WELCOME TO SEND THE SUCKER!

I'm excited about this blog. For those of you who have been receiving my emails over time, this blog will allow me to do a number of things:

• Alert you to a blog entry rather than sending individual emails. You will be able to review past posts for ideas and inspiration.
• Announce our publications so we all can see what the others are doing enabling us to turn to each other for ideas when facing similar writing or marketing challenges.
• Give you an example of what a blog can do and be about.
• Encourage an outside-the-class dialogue between you about the practical aspects of writing and marketing.

And, I'm excited that it will allow others writers to gain from our inspiration and ideas. The internet is a window to the world and I know we will welcome and wish to encourage other writers like ourselves.

Those who've been with me over my twenty five years of inspiring writers are aware of my penchant for getting people to Send The Sucker!, thus, the name of this blog. Everyone who puts pen to paper is a writer, some are published, some are pre-published. I feel anyone inspired to write, at what ever level of professionalism, has something valuable to say and that their writing should find an audience. I have helped people who started out merely wanting to "write something down for their families or themselves" to get excited about what they have to say, find a voice and have the thrill of publishing pieces. And, yes, it is a thrill to see your name in print; to know that your words are having an impact far beyond friends and family.

If you are reading this you are in the group of folks who've followed my writing or or been a part of my classes over the years or you are a person who cares about writing and wants to keep writing, learning about writing and learning about marketing his or her work. It's an exciting group and I look forward to continue building connections between you.

As the title of this blog reminds, I encourage and guide writer's at all levels in marketing their pieces. You have a voice, it needs to be heard. I've helped many writers who felt they couldn't publish pieces do just that. I teach workshops on marketing and have been an active freelance writer for many years. We've certainly worked in classes to improve use of grammar and punctuation, form and format, but I'm unlike others who guide writers. The important thing is to get something, anything down on paper or computer, to not worry initially or even excessively about the finer points of language and grammar. You can use friends, spell and grammar checks, critique groups, online resources to fine tune your pieces and you'll be encouraged to do that because certainly the better written and more carefully constructed piece of writing has a better chance of publishing. Too many writers though, work and worry so continuously about the finer points of the piece they never Send The Sucker! It's a shame, they have a voice, a passion; it needs to be heard.

Enough for a beginning. Enjoy and please return and learn. enjoy