Every Friday The Write Brain will put together the Ninja Writers Industry Report: a curated news feed specific to current happenings in the writing world.
We will always be sure to include a few links to some great writing markets and jobs to check out as well.
As a reminder: the industry report will be free for the month of April. Starting in May it will be a part of The Write Brain’s $7/month subscription program. Click here to see what else this subscription will include.
Understanding How the CARES Act Affects Writers
If you’re reading this and you’re an American writer, help may be available from the US government. I live in Nevada, so my experience will necessarily be Nevada-specific, but the basic rules remain the same no matter where in the USA you might live.
On March 27, 2020, President Trump signed into law the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
Why Anne Tyler won't be writing about the coronavirus
While many of us may be struggling to adapt to staying at home and avoiding social contact, Anne Tyler prefers it that way.
"I need to be alone," one of America's greatest living writers told the BBC. "I feel worn out if I'm in a group for a long time."
Solitude has been central to her writing career, which spans more than half a century.
"You could almost say I live a quarantined life anyway."
The author, 78, has sold more than 11 million books and been compared to Jane Austen.
A freelancer's guide to the coronavirus downturn: jobs, resources and support networks
The Drum has pulled together an evolving resource for freelancers looking for jobs, support, training and information as the coronavirus cuts into projects.
‘Last in, first out’ the adage sadly goes, and never was it truer than for the modern creative freelancer in times when budgets are cut.
This week, the coronavirus pandemic has seen a swathe of marketing campaigns paused or axed entirely, and the trend is likely to continue as more and more clients in retail, entertainment and hospitality stop trading. In advertising, 65% of execs expect the crisis to lead to layoffs in their company, according to research from Fishbowl.
How to harness the benefits of creative writing while staying at home
In an era where we are on our cellphones 24/7, it can be refreshing to sit down and write something longer than 280 characters (that’s the maximum length of a Tweet nowadays, btw).
It’s good for your brain and your mood. Research shows that writing about how you feel or what you think has legitimate therapeutic value.
Vancouver author: April’s spinoff of National Novel Writing Month is here
Aspiring writers might once have imagined long days stuck inside with minimal social distractions as a recipe for productivity. But the anxiety of a pandemic can plunge even the most diligent wordsmith into a creative stall.
Vancouver author Curtis C. Chen recommends NaNoWriMo’s April online writing challenge to writers looking for a little outside motivation during the current stay-at-home order.
'Lost Children' author: Writers must 'document' pandemic
NEW YORK -- Cooped up at her Bronx home with her daughter and a niece because of the coronavirus pandemic, Mexican writer Valeria Luiselli says she has lowered the “volume and speed” of her life. She is arranging books in alphabetical order, planting legumes on her balcony and listening to old recordings from Argentinian author Julio Cortázar.
Finally working on that novel as you self-isolate? You're not alone
If you’re one of those people who always said they would write a novel if only they had the time: this is your moment. As more budding writers self-isolate due to the coronavirus and finally knuckle down on their manuscripts, the publishing industry has already seen a surge in submissions.
Literary agent Juliet Mushens, of the Caskie Mushens agency, usually receives between 10 and 15 appeals for representation a day from new writers. Last Monday alone, she received 27.
Oprah’s Book Club Dropped Her Novel. It Still Became a Bestseller.
Kate Elizabeth Russell worked on her first novel for 18 years — through high school, college, a master’s program, while earning a Ph.D. in creative writing from the University of Kansas and beyond. It took “about five months of constant querying” to find an agent, but then William Morrow quickly snapped up the manuscript for an impressive sum in 2018. Rights were sold in 27 countries. “My Dark Vanessa,” which explores a sexual relationship between a 15-year-old student and her teacher through a #MeToo lens, was hailed as one of the most anticipated books of 2020.
How To Go From Blog To Book With Performance Coach Nina Amir
Writing a nonfiction book is a great way of launching a creative career or promoting a business. The amount of work required to write one puts many aspiring authors off. It’s difficult to sit down and create the materials for a book alongside building a career or company. But what if blogging could help a would-be author write their book faster?
How to Avoid Work From Home Scams
I hate change. Lots of people do. But I’ve discovered change, when it’s forced upon us, often brings new opportunities. We just have to remember to be open to it.
The good news is if you’ve ever thought about working from home, now might be a great time to give it a try. For some people, it could be the only time you’ll get to give it a try.
The bad news is, in times of crisis like now, some people will go out of their way to create work from home scams. They will capitalize on your fear and your desperation.
15 Tips For Launching A Brand-Relevant Blog
Blogs have been around for a long time. In the past decade, however, the marketing potential of blogs has grown exponentially.
With content marketing drawing in more consumers and converting them than ever before, many companies noticed the potential for exposure and connection and decided to start blogs to showcase and highlight their brand. However, when it comes to a marketing blog, there are only a few ways to do it right and a lot of ways to do it wrong.
Travel Blogging In A Time Without Travel
Obviously the current global situation is having huge impacts on virtually every aspect of our society. While airlines were perhaps the first to be hit hard, this truly affects almost everyone in a negative way.
I’ve had a lot of readers ask what this means for both the current reality and future of travel blogging, so I figured I’d share my take in this post. For anyone who is interested I’ll share the current “state of the union” for OMAAT, what the current situation means for the overall landscape, and what it means for the future.
Writing Market:
For those just getting started in writing who want to write about family friendly topics check out the writer guidelines for Parents and Kids. This site loves freelancers and may even be open to reprints which means you can sell pieces you've already published elsewhere. Be sure to read their guidelines for detailed information on how to submit. Pay varies.
Eating Well is a great paying market for the more experienced writer. Be sure to read their detailed writer guidelines, especially their freelancer friendly columns. Don't forget to familiarize yourself with their content before pitching. Pay $1/word.
hope*writers is growing the team in 2020!
For the first time ever, hope*writers is actually hiring writers! We are excited to find copywriters who have the ability to embody the hope*writer way. Read below to see if your particular zone of genius fits with our particular need.
1. Content Writer
2. Community Writer
3. Acquisitions Copywriter
4. Copyeditor
5. Tuesday Teacher Coordinator (Not a writing position but candidate needs to have excellent writing skills for communication)
Want to join the Ninja Writers Club? Use the code FIRSTMONTH5 to get the first month for $5.