In the space of just a few days, I got three different magazine subscription offers, boom, boom, boom, and thought I’d share my thoughts. First, this short-and-sweet offer from Dog Fancy. The main piece is what I think of as a “two-thirds” mailing, because instead of being 11″ long like…
Research or Background: Part 3
I’ve been talking about the difference between gathering information for specific reasons or for general information, because sometimes you need to know specific things and sometimes you just want a big, general overview. Digging into archives to dig out a specific name, a particular fact can be satisfying. Like a…
Research or Background: Part 2
So, what’s brought this subject up, anyway? (Read Part 1 here.) I’ve been reading about the World War I era to get a feel for it for my Titanic-book sequel. I’m skimming my way through books and websites, picking up ideas and tidbits of (possibly) useful information, but I’m not…
Research or Background: Part 1
I’ve had a few thoughts about research rummaging around my head lately, and thought I’d turn them into a blog post, but it turned out to be way too long, so I thought I’d try a series, instead. There’s a cozy mystery by Alisa Craig with a character famed for…
Writing is a Fantasy
Did you know that Writing has a lot in common with any good Fantasy? You know the kind, where a hero faces enormous odds to go on a quest to save the world? Skills and Talents: Obviously every good hero needs a skillset. In fantasy, that would be sword play,…
What About Those Deadlines?
How do you feel about deadlines? Personally, I’ve never been a fan. Not of tight deadlines, at least. The thought of being a journalist working on a 24-hour cycle of researching and writing stories gives me nightmares. Even when I was in school, I’d write down the due-date for papers…
Review: An Offer from Sports Illustrated
This mailing is a solid example of, first, the importance of having your demographics straight. I got this mailing from Sports Illustrated, offering me a subscription. Now, since I’m not exactly a sports fan, their number one mistake is that the odds of me deciding to take a subscription are…
The Eggs of Oppression
I was reading a book the other day … a highly educated, informative tome with dozens of pages of footnotes and an index as long as your arm. It was written, needless to say, by a well-educated person, published by a well-known publishing house and, no doubt, read over by…
Review: An Offer from Time
I liked this offer from TIME magazine. First, it’s simple. No crazy bells and whistles, things I need to check or fold or tweak or poke or circle or tear. Okay, the reply portion is the bottom third of the letter and needs to be torn off, but that barely…
Reader, Not a Writer
Okay, not really. I’m exaggerating. I AM a writer. I enjoy it, I’m good at it, I even make some money from it, in the perfect blend of vocation, hobby, and inclination. I’m the first one to admit that the joy of easily flowing words is incomparable. That blissful state…