Write this Moment

As writers it is very important to remain aware of market developments as well as keep informed about possible opportunities. Although books and directories can be useful, with new publications appearing as well as changes in personnel and requirements, these are not always up to date or reflect current needs. However I recently discovered a service being offered by Write this Moment. For a very reasonable quarterly or annual subscrittion, each week they post details on a job board listing the requirements of certain magazines or publishers.

I have had my own subscription for about a month and have been greatly impressed by the range of work and opportunities being posted. Also, if something is of particular interest, it is possible to have the details emailed to you or be directed to the relevant website.

In Achieve More Acceptances and Be Published More Often I wrote about how to find and profit from 'golden opportunities' and am positive Write This Moment will yield quite a few.

If you are seeking to be published or looking for new markets, I thoroughly recommend taking out a subscription. For details and more information visit, www.writethismoment.com.

Getting the Editor's Approval

In my last blog I emphasised how important it is for you, the writer, to think of your reader. This way your writing will be more appropriate as well as having greater chance of being accepted.

To this, I would like to add how important it is to also think of the editor. The editor has to provide what his or her readers may be wanting. And, when putting work forward for consideration, mention in your covering letter or email how your work will appeal to their readers. Outline some benefits or the relevance and main appeal of your work and, by doing so, the editor can quickly see your work has merit and so will give it closer attention.

As a writer you are trying to sell your work and by thinking of the requirements of the reader and editor and meeting both, your work will stand more chance or publication.

Good luck.

Increasing Your Chance of Publication

I was watching a business programme the other night and the key message one industrialist kept putting forward was 'Think Customer.' It is the customer who buys and who ultimately decides on the success or failure of any venture.

And this message applies to writers. You need to think of the reader. What do they want to know or can gain from your writing? If you can make it relevant to their needs or can engage the reader in some way, then you will increase the chance of selling your work.

Sometimes writers can be indulgent and write for themselves. And while this can make writing a joy and pleasure it does not necessarily help you to sell what you write.

If you want to sell your work, always keep the reader in mind.

Next week I will add a further consideration which can again help you to increase your chances of a sale. In the meantime if you are keen to write for publication, do have a look at my special report, Achieve More Acceptances and Be Published More Often. One reviewer wrote, “I have read quite a few books about writing but I have never read anything as good as this. It says it all simply and is packed with so much information." And with the purpose and theme of the report being to help you to 'Achieve More Acceptances.'

Good luck.

The Magic of Writing Goals

In previous blogs I have mentioned that every Sunday I make a list of what I need and want to write over the next week. This not only helps me to keep on track but allows me to think ahead as well as collect thoughts, ideas and facts.

However this Sunday I not only wrote my list but also added some longer term hopes and aims. I have been a firm believer in the value of writing goals but my action this Sunday helped re-enforce how valuable this process can be. It was as if writing down some personal aims I have re-ignited a spark inside me and yesterday (Monday) was exceptionally productive.

In addition to writing down daily or weekly writing targets, add longer term aims and see what a difference this can make.

If you find this as effective as I do and/or have had success in goals you have previously written down, do please write and tell me at selfhelpforwriters@hotmail.co.uk It is a fascinating area and one that can help with your writing as well as in other areas of your life.

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Thanks to all who have recently visited my blog and for the comments I have received, including a newspaper plug! However if you are visiting for the first time and are keen to make more of your writing talents, do take a look at my ebook, Achieve More Acceptances and Be Published More Often. For reviews, information and to benefit from the current low price (it's just $7), do visit http://achievemoreacceptances.com

Writer's Market UK

A new writing directory has just been published in the UK. Published by David and Charles, Writer's Market UK 2008 is a large directory containing 976 pages of entries, advice and information useful to the writer. To accompany the book there is also a dedicated website and with a free 30 day trial available to those purchasing the book.

The first 110 pages consists of articles on all aspects of writing including Publicity and How to Get It, Writing for Newspapers, Writing for the Web and Good and Bad Letters. This is followed by the Directory listings and which include UK and Irish publishers and publications. These are extensive and just by looking through the entries I discovered publications which I did not know about and which I intend to follow up. (Only yesterday I pitched an idea to one of the publications listed.)

There are also extensive listings for Radio and Television, theatre, agencies and consultancies, organisations, groups and clubs, competition and prizes, festivals and conferences as well as a wide range of resources useful for the writer.

For those interested in selling their work, whether to a magazine or to learn of suitable publishers or agents, I thoroughly recommend obtaining a copy. It is detailed, comprehensive and has all the links and details you need.

