Share Works with Others. This is when a workshop comes in handy. Students—take a creative writing course. Or, if you’re not in school, give copies to about 5 or 6 acquaintances in advance. Then, schedule a “reading” at your place. Allow guests to give suggestions and talk about your work as if you’re not there. Remember, all criticism is helpful criticism. Remember to ask questions about shaky portions of your work.

Websites: Build a website and add your writing to it. Or, even easier, find some of online places like poetryboard.com, or some of AOL bulletin boards where writers you don’t know can critique your work, and people like me (who have a publication) may find your work and ask for your approval for publication. (This is a very rare occasion, but it does happen.)

Here’s TRICK: Mass Mailings! If you happen to see 2, 3, 4, or even 5 publications that don’t mind simultaneous submissions and accepts work similar to what you’ve written, send your work to all of them. Sure, sending out a mass mailing of submissions will guarantee more rejections, but you also better your chances of getting published. Remember, include SASE with each submission or 9 times out of 10 you’ll never hear from publisher/editor. (Some publishers like you to include your e-mail address nowadays for quicker responses.)

Keeping Track. Keep track of all of your submissions. Be organized. A simple database program is perfect. In database, list 1) date you submitted work, 2) publication and its address, 3) works you submitted, and 4) date you receive an acceptance/rejection slip. If, for some reason you DO get a rejection slip. So what? Just think of it like this: Perhaps publication wasn’t right for your writing. Better still, everyone has his or her own opinion, so editor simply didn’t favor your particular style. Someone else out there probably appreciates your style of writing. Perhaps your submission was received past their deadline. Big deal. Send it somewhere else! Remember, though, writing can always be improved.

Now that you’ve read this, let me tell you something. This is everything my writer-friend learned from writing course. Seems simple, eh? And, what’s even better, unlike my friend, you didn’t have to pay a course fee!

This mission doesn’t seem so impossible now, does it?

Grab goals of getting published, guidance I just gave, persistence with mass mailings and get yourself published.

Good luck with your publishing endeavors!

Illustrations

There are three primary reasons for using illustrations in an advertisement.

- To attract attention to ad. - To illustrate item being featured. - To create a mood in mind of reader.

Everyone has heard, A picture is worth a thousand words; in advertising, illustration frequently helps reader visualize benefits promised. You can almost feel warmth of tropical sun when you see photos in January travel ads. Cost and practicality may dictate whether your ad uses photographs, artists' drawings or merely canned artwork. Any of these can make ad more appealing to reader's eye.

Copy

If you follow three principles of good copy, your ads will be effective:

- Good copy should be clear. - Good copy should be crisp. - Good copy should be concise.

Clear, crisp and concise . . . three Cs of copy writing suggest that words in your advertising message merely do a good job of communicating. Do not use big words when small words can make your meaning clear. Use colorful, descriptive terms. Use number of words necessary to make your meaning clear and no more-but also no less! Selecting right words is critical to success of ads. Recent research conducted at Yale University found that following 12 words are most personal and persuasive words in our language.

You Discovery Safety Money Proven Results Love Guarantee Save New Easy Health Notice overused word free is not on list.

REMEMBER THAT WHEN YOUR MESSAGE IS PRINTED IN ALL CAPITAL LETTERS INSTEAD OF UPPER- AND LOWERCASE LETTERS, IT IS FAR MORE DIFFICULT FOR THE READER TO FOLLOW AND REMAIN INTERESTED. EVEN IN HEADLINES ALL CAPITAL LETTERS SHOULD BE AVOIDED.