February 2012 Issue
February Issue
Writer's Digest Magazine
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Andrew Jack's site not only follows the journey of this writer on his quest to get his fiction published, but also offers solid writing advice.Andrew Jack Writing 
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How to Write an Article
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Is a Freelancing Career Feasible?
Q: I want to quit my day job and freelance full time, but I’m nervous that I won’t be able to make enough money to pay my bills. Can I really make … Read more
5 Steps to Transform Meals into Writing Experiences
Use these 5 steps to transform any meal or day in the kitchen into a written experience that will leave readers hungry for more. Read more
The Fact-Check Checklist
You interviewed your sources for an article, wrote it up and turned it in. Done? Not yet. Often you need to provide backup info for the publication’s fact checkers, and requirements for doing so vary. With that in mind, here’s a checklist to keep even the toughest fact checkers happy—and to pave the way for that second assignment. Read more
How to Improve Your Researching Skills and Write Accurately
Whether or not you’re already an expert on your topic, it’s vital that you do all the necessary work to get accurate information. Here’s how to guarantee you do that. Read more
Flat Fees vs. Hourly Rates
My daughters like to play bookstore at our house. They hide behind one of our beds, pull up a giant pile of books and ask me to buy them—and I’m happy to oblige because 1) I love books and 2) it costs me pretend money. And I’m willing to buy nearly anything with pretend money. When you’re discussing rates for freelance projects, it can often feel like pretend money. Read more
How to Land Writing Gigs When Meeting Editors
Last fall, author and journalist John Moir redeemed part of his grand prize from WD’s 78th Annual Writing Competition when he traveled to New York City, where his escort from the WD … Read more
How to Reach Your Freelance Goals
Can a simple formula tell you exactly where you are in your freelance goals? The right equation can help you see your freelance goals more clearly—and quantify what you need to do to meet them.
by Perry P. Perkins
The Secret to Paid Writing Gigs
Don’t be afraid to get personal and use your connections to get writing assignments.
by Chad Gervich
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Publishing 101: What You Need to Know
Here’s your step-by-step guide to the publishing process–how it works, why you need to know and how you can play an influential role in your book’s success.
by Jerry D. Simmons
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The Death of Print Magazines and Other Fairy Tales
Insiders Bob Sacks and Samir Husni square off in the magazine industry’s hottest debate: Will print magazines survive—or even thrive—in the next century? Read more
The Anatomy of a Writer’s Website
Whether you build it yourself or hire a designer, your website can do more than bring you into the 21st century—it can be an invaluable part of your marketing arsenal.
by Linda Formichelli Read more
Don’t Be a Writing Diva
Nobody likes dealing with a high-maintenance author, especially agents and editors. Here are 18 tips that will endear you to those who can help you publish or perish.
by Mary E. Demuth Read more
The Four Commandments of Writing Good Sentences
If you want to write a good sentence, don’t pay any attention to your grammar. I don’t mean “a sentence this like OK is.” I mean don’t automatically think you’ve written a good sentence just because it’s grammatically correct. Lots of bad sentences are grammatically correct. Some of these bad sentences might even be yours.
by Bonnie Trenga Read more
Challenging the Limits of Memory
In this excerpt from Writing Life Stories, Bill Roorbach teaches you how to pay attention to and translate your memories and how to overcome your resistance to remembered places and events. Read more
What Editors Won’t Tell You (But We Will)
There are some things you‘ll never read about in a publisher‘s writers‘ guidelines. You have to either hang around the editor‘s office and eavesdrop or find a friend who‘s able to extract … Read more