March goals and JHS

ravenlea · Feb 28, 2009

Hi Anne Marie! great goals - good luck with them

I agree Barb. I finished two today and am working on a third. As long as they keep with the $15 each, I should be able to pull off my $300.

princessvessna · Feb 28, 2009

Autodidact said:
Hey Princess, I've got a question for you. The reason I started thinking freelance a little over a year ago was that I had a subject to write about. I still haven't figured out where to query it. It's about gardening dirt (so to speak) cheap and ecologically. I'm not a gardening expert, just been doing it at home for a few years, but I do it at little or no cost, and I think I have useful info for people about how to get hardscaping materials free, how to use compost, get free mulch, etc., and generally garden with no $, less work and organically. I really want to start querying it, but don't know where, because I don't have the creds to get into a gardening magazine. Actually I have a fantasy that one day I'm going to write a book about it. Anyway, any thoughts on good places for a non-gardening expert to query a gardening article like that? Just lately I thought I might start just focusing on vegetable gardening: how to plant a vegetable garden at no cost, with little work, ecologically.

Hmmm, I havent gotten much into the world of magazine querying at all

What about the magazines focusing on frugality? Doesnt Dollar Stretcher online pay decently?

Perhaps Sunset magazine? That one isn't a strictly gardening one. I am not sure how many outside articles they accept.

What about even just the regular womens magazines? Gardening is big time, especially now with money woes. Someone sent me a message that 70 million people were expected to grow some of their own food this year. Women's Day, Women's World, First..places like that. Especially since it has the frugal angle.

Those are ideas off the top of my head. I will have to think about it.

inkkognito · Feb 28, 2009

ravenlea said:
Hi Anne Marie! great goals - good luck with them

I agree Barb. I finished two today and am working on a third. As long as they keep with the $15 each, I should be able to pull off my $300.

I just did one on Cushings in horses, and it got flagged for plagarism! I can't figure that one out, since it's based on my own horse with Cushings. I even used a photo of my old man (R.I.P.) to demonstrate the Cushings coat. All I can figure is that it's because I pulled the exact words for the drugs, chemicals, etc. from a website so I sent an explanatory email. Goodness knows I know more about Cushings than I ever wanted to...no need to copy!

I hope to finish most of my DS articles before we leave tomorrow. If not, the due dates are long enough to allow we to do that when we get home.

JenNipps · Feb 28, 2009

Wow! Not even March yet and there are already two pages in the March JHS thread. lol

My goals for March look a lot like my goals for February did. There are a couple differences though.

Query $80/day with NO carry-overs.
Submit TutorialBlog.org articles every Monday and invoice them every Friday (2 articles due 3/9)
Send 3 book-related submissions to agents/publishers.
Update all blogs at least 3x a week.
2 Bukisa articles a week
2 eHow articles a week
Daily entries on Refilling the Well
Finish and submit article for Writers' Journal
Expand submissions to include national magazines since I want to get into at least one this year
Update my websites.
Make it to the next round of judging in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award contest (as if I have any control over that; I'll hear by 3/16, I think)

ravenlea · Mar 1, 2009

I haven't sent any of my DS articles in yet. i'm waiting for monday as I took today off to drink rootbeer floats and watch Nascar. Friend of ours is in Vegas for the race today - lucky him! After reading through the DS thread, i'm more nervous than I was to begin with. Hopefully everything goes smoothly to begin with.

Received a rejection today on a short story. I think there should be laws that say you can't get rejections on weekends

jeffo · Mar 1, 2009

You people are just plain out of control! It's only the first day of March and this thread is already two pages long (as Jen already noticed)!

Ravenlea, nice query goal. Now I expect you to reach that goal! I've been shooting for two queries a week, but maybe I'll join you and go for three.

Princess Vessna, welcome along, glad you're here. 100 Glossary entries? That's sound impressive for a month. And I'm going to push you to name a specific number of Demand Studios articles, if you don't mind. If you list a specific number, you can tell if you actually met that goal.

Blue Obsidian, 10 DS a week? That's impressive. And you've motivated me to try and meet that goal, too, so I'm going to go for 10 a week as well. Let's tear up DS, shall we? And five queries--is that for the entire month? I want to make sure those goals are clear so we can all know if you're getting where you said you'd get.

Anne Marie, hello there. Welcome to the madhouse, err, I mean, the goals thread.

