January is about new beginnings and fresh starts. It’s about taking what you’ve learned from the past year and applying it to your game plan for 2010. So this year we’re doing something different. We’re introducing you to new ideas and experiments—everything from finding happiness in 2010 and revamping your workspace to starting after NaNoWriMo and syndicating your work! I’m ready for a fresh start. How about you?… MORE >>

Let WOW! help you start and grow your freelance career! Premium-Green isn’t just markets listings, it’s a guide with community benefits. As a subscriber, each month you receive a 100+ ebook filled with articles not found elsewhere and markets for writers of every genre and profession: freelance gigs for editors, copywriters, ghostwriters, bloggers; fiction markets; anthology calls; magazine markets; writing contests; niche markets; and… MORE >>

Congratulations! You took part in November’s National Novel Writing Month and committed endless hours to your manuscript within a mere thirty-day span. Now it’s January. Those dishes are done, along with most of that clearance-sale Christmas candy. Your manuscript languishes somewhere in your word processing program. Even though there are a few plot holes the size of semi-trucks, a stereotypical character or two or twelve, and enough typos to make your computer groan for five minutes as the document loads, you still have hope, or at least, blissful ignorance. Where do you go from here? Beth Cato, a nine-year NaNoWriMo veteran, takes the guesswork out of the process and walks you through the necessary steps you must take to begin preparing yourself to edit, revise, and polish your manuscript…MORE >>

You’ve always been the kind of person to get involved and volunteer where writing and writers are concerned. So, you may eventually find yourself as a writing conference chair or on the board of directors of your writing group, planning a writing conference. Planning a conference isn’t as hard as it looks if you find volunteers, learn from past conferences, and start planning the year before (like a wedding). Besides, you will have a great item for your resume, meet fabulous speakers and talk with them one-on-one, and feel like you can do anything after you’ve planned a conference. Margo L. Dill provides you with the necessary tools to get started, including tips on budgeting, choosing a venue, obtaining speakers, organizing committees, finding volunteers, and… MORE >>

You are on the threshold of fame and fortune! You have decided to self-syndicate your column of (fill in blank) and will soon be read in households across the nation. All that stands between you and your dream is this business of self-syndication, or in other words: a whole lot of hard work. Self-syndication certainly is that, but it can be a satisfying and successful way to take your writing career to the next level. But how do you do that? Jill Pertler shares her step-by-step system with WOW! readers. Her in-depth article shows you how to find newspaper editors, organize your address book, send introduction e-mails (including a breakdown of what to include paragraph by paragraph), keep in contact, follow up, and land sales. By following her system, you can do it to!… MORE >>

Holly Sherburne is the Editor and Publisher of Downeast Dog News, a newspaper with a circulation varying between 14,000 and 17,000 copies per month. Ironically, being a writer was never a goal for Holly. She’s been a microbiologist, working for the U.S. EPA and answering their pesticide hotline. Ever the Renaissance woman, she even worked as a web designer and developer for several years prior to starting her newspaper. As WOW! readers will learn, each of Holly’s experiences contributed significantly to the skill set required to launch and run a successful niche newspaper business. Sit, stay, and read on to learn more about Holly’s success and how to apply her experiences to your own 2010 (and beyond) goals… MORE >>

Have you ever wanted to be happier in different aspects of your life? Maybe pursue a new interest? Turn your writing into a career instead of a hobby? Find more leisure time for reading or crafts? Or focus on getting into shape and staying healthy? As women, there are so many things we juggle—work, family, friends, domestic responsibilities—but how do we make our own happiness a priority? Gretchen Rubin asked herself that same question and decided to conduct an experiment, a happiness project. She chose 12 areas of personal focus to coincide with each month of the year: Vitality, Marriage, Work, Parenthood, Leisure, Friendship, Money, Eternity, Passion, Mindfulness, Attitude, and Happiness. Join Annette Fix as she chats with Gretchen and discover how we can be happier in our lives… MORE >>

There’s no denying how much you can learn and grow as a writer when you attend a conference or retreat; but in today’s economy, it’s hard to part with the cash it takes to attend. So what’s a cost-conscious writer to do? Why, do it yourself, of course! In this article, Lisa Tiffin shares her tips on finding the perfect space, staying on track and being productive, cost-conscious lunch alternatives, and saving money on speakers. After reading this how-to, you’ll be inspired to create your own DIY retreat!… MORE >>

One jolly spring, I met a local magazine publisher at a printer’s warehouse not 2 miles from my home to proofread some mock-ups of an upcoming issue. Imagine my chagrin when he asked if we could meet afterward at my home office—a space I knew wasn’t in shape to welcome clients. Although I was able to convince him I needed a macchiato, it was still apparent to me that I could make great use of an office that would welcome clients. Thus, the home office makeover project was born! In her photo essay, Allena Tapia includes before pictures with captions of the problems encountered in each photo and after pictures with solutions to the problems. She also shares some tips on ergonomics, meeting and work space, and organization… MORE >>