Please tell us a bit about your own writing experience.
For many years I was a classroom teacher. But I was always a writer, too. About 10 years ago, I decided to make the leap from full time teaching to full time writing. However, my first book was written and published when I was still teaching. It's a children's travel guide called Kidding Around Kansas City. Since that book was published, I've written over 20 more published books. Most of my books are for the children's educational market. But I've written books for adults, too.
What is The Working Writers Coach?
Well, the Working Writer's Coach is me, actually. I help people become "working" writers. By that I mean, I coach them to learn how to make a living from freelance writing.
Why did you start doing this project?
When I decided to make the leap from full time teaching to full time writing, I did this over a 3-month period when I was out of school for the summer one year. By the end of the summer, I was making $6,000 a month as a freelance writer. Many people asked me how I was able to get contracts for so many well-paying assignments so quickly. I created the Working Writer's Coaching Program so my coaching clients could follow the same steps I used to create my own freelance writing career.
You offer some great tips in your 'morning nudge' to keep writers writing. Please share a tip with our readers and let them know how they can sign up for this useful service.
The Morning Nudge is an inspirational and motivational email that comes to subscribers every weekday morning for only $6.00 a YEAR. People can read more Nudges and subscribe at www.morningnudge.com
Here's a sample NUDGE:
FOCUS ON THE WRITING!
Somewhere along the way, anxious writers tend to lose focus of their writing.
Instead, they focus on publication or selling their work.
If you're wanting to make a living from your writing, then, of course, you must be concerned about publication and sales. But the odd thing is, if you focus on that MORE than the writing itself, you will publish less and sell less of your work.
Why is that?
Because writing is a competitive business. There is always someone out there who is a more skillful or more talented writer. And, if your writing is awkward or clunky, or not clear and to-the-point, readers, editors, and publishers will find someone else whose work is much better.
When you focus on ALWAYS striving to improve the writing - day after day after day - your writing keeps getting better and better. And YOU keep getting more and more attractive to readers, editors, and publishers.
And before you know it. You're selling your work and having your work published over and over again.
So keep your focus on the writing. Constantly strive to improve your skills. Let go of any anxiousness about publication or sales.
That will all come in a great flood once your writing is truly worthy of it.
Try it!
You organise workshops in Italy each year. What's involved and why do you think writers will benefit from taking part?
Actually, I don't organize the workshops. They are organized through Toscana Americana - www.toscanaamericana.com. I simply create the workshops I want to offer through this organization.
The workshop I currently offer in Italy is called Have the Time of Your Life, Write the Book of Your Dreams. It's designed to help writers who've never written a book before learn how to outline, organize or plot (depending on whether they're writing fiction or nonfiction) and start writing the book they've always dreamed of writing. We do this during a week long workshop in Tuscany.
Writers benefit from this workshop in a number of ways. They get to enjoy being in the beautiful Italian countryside with other writers for a whole week. In addition to getting their books started during the week long workshop, I also offer the opportunity for additional help to get the book finished within one year of the workshop.
What other services do you offer?
I have a monthly coaching club for writers called Writers on Call. Club members get together once a week for a 55-minute group call where we discuss everyone's current projects and writing challenges. I also have the Children's Writers' Coaching Club through the http://www.writingforchildrencenter.com and I have affiliate programs so people can earn commissions by promoting and selling my products and services.
You also host a Radio show called Book bites for Kids. Tell us about the programme.
Book Bites for Kids airs every weekday afternoon at 2:00 central time on Blogtalkradio.com. During the show, I interview a published children's book author, illustrator, or editor to find out their "secrets for success."
Anyone who would like to be a guest on the show can email my program director, Tyler, at bookbitesforkids@yahoo.com and he will tell them what to do to get scheduled for the show.
Although you write different genres, you do a lot of writing for children and are also the founder and director of The National Writing for Children Center. What is it that you like most about writing for children?
I love kids for one thing. They're so much fun. I also love to take complicated subjects and make them easy to understand. That's what I enjoy most about children's nonfiction. But I also love writing historical fiction for children. My two latest books are historical novels for middle grade readers.
What is the most important piece of advice you'd give to someone wanting to get into childrens writing?
Learn the tricks of the trade for children's writing. Writing for kids is different from writing for adults in ways writers who have only written for adults might not realize.
Where can people find out more about you, The Working Writers Coach and your services?