I love NaNoWriMo. I've won it three times, even though I've never done a thing with the "novels" I wrote. Strangely enough, I've won 3 times in odd years, and not completed in two even years. Guess that means this year I'll win again!

Jen, I'm curious--what do you mean by "No carry-overs?" Nice goals, too. That's at least six articles a day, so I hope you meet and exceed that goal every week.

jeffo · Mar 1, 2009

Whoa, hey, I forgot to put my weekly goals in there!
I'm going for:
2 Associated Content Articles (hopefully pay-articles, but they've been real light recently).
10 Demand Studios Articles
2 Demand Studios Pay-Per-Hit (I still don't see stats on these, but I'll give it a shot)
Apply for 2 freelance writing jobs (Thanks, Jen, for links to sites)
Write 1,000 words on novel attempt.
Write story for Pockets magazine.
Send THREE queries this week (Auto, I might come to you for more ideas...

)

blueobsidian · Mar 1, 2009

jeffo said:
Blue Obsidian, 10 DS a week? That's impressive. And you've motivated me to try and meet that goal, too, so I'm going to go for 10 a week as well. Let's tear up DS, shall we? And five queries--is that for the entire month? I want to make sure those goals are clear so we can all know if you're getting where you said you'd get.

Yep, the five queries are for the month. We can definitely do 10 DS a week... I actually did nine of mine for the week this morning

princessvessna · Mar 1, 2009

jeffo said:
.

Princess Vessna, welcome along, glad you're here. 100 Glossary entries? That's sound impressive for a month. And I'm going to push you to name a specific number of Demand Studios articles, if you don't mind. If you list a specific number, you can tell if you actually met that goal.

Heh, thanks. I think I will say 4 total for DS. I really need to focus on About more for now. If all goes well, I'll be adding over 500 new pages this month - whew! Have to get ready for gardening season since it's practically here

JenNipps · Mar 1, 2009

There's a new post at Refilling the Well: "Archaic Furniture."

jeffo said:
Jen, I'm curious--what do you mean by "No carry-overs?" Nice goals, too. That's at least six articles a day, so I hope you meet and exceed that goal every week.

"No carry overs" means that if I overshoot the $80/day quota, I can't count it on the next day. Every day starts back at $0.

It's actually $80 potential, so that includes queries and on-spec submissions. Actually money-in-hand things are great, too, but it's actually aiming toward magazines and the like.

Autodidact · Mar 2, 2009

Thanks princess, appreciate it.
jeffo: I'm at your service. Years ago I used to carry fake "business cards" that read: "For ideas, call Rene. $.025 no refunds." Meaning that if any of my friends needed an idea for anything, they could give me a quarter, and I would give them an idea. If they don't like the idea, no refunds, but they're only out a quarter.

peggster · Mar 2, 2009

Hi, everyone! I joined the February thread late in the month, and found it helpful in reaching some goals, so I'm back with a vengeance for March.

My goals for the month:
1. Post to the blog weekly (so at least 4 times), plus write 4 extra posts to keep in the hopper.
2. Write and upload 6 new pages of content for the website.
3. Submit 4 personal essays for publication.
4. Explore Demand Studios and Associated Content, and make a decision about whether to pursue those or not.

To some, those may not sound like much, but it feels like a lot to me. And that's good, because I need to have goals that are a bit of a stretch to reach and therefore challenge me to get moving.

Auto, I like your ideas about the gardening article, and for what it's worth, I agree with princessvessna about targeting it to budget and women's publications. Sounds like your audience would be the newbies (like me!) who are looking for a way to save money, eat more healthfully, and/or go green. Good luck with it!

I'm inspired by everyone's goals, so keep 'em coming!

ravenlea · Mar 2, 2009

morning all. I got a late start as a nighbor dropped by this morning while I feed to chat, then my sister in law showed up to get some things and do some town running so I didn't have to make two trips today. Now I am relaxing with coffee and cheetoes, trying to submit my DS articles.

blog post up monday morning

I need to get an article up at examiner, but will do that this afternoon. Time for lunch!

Still Seaking · Mar 2, 2009

Solved the problem with the brakes, traded in the van for a newer one, on top of the rear brakes and master cylinder needing replacement the thing had an awful transmission leak (I bought transmission fluid in the five gallon containers, sometimes two a month), an oil leak and the driver’s seat had to be propped forward for the seating position I preferred (I can’t stand to feel like I’m laying down when driving). So I figured it was on its last leg anyway so I went ahead and traded it in. The deciding factor that I took to be a sign from The Higher Power was when the window on the sliding glass shattered (long story involving the Jonas Brothers 3d movie and my tween). The new vehicle isn’t new but is newer by four years and was taken very good care of.

