If you haven't been poking around the comments here at AFW, you may not know about my upcoming monthly writing challenges in 2008. So here's a bit of background on the first two upcoming challenges:
January: E-book Writing Challenge
In January, you'll be challenged to write an e-book in 14 days (the final 14 days of the month). During the first half of the month, I'll be offering a selection of lead-in articles on topics like e-book pricing, e-book covers, e-book distribution / delivery, e-book formats, and writing a sales page for your e-book.
The idea will be to help you decide what kind of direction you want to go in when it comes down to writing your own e-book (whether or not it's your first). I'll be writing a new e-book myself during the challenge (and not one of my previously-planned ones).
If you have specific questions, or stories to share, about e-book writing and publishing, now's the time to tell me so I can work it into my early January posts.
February - Writer's Website Challenge
February's monthly writing challenge will be to get a new professional site, blog, or portfolio online to feature your writing services or products (or to find ways to improve your current professional site).
I'll be covering some very basic HTML and CSS that writers really should know these days (especially if you're a Web writer, where these things can get you gigs), as well as a tutorial or two on editing free or purchased Web templates to make them your own. I'll also take a look at a few content management systems for those of you wanting to be able to edit and update your websites from anywhere you are, directly online.
Again, if you have questions along those lines, please ask before the challenge starts.
At the end of each challenge, each successful writer will have a chance to have their new e-book, website, etc. showcased here on the site (just for the sake of bragging rights). 🙂
Definitively looking forward to the January challenge. About February… a little scared 🙂 I may use the chance to work on an additional website I wanted to set up (thinking of launching an online magazine) and see how that goes.
I guess you can call me chicken, ’cause both chalenges make me a little bit shaky…
I wish my insecurity will die with me writing more and more each day.
In any case – good luck to us all in whatever writing chalenges we have!
It’s important to build confidence if you want to survive as a freelance writer. We’re at the point where there’s no excuse anymore to not have a website, so I hope to see writers really taking that challenge up.
As for e-books, they’re not for everyone, but it certainly wouldn’t hurt to try. They don’t have to be long. My first is just 18 pages, and even with poor marketing, it’s sold reasonably well. It only took a few hours on a single day to write. So I don’t think that 14 days is unrealistic, even for a much longer e-book. 🙂
I am very new to all this e-stuff, but I believe I can write. One day I want to be known as a writer, my puncuation skills are poor but I am studying. I am willing to try; luck to me!
@ Maria. We all have to start somewhere, so don’t worry! If you have the passion and the willingness to work hard, you can definitively make it. I have a good friend who works as a freelancer and she didn’t learn to speak/write English until she was 22!! I always use her as an example that everything is possible!