Stephen King's Advice

In his excellent book On Writing, Stephen King mentions the time he was asked how he wrote his books. He replied, 'word by word.' And by sitting down and writing his many books and novels got written.

And as writers, we do need to write - regularly and often. And by writing 'word by word,' articles, stories and books will get completed and you will be increasing your chances of publication.

Ideally aim to write something everyday and this way your words and output will mount up.

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The British authoress Suzanne Harris has recently posted a review of Achieve More Acceptances and Be Published More Often on her blog, she writes:

I found the report to be a simple, factual piece of writing that all aspiring writers can learn a lot from, and I personally highly recommend it. This report is a good read, contains valuable information and only costs $7! If you're just starting out, you can a learn from a well-established author, for very little money, simply by reading this valuable document.

For the full review, here's the link to Suzie's blog http://nonfictionmuse.blogspot.com.

My new website

I have often read that it is worth writers having their own website, so making it easier for readers and the media to contact as well as to help promote their work. It is something I have considered for some time and this week have launched my site,www.neilsomerville.com. I hope to be adding to the various pages shortly but do take a look and I'd be very interested and grateful for any comments.

Also my special report Achieve More Acceptances and be Published More Often has been recently updated and with a specially reduced price. Details can be obtained from this link.

Roald Dahl's idea

One of my favourite writers is Roald Dahl and I will never forget reading about a journey he made. He was out in the country driving along when suddenly an idea struck. As he didn't want to forget it, he stopped to write it down. However, as he did not have any paper or a pen in the car, he ended up writing the idea on the dust of the bonnet of his car!

The moral is - always take some paper and something to write with you when you go out. However, to this I would like to add the following suggestion.

Whenever you go for a walk or out somewhere, always aim to write something down before you return home. By priming youself like this, ideas will come.

Try it and you'll see how effective this can be.

Next week I have some interesting news to announce - until then, have a good weekend.

Building on Your Writing Contacts

Earlier this month I emailed an idea to a magazine editor. The next day my mail server went down (and is still down). This meant that I was not able to receive emails to my main address.

Wondering if the editor had responded to my idea and knowing they were not able to send me an email, I got back in contact and explained my email problem, saying that if she had replied I would not have received it.

The editor did reply, commented how annoying my email situation must be but said she did not want to take up this particular idea. I then replied thanking her for her response and tentatively wondered if another idea I had may be more suitable.

It was. And it has since resulted in a major commission.

The reason I am mentioning this is because it shows how important it is that when you have established communication and contact with an editor, it is possible to build on it. And also that problems (eg my email situation) can turn out to be blessings in disguise!

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For other ways to help you to achieve more acceptances, do take a look at my special report, http://achievemoreacceptances.com.

The Joys of Writing

Having mentioned some of the negatives about writing, this week I will concentrate on some of the best things.

And there are many.

One of the joys of writing is the ability to share your ideas with a wider audience. With your words you can amuse, inform and entertain. Not only can writing be personally satisfying but hopefully of worth to your readers as well.

Writing is a wonderful form of expression and allows you to do and convey so much. However to write well takes practice and skill and you do need time to find the areas and genres that suit you and your style. As some who have enjoyed success have joked, ‘It took years to become an overnight success,’ and it can take years before your efforts pay off.

One of the most important traits for a writer to have is perseverance. Writing is something you have to work on and it does take commitment. But the rewards and satisfaction that can come from writing more than compensate for the time and effort involved.

As a writer it pays to persist.

Good luck – and if you want to discover how you can achieve more acceptances and be published more often, do have a look at my special report and which is currently available at a very favourable price. For more information and download details, visit http://achievemoreacceptances.com.

Some values of rejection

In my last posting I wrote about what I found the worst thing about writing. It did occur to me that some may also regard rejection as the worst thing – and rejection does hurt.

However do remember rejection need not be final. On receiving manuscripts back, I have sometimes had feedback which has allowed me to alter what I have written and resubmit it. In fact one article I am writing at the moment follows on from the comments of an editor who rejected it but said he would welcome treatment of the subject from another angle. I have already done the research so it is just a case of re-organising it.

Also pieces that have been rejected can always be taken by another editor. On one occasion an editor rejected one of my articles which I thought was very suitable for his magazine. I did nothing with the article until a year later when I decided to resubmit it. This time the same editor accepted it.

