Bloomsbury Sued for Copyright Infringement in Harry Potter Book

The estate of the English children's writer Adrian Jacobs has ssued proceedings in the High Court of England against Bloomsbury Publishing Plc, the publishers of J.K Rowling's "Harry Potter" series for copyright infringement.

The Estate, acting through its trustee Paul Allen, claims that in writing the book Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, JK Rowling copied substantial parts of the work of the late Adrian Jacobs, "The Adventures of Willy the Wizard-No 1 Livid Land," and that Bloomsbury in selling the books have infringed the Estate's copyright.

"The Estate is also seeking a Court order against JK Rowling herself for pre-action disclosure in order to determine whether to join her as a defendant to the...action"

In 1987 Adrian Jacobs wrote the book "The Adventures of Willy the Wizard-No 1 Livid Land", which describes the adventures of a wizard named Willy. The copyright allegation argues that the plot of "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire", published in 2000 and one of J.K.Rowling's best-selling books, is a copy of that to be found in Jacobs' book.

Both books describe the adventures of a main character, "Willy" in Jacobs' book and "Harry Potter" in Rowling's, who are wizards, who compete in a wizard contest which they ultimately win. Both Willy and Harry are required to work out the exact nature of the main task of the contest which they both achieve in a bathroom assisted by clues from helpers, in order to discover how to rescue human hostages imprisoned by a community of half-human, half-animal fantasy creatures, "the merpeople" in Harry Potter.

Many other similarities are described in the Claim filed by the Estate, which include the idea of wizards travelling on trains, famously referred to in Harry Potter as the Hogwarts Express. It is alleged that all of these are concepts first created by Adrian Jacobs in Willy the Wizard, some 10 years before JK Rowling first published any of the Harry Potter novels and 13 years before Goblet of Fire was published.

It is also alleged that, at the time in trying to get his work published, Mr Jacobs sought the services of a literary agent, Christopher Little, who also later became Ms Rowling's literary agent in the Harry Potter series.

Mr Jacobs' book was ultimately published by Bachman and Turner in 1987. However, following a stock market crash, Jacobs became bankrupt and died penniless in a London hospice in 1997. By contrast, today the Potter Brand is a multibillion dollar global entertainment phenomenon.

In the action, the Estate is seeking an injunction to prevent further sales of "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" and either damages or a share in the profits made by Bloomsbury Plc in selling books that are alleged to infringe Adrian Jacob's copyright.

Mr Paul Allen, the trustee of the estate, said ... "Because it is not right for the Estate to comment upon matters proceeding before the Court, all we would say is that Adrian Jacobs did not live long enough to see the massive success of the Harry Potter books and films. If he had he would have sought the proper recognition of his contribution to this success story. He cannot fight this battle personally so his estate is bringing this action to ensure that his voice is heard. The action, if proved, will ensure the rights of authors everywhere, even posthumously."

Commitment to Writing Brings $50,000 Gift of Freedom to New Orleans Woman

A Room of Her Own Foundation's fifth $50,000 Gift of Freedom is awarded to Barb Johnson, a carpenter-turned-writer from New Orleans, Louisiana.

First awarded in 2002, A Room of Her Own's $50,000 Gift of Freedom stands alone in the world of grants and awards as a monument to women's dedication to their art. While the award serves the practical purpose of funding one woman's creative project over two years, it also fuels each recipient's directed passion for a creative life, sustaining the momentum that focus has created. Barb Johnson, a New Orleans carpenter-turned-writer, is one of five women to have been given the award.

According to AROHO's founder, Darlene Chandler Bassett, it was Johnson's profound commitment to become a writer after twenty years as a carpenter, and "her astounding degree of readiness at this moment in her evolution" which made her the standout choice to receive the 2009 Gift of Freedom award. "When our objective and someone's willingness come together, it's powerful," Bassett says. While she agrees that the Gift of Freedom "must be about accomplishment, not effort," it is more importantly, "a celebration of the success that comes when an artist releases all doubt about her creative role in the world."

In 2004, at the age of forty-seven, Johnson made the decision to enter the MFA program at The University of New Orleans. "The very first practical step I took in the pursuit of my writing," she says, "was to put down the hammer and pick up a laptop. The only way to quit being a carpenter is to quit dressing like one and carrying woodworking tools."

Soon after entering the writing program, though, Hurricane Katrina hit, wiping out Johnson's carpentry business and livelihood. For a while after that, despite the catastrophic interruption, she lived on her apartment's balcony in the evacuated city and continued to write. While in school, Johnson's stories garnered a number of awards, and by the time she graduated in May 2008, she'd signed a book contract. Her collection of award-winning stories, More of This World or Maybe Another, is a group of closely-linked tales in which the lives of four very different characters intersect in a neighborhood Laundromat. The book will be released by Harper Collins in November 2009.

