Wow! Women on Writing

Six ways to work smarter, not harder this summer
By Christina Katz

Do you think your outlook might benefit from an abundance of downtime this summer? Then call it research, call it revelry, call it what you will…here are six ways to have fun and make money all summer long:

1. Who's your buddy?
Catching up with friends you don't see often this summer? Before you go jot a few questions in your notebook. Most friends are flattered when you ask for their ideas and insights on any topic. When I started selling nonfiction articles I wrote for Bluesuitmom.com, a website for working moms, I wasn't a working mom at the time (although I am now). But I had lots of friends from college who were and I relied on their input to understand the challenges of my audience and as a source of quotes and topic ideas. Thanks guys, I wrote and published thirteen articles for that audience.

2. The Pam Houston approach
Writer Pam Houston started out selling herself as a rare (at that time) outdoor adventure woman and sell she did. If you are an outdoorsy-type, you have an advantage with editors, who are always on the lookout for anything fresh about exercise or exploring the outdoors. Maybe the need for writing on the out-of-doors was created because so many freelancers spend so much time on our duffs in front of the computer (which is really not good for us, by the way). The solution? Get out there and trek, spelunk or skydive. Why not? You can pitch your idea before you go and then write your adventures off.

3. "Honey, can I quote you on that?"
Your spouse, children and/or significant other (or others) are all fair game when it comes to writing ideas. Before you use someone you love as the inspiration for an investigative report on the best who, what, when, where, why and how for vasectomies, weaning or bad breath, you might want to check it out with them first. But once you have their go-ahead by all means let it rip. Writer Lauren Fritzen has mined her home's hallowed halls to write about moving, dead hamsters, "the talk" and her husbands hobbies: beer-making and darts.

4. Home front
Why are the publications we already read the last ones we think of to pitch? It's downright silly to overlook markets we already know well because they require less work to understand their style, tone and audience. Instead of being such a good recycler let those daily newspapers, glossy magazines and regional publications pile up. When the stack starts to teeter, call each editor one-by-one. These are perfect places to resell your reprints or re-slants for easy cash.

5. Get star-struck

Maybe you don't aspire to be famous. Even so, it's still fun to interview interesting and engaging folks who have moved into the spotlight. One day I wandered into Barnes and Noble and noticed a sign for an upcoming author reading. I didn't recognize the name (it was her first book) but I liked the topic, so after attending the reading I asked for an interview, which Rev. Mary Murray Shelton willingly granted. I then asked, who else might enjoy this interview? The answer was readers of Science of Mind magazine. The editor at the time snatched it right up. Point is: If you think someone has something interesting to offer, chances are good an editor will too.

6. Remember when…
When I wrote "Whatever Happened to the Day of Rest" for Bluesuitmom.com I didn't realize that I was harkening back to simpler times when weekends were all about R&R (sigh). But now I realize that the good old days I wistfully remember are all just specks of gold waiting to be panned out of a river of memories. And lately, I've been noticing all the opportunities to publish short home and family memories like in Woman's World and Mary Englebreit's Home Companion . Time to accumulate and spend those valuable memories before they wash away.

Just because it's summer, it's not time to stop writing. The road to increased productivity is paved with ease. If we relax and have fun, the writing will be breezy.

Christina Katz is the author of Writer Mama, How To Raise A Writing Career Alongside Your Kids (February, 2007, Writer's Digest Books). She has been doing just that for the past five years and has published over 200 articles in magazines, newspapers, and online publications. She teaches eight nonfiction-writing classes a year and is publisher and editor of the online monthly zine, Writers On The Rise, voted by Writer's Digest as one of the “101 Top Web Sites” for writers. Christina is a graduate of Dartmouth College and has an MFA in Fiction from Columbia College, Chicago. Visit www.writersontherise.com or www.christinakatz.com or www.thewritermama.com for the latest about Christina.