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MLV WritesMonica Valentinelli: Author, Game Designer and Consultant

Posts Tagged ‘finding work’


Posted on July 19, 2010 - by Monica Valentinelli

Ask Yourself the Tough Questions


Years ago, when I first started writing, I was more worried about seeing my name in print than I was about getting paid for my work. So, like many other “new” authors, I threw just about everything against the wall while I fulfilled my real life obligations. Would a part-time job pay my rent while [...]

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Posted on October 5, 2009 - by Monica Valentinelli

Tips on How to Be a Pro | Part 3 of 3


Thanks for your feedback on this series about “How to be a Pro.” Even though I could go on forever about the importance of being a professional, I’d like to wrap up this topic by offering more tips from other pros and ten more nuggets to consider.
First, here are the links to the first [...]

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Posted on September 22, 2009 - by Monica Valentinelli

Tips on How to Be a Pro | Part Two of Three


Last time, I kicked off the series with a quote from Jennifer Brozek and offered some Tips on How to be a Professional for part one of this three part series. So far, this topic has been pretty popular so I’d like to continue it with more tips and quotes from other professionals working in [...]

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Posted on September 18, 2009 - by Monica Valentinelli

How To Make The Perfect Pitch (Without Striking Out): VIDEO


Came across this as I was reading through my news this morning; thought you might get a kick out of this video. Something to think about if you’re pitching to an agent!
Be sure to visit Christie and Faye online through www.WriteWithUs.net.

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Posted on September 17, 2009 - by Monica Valentinelli

Tips on How to Be a Professional | Part One of Three


Did you know that your chances of getting published increase the more professional you act? In this series of posts, I’d like to share with you some tips from other professionals working as freelancers, writers, publishers and editors. I’d also like to cover some tips that you might find interesting to think about as you [...]

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Posted on July 27, 2009 - by Monica Valentinelli

Looking for Publishing Advice? Why Offline May be Better.


On the internet, there is no shortage of publishing advice. You can often find this advice from people who work in the publishing industry (authors, agents, publishers) as well as from people who don’t (fans, readers, reviewers and some marketers or booksellers). While I do sometimes give publishing advice, I try to put that advice [...]

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Posted on July 22, 2009 - by Monica Valentinelli

Write First, Sell Later


Before I ever started working in online marketing, I was a writer. I’ve always been surrounded by words and music, so the creative side to me has always been there. The thing of it is, I didn’t realize that writing professionally meant thinking of it as a “job” until much later — even though I [...]

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Posted on July 9, 2009 - by Monica Valentinelli

My Stance on Writing for Free


There have been a lot of discussions about “free” lately, so I’d like to weigh in with some thoughts on the subject.
Most publishers within the book publishing industry are currently based on a business model that does not pay authors an annual salary to write an unlimited number of books. Typically, authors sign a [...]

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Posted on April 29, 2009 - by Monica Valentinelli

The Importance of Being Persistent


In an earlier post, I wrote a letter to new writers where I described how the path of a writer is one that winds, ebbs and flows. How do you keep following the same path? One of the qualities that a writer must have is the ability to be persistent. Well, that one word can have a lot of connotations, so I’d like to explain what “being persistent” means to me.

So what does it mean? Well, if you want to be a writer it means you don’t give up. It means when you “think” you have no readers, no chance of success, or that you’ve just written something terrible you keep on the path. You see, it is too easy to drown in self-pity or thoughts about how you’re a horrid writer, but the truth of the matter is that you (and only you) have control over that. To be blunt, if you think you suck — get an editor, or get your work critiqued. If you believe you can’t write horror because your fight scenes are terrible, try perfecting your dialogue for a while instead. Practice, practice, practice and play with your words. If you take a break, plan to get back on that wagon, but don’t ever give up completely.

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Posted on February 18, 2009 - by Monica Valentinelli

Job-Hunting? Writers, List Additional Skills!


One of the things that happens in a tight economy, is that employers want to get more for their money. It makes sense, right? Not only are there are number of people out of work, but employers are looking for that value-add so they save money in the longer-term. In my experiences, this has meant [...]

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Posted on February 2, 2009 - by Monica Valentinelli

Resume Writing and the Resume Book Essential for Writers


Every day I not only read headlines about layoffs, but hear from peers, friends and people I greatly admire how they had just lost their job. Having been through some of these experiences myself, I’ve often turned to resume writing books, professional agencies and other resources to learn how to market myself on paper, which [...]

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Posted on January 26, 2009 - by Monica Valentinelli

How Much Should You Get Paid to Blog?


Are you new to blogging? Do you know how much writers typically get paid per blog post? Back before blogging existed, most writers would get paid by the word. The higher the word count, the better pay a writer might receive, the more prestigious the publication. For example, publications with national distribution models might offer [...]

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Posted on January 15, 2009 - by Monica Valentinelli

What Social Media Means to Me and My Writing


The term “social media” is something that has been used to capture social interaction on MySpace, Twitter, FriendFeed, Facebook, etc.
Social media describes the online technologies and practices that people use to share opinions, insights, experiences, and perspectives. Social media can take many different forms, including text, images, audio, and video. These sites typically use [...]

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