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Two Great Tools from Marcia Yudkin

© Roxianne Moore

Marcia Yudkin is a writer's writer. For more than ten years, she's been teaching writers how to get published, work through writer's block, and gather ideas. She's written at least nine books, with topics ranging from getting free publicity to marketing online.

I've been a fan of hers ever since I picked up Freelance Writing for Magazines and Newspapers: Breaking in Without Selling Out (1988: Harper & Row) at a writer's conference about ten years ago. It's still a great book (and still available), but I've found a couple I like even more.

6 Steps to Free Publicity (1994: Plume, Penguin Books) is geared toward business people, but it also serves as an excellent primer for writers hoping to break into business writing. You'll learn how to:

• have your story featured in local media
• develop a press kit
• keep you and your business in the public eye
• get free "advertorials" (better known as regular columns)
• move into speaking, radio and television

She takes you step by step through the process of writing a press release, then shows how to get the piece in print. You'll learn how to choose a market for articles, gain the attention of an editor, and become a true publicity hound. If you're planning to write for other businesses, as opposed to (or in addition to) promoting your writing, Yudkin's plan is a great supplement to traditional copywriting tomes. They'll usually tell you what to write, but are weak on the "getting it into print" department.

Maybe one of the handiest chapters is "Seventy-Seven Ways for Writers to Get Unstuck When Trying to Write." Several years ago, I attended Yudkin's workshop on writer's block. Her tips were great, and really got me past the idea that writer's block is a debilitating disease. Although I'm sometimes stuck on rewrites and revisions (never did learn to like them), I rarely suffer from writer's block for more than a day. I use strategies such as #7: "If you've been concentrating hard, drop the problem; take a walk, do the dishes, go running or swimming, read the newspaper." Or #47: "Set a specific time (at least a few days) during which you are not allowed to write the troublesome piece, no matter what."

Writing Articles About the World Around You (1998: Writer's Digest Books) proves that even the most mundane, boring life provides plenty of material for writers. Maybe you're a fiction writer, and thrive on telling stories you'd love to live. You believe no one could possibly want to read about your life and your experiences. Well, guess what? Those everyday experiences are a great jumping-off point for nonfiction.