Missed Some Great Writers' Links on Twitter?

Hi Everyone, Here are some great writers' links I have tweeted recently, that might interest you for your expat/business/personal writing endeavors. Enjoy!

A good discussion on Amazon as a publisher- they're not the bad guys
http://su.pr/1ikUXg

10 Questions to Ask Before Writing Your Book
http://bit.ly/jLVvEC

18 Things Learned at the Sydney Writers Festival
http://bit.ly/kBbm5k

Top 10 Best Resource Guides for e-Book Authors
http://bit.ly/lndGHu

How Blogging Saves Me and My Family from Personal Bankruptcy
http://t.co/otvWaX7

Highly Recommended: Successful Blogging in 12 Easy Steps - Excellent e-book!
http://bit.ly/mUvZIa

10 More Things You Never Knew You Could Do On LinkedIn
http://read.bi/lWw7QA

Got Something You Need To Do (like, write that novel maybe)? Watch Firefly Coaching's quick video - and then do it!
http://bit.ly/mEZ7zd

Top 10 Blogs for Authors
http://t.co/cWU4rNn

Practical Tips on Writing a Book from 23 Authors
http://bit.ly/iTb94p

13 Things I Got Wrong and 19 Things I Got Right in my First Year of Writing
http://t.co/E6Ils3j

If you reading this blog post online and you are not already an Expat Women member, please support us and sign up here to receive our monthly, motivational newsletters.

Thanks for your support and I wish you a wonderful day/evening! Andrea @andreaexpat 

Missed Some Great Writers' Links on Twitter?

Hi Everyone, Here are some great writers' links I have tweeted recently, that might interest you for your expat/business/personal writing endeavors. Enjoy!

5 Crippling Beliefs That Keep Writers Penniless and Mired in Mediocrity
http://bit.ly/hQaTFY

Expat Writer Jo Parfitt Says Thank You for the Suitcase Years
http://bit.ly/gTDgxj

Writers: What is it Like to be Outed?
http://bit.ly/g0zLWv

12 Signs Your Novel Isn't Ready to Publish
http://bit.ly/lIs1Lz

8 Ways Writers Can Make the Most of Online Video
http://ow.ly/4Kcq1

12 Places Authors Should Look To Develop a Strong Web Presence
http://bit.ly/awOv2S

Some Tips for Expat Freelance Writers
http://bit.ly/ks7wT3

17 Great Information Sources for Authors and Writers
http://bit.ly/kRdNah

What Works: Promo for Ebooks
http://bit.ly/ix2FzW

To follow me in 'real time' and keep up with even more great expat links on Twitter, please click here.

If you reading this blog post online and you are not already an Expat Women member, please support us and sign up here to receive our monthly, motivational newsletters.

Thanks for your support and I wish you a wonderful day/evening! Andrea @andreaexpat

Missed Some Great Writers' Links on Twitter?

Hi Everyone, If you are an aspiring/professional, writer, here are some of my recent writers' tweets that might interest you, as you write your expat stories and/or you write for business or pleasure:

Highly Recommended: Savvy Book Marketing Secrets: 52 Experts Share Insider Tips for Selling More Books http://bit.ly/SavvySecrets

About To Launch Your Book? Read Tips and Lessons Learned http://bit.ly/fRIXeS

Need eBook Conversions? Check the Directory http://bit.ly/ex3Awb

5 Non-Fiction Book Writing Mistakes and Solutions http://bit.ly/bamkbI

Expat Writers: How Do You Write Memoir About The Places You've Been and The Things You Have Done? http://bit.ly/fNQT7a

Getting Up To Speed on eBooks - 4 Videos http://bit.ly/fuRdlz

Blog Tours For Authors: 5 Great Tips! http://bit.ly/fUD1qp

Are Expat Bloggers Going Pro? http://bit.ly/gctEa8

Promote Your Books in the Publications Section on LinkedIn http://bit.ly/dY7fR1

Should You Give Your Friends and Family a Copy of Your New Book? http://bit.ly/f77Hg6

This expat publisher Jo Parfitt focuses on "life abroad" books... for the "shelfless" http://bit.ly/gKHT38

What Should You Include In Your Online Press Kit? http://bit.ly/i3mHEf

Tips for Authors from Sarah Pietrzak - http://bit.ly/i2bAkG

Launching a book? Charlie's Lessons Learned from Tim Ferriss' campaign http://bit.ly/hmymFq

