5 ways a blog helps a writing career

Often at the workshops Writer Abroad has attended, writers ask why they should keep a blog. Below are five good reasons.

One: It builds a readership

Does anyone read your writing? A blog gives you a good way to find and build a readership—just try not to become addicted to Google Analytics in the process.

Two: It builds a platform

A blog can be a great way to build a writing platform. Although it may take several years to create enough content to finally arrive at that ever so significant 15,000+ views a month (the number Writer Abroad has learned most publishers deem worthy), it can be a fun journey getting there if you enjoy blogging.

Three: It gets you writing assignments

Good blogs are usually single minded, meaning that they focus on one topic. This can help prove you’re an expert while also showing off your writing style. If your blog comes up in an editor’s search results when they are looking for someone to write an article on a certain topic, you might just land an assignment—no pitch necessary.

Four: It keeps you writing

Good writers usually treat writing a blog as part of their job. Therefore, they typically post on a certain schedule—once a week, twice a week, etc. Having a blog means always having a writing assignment and a deadline—so if practice makes perfect, you’ll really improve your writing if you take blogging seriously.

Five: It helps you network

You never know who you are going to meet through your blog. Who will find you? And more importantly, who will your blog give you an excuse to contact?

If you’re a writer with a blog, how has it helped your writing career?

5 Jobs that will make you a better writer

Most writers know this sad truth: it’s hard to make a living. Many of us work other jobs to support our writing, at least when we are starting out. But which jobs are best for writers? Writer Abroad has complied a short list of jobs that may improve your writing, along with successful authors who have done them.

ESL Teacher

How better to understand the English language than to try to explain it to others? Teach English to non-native speakers and you’ll also discover a new world of characters and cultural understanding.

Successful author example: Peter Hessler

Hairdresser

No one hears more of life’s little stories than a hairdresser. Become a one and you’ll probably also become a better storyteller.

Successful author example: Deborah Rodriguez

Expat at Large

Take any job or maybe no job at all, but do it in an entirely different country. Your old world will become clearer to describe and you’ll have a brand new one open to you as well.

Successful author: Janet Skeslien Charles

Copywriter

Take a complicated business problem and solve it with a one liner that entertains. Oh, and do it in an hour, please. Become a copywriter and you’ll write succinctly and be able to handle deadline pressure.

Successful author example: Augusten Burroughs

Bookseller

No writer knows what other writers are publishing these days more than a bookseller. Become one and you’ll know the trends and markets that are important for writers today.

Successful author example: Diccon Bewes

What are some other good jobs for writers? Why?

Bestselling author earns $200

So last week, Writer Abroad got an e-mail with the subject: Exciting news from Chicken Soup for the Soul. 

The announcement was that three of Chicken Soup’s best-selling anthologies, including the one Writer Abroad has a story in, will now be available at Wal-Mart. Yipee! I mean, Wal-Mart is Writer Abroad’s favorite store…Not. Anyone read The New York Time’s recent investigation about Wal-Mart's corruption in Mexico?

Admittedly, Writer Abroad’s first reaction to the news of her story being sold in Wal-Mart was like, hey, cool! Millions of people will read it!

Then an hour later she realized: Way. Not. Cool.

Can you hate all things Wal-Mart and in good conscious have a story you wrote being sold in a book there?

And the other killer for Writer Abroad: Even if millions buy the book containing her story, she won’t get a dime.

Happy holidays, writers. This is what happens when we get paid one flat $200 fee for a story in an anthology and that anthology becomes a bestseller.

But what choices do writers have with their little stories and articles against the few big publishers that are actually buying them these days?

Writer Abroad isn’t sure yet.

Which brings her to TIPE, an independent publishing event that will be held in Zurich, Switzerland on January 25^th. At this event, we can learn from successful self-published writers like Joanna Penn about how to keep control over your manuscripts…and your profits. 

Have any other writers out there triumphed over the current publishing industry? How can we demand better treatment and still get published?

Is the publishing model broken?

Writer Abroad has been pondering something ever since the Zurich Writers Workshop in May, when an author discussed how, until he made back his advance, his royalties were 5%.

Because as an Amazon.com Associate, just by posting a link to a book on a blog, you can also make 5% if someone buys it.

But if an author, who works for at least a year (or sometimes many years) on a book, makes the same amount as someone does from posting a link to the same book in about five minutes, obviously, the publishing model is broken.

Is traditional publishing a dying business?

But if the traditional publishing model sucks, why are authors still going there?

Is it for the prestige? Is a writer who is published by a big publishing house still somehow more of a writer than one who self-publishes?

Writer Abroad thinks it comes down to another classic art versus science debate. Those who see writing as an art go traditional (or at least try to). Those who see it as a science–as a business–are more likely to go directly to self-publishing.

Over on her blog, Penelope Trunk discusses how she got a big advance from a big publisher and self-published anyway.

