In order to really learn how to build your writing business you need to learn and master skills such as How to Write a Query Letter. At first, these letters can seem intimidating. In truth, they’re actually pretty simple to write if you follow a set formula.

My first letters were a disaster.

I wish I have them to show you because they were a disaster. I didn’t see it at the time, but they just weren’t very good. They just didn’t have all the right information in them. Yes, I had an idea and I did share it with the editor but there were two ways that I failed.

Don’t make the same mistakes as me.

Even though I told the editor the idea, I didn’t do anything to try to convince him or her that the idea was worthy of being featured in the magazine. This isn’t the same as selling. Query letters are very matter of fact and to the point. But the good ones get the point across.

How to write a query letter.

Okay enough suspense. Here is the basic idea for writing a query letter. First of all, even if it is an email, structure the letter like a business letter. Then, follow this formula:

• First paragraph is the hook. I’ve used this paragraph as the opener to my article if I get the assignment. Give the editor just enough to lure them in.

• Second paragraph states the idea. This is where you tell the name of the article, how long it will be, who you will be interviewing, etc. Give the editor an idea of what the article will be about.

• Third paragraph lists why its a good fit in the magazine. Talk about the demographics and why the readers will find the article helpful.

• The last paragraph lists your qualifications. Talk about anything in your background that pertains to the subject of the article. List any publications, schooling, or experiences that you ahve with the topic.

This is the basic formula I use each time I write a query. The more you write, the better you’ll be.

Are you skeptical when you hear claims of people making a good living online, whether it’s through writing, blogging, and internet marketing? If you’re skeptical - that’s perfectly normal. But if you’re negative, well - this will hurt your ability to succeed. If you believe that your life is a struggle and that you “can’t” make enough money to have enough money and pay off your debts well then you’re right. You won’t because you said that you can’t.

Sounds harsh, but it’s a really good lesson. If you believe that you WILL succeed and you don’t give up, you actually stand a chance. In fact, I’d go as far as to say that your belief in your ability to build a successful business online will help you greatly. I won’t say having a good attitude guarantees your success because nothing is guaranteed but it helps a lot.

However, if you have a negative attitude you are nearly guaranteeing your own failure.

Understand I am not pitching naivety. Claims of “make a six figure income in two weeks or your money back” just don’t fly. You need to take the time to build your business no matter what it is - writing, blogging, affiliate marketing, etc. And, there are a lot of great resources - some free, some that you need to buy, that can help.

My first year in writing I only made $60. It grew from there and I was patient enough to give it a chance. I knew I’d succeed, even though people often told me to “get a real job”. Sometimes, I look back at that time with fondness and happiness. I did accomplish what I set out to do AND I was filled with excitement at the possibilities.

A few days ago I wrote about The Niche Blogger which does a great job by Amy Bass of outlining a profitable blogging system. But maybe you’re wondering, what is Niche Blogging anyway?

Niche blogging is a little bit different than simply choosing a broad topic in a subject that you like such as “food” or “travel”. It’s something that is a little more specific. “Food” and “Travel” or two very broad subjects.

Niche topics fall under the categories of the broader topics. For example, “Travel to Germany” would be a niche in the travel category and “Southern Food” would be a niche in the food category.

I wrote a post at my Path to Success Blog explaining the concept in greater detail.

I know I’ve advocated writing for Bukisa before. I still think they have potential. However, I am confused about one of their features and I am actually hoping someone will chime in and explain it to me. I understand you retain your rights to the articles. But what happens when you syndicate the article? I heard that the article goes into creative commons, which means that other people can use it?

Because of the confusion I have, I decided to delete all of my articles from the system just in case. I am not saying you should do that, but if you have articles there I’d make sure you understand what that box does. Why would I want to syndicate an article? That doesn’t make any sense.

I’ve rediscovered the joys of reading only recently. I go to the library once every week or so and leave with an armful of books, most of which are fiction or creative non fiction. From my most recent stack, I’ve already read three of them.