Another positive of rejection is that it can be a spur to try harder, including looking at how to make your work better and just what it is publishers or magazine editors may be wanting. Also,regard rejection as part of the learning process. Few writers achieve success straightaway and it could be worth viewing each rejection as taking you another step closer to the acceptance you are seeking.

Next time I’ll be considering some of the better things about writing but if you are interested in becoming published and making the most of your writing skills, do have a look at my special report, Achieve More Acceptances and be Published More Often. In it I describe ways to improve your chances of having your writing accepted as well as how to discover your own golden writing opportunities.

The Worst Thing about Writing

I was recently asked in an interview what was the worst thing about writing.

The answer I gave was revision and the correcting of written work. After reading through pieces 7, 8 or maybe more times, the words and sentences begin to blur and it can become difficult to concentrate. However, on reflection, it is the revision and constant reading through that can make writing become great.

By taking the care to read it through, all the time the work can be improved. Whether changing words, sentences or making deletions, the time you put in can make a difference to the quality - and readabilty - of your work.

I have spoken to aspiring writers who shy away from revision and prefer to move on to the next piece or idea. But it is revision and getting their work as good as they can that will best help them into print.

Paradoxically, what could be the worst thing about writing (in my view), could be the most important.

Achieve More Acceptances - New Edition!

I am delighted to announce that the new edition of Achieve More Acceptances and be Published More Often is now available.

This includes new links and, as a special offer, the price has been reduced to $7 (about £3.60). With the information and advice this special report contains it is truly remarkable value. As one reader wrote, 'It is packed with so much information ... I ended up underlining most of what you have written.'

For more information and download details, visit http://achievemoreacceptances.com.

The Joys of Writing Haiku

One of my favourite writing pastimes is to write haiku. In just a few words and lines it is possible to conjure up all sorts of feelings and imagery. I feel it is almost like painting with words.

As an example, here's one I wrote the other day -

Windswept beaches.
A child's spade
left from summer.

Writing haiku is not only satisfying but I believe it can help with writing skills and, if you are interested, is well worth trying yourself.

Every day I make a point of visiting Polona's blog, http://crowsndaisies.blogspot.com . Not only does Polona write exquisite haiku but each is accompanied by a beautiful picture. Polona lives in Slovenia and having holidayed in Kranjska Gora last year, I know what stunning scenery there is in her country.

As this blog is concerned with writing, here's another I wrote but with the writer in mind -

A new article
printed off. The postman
rings the bell.


And finally one more, with an image to ponder.

A swan silently on a lake.
Its reflection
sweet company.

Have a good weekend.

My Favourite Writing Resource

Over the years I have build up a large collection of books (probably too many!) and out of all of these, the books I refer to most often and are usually on my desk are quotation books.

Not only do I find quotations a good way to start articles but also help to illustrate points I may want to make. Also, there are quotation books available on all sorts of subjects and it could be worth seeing if there are any available in the areas you write on.

One of the favourite quotation books I have was published over 100 years ago so I can hardly recommend this or give a link, but by looking in book shops, on ebay or Amazon you could find some that could be useful.

And, while on the subject of quotes, here is one from Peter De Vries,

I love being a writer. What I can't stand is the paperwork.


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May I take this opportunity of thanking all who regularly visit my blog and although I realise only a very very few ever contact, here's wishing you all the very best with your own writing.

Neil Somerville

The Purpose of Writing

Although the actual process of writing can bring us a great deal of pleasure, the purpose of writing is to be read. And to write well, you do need to think of your reader.

If you are writing for a certain age group, visualize a person of that age reading your work. Or if writing a factual piece, think of what the reader wants to know and how you can best put the information across. Similarly if writing a tense drama, imagine the effect of your words and scene on a specific reader.

By writing with a reader in mind, your writing will not only be more appropriate but so too will your style and vocabulary.

Don’t forget, if you have any writing questions, do please email.

Make the Most of Your Camera

With the weekend almost upon us, it is a good time to get out and about. And if you intend to visit a place of interest or perhaps just go out for a journey somewhere, why not take a camera?

This way if you see something unusual or a scene that particularly pleases you will be able to capture it. And once you have that picture, there could be ways you could use it. For instance, it could help inspire some thoughts or a story or lead to as well as illustrate an article.

There are also many picture agencies that are keen to receive good quality pictures and until I read Brian Moore's ebook I did not realise how many there were or what a good market they are. For details have a look at http://selling-photos.com. With the ebook comes another showing how you can get paid to write online and which makes it truly excellent value for writers.

Have a good weekend and hope you get some good pictures.

Writing Competitions - and how to win them!