In her compelling Gift of Freedom application, a unique and intensive process that asks women to consider their relationship to their work, Johnson reflects on the "why" of writing: "We write to say, You are not alone. We write the thing that can't be said…the thing that will be a bright moment for a stranger, the way another's writing was a bright moment for us. …We pass what we have to those who are hungry for it because we, ourselves, have been hungry."

As the Gift of Freedom's fifth recipient, Barb Johnson continues her rise in the literary world. She will benefit from her two years working under the grant to complete a novel entitled St. Luis of Palmyra, which picks up where her short story collection leaves off. Previously, AROHO's $50,000 Gift of Freedom Award has funded the production of poet Jennifer Tseng's Dark Logic; sculptor Jeannine Harkleroad's kinetic installation art; Meredith Hall's New York Times bestselling memoir, Without a Map; and Summer Wood's newly completed novel, Wrecker.

A Room of Her Own (AROHO), is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization formed in 2000 to support and advance the work of women in the literary and artistic marketplace. It has expended more than $600,000 on behalf of creative women through its Gift of Freedom Awards, Orlando Prizes, To the Lighthouse Poetry Publication Prize, scholarships, retreats, public readings, Day Conferences, Book Club, and web-based resource center.

Website: http://www.aroomofherownfoundation.org/

Blogging Can Be Hazardous to Your Wealth

When you blog or post videos on YouTube, your message can spread anywhere and you could land in a courtroom facing a major lawsuit. Will your insurance cover your costs? Maybe.
As the Internet explodes with bloggers and personal social media posts, court dockets are filling fast with lawsuits drawn from bruised egos rather than broken bones. According to The Media Law Resource Center in New York, courts have settled about $17.4 million in trial awards resulting from blogs and Web site postings with many more awaiting jury outcomes.

Claims of defamation of character, slander and copyright are usually not covered on the standard homeowner policy. However, some high-end policies may include coverage for these types of claims, and homeowners can purchase additional personal injury and liability coverage. Some umbrella policies, which extend standard homeowner liability coverage, may also include coverage for personal injury claims.

"The best defense is to read your policy and know what it covers," said Insurance Information Network of California Executive Director Candysse Miller. "Bloggers face many new challenges and insurers are designing policies to accommodate these new risks."

Regardless of the type of Internet risk, most policies will not cover damages from the posting of intentional or malicious misinformation or criminal acts. If the blogger receives any type of pay or has a contractual agreement with a third party, they will need a business liability policy.

Whether you blog as a hobby or blog as a business, you need to know that you're covered for any type of lawsuit that may arise from your posts. As the blogging universe continues to expand, lawsuits and major jury awards will continue to grow as well.

IINC is a non-profit, non-lobbying insurance communications association. For more information on this and other issues, please visit the IINC Web site at www.iinc.org or follow IINC on Twitter at www.twitter.com/iinc.

Publisher Gives Well-Received History Lesson on L. Ron Hubbard's Impact on Classic Westerns

The name and reputation of L. Ron Hubbard as a bona fide writer of westerns received widespread recognition from the writers and fans attending the 2009 Western Writers of America (WWA) annual conference held in Oklahoma City earlier this week.

Galaxy Press, publisher of Hubbard's fiction works and who is also a WWA member, attended the conference for the first time to promote the author's westerns as part of its mammoth 80-novel, 150-story Stories from the Golden Age series of Hubbard's original pulp fiction works from the 1930s and '40s in print and audiobook form.

The nearly week-long series of events culminated in the Spur Award ceremony hosted by WWA Executive Director and author Paul Hutton and WWA President and author Johnny Boggs, where the best that the western genre had to offer was honored in sixteen categories.

Hubbard produced more than 30 western stories based on his experiences as a young boy growing up on the frontier in early 1900's Montana.

"We were very warmly received by the many accomplished and aspiring western writers alike who conveyed their appreciation of trendsetters like Hubbard and his contemporaries who helped pave the way for better, more authentic stories of the west," said John Goodwin, Galaxy Press president.

Hubbard knew the Old West well because he studied the folklore of range riders and homesteaders, of Indian tribes and their turbulent pasts in his youth, according to Goodwin: "His fascination with the frontier and his immersion in its history really separates Hubbard's works from those western writers who actually never lived in the authentic West."

"His familiarity with the real locale lets any reader really experience the excitement of another time and place."

The Stories from the Golden Age series is being released over six years and contains more than 150 stories in 80 books with their original pulp art. "The Series represents one of the largest releases of short fiction ever published for a single author," Goodwin said. "We're hoping to make publishing history."

For more information about Hubbard's stories, go to http://www.goldenagestories.com/.

Free E-Book : The Marketing Plan Guide for Small-Business Owners

Krista Baker, founder and President of Morningstar Multimedia LLC, today announced the publication of a new complimentary 45-page e-book titled The Marketing Plan Guide for Small-Business Owners.

