Emily Jensen

Writing tip of the day: a great example makes the piece. Case in point: Deborah Ann Woll was recently a guest on Real Ones with Jon Bernthal, and taught him Dungeons & Dragons - and sold him on it - in about five minutes. You may already have seen it. If you haven't, watch below. It's incredible. Here's why it works: In this clip, she starts with a super basic explanation... then quickly dispenses with it. Because infodumping is necessary, but also boring. Instead, she invites him along for the journey, and expertly draws out a scenario. In seconds, he's asking the right questions, and intuiting his way through the game mechanics. More importantly, he's connected with the game - and her love of it - on an emotional level. Now, I'm not going to sit here and pretend all the content we write everyday is as immersive as D&D. Or that we all have the benefit of an engaged podcast host sitting directly across from us. But we can still dispense with the boring explanations, and instead ask our readers to play along. https://lnkd.in/eNuPr_i5

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Three Emotion Problems to Avoid in Your Story Opening via Writers Helping Writers #amwriting #writetip #nanowrimo #pubtip https://lnkd.in/ePhd6zdj

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Editing episode 6 of my Writing Nonfiction with Confidence audio blogs. Nice to do something with my old sound-recording passion! I hope to upload episode 6— "What to Expect from a Nonfiction Editor: A Guide to the Editing World" —later this week on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, Youtube, and other channels. #yourbeststory

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Writers, don't play it safe. Don't hoard your work. Release it into the world. Your worst fear might happen... - People might ignore you. - Or criticize your ideas. - Or dismiss your ability. Keep writing. Share it with others. Why? Because the very act of writing and releasing it into the world is shaping you. When you feel unread and ignored, perseverance is silently working its way into your bones. When criticism stings, you're learning to decipher the hills you would die on, and others you're happy to avoid in the future. So, keep taking risks. Keep putting yourself out there, in ways that are kind, thoughtful, and honest. The risk is worth it. PS - For some extra encouragement along these lines: t.ly/B0JUt

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What helps a publishing-house editor want to champion your book? This question was posed to a panel of publishing-house editors at the wonderful Islanders Write festival on Monday. Marc Favreau, author and director of editorial programs at The New Press, gave us concrete advice: “Since editors have to be sales people, the author *must* take the title, subtitle, and summary or elevator pitch for the book incredibly seriously as a persuasive tool.” He shared a story of when a lackluster, off-the-cuff title and subtitle dampened the energy and interest of the whole room during a New Press pitch. Though he knew the book was excellent, nobody got enthusiastic about it after the title sank so hard. So he recommended authors try out potential titles and notice how people react before writing your query letter or proposal. Dawn Davis, founding publisher and Senior Vice President of 37 INK, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, wasn’t specific. But she did share a personal insight that I think is one of the (many) reasons why so few books are accepted by traditional publishers: When editors read a proposal, they have to check in with their own response to the book *and* think about the long haul. Dawn said, “Editors have to be able to love the book through YEARS of work and advocacy, both internally [in the publishing company] and externally [to media, sales reps, bookstores, etc.].” What’s the title of your book? (Feel free to drop a link in the comments so people can purchase it!) Or what title(s) are you considering?

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Freelance writers should stop thinking like hired guns. It's a common problem. We get paid by the gig, so we adopt the mercenary mentality by default. And mercenary mentality says: "Hey, just tell me your goals, and I'll spit out something as best I can." (Except...maybe don't spit at anyone.) The problem is, that's not how you produce a great piece. You need more... -Context -Information -Knowledge of why this content exists in the first place To gather all of that info, you need to think more *like a project manager.* I learned this the hard way recently. I struck up new work with an old client, and felt I knew their process well. So I took on a piece without clarifying more details first. They sent me some basic info about their client and...I just sort of....did my best to write. It wasn't a success. Lots of feedback about how vague the content was. Now, if I'd reminded myself of that silly old refrain... ->"aLl fIrSt dRaFts aRe tRaSh""<- ...then I would have expected this. But since I don't, it means something else went wrong that *made* this first draft bad. So I explained why my content was so vague: what I needed if it was going to ring true. Me and the client worked out an arrangement that worked out for articles going forward. In retrospect? I should have acted like a project manager from the get-go. Because my writing is only good when I understand 1) What you need 2) What point I'm trying to make 3) How this fits in the context of your goals So promise me, fellow freelancers: No more "mercenary mentality." We are project managers, head honchos, commanders in chief. Time to start acting like it.

