FAQ's

I promise to keep these interesting and painless. I really never thought I would be one of those FAQ kind of gals, but here I am nonetheless. I receive many wonderful emails from my lovely readers, and they often seem to ask the same questions, so I thought...why not give them what they want! Here goes nothing...


How did you get started with your writing career?
My journey as a published writer has been very interesting. I started with no connections, no clips...just pure force and hard work. When I decided that I wanted to write for magazines, I checked out a bunch of freelance writing books from the library, learned to write a killer query letter and started contacting editors. There is really no magic bullet, no secret formula...just hard work, determination and an ability to pick yourself up after each rejection letter (and trust me, there are a ton of those!). The site that I find most helpful is mediabistro.com...there is a $55 annual fee, but there is great content, such as the "How to Pitch" section and "Pitches that Worked" section. These two sections really helped me tailor each query letter so that it was appropriate for the magazine I was pitching. I do not make my living solely as a freelance magazine writer, I also do grant writing, take on editing jobs, teach freelance writing classes and work in the summers as an organic farm educator at a nearby farm...it is a very patched together existence, but it works for me. The first year, I earned almost nothing with my writing...$50 here, $150 there, nothing significant. Now I am moving up to better paying magazines, so that is a great thing...but it took a ton of time and hard work, many trips to NYC to meet with editors, lots of networking, etc. I tell you this cold hard truth not to be a downer, just to be realistic. Being a writer means 90% rejection, 10% acceptance, and that was a very hard lesson for me to learn. So I am just telling you what I wish I had known when I started. It happens to every writer, and there is no way to avoid it! Here are a few suggested titles to check out: Writer’s Market 2010 The Renegade Writer by Linda Formichelli and Diana Burrell Get A Freelance Life by Margit Feury Ragland Starting Your Career As a Freelance Writer by Moira Anderson Allen

What kind of camera do you use?
When I began my blog in the summer of 2008, I did not own a camera. I quickly realized that I needed one, so I bought a simple Canon point-and-shoot. That lasted me for about a year and a half, but I started getting frustrated that my photography skills were not improving. An incredible trip to Montreal, and a tutorial from the fabulous Jeanine, turned my photography around. I immediately bought the same camera as Jeanine, a Canon EOS Rebel XSi and I LOVE it! What I love most is the additional lens that I bought, the Canon Normal 50mm f/1.8 II Autofocus, which allows me to shoot close-up details while achieving a beautifully blurred background.

Do you have any photography tips?
Umm...point and shoot until it looks good, and always shoot in natural light. This is about as far as I have gotten in my photography education.

Do you have any recommendations for things I can do when I visit Providence, RI? Why yes...I do! In fact, I think so highly of my adopted hometown that I wrote an entire guide to this fabulous and often underrated city. Check it out right here. If you are craving a more authentic Rhode Island experience, rent the series Brotherhood and be prepared to be horrified enough to never visit. Don't say I didn't warn you.

Do you have any advice for bloggers?
Building my blog has been a TON of work...fun work, don't get me wrong! Some blogs are overnight hits, with tons of commenters and readers, mine is not one of those. Some blogs started "back in the day" when there were very few blogs, so they quickly built up a big readership, mine is not one of those. I have built it through hard work, time and effort. I am constantly striving to make it better and more original. Here are a few ways that I have managed to get the word out about my blog: 1. LINK- you should always include your blog link in your email signature 2. COMMENT- the more you comment on others blogs, the better your chance that someone will like your comment and click over to your blog. Think of links to your blog as breadcrumbs. You want to create a trail of breadcrumbs all across the internet, so that people from all over will find their way to your blog. 3. CONNECT- Connect with other bloggers, if you do a craft tutorial, try sending it to Creature Comforts, Design*Sponge, Apartment Therapy, One Pretty Thing, Whip Up. All of these sites will direct major traffic your way. Just make sure to do your homework---does your tutorial fit the style of that blog? If not, than don't waste your time, or their time. This is the #1 way that I have built my readership. 4. FLICKR- If you take good pictures, join flickr, once there, link your pictures back to the blog post where you posted them, join groups, get your pictures out into the flickr world. Again, leaving a trail of breadcrumbs.

You have chickens? That's weird, but somehow I find myself wanting them too...how to you go about getting started?
In all honesty, I read a book about raising chickens, and then I dove right in (are you seeing a trend here...starting hobbies and careers with no real knowledge- hmmm?). Now, I am a much savvier chicken wrangler. I recently wrote all about my chicken raising adventures right here! For more information on backyard chicken raising, I would suggest checking out BackYardChickens.com. When it comes to raising chickens, these people do not mess around.