help formulating the questions.
|
|
Melanie Snyder
|
That's a good observation, pook.
I've found that too. For me, the key to what questions to ask is...
|
|
|
what I'm going to do with the
answers (in other words - the various SLANTS I'm going to take in the
articles I plan to write on that topic
|
|
|
I read once that the one
"must ask" question at the end of every interview is "What
else would YOU like to tell me about this subject that I haven't
asked"...
|
|
|
I have gotten some of the
absolute BEST quotes from people when I finally get to that question....
|
|
|
so it's making me think maybe
I should be asking that one at the BEGINNING of the interview! LOL!
|
|
pook
|
Can you give an example of the
different slants on a parenting article?
|
|
Melanie Snyder
|
Sure! I'm writing one right
now on college funding. The assigned article from one publication was 2000
word feature...
|
|
|
with sidebars, examples, etc -
so a HUGE amount of research for this one....
|
|
|
So, I've turned that article
in and have now turned my focus to how to take all of this great
research...
|
|
|
and spin out a bunch of other
articles. The slant of the one I turned in is for parents of children who
may be anywhere from newborn to HS senior...
|
|
|
what are ALL of the various
stages in the process of planning and saving for college, applying for
financial aid, understanding...
|
|
|
how financial aid works, how
the "system" works (it really is a "system")!....
|
|
|
so a very
"comprehensive" slant for this article.....
|
|
|
other possible articles I'm
going to write now from that same material are....
|
|
|
for parents of teens:
everything you need to know about financial aid but were afraid to ask ....
|
|
|
and another one for parents of
young children: why (and how) to start investing NOW for your baby's
college education...
|
|
|
and another one for parents of
teens: How to involve your teen in paying for college (teens saving, investing,
applying for scholarships, etc)
|
|
|
Did I answer your question?
Feel like I've been sort of rambling here.
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
I think you did a thorough and
excellent job!
|
|
sailor
|
How did you change an article
into a paid workshop presentation? Was that your plan when you wrote the
article? Is that an extreme version of slant?
|
|
Melanie Snyder
|
Oh - that was a fun one...
|
|
|
No - it wasn't my plan to turn
the article into a paid workshop presentation.
|
|
|
I wrote an article on
"Internet safety for kids" - what parents need to know about
helping their kids to surf safely online - all that sort of stuff.
|
|
|
So the article got published
in a regional parenting magazine.
|
|
|
Then a woman from a regional
technology organization got together with me and we said - hey, lots of
parents probably need to understand this stuff better
|
|
|
so I turned key points from
the article into a PowerPoint presentation, we put flyers together,
distributed them to all the local PTA groups
|
|
|
and ran a workshop for parents
using almost all of the same material that was in the article. You could
DEFINITELY call this "extreme slant!"
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
No kidding!
|
|
pook
|
Do you always query first for a
nonfiction article?
|
|
Melanie Snyder
|
Great question - I used to do
the research, write the article and send it off
|
|
|
and wait
|
|
|
and wait
|
|
|
and wait.
|
|
|
And then I really started
studying HOW to write really good queries,
|
|
|
how to do JUST ENOUGH research
to prove that you had a good topic and knew where you were going with it.
|
|
|
I've worked really hard at getting
good at writing queries that will capture the editor’s attention. Now
I query about 95% of the time.
|
|
rupbert
|
Hi, what elements make for a
great query letter?
|
|
Melanie Snyder
|
Terrific question rupbert!
|
|
|
You need the HOOK first and
foremost - what is the really essential aspect of this topic that is new,
fresh, different - that will get the editor's attention?
|
|
|
You have about 2-3 sentences
right up front to HOOK 'EM!
|
|
|
Then you go into a few details
in the 2nd paragraph about the proposed length of the article,
|
|
|
which, of course, assumes that
you've studied their writers guidelines and KNOW how long their typical
articles are - and
|
|
|
you tell them then why YOU are
the one and only PERFECT PERSON to write this particular article - based on
your own expertise, experience...
|
|
|
research you've done -
whatever it takes to let them know you have the credentials to write it.
|
|
|
Final paragraph is a summary
of what other markets have published your articles (NOTE: if you haven't
been published - don't worry.
|
|
|
Do NOT say "I haven't
been published anywhere else yet" - just leave the topic alone!
|
|
|
Say something friendly and
businesslike such as "I hope you will find this topic of interest for
(NAME OF MAG).
|
|
|
Say "I will be happy to
take your suggestions about the slant such an article should take" -
which tells them you're going to be good to work with.
|
|
|
Then you attach a list of the
information sources you propose to use - people you'll interview, books,
recent research, internet sites
|
|
|
that tells them you've thought
this through - and also attach a couple of clips...pieces you've had
published that are in similar publications or on similar topics
|
|
|
or if you haven't been
published yet - again - don't worry - send them 1-2 of your absolute BEST
writing samples
|
|
|
again, preferably pieces that
are a similar style, tone or topic to what you're proposing to them.
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
That is an excellent how-to
Melanie. I think you need to write a good 'how to break into nonfiction' book.
:-)
|
|
Melanie Snyder
|
I'm actually working on
several book proposals at the moment (for anyone interested in book
proposals.
|
|
|
you MUST READ Michael Larsen's
"How to write a book proposal" - the "bible" of writing
book proposals that WORK~
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
That's a great reference, Melanie.
Let's talk about those proposals in just a second here.
|
|
roe
|
It sounds like you spend hours a
day writing or researching.. How many hours do you actually spend a day?
|
|
Melanie Snyder
|
Hmmm...well, I have a full
time "day job" - you know - the one that actually pays the bills
(LOL)
|
|
|
I work 4 days at week (LONG
days) at my full time job....ironically for a PUBLISHING COMPANY - doing
NOTHING AT ALL to do with writing or publishing...but I digress.
|
|
|
I write 1 full day a week -
starting usually around 5AM and working well into the evening
|
|
|
and I do a ton of writing on
weekends - fitting it in around the schedules of my two teenagers - soccer,
band, driving lessons, etc.
|
|
|
I'd say - in total - I
probably spend about 20-25 hours a week on my writing business - about 60%
of it writing, 30% of it doing research on markets and topics.
|
|
|
and the other 10% (does this
add to 100?) doing the "business" stuff like sending out
invoices, keeping my submissions tracking spreadsheet updated.
|
|
paja
|
The "perfect person"
part of the query has always stopped me. How do you say it?
|
|
Melanie Snyder
|
Hi paja - that can be tough -
sometimes it is part just plain "moxie"
|
|
|
but basically it's about
letting them know that you've put some time and thought into this topic
|
|
|
and I think that editors
respond favorably to seeing that attachment listing your information
sources - if you do a really good job
|
|
|
thinking through who you're
going to interview and digging up recent research that is relevant to the
topic and finding the best reference books
|
|
|
that "information
sources" page alone tells them you're the "perfect person".
Beyond that, I'd mention why you personally CARE about this topic.
|
|
|
That tells the editor that
you'll care about writing WELL about the topic too! It isn't REALLY about
"perfection" - it's about showing that you CARE about this topic.
|
|
Mary Rosenblum
|
Well, this is the place where I
get to ask YOU what I haven't covered that you would like to talk about!
And do tell us about your book proposals! Exciting!
|
|
paja
|
Thanks. You're the first person
to explain it.
|
|
Melanie Snyder
|
Wow! Glad this was useful to
you!
|
|
|
So, book proposals - well,
they're a new and exciting thing for me
|
|
|
and very scary. I really have
no clue what I'm doing yet
|
|
|
just reading Michael Larsen's
book
|
|
|
and taking good notes and
highlighting and underlining passages in it.
|