Krista provides practical marketing tools and strategies for businesses who offer professional services and who want to generate high quality leads without spending a fortune.

"I'm asked all the time, 'Where should I start?'" says Krista Baker. "Marketing can be overwhelming for many people. I wanted to create a free e-book that would help them see the big picture. In the e-book, I show readers exactly which factors matter in marketing and how they can determine which marketing tactics will be effective in winning new clients"

In The Marketing Plan Guide for Small-Business Owners, Krista highlights the six steps to creating an actionable marketing plan in just a few hours:

Step 1 - Set Goals

Step 2 - Identify Your Target Audience

Step 3 - Create a Marketing Message

Step 4 - Create Education-Based Marketing

Step 5 - Develop a Referral System

Step 6 - Create Your Monthly Marketing Plan

The Marketing Plan Guide is hands on, with ten pages of exercises and worksheets, including a two-page fill-in-the-blank worksheet that professional service providers can use to create their monthly marketing plan and keep track of their results.

To download a free copy of The Marketing Plan Guide for Small-Business Owners, please visit: http://www.morningstarmultimedia.com/

New Resource For Journalists In Search Of Case Studies

FindaTVexpert.com (http://www.findatvexpert.com/) is expanding its service to help journalists with their search for case studies - in addition to their search for experts.

"The experts on findaTVexpert are currently contacted by members of the media - TV, Radio and print journalists - to comment on a subject relating to their expertise. But they also have fascinating back stories which journalists might be interested in for features and case studies. And if that’s the case, I’d be happy to help journalists find them because I speak to experts every day of the week and can offer suggestions, angles and ideas," says Claire Richmond, ex TV producer and founder of findaTVexpert.com.

The back stories of the experts on findaTVexpert.com are as varied and interesting as their areas of expertise. There are stories of triumph over tragedy, stories which you couldn't make up and stories of unusual hobbies and fears.

Journalists looking for case studies can call Claire on 020 8742 2541 or email her on Claire@findaTVexpert.com. And if journalists are looking for experts to comment on a specific subject, they can register for free on findaTVexpert.com as a member of the media, do a search for the experts they’re looking for and contact them directly.

"This is a service which benefits everyone. It saves journalists time and it gives experts the opportunity to be featured in the press, which in turn increases their chances of being spotted by a TV researcher or development producer on the hunt for new ideas, studio guests, etc. It's a true win-win situation," added Richmond.

Steinbeck Heirs on Supreme Court Decision

The United States Supreme Court announced it will not hear a case filed earlier this year by Thomas Steinbeck and Blake Smyle, the son and granddaughter of the late Nobel Prize-winning author, John Steinbeck.

Mr. Steinbeck and Ms. Smyle had petitioned the court to review the judgment of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in Penguin Group (USA) Inc. v. Steinbeck, which held that Steinbeck's descendants could not recapture the copyrights to some of John Steinbeck's greatest works, including Of Mice and Men and The Grapes of Wrath.

There were insufficient votes at the Supreme Court to review the appellate court's decision, which ignored Congress's intent as reflected in the 1998 Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act. The denial of a hearing by the Supreme Court is not an endorsement of the lower court's decision.

In a statement, John Steinbeck's eldest son, author Thomas Steinbeck, expressed "profound disappointment" that the high court did not intervene.

Mr. Steinbeck noted: "At stake is far more than our own situation - the Supreme Court could have protected all the authors and artists in America from a future of intellectual bondage to big corporate publishers. The publishers, like slave-owners characterized by Abraham Lincoln, want to command writers, 'You grow the grain, you make the bread, and we'll eat it.'

"The pettifogging machinations of my late step-mother's lawyers do not mean that the Second Circuit was correct, it only means that the Supreme Court chose not to hear us at this time."

John Steinbeck's granddaughter, Blake Smyle said, "This is about family. My grandfather would be deeply saddened to know that his contributions are now in the hands of strangers."

Mr. Steinbeck vows to continue to seek proper delegation of his father's legacy and to press forward on behalf of the families of other authors similarly situated to his position.

"If artists and their families cannot protect their rights, then everyone will ultimately suffer."

Have You've Been Stranded? Airports and Your Best Travel Writing by Rebecca Ann

How many travel writers have been stranded at the airport? Did you get a good night's sleep? Maybe or maybe not. Being stuck at the airport may be a blessing in disguise. You could do some great travel writing from the airport. More importantly, you'll have an entertaining travel articles to post on your blog or submit to publishers.

Being stranded at the airport doesn't have to be a big deal. Airports are a great place to people watch. If you've been having writer's block, just observe people and have a great time. Relax and take it all in. You'll probably be able to come up with a couple of angles for your travel articles.

You may think that you can't produce decent travel writing from an airport, but you can. Just make sure that you don't fall asleep and have your laptop confiscated (because you weren't watching your bags). This happened once to someone at an airport. He had to pay $53 to get his laptop back.