One of her main points is that publishers aren’t adding much value beyond the prestige. And if your blog is the way you are going to market your book, what value is the publisher adding? After all, it’s not like publishers offer marketing budgets anymore, except maybe for books by celebrities, who don’t need marketing budgets anyway since they are rich.

Others, like Digital Book World, question Penelope Trunk's story. But ultimately, the lesson is that publishers must be able to satisfy their authors. Otherwise, they will be in danger. Or more likely, endangered.

What do you think? Is the publishing model broken? Is self-publishing something you would consider? If you’ve been published, how did you decide which route to go?

Writer Interview: Robin Pascoe in Canada

Writer Abroad is honored to have "Expat Expert" and five-time author Robin Pascoe join her for a discussion about creativity, writing, living abroad and how one makes sense (not to mention a successful career) out of all that. Robin is currently back in Canada (and enjoying the winter Olympics) after living in Bangkok, Taipei, Beijing and Seoul. Since her repatriation, she's become more of an advocate for spouses abroad than ever before, proving a career formed abroad can continue and prosper even after returning home.

Today you are known as the “Expat Expert” and you’re the author of five books on expat life, the most recent being A Broad Abroad (great title, by the way). Can you discuss how your career as a writer and “expat expert” was born and how it evolved?

Glad you like the title, "A Broad Abroad" as the book was originally called "Culture Shock: A Wife's Guide" when it first came out in 1992. But I always wanted to call it "A Broad Abroad" to indicate that there would be a lot of irreverence thrown in!

I've been a journalist for over 35 years now--radio, tv, print, documentary, new media--but when I married a Canadian foreign service officer (almost 30 years ago!) there was simply no way I was going to be allowed to be a journalist with press credentials and a diplomatic passport. So initially, I turned to freelance magazine and newspaper writing (and some radio news as well) and then decided to write a book. Yes, 'a' book that ended up becoming 5, a website, a speaking career, and a reputation as an advocate for the expat spouse. But writing has always been the theme running throughout everything I have done. I've been writing since I was a kid. Ironically, the first thing I ever wrote, at 14, was an one act play about identity!

Expat Expert grew out of a newsletter I started for new moms (when I was one too) in Bangkok. My pre-natal group started a mothers support group, which is still growing strong all these years later http://www.bambiweb.org/. It was the impetus for me to write informational material for mothers abroad and later, for families living overseas.

What advice would you give to those living abroad who are also hoping to become writers or published authors?

One key piece of advice I have been handing out a lot lately it seems is this: find a niche. Journalism, media, communications, and everything related to it has become so fine tuned now to particular demographics, interest groups, and subjects. With so much 'out there' now in search of an audience, I believe the best way to find a place is to offer something very specific (and unique of course) that is needed or wanted or both. A lot of homework and market research should go into selecting a niche, though. I can't tell you how many people have written to me over the years saying there is a need for this or that concerning expats (book, website, blog, you name it) and I have to ask them: did you do your homework? There a thousand just like that!

The other advice I offer (and try to take) is to understand why you are writing, why you are pursuing a creative career. These are important questions that need to be asked and reflected upon. I wrote my first book because I was angry that spouses were being sent out without any knowledge of what they were getting into (this was the age of the dinosaurs, the early 80s). I also wanted to write a book and everyone said, 'write what you know'. I had no idea if it would ever be published but I was very happy writing it. I loved the process. I loved having a 'writing life'. I was not after fame and fortune. I just didn't want to go brain dead! So what's your motivation? That's a question writers need to ask themselves.

What is the best way that you’ve found to market your books to a globetrotting audience?

The absolute best way is to get out and meet your readers. Of course I sell books online, but it's when I have been speaking about them (and usually after the lecture, not before) that people would buy them. I would also market the books when I was marketing my speaking trips by writing articles or giving book excerpts to expat websites and organizational magazines. The travel was brutal, no question about it (and especially for someone like me who has suffered terribly from fear of flying!) and it wasn't cheap. I had to invest in myself. So if it meant using my husband's points (because he travels a lot!), staying with strangers (but always bringing nice gifts!) and doing a lot of heavy lifting myself of book boxes (because I would be by myself most of the time) then so be it: I did it. I was fortunate in the last number of years to have a Canadian moving company sponsor with whom I created a win/win scenario. I spread their name around (and their partner friends) to an audience they were trying to reach (expat spouses and parents) and in return, they paid for my trips. It was a lucky break for me, but sponsorship to get to international speaking engagements is very, very helpful! The new media like Facebook etc has been very helpful too....use everything I guess is my short answer, but get out there in the world and speak, sell, speak, sell!

After many years abroad, you returned to Canada. What was it like moving back to your home country after so many years abroad, especially after having built your identity and career around being an “expat expert?” Do you ever really get over expat life?

