Writing Advice Plain and Simple

A few slices of easy-to-swallow homespun wisdom.

Photo by hannah grace on Unsplash

Well, it’s been a minute. Thank you to those who sent me your pitches to be analyzed, diagnosed, and hopefully fixed.

My paying subscribers will have another opportunity to do that soon, (for pitches and in other areas) since I intend for this kind of analysis to be a regular part of this Substack and Freelance Writing Direct, which has an episode out now (Episode #72 called Pitching to Editors: Examples and Advice (don’t miss it).

This is a community service that I offer for free to help the writing community. The resources in these episodes are invaluable to writers at any stage of their careers. Please let me know if any of the episodes help you to publication, and please leave a review.

In the meantime, here is some writing advice when trying to get noticed by editors:

Live in the Now

See if there is some way you can connect your story with something of-the-moment in pop culture or the news. So make it timely. Maybe a new study has come out about a psychological syndrome you are dealing with, or maybe a TV show is ending, and you use some of the lessons you’ve learned from the show in your life. I wrote about Penny Marshall years after she died for AARP: The Ethel because when A League of Their Own Came out as a series in 2022, she became relevant again, and so did my essay about using her portrayal of Laverne (in the TV show Laverne & Shirley) as a role model for my life. It’s always better to make these kinds of connections, rather than start a story with 20 years ago, this happened to me. That will make an editor fall asleep.

Strike Outside Your Comfort Zone

An editor is not looking for pieces that say this sad thing happened to me, or this happy thing happened to me. They want to know what your addictions and obsessions and controversial or embarrassing situations are. That’s what will resonate for the reader (and of course, the editor is your first reader). So be timely, and also don’t shy away from the unpopular opinion or situation. I wrote about parenting with hearing loss for Shondaland, and I’ve received so many emails, texts and messages about people way below the age of retirement struggling with the same invisible disability, too.

Copy Sensibilities

Make sure you have studied the column or section you want your piece to appear in. Understand what they cover and how they cover it. I would even take your piece and copy and paste it under another piece they ran. Then see if your piece follows the same kind of twists and turns as the one they ran, and pay attention to the arc and where the reader ends up. This can help guide you as you write and revise.

Make Sure You’re Making Change

As I say in my book Writing That Gets Noticed, leave the reader with a gift. That is some sort of transformation or change in attitude, thought and situation. There is some sort of catharsis or resolution or revelation that occurs that shows a strong trajectory.

Don’t Give In to the Haters

A lot of writers write themselves as perfect, but that will not win you fans. You have foibles, just as the people in your essays, do, and that needs to be clear in your pieces. What is wrong with you? What flaws do you need fixed? Those are great places to start with an essay or a memoir.

Most of all, keep writing your stories. I can’t wait to read what you’ll be writing.

For a fun look at coaching, check out the TikTok I made with Holly Rizzuto Palker, here. Let me know what you want to see me TikTok about next, and also let me know what you would like to most see me cover in this Substack.

Also, I am teaching Writing That Gets Noticed at NYU, and I did a promo for it. You can register for my class here.

Please note that the call for pitches is now closed. Stay tuned for our next open call for material to workshop. But don’t forget to sign up for my newsletter and receive my free pitching guide.

For my paid subscribers, I am sharing some bonus clips from previous podcast episodes. Here are the episodes that the bonus clips are from.

A Chat with the Editorial Director of New World Library. Episode #69.

Dream Big and Win with Liz Elting. Episode #68.

How to Talk to Kids About Everything with Dr. Robyn Silverman. Episode #65.

Witchy Writing With The Shit No One Tells You About Writing Host, Bianca Marais. Episode #63.

A Walk Through Writer’s Digest with Editor-in-Chief Amy Jones. Episode #62.

All About Mom Rage with Minna Dubin. Episode #61.

Here are the Bonus Clips for paid subscribers only.