Some potential angles for your travel articles:

* Worst (or Best) Airport bathrooms

* Most spacious seating areas

* Best Airports for business travelers

* Best Airport restaurants

* Most comfortable sleeping areas

* Most helpful airport personnel

Even though you may be stuck at an airport, this doesn't mean you must be lost in transition. Take advantage of the quiet (if you're lucky) and maintain your travel writing blog. There are websites devoted to rating airport experiences - maybe you could send them a guest post!

Many people get upset when they get stuck in the airport. There's nothing you can do about it so you may as well make the best of it. You never know, you could write an award winning travel piece! And for some additional advice if you do spend the night, check out the Guide To Sleeping In Airports website.

Our website is dedicated to aspiring and experienced travel writers. You'll find inspiration, encouragement, and education on everything travel writing.

Sign up for our weekly blog recap. If you're about to travel this is a great way to keep up-to-date with the latest in travel writing. Also, check out our forum. If you have a question, login, and with a click of a button you'll have the answer to your question.

URL: http://www.travel-writers-exchange.com/

Copywriter from Maryland Lands 'The Apprentice' Job

When Donald Trump weeded through contestants on the hit TV show "The Apprentice," the dreaded words were: "You're fired." But when Michael A. Stelzner, one of the leading authorities on the topic of writing and marketing white papers went looking for an apprentice recently, freelance copywriter Apryl Parcher heard the words, "You're hired!"

Stelzner, who has written more than 130 white papers for many of the world's most recognized companies, including Microsoft, Dow Jones, FedEx, Motorola, Monster, Hewlett-Packard and SAP, went on a well-publicized hunt this spring for an apprentice while conducting a month-long Internet summit on writing white papers.

"I heard about the White Paper Summit from a colleague, and then started reading about it in some major industry newsletters," says Parcher, who has been freelancing for the last nine years from her company based in Maryland and currently specializes in writing copy for both local businesses and international health and wellness companies.

"I've written all kinds of business copy, but not too many white papers. Michael is well-known in the field as the top white paper writer in the country, so when I heard he was looking for an apprentice, I decided to go for it."

Author of the bestselling book, Writing White Papers: How to Capture Readers and Keep Them Engaged, Stelzner's work is used as required reading at major universities such as MIT and Johns Hopkins. He also trains corporations and professional organizations, and organizes large summits on industry topics--all of which take up a lot of his time--hence the search for an apprentice to help with, well… writing white papers.

And Stelzner didn't make the process easy. It began with a multiple-choice exam and only those who tallied 95% or higher--a group of 15 applicants--survived to move on to the second round. For round two, the applicants were given a comprehensive written exam. Based on the results, five people proceeded to the final challenge, a one-on-one phone interview with Stelzner in which he tested their ability to communicate well with clients.

Stelzner calls Apryl the best of the best: "All of the candidates were exceptionally well-qualified. What made Apryl unique was that she invested heavily into her personal development outside of the White Paper Success Summit. She has done a lot to develop her skill set by attending events and being coached by the gurus of the industry. She's a good writer, but she also understands marketing and she's a very good communicator."

For her part, Parcher is both humbled by the experience of winning the coveted apprenticeship and excited about working with Stelzner.

"Over 300 people attended the Summit," said Parcher, "and about 100 of us tried out for the apprenticeship at the end. There were some pretty talented writers in that group, and it was a tough test--so I'm honored to have been chosen--and I'm looking forward to working with Michael on an upcoming project. This will be an exciting facet to my career, and I'm looking forward to learning this skill from the best in the business."

Stelzner is confident that Apryl will mesh well with his high-profile corporate clients: "I wanted an apprentice whom I'll be proud to say is working for my organization. I feel very confident introducing Apryl to my clients and I'm looking forward to helping her take her career to the next level."

To find out more about Michael Stelzner's new apprentice, visit Apryl's copywriting website at http://www.aparcher.com.

Free Direct Marketing Book to Help Businesses During Difficult Economic Times

Marketing is a key part of successfully building and establishing a business. Yet, during these difficult economic times, many businesses are finding themselves forced into cutting their direct marketing expenses in order to balance their budgets and keep their doors open. As a result, they are unable to market their businesses and draw in the business that is necessary. With the help of the free direct mail marketing ebook offered through Jarvis Direct Mail, Inc., businesses can successfully create a marketing campaign that stays within budget while also effectively reaching their target audience.

"Businesses are really facing a sort of catch 22 situation," comments Jeff Jarvis, who is the founder and CEO of Jarvis Direct Mail, Inc. "They can't afford to put together a marketing campaign, but they really can't afford not to market their businesses, either. After all, how can their businesses make money if no one knows about their products or services?"

