"Required reading" for today's smart writer.

"Required reading" for today's smart writer.
Information & inspiration to hone your craft and increase your cash...Since 2009

Thursday, March 20, 2014

Spring Cleaning for Writers



Spring cleaning is on the horizon.
Many of us will be diligently cleaning our closets, purging papers, and releasing the dust bunnies held hostage.
Some things may even be re purposed in the process.

But don't let your efforts for enhanced living end there.
Why not apply it to your creative work as well? I did.

A few of my "orphan" pieces found a home on a relationship site. And the best part is I got paid the same day, without any additional work.
And you can too.

As a way of working "smarter, not harder" this season, take a look at your computer files and file cabinet folders.
Purge, merge; see what you can find.
What can be tweaked, expanded, or reslanted?
A former feature could be updated and given new life with more current statistics or study findings.

What pieces that you've previously sold could you possibly submit to reprint markets as is?
As long as you retain the rights, you're certainly free to do so.

Perhaps a fictional piece could become a poem.

The sky's the limit.

Keep reaching...


Thoughts?


Image: Freedigitalphotos.net



11 comments:

  1. Wise woman, this is sage advice. I discovered a dusty piece and am reworking it. I love your handy tips.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That was sweet of you; I needed that this morning. :-) May you find many treasures! Thanks for stopping by and starting us off.

      Delete
  2. Great idea! I have a folder where I keep pieces that aren't purchased. Constant-content is a great site for reselling non-fiction articles, although some things can linger out there for years. When I get an assignment to pitch ideas, I'll often go through and see what I've already written on that subject in the hopes they'll want to buy it. All I then have to do is tweak it for the desired word count and other specifications and often I'll be able to sell something with minimal work.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Stephanie,

      Glad to hear from you here! I really appreciate the feedback, and I didn't know about Constant-Content. I think I'll check them out. :-)

      Delete
  3. Spring "cleaning" is always a good thing to do.

    I'm cutting a longer piece, so I can resubmit it to an anthology. It didn't get snapped up by the publisher I had sent it to before, so I'm going to slash and burn and resubmit.

    Thanks, Jennifer.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Keep us posted, Sioux. Good luck with that project. :-) Thanks for adding to the mix.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Great advice, Jennifer!

    I've been mulling over an idea to expand a short piece into a novella. I'd also like to take a crack at a devotional book or two.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. ...And I'd likely buy that devotional book. :-) Thanks for your perspective here, Susan.

      Delete
  6. I've been thinking along these lines lately - I've a few pieces that I can rework for another market that I'd not previously thought of. Thanks for jogging my memory and getting me going this week! :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. Thankѕ for your marѵelous posting! I genuinely enjoуed reading it, уоu cоuld be a great authοr.
    I will ensure that I bookmark your blog and may сolme back iin the future.
    I wаnt to encourage yourself to continue your great posts, have a nice morning!



    Have a look at my homepagе :: end of tenancy Cleaning

    ReplyDelete