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5 Reasons Story Structure Is Important (Secrets of Story Structure, Pt. 1 of 12) via Helping Writers Become Authors #amwriting #writetip #nanowrimo #pubtip https://lnkd.in/ery5ZTz6

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Unlock Your Funny Bone: Writing Humor Is Easier Than You Think! via Writers Helping Writers #amwriting #writetip #nanowrimo #pubtip https://lnkd.in/eTjAMdnz

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Today, by the freelancer's clock: 10am: Sending out LOIs and networking emails to connect with various brands about internal freelance writing needs. Thinking to myself, "Whew, this is the quietest end-of-year I've experienced in a couple of years. Rough out there right now." Noon: Thinking aloud. "Now that I have writing, editing, social media, video, and community organizing on my resume, maybe I should rebrand as a one-person content agency?" 3pm: Shoot. What in god's green earth just happened?! With these new writing assignments and these added events, I think I can squeeze it all in before Christmas, but it's going to be tight. #Freelancing

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🌟 Just published a new blog post on world-building for writers! Dive into the intricacies of creating a fictional economy and trade system in your stories. Understanding these aspects can add depth and authenticity to your world. Check out the full questionnaire and get ready to elevate your storytelling game: [Link to Blog Post](https://ift.tt/I61EnkZ) 📚 #WorldBuilding #WritingCommunity

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Rumor: "There's no freelance work right now." Truth: Companies need freelancers as much or more than ever before. So far this year: —More people have reached out to inquire about my writing services — I have more work on the books — My Q1 earnings were the best yet Here’s how to skip the rumor mill and get to the truth: —Ask for referrals from existing clients. —Systematize and automate those aks mid-way through a project and again at the end. —Follow-up. If you did a great job with a client but they didn't give you a referral, it means they're busy, not that they don't want to help you out. Being pleasantly persistent pays off. You can build a freelance business you love. I opened Freelance to Freedom for 3 students this morning. Two spots are filled, and there is one spot left. DM me the word FREELANCE if you're interested.

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The new issue of Augur is out now, featuring my poem "Directions to the Underworld" and a selection of thoughtful, intriguing speculative work. Check it out or get your copy here: https://lnkd.in/ehGa77tB

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When and why do you review books? 📚 I reviews dozens every year, and they fall into two categories: 1. Committed: Pre-release books I've enjoyed on NetGalley, books sent to me by publishers or written by author friends, books that I am on a launch team for, etc. 2. Spontaneous: Books that I find, love and really want to shout about. I need to do more in category 2. Reviews really help great ideas spread. How about you? Do you ever review books you love, just because you love them? #reading #bookreviews #books

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Freelancers, is it possible to ask for a deadline extension and then immediately get more work from that client? Yep. Here's how it just worked for me: I just asked one of my editors (whom I've worked with for years) if she had any flex on my article deadline slated for submission in a few days. I asked if I could submit it a day later, since I've been swamped with work this past week. If not, I assured her I'd definitely get it done by the deadline. She said she's so swamped as well and she won't even be able to look at my article until the end of September, so I could have another few weeks if needed. (I just needed one extra day, so I'll still submit my article next week.) I thanked her for the deadline extension, of course, though I rarely ask for one. But then I tapped into her message of feeling swamped. Sounded like she might need some help. So I sent this message: "Sorry to hear that! I know it’s stressful and exhausting to be overloaded with work. I’ll be all caught up by early next week, so please keep me in mind for additional assignments if that helps ease your workload. Besides editorial articles, I write a variety of other deliverables for clients (like newsletters, branded/sponsored content, web copy, etc.), so feel free to reach out if you need to offload any writing-related work." And she reached back out with an additional assignment. So, not only did I get a deadline extension. I landed more work. This doesn't happen as a fluke. This editor and I have worked together for years, so she knows that: ✅ I'll follow the assignment guidelines. ✅ I'll deliver quality work that rarely requires edits. ✅ I'm reliable. ✅ I'll be available for questions/edits after I submit. ✅ I'll include contact information for any sources I interview. ✅ I'll include a link to photos (if relevant) to accompany the piece. Freelancing is more than just providing the deliverable. With 35+ years as a freelance writer, I know what it takes to sustain a freelance business for decades. 😎 And I share my insights and practical tips in my free, bi-weekly newsletter called Expert•ish Freelancer. 📬 Want in? Subscribe for free and you can immediately access the complete archives. 🔗 Link is in the comments. #freelancing #freelance #freelancer #freelancewriter #freelancetips #relationshipbuilding #editors #marketing #clientrelationships

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