When it comes to marketing, businesses must look for ways to effectively reach those people who might be interested in the product or service being offered. This group of people is referred to as the company's "target audience." Failure to effectively reach this target audience with a marketing campaign means that the funds used to finance the campaign are effectively wasted. With the help of the free direct mail marketing ebook offered through Jarvis Direct Mail, Inc., businesses can learn more about how to put together a marketing campaign that will effectively reach those people who are most likely to purchase the company's goods or services.

"If a business fails to effectively market to its target audience, the campaign will do very little in terms of getting the attention of those people who are most likely to make a purchase," continues Jarvis. "With our free marketing book, we offer all of the 'insider secrets' that can help a business develop a solid direct mail marketing campaign."

"The Direct Mail Marketing Little Black Book," which contains 63 pages of tips and strategies, covers topics including ways your business can use direct mail, measuring performance, mailing formats, copywriting tips and more. To learn more about Jarvis Direct Mail, Inc. and to download a copy of the free direct mail marketing book, visit http://www.jarvisdirectmail.com/

Essay Series "The Pig in a Garden" Explores Jared Diamond, The New Yorke

Heard about the controversy? Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jared Diamond and the estimable New Yorker magazine are in hot water:

"New Guinea tribe sues the New Yorker for $10 million. They challenge a story depicting them as rapists, murderers and pig thieves." -- Forbes.com

"Author Jared Diamond sued for libel." -- Associated Press

"Research subjects sue Jared Diamond, the author and professor, for $10 million." -- Chronicle of Higher Education

StinkyJournalism.org, a media ethics project sponsored by the Art Science Research Laboratory, and SavageMinds.org, a group blog devoted to "notes and queries in Anthropology" announce the publishing debut of a new series of essays, simultaneously co-publishing on both web sites, titled, "The Pig in a Garden: Jared Diamond and The New Yorker." This series, edited by Rhonda Roland Shearer, Sam Eifling and Alan Bisbort, addresses the allegations made against Diamond and The New Yorker, and the issues that they have raised, from the perspective of several different disciplines. "The Pig in a Garden" will feature essays and commentaries by scientists, environmentalists, linguists, journalists and media ethics experts who have reviewed the charges and the evidence against Diamond and the New Yorker amassed by StinkyJournailsm.org.

In her contribution to the series, anthropologist Nancy Sullivan places some of the blame for the scandal on her own profession. As she notes, "It is our fault as anthropologists that no one has picked up the ball Margaret Mead dropped, and produced enough popular cultural anthropology in recent years. Jared Diamond is just filling the vacuum we left."

"The Pig in a Garden" is aimed at reclaiming some of that popular audience that has been lost since the days of Margaret Mead to unqualified "experts" like Diamond, author of bestselling books like Guns, Germs and Steel and Collapse, that offer an incomplete and sometimes erroneous view of indigenous cultures.

The scandal began when Diamond published an article in the April 21, 2008 issue of The New Yorker that purported to be from "The Annals of Anthropology." That article, headlined "Vengeance is Ours: What can tribal societies tell us about our need to get even?," has not only sent shockwaves through Papua New Guinea's "tribal societies, the allegations of its ethical violations, unverified and unsourced "facts," and fabricated quotations have also raised troubling issues about the professions of science and journalism. Diamond's article and The New Yorker's decision to publish it without properly fact checking has, claim indigenous peoples, also caused demonstrable harm to individuals in Papua New Guinea (PNG).

The back story: On April 20, 2009, one year after the article's appearance in The New Yorker, two of the individuals named and accused of capital crimes in "Vengeance is Ours," Daniel Wemp and Henep Isum, filed a $10 million defamations lawsuit against Diamond and Advance Publications (which owns The New Yorker) in the Supreme Court of New York. Whether vengeance will be theirs is now in the hands of the legal system.

In the meantime, StinkyJournalism.org and SavageMinds.org aim to keep the issues raised by Diamond's New Yorker article alive on the Internet with the series "The Pig in the Garden." Contributors include Nancy Sullivan, anthropologist and consultant who has lived in PNG for more than two decades; Andrew Mack, biologist who has also lived and worked in PNG; Carolyn Fluehr-Lobban, anthropology professor and editor of Ethics and the Profession of Anthropology; linguist Douglas Biber; anthropologists Deborah Gewertz; Glenn Petersen, and Alan Bisbort, journalist and author of Media Scandals (Greenwood Press).

Website: http://www.asrlab.org/

Free Ebook: The Recession Marketing Guide

Tony Darrick Baker, author of "The Recession Marketing Guide," says that the economy is going to get much worse before it gets better. (http://www.recessionmarketingguide.com/).

"It's unfortunate to emphasize, but if you read past the headlines, the news stories will show additional unemployment, rising gas prices, and rising fears in the future of this economy," said Baker. "Keep in mind that while economists now say that the recession started in December of 2007, most people did not feel the effects of that recession until well into 2008."

