Writing for a Living

I recently finished two big projects. It's a good feeling to have wiped the slate clean. There's more time for the little things like not hurrying through a newsletter or spending a few minutes tidying up my office.

On the flip side, I'm on the hunt for a new work project. A billable new work project. My bread and butter is clear and concise writing, such as journalism, copywriting, corporate communications, and other straightforward prose. My style translates well to social media, too. Brevity has its rewards.

Keeping the faith is the most important thing I can do while looking for more work. The actual "looking" part isn't difficult or distasteful, though it can be a challenge to remain optimistic the closer the first of the month and all the due bills inch forward. If you hear of anything, please keep me in mind.

Here are some other going-ons:

First, I feel funny, in a loser-ish sort of way, returning to my blog after such a long hiatus. You know, like I'm a fraud or an amazing opportunity to beat myself up real good doesn't come around that often 
--> – better seize it! That's why I find writers like Linda Menesez and Alexandra Franzen so helpful. Give 'em a click, you also might benefit.

Second, the new issue of Carpinteria Magazine is expected on the streets Nov. 17. 

Read it here if you can't pick up a print copy. Hope you like it.

Birthday cake. 

Third, I had the opportunity to eat cake TWICE today. The first was a birthday party at lunch for a colleague. The other was a retirement party for a colleague this afternoon.

Fourth, as way to keep Orozco Ink circulating in cyberspace I nominated the business for the Seven Day B&W Photo Challenge that is so popular on Facebook. Let me know if you think that is tacky. I'd appreciate it. You can follow my challenge here.

Looking forward to writing more often. Thanks!

When work is slow

Magazine cover shot by Glenn Dubock. 

Work is slow. Or should I say, "It has stopped."

Carpinteria Magazine just hit the streets. There's a short lull until we start revving up for the next issue. Additionally, there's been some client attrition in my business. It happens.

Today I find myself facing a day of no billable hours. In many ways, a day without deadlines is something to be treasured. In other ways, a day without deadlines is nerve-wracking.

Here are some of the ways I handle a downturn in billable hours:

• Freak out. Fully and completely. Typically lasts less than a few hours.
• Regroup. Embrace the huge cache of "free time" to take care of non-billable items such as follow Real Simple magazine's advice on "Easy Ways to Make Your Office Happier" and tidy my email inbox.
• Hunt. Troll Web sites such as MediaBistro, JournalismJobs, and, of course, Craigslist, among other platforms. The hunting is kind of fun, though it's a lot more fun when I'm not so hungry for work. 
• Market. Update social media and engage. Send an email to prospective clients about what I do. Attend meetings of professional organizations of which I belong, such Association for Women in Communications, Santa Barbara chapter.  

My desk pre-organizing. Not too bad, but better now. 

I have been lucky that paying work usually shows up before I've had time to thoroughly enjoy some non-billable time. Today I keep the faith that that will happen again. And it will, as long as I keep up my end by doing what I need to do to get more work and by keeping the faith.

Carpinteria Magazine – Hot off the press!

Just in time for some summer reading, Carpinteria Magazine is hot off the press and available all over Carpinteria and in select locations in Santa Barbara's south coast. Here's link to pick up locations: Where in the world is Carp Mag?

That's the Traveling Hurtados on the cover. I think you'll enjoy reading their story, which I wrote. Also have a couple of other pieces in the magazine. 

Here's the Web site: carpinteriamagazine.com. 

Let me know what you think, and thanks for reading. 

Carpinteria Magazine is here!

Carpinteria Magazine hit the streets on Wednesday. Once again, I'm forced to say, "It's the best yet!"

You can find it around town or here CarpinteriaMagazine.com. 

For those of you wondering, the winter issue is due out in November. 

Enjoy the read.

Happy New Year!

Hope your 2015 is everything you want it to be and more. 

Looking for some good reading material for the New Year? Check out Carpinteria Magazine. See our cover with the Champagne glasses? You know there's gotta be good stuff inside. 