Writing competitions are increasing in popularity. Not only do they give writers the chance to practice and try different genres but also to win prizes or have their work published. And if tempted by a competition, the following tips could hold you in good stead.

1. Make sure you comply with all the rules. This includes how to present your work, where to include your details plus anything else that may be required. Failure to do this and your work will stand little chance.

2. Make sure your writing meets the requirements. This includes not exceeding set word limits and sticking to the writing guidelines.

3. Allow yourself plenty of time. Many competition entries tend to be written at the last moment but if you allow time to formulate your ideas and to revise your writing, your submission is likely to be all the stronger. Rushed work tends to look rushed and with mistakes often creeping in. Make sure what you submit is good, well thought through and the best you can make it.

4. Be original. If given a title or theme for a story, think around this. And think also what other writers might be tempted to write. For instance, a title with the word 'love' in it will lead to many writing a romance. But a story involving war - but which draws in love - could stand out among the other entries. By being original your work is more likely to be singled out and make an impression.

5. Take care with your presentation. Looks count and by using good quality paper and making sure your print outs are clear and crisp (and not smudged) this will add to the overall quality of your work.

6. Learn from feedback. Sometimes judges do include feedback on entries and if you do receive feedback, take careful note and see what you can learn and take from it. The more you practice and write, the better your writing and chances will be.

Good luck!

Ten Ways to Increase Your Writing Output

With the Internet and growing number of publications, opportunities for writers have never been better. And to help you make the most of your writing skills, the following tips can help to increase your writing output.

1. Rather than sit down to a blank screen or sheet of paper without any thoughts, plan out what you are going to write. Agatha Christie did a lot of her thinking while washing up and, by using mundane activities such as this to sort out your thoughts, you will find you will get far more from your writing sessions.

2. Use modern technology to help you. If you write your material in longhand, to help speed up the transcription process you could use voice recognition software or there are programs available which convert handwriting to text. Look at how you write and work and if there is software or other tools that can speed up the process, use them.

3. Another way to be more productive is to specialize and make the most of your research and knowledge. If you have just written a piece on a certain subject, think of how it could be adapted to a different market. By considering other ways you can use your knowledge you will find this can increase your output rather than having to start fresh with each piece of writing you do.

4. If you write online articles, rather than regard them as essays, think bullet points. By listing the key points you want to put across in concise and numbered sentences, you will find this can speed up the time it takes to write and compile an article as well as being appreciated by online readers.

5. To help prevent false starts or wasting time and effort on projects you never finish, make an outline first. Organize your thoughts and facts and give structure to your work. By writing to an outline and plan, your work and writing will flow much better and ultimately lead to you writing and producing more.

6. One of the best resources writers can have is an ideas book and, by recording your ideas and thoughts, this ideas book can become a valuable resource. And by continually adding to it, when you are in need of inspiration or ideas to write about, by running through your ideas book, new ideas and possibilities can often come.

7. Deadlines help to concentrate the mind. By setting yourself your own personal writing deadlines and objectives - and keeping to them - you will find this can help to keep your writing on track as well as making you more productive.

8. Use your time efficiently. With the Internet, the wide variety of emails that come through as well as television, valuable writing time can quickly be lost. Be disciplined and, to write more, use your time wisely and cut down on time wasting activities.

9. Another way to increase your writing output is to think ahead. Although you may be busy on a particular writing project at the moment, give some thought to what your next piece may be about. This way you could find yourself gathering ideas, facts and thinking over possibilities and so, when you are ready to start your next work, you will be able to do so much quicker.

10. It is often said that practice makes perfect and the more you write, the better your skills will become. And by writing regularly you will not only be improving as a writer but all the time be adding to your output.

To be a productive writer you do need to be organized and self-disciplined and, by following these suggestions, you will find they can help you to write more and hopefully lead on to more writing successes too.


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This article was originally written for online article directories. If you would like to know more about opportunities for writing online, have a look at Melanie Mendolson's The Thirty Minute Article System

Also if there are any writing questions you would like me to cover, do please email

Writing Success

In a book of writing quotations I have there is one by John Jakes,

'Be persistent. Editors change; editorial tastes change; markets change. Too many beginning writers give up too easily.'

This is all very true. To succeed in writing needs time, patience and persistence. And the more your write, the better you become and better your chance of acceptance. I have written more on this in my new special report, 'Achieve More Acceptances.' I have already received many kind comments about this and if you are keen to break into print or make more of your writing talents, it contains plenty of advice to help as well as good markets to consider. For details http://achievemoreacceptances.com.