Baker speculates that we will likely not feel the effects of a recovery for six to 12 months after claims are made that the recession is over.

"There is a great deal of focus on corporate bailouts," Baker said. "However, the true key to ending the recession is in getting small businesses to start advertising and marketing again. If businesses can see that they are once again creating new customers, creating brand loyalty, and creating new purchasing opportunities, then they will start hiring again."

According to the ebook, "The Recession Marketing Guide" shows case studies and modern examples on how businesses and entrepreneurs create profit, even during economic turmoil.

The U.S. Small Business Administration website (sba.gov) states the following:

Small businesses:

* Represent 99.7 percent of all employer firms.

* Employ about half of all private sector employees.

* Pay nearly 45 percent of total U.S. private payroll.

* Have generated 60 to 80 percent of net new jobs annually over the last decade.

* Create more than half of non-farm private gross domestic product (GDP).

* Hire 40 percent of high-tech workers (such as scientists, engineers, and computer workers).

* Are 52 percent home-based and 2 percent franchises.

Baker is releasing "The Recession Marketing Guide" as a free ebook in Adobe PDF format in order to try to make the largest impact into the economy as possible.
"Obviously I hope that people will opt-in to my newsletter to get the free guide, but ultimately I don't care if they forward it to a thousand business leaders if it will help turn this economy around even one day sooner," said Baker. "People's families and their futures are at stake."

Download the Free Ebook: The Recession Marketing Guide
http://www.recessionmarketingguide.com/

Freelance Writing Fees - How Much Will You Charge For Your Writing? by Angela Booth

If you're a new writer, you're wondering how to set your freelance writing fees. There are no standard rates, so deciding how much to charge when you're starting out is a matter for your own discretion.

Let's look at some things you may want to take into account.

1. How Much Writing Experience Do You Have?

Any experience you have is valuable. If you're writing in your day job, you've gained valuable experience. You may also have experience in blogging. (If you don't have a blog yet, start one immediately -- it's a way for buyers to find you, and to assess your style.)

If you don't have any writing experience, getting that experience is your first step and priority. Writing is just like any other trade or profession: you need to learn your craft, while charging apprentice rates, before you're able to charge professional rates.

I encourage my writing students to get jobs on the outsourcing sites, so that they can collect some testimonials, and can get experience in charging for their words.

2. What's the Buyer's Budget?

Buyers have budgets for projects, so that's the first thing you need to find out. Just ask: "What's your budget for this project?" If the buyer says he doesn't know, persist, and ask the question again.

As a negotiating tactic, the first party to quote a price is at a disadvantage. Keeping the advantage is essential. If the buyer won't give you a figure, tell him to get back to you when he's worked out the project's budget.

3. Can This Job Be a Loss-Leader for You?

You write for money, but sometimes money isn't the sole consideration. Perhaps you want a writing credit from a major publication, and are willing to lower your rates to get it. Or perhaps a company has potential to provide you with on-going work.

If getting a writing job will benefit you in other ways, and if the project is SHORT (takes less than three hours), you may want to consider it a loss-leader, and lower your rates. (Never commit to any writing job longer than three hours at less than your baseline rates. It's not good business practice.)

4. Got Experience and Testimonials? Set Your Baseline Rates

Once you're an experienced freelancer, with testimonials, you can set your baseline rates. These are your rock-bottom fees, below which you can't and won't go.

There are various ways of working them out, based on how much money you need to make per writing hour to stay in business. The fees you set depend on your own circumstances, so use your own discretion.

As you gain freelance writing experience, you'll get more confident in setting your rates. As a beginner, don't worry about it. Just get writing jobs and complete them, and you'll soon be making an excellent income.

How do you find writing jobs? If you're scouring the online writing boards, you're not selling your writing services effectively. Discover the secrets of marketing your writing services today, with Angela Booth's new video series - http://www.abwebconsulting.com/Services/index.html.

For free weekly writing tips, subscribe to Angela's Fab Freelance Writing Ezine at http://www.freelancewritingezine.com/ and receive the free report "Freelance Writing for Beginners: Great Opportunities to Make Money Today" immediately.

Now on J-Source: Freelancing abroad; strike threat at Globe; manufactured quotes

"Now on J-Source" is the free weekly newsletter of J-Source.ca
(http://j-source.ca), a website project of the Canadian Journalism
Project (CJP), featuring Canadian journalism facts, opinions, tools,
advice and connections. Sign up now at:

http://www.j-source.ca/english_new/page.php?p=26

Here's a sampling from this week's issue.

Now on J-Source - June 23 - June 30, 2009

FEATURES

(xx)Freelancing abroad: 12 steps to doing it better(xx)
After reporting for more than three years in Africa and Asia, Karen
Palmer has tips and tricks for freelancers heading somewhere new.

