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Write From Home
Kim Wilson
P.O. Box 4145
Hamilton, NJ 08610
Tel: (609) 888-1683
Fax: (609) 888-1672
E-mail:
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Using the Internet to Write
From Home
by Dana
Mitchells
The Internet has revolutionized the career of a working
writer. In more ways than one, writers can take advantage of the many tools
available without ever leaving the confines of their home. By using these tools,
the Web helps writers of all ages and stages keep their careers afloat and their
work current.
E-mail Accounts
There are various ways you can use the Internet to stay a
working writer. One way is to have a current e-mail account. Use this for
business purposes only, thereby making it easier to keep track of queries and
submissions. However, be wary of e-mail accounts in which very old e-mail can be
deleted. Always keep a copy of e-mail queries and submissions in the event your
old e-mail expires or is deleted.
Electronic Queries
As for submitting electronic queries, there are several
magazines and Web zines available. To find them, type “electronic queries” or
“submission guidelines” into a search engine box and you can read their
guidelines for such submissions. Bear in mind, not all magazines will accept
e-queries; if they neglect to state if they do, it’s better to send a query by
regular mail instead. Additionally, Web sites such as
WritingforDOLLARS!.com and
WritersWrite.com list whether a
magazine will accept electronic queries.
Finding Guidelines on the Web
While finding out which magazines accept electronic
queries, you will also find out what their guidelines are. A very good source
for guidelines of paying markets is a Web site called
WritersWeekly.com, a free marketing
e-mag for writers featuring new freelance jobs and paying markets every
Wednesday. Other Web sites where you can find magazine guidelines are
Freelancing4Money.com, which
provides writers with a free and paid edition of their markets' newsletters, and
WritingEtc.com, where you can
receive the free e-book, Power Queries, by subscribing today.
Conducting Research
You can also use search engines to help you conduct
research on your topic. Just type in anything that relates to your topic and
soon you will have a variety of Web sites at your disposal. It is amazing how
many Web sites are created to cover a single topic, no matter how strange or
common. While conducting research for my novel, for example, I found a Web site
solely for the name “Melissa,” as well as a Web site covering ancient torture
devices.
There are also particular Web sites geared towards helping
writers find experts on topics. Two that have been very helpful to me are
Pitsco’s AskAnExpert and
AuthorsandExperts.
There are also electronic encyclopedic and dictionary Web
sites available for research. Just click on the “Research
& Reference” link under “Resources” in the
right sidebar and there are a variety of encyclopedia and dictionary links to
choose from.
Web Sites for Writers
The National Writers Union
is an organization devoted to supporting writers. While membership is not
mandatory for general assistance, becoming a member not only entitles you to
certain advantages such as legal assistance in the event of plagiarism, but it
also provides you with a plethora of information available through their Web
site. Please note that the services which the NWU can offer to you as a working
writer are granted only to members; they do not provide technical or legal
services to non-members. There are also other Web sites for writers, such as the
National Association of Women Writers and
The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America.
Finally, writing magazines are available on the Internet
as well. Some valuable ones are ByLine
Magazine, Writer’s Digest
and Poets & Writers Magazine.
The Internet has provided a whole new meaning to the term
“work-from-home.” If you use it well in the short bursts of time you have free,
you can continue to be a freelance writer or even the author of an e-book.
Dana Mitchells is the Internet pen name of the writer Dawn
Colclasure. She is a former weekly writer for the former e-zine, Griper, and she
has a poetry chapbook, Take My Hand, available from Amazon.com. Her work
can also be found on Ten Thousand
Monkeys and
E-Fido
. She is currently seeking a literary agent for her novels. She lives with her
husband, Jason Wilson, and daughter in California.
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Have You Read...
I Wanna
Win
by Cheryl Wright
If you want to win writing contests and earn that elusive tag of
'award-winning writer' or if you just want to hone your skills, this book will
point you in the right direction.
New to freelance writing?
Read
this informative article.
Read
Glossary of Writing Terms
Authors Area
Agents &
Publishers
Book Marketing
Publications
(Electronic & Print)
Resources
Associations &
Organizations
Job Boards &
Guideline Databases
Research & Reference
Classes, Workshops &
Seminars
Links
Author &
Writer Web Sites
Writing Sites
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Writing
and Illustrating Children's Books