Since I was dealing with the vehicle, I still did not get much writing done so my goals are going to remain the same for the most part:

• Finish the 13 articles I have been approved for (one is already finished and one is almost and a few others have been started – I know good for the one that’s finished and next time, start then finish).
• Send out one query letter
• Finish re-reading and editing chapter 3 of my novel
• Keep up with the writing board, reading, replying and updating
• Research different parenting magazines for an article on virtual schooling
• Update my blog
• Update my movie blog at least once a day to start getting caught up
• Look into some writing courses
• Complete at least the first assignment in Jenna’s book Make a Real Living as a Freelance Writer
• Check into Examiner and see if it would be a fit for me or not & apply if so

Goals for the month
• Claim & complete 20 articles a week for Demand Studios
• Finish an assignment a week in Make a Real Living as a Freelance Writer
• Send out at least one query letter a week
• Update blog at least once a week
• Spend a minimum of 10 hours a week on my book
• Decide if I’m going to take some writing course and sign up if I decide to do so
• Prioritize my time so that I am more efficient, create a schedule and stick to it
• Participate in any paying writing contests (that don’t charge a fee to enter) that I am a fit for

Ink – that is huge! Congrats!!!! Ink, that’s almost my DS goal. How many hours do you spend on average writing/researching articles for them?

Raven – Do you think any of the Idaho parenting mags might be interested in an article on virtual schools? We had to go that route because the Pocatello/Chubbuck School District 25 is completely inadequate?

Auto – any suggestions on other parenting mags?
Jen – I like the idea of query with a $ amount, how do you do that?

Jefo – (I almost made you a hillbilly) good luck on those goals and thanks for all the encouragement you give and good luck with all those goals.

Everybody else – Keep up the work and write, write, write!

cress8 · Mar 2, 2009

Ok, I never got around to officially posting my Feb. goals, so here's March.

1. Blog weekly.
2. Research, get sources, and draft national query.
3. Finish pediatric article (depends on when my expert can finish my interview).
4. Add more previous clips to blog.
5. Plan April goals.

Autodidact · Mar 2, 2009

Still seaking: You mean just names of parenting magazines? I have a long list that I am happy to send you. Just PM me your email address.

Autodidact · Mar 2, 2009

ravenlea said:
morning all. I got a late start as a nighbor dropped by this morning while I feed to chat, then my sister in law showed up to get some things and do some town running so I didn't have to make two trips today. Now I am relaxing with coffee and cheetoes, trying to submit my DS articles.

blog post up monday morning

I need to get an article up at examiner, but will do that this afternoon. Time for lunch!

Coffee and cheetoes?!?!

AmyDoodle · Mar 2, 2009

Lord, you guys are hopping! I've been off watching hubby circumvent a computer crisis. My old faithful computer that went through the church fire with me was showing frightening signs (and sounds) of old age. So there's been a flurry of activity around here as hubby--my tech on deck--switched to laptop for fulltime use and set me up with his so-new-it's-almost-still-shiny desktop machine and did all the backing up and setting up and switching around and. . .never mind, I'm almost back and that's what counts. I'm gonna have to hotfoot it to catch up with you folks.

Anyyyyywayyyy, welcome to all the new folks, congratulations on all the progress, and hugs to everybody who needs them.

And to all you North Carolina standouts, I just want you to know I'm snuggled right in the foothills of South Carolina keeping an eye on you!

Crystal Lewis · Mar 2, 2009

Thanks for this thread! I'm a newbie and I really loved reading your goals.

Here are my goals:

-- 3 articles for Suite101

-- 20 articles for E-How

-- 3 blog posts per week

-- 2 articles for Associated Content

-- Tweet on twitter 2 hours per week

-- Focus on SEO, updating profiles and making sure things are linked properly for maximum click performance and exposure.

-- Read Jenna Glatzer's book. (It should arrive on Wednesday).

This could change if I'm accepted by Examiner.com and About.com. (Root for me!)

SouthernFriedJulie · Mar 2, 2009

* Sent out 2 reprints to 2 pubs.
* Pitched my column to 2 pubs.
* Determined to find O Magazine Guidelines
* Contacted Parenting/BabyTalk. Waiting for Guidelines.
* Networking, building contacts/relationships.