(xx)Truth, 'sexy' issues and audiotape: How a wayward recorder impacts
privacy law(xx)

The court battle to make Natural Resources Minister Lisa Raitt's
unguarded comments public suggests how far a journalist can go to get a
story without breaching privacy law, writes Dean Jobb.

(xx)Untangling the story with facts, figures and FOI(xx)
Simcoe Reformer reporter Monte Sonnenberg describes how a news tip from a
concerned citizen turned into a National Newspaper Award-winning
investigative series.

IN THE NEWS

(xx)Kidnapped Times reporter escapes after seven months: news blackout
lifted(xx)
(xx)Vancouver wins mag of the year at WMAs(xx)
(xx)Strike threatened at Globe and Mail(xx)

RECENT POSTS

(xx)Dying on TV: Should we be watching?(xx)
(xx)The Toronto Star and its use of Twitter in covering the city
strike(xx)
(xx)Reviews mixed on Ontario court files access(xx)

Subscribe now and receive "Now on J-Source" on its publication date
(every Tuesday) plus this additional content:
(xx)reader comments(xx)
(xx)big issue of the week(xx)
(xx)cross-country events calendar(xx)
(xx)more news and recent posts(xx)
http://www.j-source.ca/english_new/page.php?p=26


ABOUT THE CANADIAN JOURNALISM PROJECT:

The Canadian Journalism Project (CJP) and its websites, J-Source.ca
(English) and ProjetJ.ca (French), are projects of The Canadian
Journalism Foundation in collaboration with leading journalism schools
and organizations across Canada. The goal of the CJP is to enable a
national conversation about the achievement of, and challenges to,
excellence in Canadian journalism and provide a convenient and
trustworthy source of information and commentary.

Former College Instructor Makes Far More Writing for College Textbook Publishers Than He Ever Did Teaching

The major downturn in the economy affects nearly everyone, including those who teach or have taught college.

John Soares, author of the just-released Writing College Textbook Supplements: The Definitive Guide to Winning High-Paying Assignments in the College Textbook Publishing Market, knows how college instructors, ex-college instructors, and freelance writers can beat the recession blues by earning $25-$100 per hour writing supplements for college textbooks.

What exactly are supplements (also called ancillaries and instructional materials)? Here are the most common types:

Instructor's manuals
Student study guides
Student companion websites
Test questions
Internet exercises
Lecture outlines
Article exercises
And many, many others

Most lower-division college textbooks have these, and publishers need motivated people to write them. John Soares shares exactly how to do a great job on all of these projects.

Just as important, he details how to win assignments from editors and how to keep editors happy so they come back to writers again and again with more work.

And John knows what he's talking about. He's been doing it since 1992 and it's given him the freedom to travel and live where he wants, including three years in the Hawaiian Islands. He now lives in his favorite place in the world – the rural mountain region near Mount Shasta in northern California.

And he's made good money writing supplements – over $63,000 in his best year, and he had plenty of time off to enjoy life.

Business instructor Joy von Skepsgardh says "I feel inspired and empowered after reading the book. I know that what I gained will help my teaching style and allow me to write supplements in my field which will address what students, instructors, and editors want. I have a whole new way to make more money thanks to you."

Sharon Adams Poore, Senior Development Editor at major textbook publisher Cengage Learning, says "John Soares has written an excellent guide to the art of textbook supplement writing. He thoroughly covers everything you need to know to get projects from editors, and he explains the process of preparing a textbook supplement step by step. If you have ever considered authoring a textbook supplement, I cannot think of anyone more qualified to show you the way than John Soares."

Discussion of John's productive textbook supplement writing career and all the details of Writing College Textbook Supplements: The Definitive Guide to Winning High-Paying Assignments in the College Textbook Publishing Market are at http://writingcollegetextbooksupplements.com/.

John also writes the Writing College Textbook Supplements blog at http://writingcollegetextbooksupplements.com/blog/, where he gives advice on how to write supplements and get assignments; he also examines important issues related to college teaching and textbook publishing.

John's new book offers the opportunity for anyone who has ever taught a college class to make good income in the overlooked field of creating supplements for college textbooks.

For more information and to contact John, visit http://writingcollegetextbooksupplements.com/
and http://writingcollegetextbooksupplements.com/blog/.

Freelance journalists backbone of UK press

The market for freelance journalists is strong, with almost a third of newspaper and magazine commissioning editors saying that at least half of the editorial content of their publications is produced by freelancers.

The survey of more than 200 commissioning editors by Daryl Willcox Publishing (DWPub) found that a new influx of freelance talent on the market due to redundancies across many publishing companies is mirrored by significant demand for freelance journalists.

Twelve per cent of the commissioning editors questioned said freelancers were responsible for more than three quarters of their content, and almost one in five (18%) said between half and three quarters of content was commissioned out to freelance journalists.

The ability to tap into expert views (69%) and specific subbing, interviewing or production skills (62%) were cited as the main drivers for using freelancers. One in three respondents said they looked to freelance journalists to provide last minute cover.

