Writers Workshop: Taking The Next Step In Your Writing Career

Dancing Word Writing Workshop

with Kathy Carlton Willis

November 03, 2006

Hosted by: Anne McDonald

Dancing Word Interviewer

Anne McDonald: I'll open in prayer, go over protocol, then introduce our guest.

Lord, thank You so much for your blessings and care this week. Thanks for all of the little surprises tucked into each of our days. Please bless our time tonight, and let our conversation honor You. Bless each of our participants and especially our guest. Please also bless those who wanted to come, but could not. Help Barbara find a good computer tower....In Jesus, name, Amen.

Protocol reminder: when the floor is open to questions, please type ? for questions, ! for comments...to keep us from stepping on each other's toes please type ga when you are through typing. ga = go ahead

Tonight, I'm honored and thrilled to introduce Kathy Carlton Willis as tonight's guest. Kathy enjoys her own freelance business called Living Out Loud Communications and Manuscript Editorial Services, which encompasses all things related to her writing, editing, mentoring, speaking, and singing.

Kathy writes a variety of columns for newspapers and Web sites. Her book and music reviews appear online. She also freelances feature, inspirational, and informational articles for print and Web sites. She has a grammar and style column online that will soon also be featured in Byline Magazine every other month.

Kathy worked as copy editor for The Sunday Challenger (Covington, KY) and now runs her own freelance editorial business. One of her favorite ministries is encouraging other writers to become all they can be. She is a writer's coach and mentor to several, as well as moderating yahoogroups with the Fellowship of Christian Writers and The Writer's View.

Please give Kathy a warm welcome. Kathy, welcome.

* Annie leads the applause

* Noelle applauds

Jason: rah!

Kathy Carlton Willis: Glad to be here. I'm eager to see how I may be of help to you-I love brainstorming with other writers.

Anne McDonald: Kathy, how did you get started in your present career?

Kathy Carlton Willis: well, the newspaper folded and I had developed enough contacts over the years to try to start my own business. Networking is sooooo essential in this business. It really IS who you know!

Jane: what exactly does a writing coach do? how does it work?

Kathy Carlton Willis: as a writer's coach-I mentor writers on a one-on-one basis, to help them not only polish their work, but to help them solidify the direction to target new projects. I show them marketing opps and introduce them to people in the business. I encourage them to be all they can be even when they feel like giving up

Anne McDonald: How much should writers expect to pay for the services of a writing coach?

Kathy Carlton Willis: well, the best deal I offer right now is the opportunity to join the Fellowship of Christian Writers for $25, and pay me $100 for one year of services. This includes 6 line by line edits and market opps of anything 2500 words or less (or a total of 15,000 words for the year). We work on query letters, book proposals, and any WIPs they have. We brainstorm via IMs and e-mails. That is the most reasonable deal I offer-otherwise I charge by the hour.

Anne McDonald: In your experience, what is the major difficulty that newbie writers face?

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Kathy Carlton Willis

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