That's a capital idea!

What's red, showy, and screams the holidays?

Yes, the Poinsettia. Good answer!

Did you know that the Poinsettia is named after Joel Roberts Poinsett? That's why the plant's name is capitalized, unlike, say, a daisy. As you know, proper nouns begin with a capital letter.

dark chocolate -vs- Swiss chocolate

chardonnay -vs- Champagne

suit coat -vs- Nehru jacket

carnival ride -vs- Ferris wheel

The rules change as the language ages. According to AP Style, "Lowercase words that are derived from a proper noun but no longer depend on it for their meaning: french fries, herculean, manhattan cocktail, malapropism, pasteurize, quixotic, venetian blind.

World Wide Web is a proper noun. That's why Web site, i.e. not website, is the correct usage. As is Web page, but not webcam, webcast and webmaster. Go figure.

Back to the holidays. Want to know more about the Poinsettia? Read the article in Carpinteria Magazine, which I wrote. You'll find it on page 84. 

Carpinteria Magazine has arrived

The latest issue of Carpinteria Magazine is on the streets! 

Not only is the Winter 2015 issue chockablock with interesting stories and gorgeous photography, it arrived on the streets ahead of schedule.

The Past Portraits feature showcases the talents of photographer extraordinaire Madeline Vite and superb storyteller Lea Boyd. Also, writer Emily Parker gives a sneak peek at the Holiday Spirit Parade. Calla Gold, a favorite personal jeweler, leads off the Palettes feature on jewelers. 

Awww, there's too much for a blog post. Read it online or pick up a copy around town. 

Above, photographer Glenn Dubock captures a winter sky from the vantage point of the railroad crossing on Linden Avenue. 

Delivering the Summer Issue of Carpinteria Magazine

Day 7 / 30-Day Writing Challenge

I spent my Monday morning delivering the latest hot-off-the-press issue of Carpinteria Magazine. It's our thickest issue to date, and look, isn't she a beauty! 

Delivery girl is one of the hats I wear as Carpinteria Magazine editor. Magazine designer Kris Whittenton and I loaded up a big red wagon, walked down one side of Linden Avenue and back up the other delivering magazines. It was fun. We looked cute, too, pulling that wagon around. Everyone seemed genuinely happy to receive the magazine. 

Carpinteria Magazine can be found all over town, in parts of Santa Barbara, too. Hope you enjoy it as much as we enjoyed putting it together. 

The print run for Carpinteria Magazine was 15,000. It took quite a few forklift loads to get all the pallets delivered. At 120 pages, it's heavy reading!

CEO of my SEOs

Quick refresher: This blog, Behind the Scenes at Orozco Ink, originated when I took an entrepreneurship workshop at the time I started my own business. Behind the Scenes was a marketing tool homework assignment.

Remember my previous post on acronyms? For 2014, Behind the Scenes is trying on this acronym: SEO, which stands for Search Engine Optimization. The idea is to direct Internet traffic by word usage. (And, no, the idea is not mine!)

Soooo, let's play a game. See how many of Orozco Ink's SEOs you can find in future blogs. Here are some hints: writer, journalist, editor, travel, social media, Carpinteria Magazine, journal, handmade books, marketing, blogger ... and the list goes on.

The above photo is an excellent lesson in NOT applying the concept of SEOs to one's blog. These beautifully displayed pregnancy magazines are from the Ear, Nose & Throat waiting room at Sansum Clinic in Santa Barbara. (I had a follow-up appointment for an earache.) I thought it funny that the ENT waiting room would have these magazines. No, the OB/GYN department was nowhere near ENT. I thought maybe they shared the same waiting room. Funny, huh?

Summer Reading

Go get a copy! Check out the Web site, CarpinteriaMagazine.com. I think you'll like it. I liked helping to create it. Looking forward to the next one.

The importance of timing in the editing process

Don’t ever go grocery shopping while hungry is one of those basic rules of household budgeting or dieting. Here’s one for editors: Don’t ever work on a beer feature in the morning. Ever.