It’s important to stay in touch with the craft by reading the worksof other authors. It helps you grow as a writer. It gives you a chance to see what topics people are writing about and how they approach it. For me, my writing style is a collage of everything I’ve ever read.

Lately, my favorite things to read are historical fiction and memoirs. Both agree with me. Both are the kinds of things I can see myself writing. I’m also revising the classics. I just read Pygmalian by George Bernard Shaw - an interesting thing to do after having watched My Fair Lady.

Your challenge is to read a book this week. Yes. This week. I take it with me when I shop, read it when I need a brain break, and read instead of watching TV at night. If the book is good enough, I’ll polish it off in the same day. I’m busy, too. So, you can definitely pull off reading one book a week.

I’ve been following Amy Bass’s progress on paying of her debt at her blog, mydebtfreegoal.com. In fact, I’ve been reading the blog since it started and I know how successful she’s been. I watched her evolve from using  GPT programs to having her very own blogging empire. So when she came out with The Niche Blogger I didn’t hesitate to sign up.

As a writer, I am mostly ruled by deadlines, especially if I do work for clients or am on assignment for a magazine. I can’t rely on this kind of income - it’s far too stressful. Niche Blogging is the perfect answer to this problem. With it, I have complete control over my salary and my career with no strings attached. No deadlines. No one telling me what to write. I have complete creative control.

I wrote a review of Niche Blogger on my Path to Success blog. Check it out.

As a business owner, I’ve learned long ago that if you don’t have multiple income streams, you won’t earn a very stable living. I also understand that it can be tough to figure out which direction you want to take things.

As writers, we are faced with many possibilities. We can write for magazines, ghost write, copywrite, blog, and everything in between. Some write solely online, others do a wide range of writing. Some specialize on things like business plans, or pick a particular niche like health to write in.

It can be overwhelming.

So, I thought I’d share with you how I make money writing. The article was published on my blog today.

A few weeks ago I had this idea that I was going to learn Joomla and make a portfolio site. I spend a few nights on the project and finally managed to upload a template with a giant pink bee on it. One look at the bee and I thought - why am I bothering? I know wordpress. I can put together a nice clean site using that platform. Why am I wasting my time?

Last night, I started announcing to people that my site is up and running. It’s a combination portfolio and blog. So far I have my intro post, links to my profiles, and a poem on the site. I am currently having technical difficulties with the theme but hope to have that resolved soon.

For a while I’ve been wresting with whether or not it is worth the effort to write at Helium.com . There was a time when I gave it a try but have not used it for a while. Since, there have been many changes. When I first started writing there, the only feature they had available was writing articles.

Since then, the site has expanded and includes

• A marketplace where you can write articles for clients and get paid
• Contests where the winners earn cash prizes
• Occasional incentives where helium.com pays you a certain rate per article if you meet certain criteria.

Yesterday, helium announced a new beta program that allows users to create groups, put together a “zone” on a certain topic, and earn additional money from revenue generated in that zone. Maybe it’s time to give helium a try again.

<a title=”Join Helium Today” href=”http://www.helium.com/”> <img src=”http://corp.helium.com/images/af/120×60_getpaid.gif” border=”0″ alt=”" /> </a>

When I first started my writing career, I just wanted to make money. I didn’t think about how much I wanted that to be. But I’ve since learned that it is more than possible to make a six figure salary as a writer. It’s not something I’ve achieved yet, but it tops my list of “to-do’s”. And, I believe it to be more than possible in today’s economy.

I’ve noticed that when a company downsizes, one of the first departments to experience a cut is the marketing department. If a company is going to stay afloat, they absolutely need their marketing to keep going. So what do they do? They outsource at places like oDesk and Rentacoder.

I recently purchased an eBook called Six Figure Freelancer that I’ve adopted as sort of a manual.  The author tells you exactly what you need to do to make the salary you want to make as a writer. The one downside is that the author relies on working for clients. I don’t do much of that anymore and have no immediate plans to increase my client list. However, if ghost writing and copywriting is something you enjoy, this book will help you reach your goals.