Excellent Tips For Using Photos in Your Print-on-Demand Books http://bit.ly/ef7ljJ

Do You Think eBook Champion Seller Amanda Hocking is Lucky? http://bit.ly/hWLPwy

BigINChina Write-up By Expat Legend Jo Parfitt: http://j.mp/gnUf8v

How Do You Go About Content Marketing? http://bit.ly/dISHBz

Authors & Publishers: The Problem With Book Distribution? http://bit.ly/ex3JBC

26 Ways to Win at Self Publishing http://t.co/zFQnmfM

Authors: Interesting article from Aaron Shepard about CreateSpace (Amazon's own publishing platform) http://bit.ly/fwNyvT

Writers: Be Inspired By First Self-Published Kindle Author To Have Her Book Optioned To Film http://bit.ly/hMhP1D

If you would like to follow me in 'real time' on Twitter, my Twitter ID is @andreaexpat, or you can just click here. Twitter is surprisingly easy, once you take a look.

Best wishes, enjoy your day/evening! Andrea :-)

Insights Into The World Of Article Writing: An Interview With Expat Writing Coach Jo Parfitt

Hi Everyone, If you are interested in writing articles (for profit, as a hobby, or to promote yourself/business), please read on to see what we learned from expat writing coach Jo Parfitt, author of A Career In Your Suitcase (now in its third edition), who has just launched her article writing program online...

Expat Women: Jo, last time we talked, you had just launched your Write Your Life Stories online program. How did your new online program, Definite Articles, come about?

Jo: Actually, I created this program first (in 2002) and ran it as a live one day workshop for many years.  In about 2005, I turned the notes from the live workshop into an ebook and that became part of an eight lesson correspondence course.  I have been running it ever since in that way.  However, since 2005, I have adjusted, amended and honed the course, adding new stuff to such an extent that it became about twice as long as before.  I added material about blogging, marketing yourself online, pitching and writing a book review too.

Expat Women: You say that your program is for people living abroad.  Is the content only suitable for expats?

Jo: Definite Articles will work for anybody, sure.  But my writing experience is mainly for the expat market, so this is the area I know best. The examples and markets mentioned target this niche too, so I believe the program is of particular interest to people living abroad.

Expat Women: Why do you think expatriates want or even need to learn to write articles, Jo?

Jo: Writing is a great portable career.  I can say that because it has been my own career for over 20 years and five international moves.  I have written books, articles, columns, copy and all kinds of things, but hour for hour, word for word, there is no doubt in my mind that articles are the most lucrative.  Even better, articles are short, so you have an idea, pitch it, get commissioned, write it and then get paid.  They are quick to pitch and quick to write.  And, with many publications paying €150 - €300 per 1,000 words that represents pretty good return on investment. When you consider that books are typically more than 35,000 words, it is hard to get an advance from the smaller presses, and royalties might amount to only about 50 cents per book, the maths is clear: articles are more lucrative.

But writing articles is something that any entrepreneur should master.  With the price of advertising being relatively high, having your name in print, crediting you as the author of an article on your specialist topic can do wonders for your reputation and that, in turn can make you money.  So I believe that expats and entrepreneur expats both need to learn how to do this.

Expat Women: Jo, you said ‘have an idea, pitch it, get commissioned, write it’.  What about writing an article first, then trying to sell it?

Jo: That is a common mistake. Sure, some publications, particularly those online would take prewritten articles, but the kind of publications that pay will always want to see a pitch first, and then commission a piece that is just right for them – with the right content, tone, case studies, length and so on.  Actually, I believe that good freelance writers are successful because they have lots of ideas, manage to hone them to the right market and then write a good pitch letter.

Expat Women: What do you think would make an editor agree to publishing the work of a new writer.  Is it just down to the pitch letter?

Jo: The pitch letter is the first communication a writer has with an editor. It is vital that it is spot on.  In the letter you need to prove why your idea is perfect for the publication and why the writer is the perfect person to write it.  This is what I call the ‘authority’ of the writer.  Having first hand experience of the topic you plan to cover gives you that authority.  A pitch letter is paramount, but your idea and its suitability for that publication are what will help most of all.

Expat Women: How can people find out more about your program, Jo?

Jo: For more information about my article-writing course, or my write your life story course, please visit my website.  Thanks Everyone!


Editor's note: Expat Women welcomes voluntary article contributions.  Please click here for details. Thanks.