All I could think about from 9 a.m. was how much I wanted a beer. A finely crafted micro-brew … just like the ones written about in the beer story for the next issue of Carpinteria Magazine. I felt like a prisoner marking time. “OK, it’s 10:10 in the morning. That means at least 7 hours ’til I can safely say it’s beer:30.” It was one of the longest work days in recent memory. Maybe worse than waiting for recess as a kid.

This has given me a really good idea. I should start a list of helpful hints for editors. The beer tip (tipsy ... be great to work that in) could prove very useful for some editors. After all it could apply to food, erotica, and, well, you get the idea. Oh, the next issue of Carpinteria Magazine is due on the street early May. And, when it hits, I’m going to get a beer.

Open Call for Fiction

Calling all writers!

Dust off that manuscript, finish it, and submit it. Don't bother me with any excuses. I've heard, or used, them all.

Carpinteria Magazine has a call for short stories. And, as always, never a submission fee.

Deadline is Feb. 28. As a writer, I always work backward from the deadline date. That's why I put it first. Maximum word count is 2,500. Send text-only (Word docs preferred) submissions to:
info@CarpinteriaMagazine.com.

No fuss. No muss. Fingers to keyboard. Write that story. It's in you. Get it out.

Carpinteria Magazine is open to themes and subject matter. But, you'll find in past issues the selected short story is Carpinteria-related. Visit the Web site to read past selections. Begin with the Summer 2011 issue and work backward.

Carpinteria Magazine

Hot off the press - Carpinteria Magazine is ready for reading

The latest issue of Carpinteria Magazine is ready for reading.Lots of special stories and profiles of neighbors and friends. Find out what it was like to grow up in the town 70 years ago, learn about new places to shop for groceries (you'll be surprised), meet the mastermind(s) behind Angels Antiques on Carpinteria Avenue, and lots more.

Too far away to pick up a copy. No problem, read it online at www.carpinteriamagazine.com.

A free copy of Carpinteria Magazine can be picked up at advertiser locations around town, such as Corktree Cellars, Giannfranco's Trattoria, Roxanne's - A Wish & a Dream, Curious Cup Bookstore, Porch, and the list goes on.

The Panel Says

It was a honor to be part of a recent panel discussion at the last Santa Barbara chapter meeting of Women in Communication. I was invited to participate thanks to my role as editor of "Carpinteria Magazine."

Myself and three other local magazine editors were part of the program “Magazine Publishing and Writing in a 2.0 World,” which was held at Antioch University in downtown Santa Barbara. The panel’s focus was to share insights on publication trends, business advantages, and strategic challenges facing today’s magazine industry. Read more about it in Coastal View News (turn to page 20).

Photo by r.s.thurston photography. From left are Lynn K. Jones, president of the Santa Barbara chapter of Women in Communication; Nansie Chapman, editor of “Family Life Magazine;” Maria Streshinsky, editor of “Pacific Standard;” moi; Sally Barr, editor of “MUSIC! The Sounds of Santa Barbara;” Leslie Dinaberg, editor of “Santa Barbara SEASONS;” and Leslie Westbrook the program moderator.

No, thank you, Marilyn!

I'm kind of chickenhearted once a project is off the press. I'm afraid I'll find a mistake. And, unlike this here blog, once something is printed there's no going back and fixing things.

That's why this thank-you card gave double its pleasure. Receiving a card via snail mail is good news enough, but one thanking you for doing your job? Well, I just don't know what to say about that.

I do know, however, that sending someone a card is a really nice thing to do, and I'll make sure I do it more often.

New issue of Carpinteria Magazine has hit the streets!

Carpinteria Magazine is here and ready to read. Carpinterians can find a copy all over town. Or, visit the Web site, www.carpinteriamagazine.com. If I do say so myself, the magazine is gorgeous and filled with very interesting stories.