People can find out about my books, my workshops, my coaching programs, and my school visits and presentations at any of the following websites:
www.suzannelieurance.com
www.writingforchildrencenter.com
www.workingwriterscoach.com
www.buildyourbusinesswrite.com
www.fearlessfreelancewriting.com
For many years I was a classroom teacher. But I was always a writer, too. About 10 years ago, I decided to make the leap from full time teaching to full time writing. However, my first book was written and published when I was still teaching. It's a children's travel guide called Kidding Around Kansas City. Since that book was published, I've written over 20 more published books. Most of my books are for the children's educational market. But I've written books for adults, too.
What is The Working Writers Coach?
Well, the Working Writer's Coach is me, actually. I help people become "working" writers. By that I mean, I coach them to learn how to make a living from freelance writing.
Why did you start doing this project?
When I decided to make the leap from full time teaching to full time writing, I did this over a 3-month period when I was out of school for the summer one year. By the end of the summer, I was making $6,000 a month as a freelance writer. Many people asked me how I was able to get contracts for so many well-paying assignments so quickly. I created the Working Writer's Coaching Program so my coaching clients could follow the same steps I used to create my own freelance writing career.
You offer some great tips in your 'morning nudge' to keep writers writing. Please share a tip with our readers and let them know how they can sign up for this useful service.
The Morning Nudge is an inspirational and motivational email that comes to subscribers every weekday morning for only $6.00 a YEAR. People can read more Nudges and subscribe at www.morningnudge.com
Here's a sample NUDGE:
FOCUS ON THE WRITING!
Somewhere along the way, anxious writers tend to lose focus of their writing.
Instead, they focus on publication or selling their work.
If you're wanting to make a living from your writing, then, of course, you must be concerned about publication and sales. But the odd thing is, if you focus on that MORE than the writing itself, you will publish less and sell less of your work.
Why is that?
Because writing is a competitive business. There is always someone out there who is a more skillful or more talented writer. And, if your writing is awkward or clunky, or not clear and to-the-point, readers, editors, and publishers will find someone else whose work is much better.
When you focus on ALWAYS striving to improve the writing - day after day after day - your writing keeps getting better and better. And YOU keep getting more and more attractive to readers, editors, and publishers.
And before you know it. You're selling your work and having your work published over and over again.
So keep your focus on the writing. Constantly strive to improve your skills. Let go of any anxiousness about publication or sales.
That will all come in a great flood once your writing is truly worthy of it.
Try it!
You organise workshops in Italy each year. What's involved and why do you think writers will benefit from taking part?
Actually, I don't organize the workshops. They are organized through Toscana Americana - www.toscanaamericana.com. I simply create the workshops I want to offer through this organization.
The workshop I currently offer in Italy is called Have the Time of Your Life, Write the Book of Your Dreams. It's designed to help writers who've never written a book before learn how to outline, organize or plot (depending on whether they're writing fiction or nonfiction) and start writing the book they've always dreamed of writing. We do this during a week long workshop in Tuscany.
Writers benefit from this workshop in a number of ways. They get to enjoy being in the beautiful Italian countryside with other writers for a whole week. In addition to getting their books started during the week long workshop, I also offer the opportunity for additional help to get the book finished within one year of the workshop.
What other services do you offer?
I have a monthly coaching club for writers called Writers on Call. Club members get together once a week for a 55-minute group call where we discuss everyone's current projects and writing challenges. I also have the Children's Writers' Coaching Club through the http://www.writingforchildrencenter.com and I have affiliate programs so people can earn commissions by promoting and selling my products and services.
You also host a Radio show called Book bites for Kids. Tell us about the programme.
Book Bites for Kids airs every weekday afternoon at 2:00 central time on Blogtalkradio.com. During the show, I interview a published children's book author, illustrator, or editor to find out their "secrets for success."
Anyone who would like to be a guest on the show can email my program director, Tyler, at bookbitesforkids@yahoo.com and he will tell them what to do to get scheduled for the show.
Although you write different genres, you do a lot of writing for children and are also the founder and director of The National Writing for Children Center. What is it that you like most about writing for children?
I love kids for one thing. They're so much fun. I also love to take complicated subjects and make them easy to understand. That's what I enjoy most about children's nonfiction. But I also love writing historical fiction for children. My two latest books are historical novels for middle grade readers.
What is the most important piece of advice you'd give to someone wanting to get into childrens writing?
Learn the tricks of the trade for children's writing. Writing for kids is different from writing for adults in ways writers who have only written for adults might not realize.
Where can people find out more about you, The Working Writers Coach and your services?
People can find out about my books, my workshops, my coaching programs, and my school visits and presentations at any of the following websites:
www.suzannelieurance.com
www.writingforchildrencenter.com
www.workingwriterscoach.com
www.buildyourbusinesswrite.com
www.fearlessfreelancewriting.com