* Must finish story for Adventist Review.

jeffo · Mar 2, 2009

Way to go, blue obsidian! My power was out all day today, so I wrote queries on the laptop and sent them out tonight, so I've already sent my three for the week (and an extra one because ideas were flowing). I'm going to work on DS stuff first thing tomorrow. I already claimed 10 articles Sunday evening.

Princess Vessna, 500 pages, whew, that's a pile. Go for it!

Jenn, thanks for explaining. I understand the potential, all my queries are that way.

Auto, I might have to go ahead and send you a roll of quarters, so I'm ready for ideas. I've always been able to write forever once I have the idea, but coming up with the ideas always gives me trouble. Like when I read writer's guidelines that are standard, I'm usually blank. But when I read the lines about, "Right now we need ____," I can almost always write about that subject, even if I'm not familiar with it.

Hello again, peggster. So, since it's already Monday evening, did you get a blog post up yet?

As for Associated Content and Demand Studios, there's two large threads here for your reading, if you haven't found them. That might help you see what others here are doing to help you decide.

Still Seaking, good to hear the vehicle problems are over, at least for now. So you want to finish 13 articles this month? I guess that's three each week. Are you done with one yet?

Glad you're back, AmyDoodle, now get to writing!

Crystal, 20 E-how articles, that's an impressive goal. If you're only working weekdays, that's about one a day, right? And since you're going to be busy reading after Wednesday, better write a couple extras Tuesday...

And it amazing what you can do when the power is out. I was all ready to write Demand Studios articles this morning, but when I woke up it was dark and cold as the power was out. I have a gas fireplace, so I wasn't cold, but the plans for the day were out the window. However, I have a laptop that I used sparingly, and somehow, with no power (and Internet to distract me), I looked through my magazine stack and ended up writing and sending four brand new queries. Well, they didn't get sent until the power came back, but I wrote them and hit send. I also managed to write a short kids story on the laptop and sent it to the printer. As soon as the power came on, all I had to do was pick it up and drop it in an envelope. So maybe next time you're overwhelmed and behind in queries, you should turn the power off and see what happens!

AmyDoodle · Mar 2, 2009

Welcome Crystal!

Way to get stuff done Jeffo! I had a day off work for the same storm, but fortunately we kept power. My dad lost it for last night and part of today, though.

Got a blog post up--a major accomplishment for me this week!
Dream Big But Don't Bend Over! Dressing myself just isn't the same these days.

Still Seaking · Mar 2, 2009

Auto – PM sent

Jefo – The 12 articles are for this week and I also need to write 8 more on top of that, my actual goal is to write 20 a week. And I did get one finished last week before everything went south so I'm down to 12 now and will add more as soon as I get these finished.

Busy doing merchandising work today but nothing other than making the kid do her school work and the rest of the day I will write. I might try to prioritize and make that schedule for myself but then if I prioritize first, the articles are going to take president of course so I think that’s what I’ll do, get those articles written, then I can make a schedule and see if there are any other topics to claim. That sounds like about 8 hours of work or so. Then I can work on my blogs or finish reading/editing chapter 3.

I have decided that I am going to read and respond here each night as one of the last things I do. I will give an update every night on what I have accomplished so I maybe I can actually get what I need done (and everybody chastise me when I don’t get my work done).

jennifernobile · Mar 3, 2009

Hi all,
I've been lurking around, and I think these threads are great! Nothing like putting your goals out there for all to see.

I'm a newbie at this, so be patient with me please! Here are my goals for the month:

*Send out very first query letter to parenting market (started yesterday!)
*Write and submit article to ParentGuide - Due 3/24
*Write and submit at least 2 blog posts for New Jersey Moms Blog
*Post 2 - 3 personal blog posts per week
*Write and send out 1 to 2 more query letters

That's it for me!

scriptor · Mar 3, 2009

inkkognito said:
I just did one on Cushings in horses, and it got flagged for plagarism! I can't figure that one out, since it's based on my own horse with Cushings. I even used a photo of my old man (R.I.P.) to demonstrate the Cushings coat. All I can figure is that it's because I pulled the exact words for the drugs, chemicals, etc. from a website so I sent an explanatory email........ quote]

Good Luck with that inkkognito, I agree that someone is being pretty petty. Hopefully the email will straighten things out.

March goals and JHS

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