Working on the magazine is fun and seeing the finished product is always so satisfying. Carpinteria, as any town, has so many interesting people and so many interesting stories. Because of that deciding on what stories can be difficult. A good kind of difficult, though.

Already work has begun on the next issue. Stay tuned.

Tis the Season

Hot off the press!

It's the winter issue of Carpinteria Magazine.

Yes, it's that time of the year -- time for a new Carpinteria Magazine. The full-color, glossy paper publication does the little town proud. Who knew so many great people -- Susan Flannery and Barnaby Conrad, for starters -- and so much activity was packed into this sleepy little seaside town.

The magazine is available all over Carpinteria and at selected outlets in the greater Santa Barbara County area. Not sure where to find one? Call the office and ask for one (805) 684-4428. You'll be glad you did!

New Carpinteria Magazine hits the streets!

Extra! Extra! Read all about it!
The latest issue of Carpinteria Magazine is now available. Readers can pick up a copy at the Coastal View News office, 4856 Carpinteria Ave. in the great town of Carpinteria.

Don't you love the cover? I do! That's Dan Alvis. He really captures an essence of Carpinteria that has eluded any kind of exposure. The magazine's photography is beyond compare and almost captures just how gorgeous our slice of paradise is. Let's face it: there's just something about Carpinteria that defies definition.

The stories in the magazine are top notch, too. It is a "fun" issue. Get your copy today. Or check it out online at www.carpinteriamagazine.com.

Let me know what you think.

What's with some Season's Greetings?

As a born and bred Southern Californian, I don't feel any real compunction to go outside and enjoy the beautiful weather as I know such days are a dime a dozen. Last Sunday, though, was an exception. I don't know the name of the blue shade the sky was and I have never seen the Channel Islands pop more clearly out of the horizon. It was sheer desire, rather than pure guilt, that got me bike riding.

The photo above was taken on January 7. Christmas Day didn't look too different. The people's clothing indicates how warm the weather is.

What a glorious way to reflect on the past holiday season and ponder the new year and decade (though, technically, I'm not convinced we really are starting a new decade). "Season's Greetings, indeed," I thought as I pedaled between the mountains and the sea. "How lucky am I to be riding along this beautiful patch of country on such a fine day." (Well those are not my exact words, but they capture the sentiment in a more refined manner than what was actually going through my head.)

Delving further into the "Season's Greetings" bit, I got to wondering why Southern Californians send other Southern Californians Christmas cards with snow scenes representative of New England or another faraway place? Why does the insurance agent who handles my auto coverage send me a "special wish" that is so off-base from both our existences? I'm not asking for a surfing Santa, but certainly a poinsettia is a closer to a Southern California Christmas. (And, I'm not complaining either. The card from the insurance agent is placed on the mantle along with all the other cards -- snow scenes and otherwise.)

If you'd like to see proof of the glorious weather I'm talking about, check out
Carpinteria Magazine. This is the latest issue of the magazine I am lucky enough to help publish.

Learning to Bare My Bests

At left, hometown girl makes good. The piece is about from whence I came. Click the link below for a better look.

It just occurred to me (well, actually it was last night but I couldn't get here right away) that I should use this blog as a way to showcase some of my published work. It could be one of those win-win situations you hear so much about but never see evidence of. I could plug me while plugging the publications and/or outfits that publish me.

I gotta tell you,though, that I can't hook you up with the ghostwriting stuff. There's a reason it is called ghostwriting. Too bad, some of my best work is done with the safety net of anonymity.

Anyway, check out the following!

Carpinteria Magazine . The little publication that could. The town is small and the budget smaller, but that doesn't mean the product can't be first rate. A testament that money (or fame, name, and whatever else) doesn't equal taste.

The Los Angeles Times. A real feather in my cap! I know I'm the bottom feeder in the hierarchy (the lowly freelancer) and I don't purport otherwise. Still, it does not stop certain family members, friends, or acquaintances dropping my name to others like I'm Katherine Graham or something, er, someone (maybe I should say Dorothy Chandler, but she wasn't active in the family business).