Writing Tips
My brother Randy used to tease me about riding what he called the gravy train. Each time I resold a previously published story, article, or book, he reminded me that the income was pure gravy since the work had already been done. When checks came from reprints, all I had to do was to rejoice and laugh my way to the bank.A large share of my writing income in the past 40 years has come from reprint sales and earned me the title, "The Recycle Queen." Some stories and articles sold as many as 25 times (to noncompeting markets). For example, different church denominations probably won't be reading other churches' publications. And secular magazines aren't normally in competition with the Christian market.
Example: Family Treasures, Three 24-karat Story Collections (January 2017, Winged Publications). Titles became Kindle and print editions before combining into the current 92-story Kindle collection.
Going
Home Again: An Award-winning Author’s Best-loved Stories originally appeared in a multitude of Christian magazines and story papers.Joy to the World: A Treasury of Christmas Inspiration.
Co-author Julie Reece-DeMarco and I revised and expanded card-book material into a 120-page book.
Storybook House: Timeless Tales for Fun-Loving Families contains 120 pages filled with stories originally published in church magazines and take-home papers.
Featured
Best-selling author Darlene Franklin, whose motto is "Writing at the Crossroads of Love and Grace" featured me on her blog today--and did an excellent job.
This lady is an inspirational example for all of us. Her blog starts: "Welcome to Darlene Franklin's Wide World of Writing. You may not agree that my world is wide, since I live in a nursing home, but ever since moving into assisted living three years ago my writing opportunities have multiplied! I’ve had twelve contracted books published, six older stories included in new collections, and jumped into indie publishing a year ago, with nine new ebooks available."
Check this author out. I have read her stories and thoroughly enjoyed them.
Darlene Franklin
Guest Colleen L. Reece, 1-23-17
4 comments:
Darlene is inspiring in her ability to find the silver lining (how her writing has flourished in assisted living). She made a terrific choice in featuring you and your writing advice (which you compare to the discipline of a professional skater). I especially liked the poem fragment you quoted: “You are beaten to earth? Well, well, what’s that?
Come up with a smiling face.
It’s nothing against you to fall down flat,
But to lie there—that’s a disgrace.”
Congratulations on your release of FAMILY TREASURES. I enjoyed the post by Darlene Franklin. Very nice.
She is such an overcomer. BTW, I mistakenly listed Kipling as the author of "How Did You Die?" It is Edmund Vance Cooke. Woops!
She did a great job. Thanks, Sandy
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