I didn't become the expat expert until after I repatriated. Ironic, eh? I wrote my first two books when we were still in the diplomatic life and had intended, literally, to run them over with a truck once we left the life. I wanted to return to mainstream journalism in some way and forget about being an expat altogether....But then, like they say, life can turn out unexpectedly! I was invited to speak to Shell in The Hague and it just seemed my speaking career took off after that. The Internet was also conveniently invented and amazon.com and self-publishing models....these tools all made it easy to pursue this full time. But it took that speaking engagement during a terrible repatriation on my part (everyone else in the family was fine!) to encourage me to write Homeward Bound. I had asked the audience, many repatriated Shell wives, if they felt as tired as I did! And I commented that if I wasn't so tired (and depressed, truly for the first time in my life, in beautiful Vancouver of all places) I would write another book just about repatriation. The audience all looked at me and said: Write that book! So I did, and felt great again because I was writing again! But I had to go through the 18 months to two year re-entry process before I could write that book. The rest just followed.

And no, we never get over expat life. I believe we are changed forever by the experience. Once a globalist (as I really think are), always a globalist!

Anything else to add?

I would just add, Chantal, that when I found your blog, I was impressed the most by your tagline: 'surviving and thriving as an international creatives person.' I think that really is what so many expats are seeking, and not just writers, but artists, photographers, dancers and so on. For expats, the cultural experiences of travel and daily life in a foreign country are big sellers....but what about feeding the individual's creative soul? That's what I think you are encouraging; it's certainly been one of my main 'talking points' all these years when I have held writing workshops. Sometimes people think they can only have a creative life in their own country with its support systems, language, classes they can take etc....but I think living abroad gives someone an extraordinary opportunity to be creative and I hope you succeed in your own work...and also in encouraging others to follow their own passions.

As the Expat Expert, Robin is well known abroad for her inspirational and informative articles, corporate presentations, and best-selling books. She is the author of five widely-used books on global living. Since 1998, her popular website has served as an international meeting place, discussion group, and source of advice and information for hundreds of thousands of expats world-wide.

Robin’s reputation as a funny, engaging and inspirational speaker was earned as a former diplomatic spouse (in postings to Bangkok, Taipei, Beijing and Seoul); raising two third culture kids, and by traveling globally for more than a decade from her home base in Vancouver, Canada. Robin has now spoken in over twenty-five countries, invited by corporate groups from Shanghai to Johannesburg to educate business about the needs of the expatriate family. Robin has become the go-to expert for corporations interested in understanding the needs of expats and their families and making recommendations for family-friendly relocation policies.

Robin’s profession as a journalist makes her ideally suited to reporting on the trends in expatriate experience. She writes regularly for expatriate newspapers, magazines and web sites and has been interviewed by numerous international publications including The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The New York Times, The International Herald Tribune, Working Mother Magazine, Utne Reader, CNN, and others.

5 Ways to Establish Yourself as a Writer Abroad

In the previous post about the financial realities of working as a writer abroad, you’ll see that depending on the cost of living in your country, it’s probably best to establish yourself in the local writing community in order to make a decent living wage for the place you live. (Unless you live in Panama, where those $6 blog posts might actually make you rich).

Work permits and other legal issues aside (that’s a topic for another day--make that days), how do you go from rags to riches? (Sorry, you don’t. You’re a writer.) But here are some things to consider in order to establish yourself:

1. Keep a blog and keep it updated. This sounds obvious, but after I started posting to my expat blog One Big Yodel regularly for about two years (yes, it takes time--and you also have to promote it too), I gained a few of things: a voice, a loyal readership, and a few writing offers. A couple weeks ago, before I was about to be interviewed on a Swiss radio station, the director of the station told me, “Be as sarcastic as possible.” I laughed, but in a way, it was a compliment. It meant I had established a voice and people were starting to recognize it.

2. Learn the language. I’m still working on this one (three-week intensive German, here I come), but when you learn the language of your country you learn things about the people, the culture, and the surroundings that visitors and tourists just won’t. You’ll have insights that are fresh, honest, and unique. And most importantly, you’ll be able to make friends with the locals. I just pitched a Swiss magazine and got assigned a feature story about a fight for women’s rights that I never would have known about if it hadn’t been for a Swiss friend of mine.

3. Write for free. Ok, this sucks. But it worked for me so that’s why I’m mentioning it. If your country is anything like Switzerland, there’s probably some kind of expat magazine or newsletter that gets distributed a few times a year and needs writers like you. When I first arrived, I wrote for Hello Zurich (now Hello Switzerland) a couple of times. Then, when I interviewed to write for a paying magazine, the editor already knew my style and I was able to establish my own column.

4. Make business cards. Lawyers have them and they feel important. You can too. Plus it just makes you look serious about what you do. There are so many wannabe expat writers out there and you need to separate yourself from them. A website will help you do this too.

5. Network. (Hint: the more alcohol you drink, the better your foreign language skills will get.) But forget about that. Social networking makes it easier than ever for introverts like us to make ourselves known. If you want to write for a well-known blog, leave comments on the posts. To get your name out there, network with other bloggers and write guest posts that link back to your blog. If you admire a certain writer that’s already established in your country or city, email them and ask to meet for a coffee.

But enough about what I think. What have you done to establish yourself either as a writer abroad or a writer at home?