The freelance market may be buoyant but direct feedback from editors shows that exploiting opportunities relies on hard work, persistence and a good work ethic. When it comes to the selection criteria for freelance journalists, top of the wish list is articles they've written before (86%) followed by recommendations (72%). Just over half of commissioning editors said titles that freelancers had worked for previously influenced their decision.

Reliability and the ability to hit deadlines were also cited by respondents as key attributes for the freelances they chose to use. As one editor wrote: "The most important thing to me in a freelance is their ability to deliver accurate, well-written copy on time. I also need them to be able to understand their brief and the readership that their article is aimed at."

But although a proven track record is a fast track to a successful freelance career, a professional qualification in journalism doesn't appear to influence commissioning editors in their choice of contributors.

Another commissioning editor commented: "Knowing the readership of the publication, and sending through targeted pitches that suggest an awareness of or interest in the magazine and its structure, is far more likely to get an untried freelancer a commission than a blanket pitch with no information on their areas of expertise or how their ideas could fit in to our existing format. Referencing a specific piece we've recently covered helps too."

DWPub founder and chairman Daryl Willcox said: "Having been both a commissioning editor and a freelance journalist in the past I always knew that the freelance journalists played an important role, but this survey reveals just how much our media relies on them."

More advice on the skills looked for in freelance journalists by commissioning editors can be found at www.dwpubjournalert.com, which also carries interviews with freelance journalists as well as media news.

The details of over 5,000 freelance journalists available for work are available to commissioning editors on www.journalistdirectory.com

WriteLife.com Launches New Web Site

WriteLife.com, a non-traditional book publishing Web site that caters to fiction and non-fiction writers, is pleased to announce the launch of their redesigned home page. It has been re-launched with not only a more vibrant look and enhanced navigational tools for authors, but also with additional enhanced functionality that includes an innovative tool for word processing.

"Our WriteLife2Go tool is truly a benefit to anyone considering publishing a book-around the world. The growth of WriteLife.com has allowed us to cater to the needs of those wishing for total functionality on our site," stated Cindy Grady, managing director. "With this addition, an author can pen their book with a word processor built into the Web site so it accommodates ultimate flexibility. Whether it is in a cybercafé in New York, a public computer in Los Angeles or their home PC in Omaha, the most up-to-date version of the document is available on our Web site."

The PC downloadable version of "WriteLife2Go" features the following capabilities:

WriteLife offline word processor
Advanced spell check
Ability to publish book directly to WriteLife Web site
Add images to books
Manage multiple books offline
"The Web site was founded on the premise everyone has a book in them waiting to be written. With our enhanced Web site, we provide everyone with access to a computer the ability to connect to other authors, write a book and have it published," stated Grady.

WriteLife.com features writing tools not only for adults, but also for teens and young writers. Age specific design and navigation allows for any emerging or experienced author to easily navigate the site. WriteLife, LLC, sets itself apart from other, more traditional publishers by agreeing to pay authors' royalties equivalent to 50% of all net profits received from the sale of their content. WriteLife also offers an author advance for the pre-production and production costs of editing a manuscript, creating a book, and placing it on distribution channels. For additional information on WriteLife, please visit http://www.writelife.com/.

BookWhirl.com Launches a Forum for Authors

Do you have some inputs and tips to share to new and upcoming authors? Are you one of the would-be rising authors who want to know everything there is to know about the publishing world? Then, BookWhirl.com invites you to grab this opportunity to join and participate in an online community where you can meet other authors, share your opinions, and learn from each other. With the launching of BookWhirl.com's new Forum on its site, you and every other author can give, ask, and comment on everything you need to know about the publishing industry. This online discussion allows you to contribute and obtain information that is useful for your writing, for your book, and for your fellow authors.

On BookWhirl.com's Forum, you can post articles and messages on a myriad of topics – from the initial stages of writing a book, to looking for a good publisher, to quality marketing services for your book, and more. With your posted essays, other authors or site visitors will not only learn from them but can also give comments on what you have posted giving you ideas on what they think about them. You may also start up new discussions by creating new and interesting topics, which gives the Forum a fresh and continuous pool of themes and subjects. This way, learning is definitely flowing and on-going when you're part of BookWhirl.com's Forum.

If you also have issues, concerns, and questions you want to raise, then you are free to put them on the board; so others who may know something about it or may have experienced it can share their thoughts, ideas, and pieces of advice. BookWhirl.com's Forum actually gives everyone a chance to give and take something helpful for you and the other authors.

With BookWhirl.com's new Forum, you and other interested in the publishing industry will have a chance to share what you know and ask what you don't. It lets you find what you need and offer what you've got. It's a perfect place for you and other authors to provide, store, and get valuable information about the publishing business. For more information on BookWhirl.com's Forum, log on to http://www.bookwhirl.com/.