Chapter 41
Free: Pocket guide + IAW brag + unsolicited advice!
Dear writers,
How are you all doing?
I have been a little out of sorts lately, so I will keep this newsletter brief.
I realise I feel good when talking to other people about work, and attempting to help them navigate the freelance life. It’s why I feel it is time for me to bring back:
Ask Jo
A 20-30 minute conversation on different aspects of freelancing; you could give me a pitch to review, or we could discuss and condense a story from an idea, or work on finding the right publication for your story. I will share successful pitches, links to helpful articles, writing groups, suggestions on finding editor’s contacts and more. Cost: Rs 450.I’ve done a bunch of these calls and I dare say people have found them useful. If you cannot afford the rate, I am happy to work out something more affordable.
As you know, I have closed yearly subscriptions to IAW (I am unable to change that on Substack). If interested, I can offer one month, or three months. Want to subscribe? Email itsallwrite@outlook.in or reply here.
The paid version of the newsletter (out tomorrow) has an interview with Shrabonti Bagchi of Mint Lounge, pitch calls I’ve arranged according to rates, a successful pitch, and a handy pocket guide.
The free version of the newsletter is below. I’ve shared a sneak peek into the pocket guide, an IAW brag, and miscellaneous information.
Ready, let’s begin.
POCKET GUIDE
I.
Hemingway App: This a distraction-free writing, and editing tool that helps polish your writing by identifying common errors, superfluous words, weak adverbs, excessive passive voice usage, and more. Free version doesn’t have a ‘save’ option.
II.
Subscribe: Author Damyanti Biswas curates two gazettes: The Reading Gazette contains curated book recommendations, reading strategies, book event news etc and The Writing Gazette contains Writing Craft resources (fiction/ non-fiction), #WritingLife resources and alerts on workshops and events/ launches. Subscribe here.
III.
Writer Gargi Mehra has recently published a guide on things writers should NOT do. She shares a lot of advice for writers on her website. I am sharing some snapshots, of the two most important points I found from her post, here:
Forget tracking their submissions
This is a big no-no. It is crucial for writers to track where they’ve submitted, to avoid sending stories to venues that don’t accept simultaneous submissions, and to follow up with publications if more time has passed. Simple spreadsheet templates are available online that you can use for this purpose.Submit a story that hasn’t been revised multiple times
Even when I was starting out, I had an inkling that my first drafts were not palatable. Leave aside sending it to an editor, I couldn’t even dream of zipping it across to a fellow writer for critique. Nowadays the time between my final draft and first draft is at least one month, if not more.
IAW BRAG
These were some of the highlights of what’s been a difficult few weeks.
Puspanjalee Das Dutta reached out to me for help with her food pitch. And her story on khar got published in the wonderful Goya Journal. Link
Khusboo Chawla Ramnane’s pitch was the follow up to my first Pitch Clinic. She got published in The Hindu. Link to her story on the restoration of Surat’s heritage buildings.
MISCELLANY
JOB: Lido Learning is looking for 2 Community Managers + 1 Social Media Manager + 1 Video Editor. Location-agnostic, data-obsessed, creatively aggressive. Email sonali.kokra@lidolearning.com
FICTION PRIZE: The Arthur Flowers Flash Fiction Prize is open to emerging writers of color. Winner receives $500 & pub and two runners-up receive $50 & publication. No entry fee. For more details, click here.
READ: An interesting essay on white supremacy and misogyny and capitalism in kitchen design.
TALKING POINTS
This is the part where I share some of my own gyaan, for work and outside. Much of this is a reminder to myself, too! A lot of this may feel repetitive but, indulge me.
Pitch international pubs: Don’t let foreign publications scare you. If you have a strong idea, go for it. Earning $100 is still more than what you would get writing for most Indian publications.
Research, research, research: Before you approach any publication, you have to familiarise yourself with their work. Read stories, look at the different sections, make note of what stories have already been covered.
Follow up: If it’s a timely pitch, put that in your subject line and follow up in two-three days. If it’s a story that can wait, give it two weeks (this is my limit, you can choose a week or three).
Cut out the trash: Editors have little time to read a long email/ pitch. Be succinct and brief.
Check in on your other writer friends, especially those you haven’t spoken to for a while or who haven’t been writing. People are struggling, a kind word does go a long way.
Support a friend’s business: this economy is tough on everyone, especially for the smaller players. It doesn’t cost us anything to promote or share a closed one’s business venture on social media.
Raise your voice: Making a noise on social media can help. Just ensure you are making a noise about the right things.
Take a break: When things get overwhelming, it is okay to step back and take a breather.
A freelance journalist recently tweeted something that I think makes for a great idea. I am looking to interview people who can share how they found ideas/ inspiration the weird/random stories they’ve published. The more bizarre, the better.
Get in touch if you want a session, want to share feedback or just want to talk about words.
Until next time, stay safe, be kind, and go easy on yourself.
Regards,
Joanna