Amanda Steel's Blog

I’m Amanda, a self-motivated wordsmith hailing from the realm of Middle-Earth. (Well, I live in Manchester in the UK, but I’m originally from Yorkshire, which almost sounds like The Shire, right?) With a fiery passion for crafting enchanting tales, I have embarked on many a quest to weave captivating content. My illustrious chronicles bear witness to the realms of marketing, media, and publishing, where I have triumphed in delivering only the finest of compositions.

In my time as a freelance writer, I traversed the vast landscapes of creativity, collaborating with a diverse fellowship of clients, such as Marketing Signals, Influence & Co, and Contentoo, among others. Together, we forged a plethora of literary treasures, spanning the realms of blog posts, articles, website scrolls, and the very runes of social media. (In other words, I wrote content for clients such as Wicked Uncle, Compass Real Estate, PCS Pro, and so many others.) Moreover, I possess the arcane wisdom of a ghostwriter, having studied and gained a certificate for inscribing numerous tomes across genres, as diverse as the races of Middle-Earth.

Behold, for I also wield the power of an astute editor and a vigilant proofreader, endowed with eyes sharper than an elf’s sight. I have another certificate to prove this. My discerning gaze pierces through the veil of errors and inconsistencies, ensuring your content shall be polished to the brilliance of an Elven star.

Should you seek a minstrel (no, not the chocolate) who can breathe life into your brand, verily, I am the chosen one. Yet, do not mistake me for a solitary bard, for I am open to venturing into diverse realms of creation. Require sagas for your e-commerce emporium? I shall pen them with the grandeur of Gondolin. Longing for ballads to resonate within the halls of your scholarly institutions? Fear not, for I shall craft them with the grace of Rivendell. Or perchance, thou desirest lyrical verses for the noble causes of a non-profit? Such a task is but a trifle (no, not the edible kind, but I am getting hungry now), as the quill dances with elven grace in my hands. And let us not overlook the valorous art of copywriting for grand marketing campaigns, wherein my words shall be akin to a shining beacon, guiding customers from realms near and far.

Should you deem my craft worthy of your aspirations, do not hesitate to summon me, or maybe just send a message. I eagerly await our parley, for your writing desires shall be heard and heeded.

As a token of my prowess, here stand the chronicles of my past by-lined accomplishments (ghost-written examples can also be provided on request):

Celebrating National Doctor’s Day: 7 Medical Romance Books You Need to Read5 compassionate ways to deal with grief-related guiltWhat Is Essay Bot? AIs Writing an Essay for You Might Not Be Safe9 Poets who will make you see poetry differently

By the light of the Evenstar, I pledge to aid thee in crafting content that shall enthral thy audience and guide thy noble endeavours toward triumph. May the winds of creativity carry my message to thee, and may our destinies intertwine in the realms of storytelling.

(In simpler terms, let me know if you want to work with me.)

Thine servant (or freelance writer), Amanda

As writers, most of us have come across editors (and other people) who seem to think a writer’s time is somehow worth less than their own. I’m not talking about the usual rejections and lack of responses, though that can be annoying, but understandable with the amount of submissions they get.

I’m talking about one specific experience which may be the most time I’ve had wasted as a writer. This began with a pitch to The Sun. Yes, not everyone’s favourite newspaper, I know, but a great credit to add to any writing CV, no matter your political views.

I proposed an article about spending a week using the Too Good to Go App, and whether this would result in reducing how much I spent on food. They accepted, and I got to work immediately, and submitted the article a few days before the tight deadline.

If anyone has experience using this app, especially if you don’t have a car, you will know this took a lot of time. It wasn’t just the time spent going to collect the food. I had to plan around days and times I would be passing through certain areas, especially as I work from home and don’t need to travel very often. Then I had to frequently check the app, as the food from these places can be listed at random times and be sold out within minutes.

This was on top of keeping notes on my food haul, taking pictures, the actual writing of the article and editing it. I was excited though and thought this would look great on my CV, possibly helping me get more freelance work, either with The Sun or other publications.

I didn’t hear anything for a few weeks, but sent a short email just asking for confirmation. I get it. They are busy people and have more work to do than just dealing with me. It doesn’t hurt to make sure the editor you’re dealing with has received your work though, and takes them less than a minute to say, “yes we have and we will be in touch”.

The response basically said as much, so I waited. Then at 16:24 on a Friday, one of the two people I had been dealing with got back to me and asked for edits by the end of the weekend. I thought this was a bit short notice, but I didn’t complain. I cancelled my weekend plans and did what she asked. I sent this across on the Sunday afternoon.

Then…… nothing!

Absolutely nothing.

I hate to be one of those writers who pester editors all the time, but I’ve already mentioned this was a lot of work.

So, I waited a few weeks and sent a polite enquiry into whether either of them had received the edits I sent across.

Again, nothing.

A few more weeks later and I emailed them saying I had another pitch, which I did, and asking if I should wait until they got a chance to look at the edits I had sent. I didn’t want to pester them, but hoped this would be a gentle push to at least confirm they received them while answering my question about the new pitch I wanted to send across.

You’ve guessed it. I got no response, other than the out of office response from one of the two women saying she was on holiday. This was fair enough, but I couldn’t help feeling a little annoyed that the other woman didn’t respond in her absence. I waited until she was back and still heard nothing, so I emailed explaining that due to the information (prices, etc) in the article it would soon be outdated and asking them to confirm whether they still wanted the article. I also said if I didn’t hear in a month (as in a simple yes or no, I wasn’t saying they should publish the article by then) I would need to send it somewhere else because of the work I put into it.

The silence was deafening.

I’m now sending the article around, but I’m not holding out much hope. Most publications want a pitch they can help to develop, rather than a fully written article. I was a bit reluctant to write and post this blog because I don’t like to name and shame, and didn’t want legal threats. Although, I have emails from them, and unanswered emails I sent, which are now saved in my email account and these confirm everything I am saying here.

Hopefully, it makes someone out there realise that this is a shitty way to treat people, not just writers, but anyone. Most people are busy, but to have someone do the work, then change your mind and ghost them is never acceptable. I wasn’t even offered a *kill fee or given an apology for wasting my time.

(*For non-writers, a kill fee is when an editor decides not to publish an article they previously agreed to, but pays a smaller fee than agreed to appease the writer for the work they have done, leaving the writer able to publish somewhere else, if they can find someone who wants a pre-written article.)

Some of you will know Printed Words was formerly a quarterly e-zine and magazine, dedicated to publishing poetry and fiction (with the occasional book review or excerpt) from writers all around the world. We switched to anthologies after six issues. Words to Remember was a charity anthology which raised several hundred £’s for various cancer charities. More recently, From the Shadows, combined crime with horror poetry and fiction, to reveal some of the ‘monsters’ which lurk in the shadows.

Now we are running a contest. The theme and the word count are open. All we want is good writing in whatever form that might be. There is an entry fee of £1 (or your equivalent currency, but it is open worldwide and there are many smaller prizes. Because any kind of entry fee can put off some writers who prefer to enter free contests, your chance of winning something could be higher than with a free entry contest. As a writer myself, I know I tend to put in more effort when the contest involves an entry fee.

You can find more details here.

I have a couple of pieces of news I want to share.

The first is my nomination for the ALCS board.

For those of you who don’t know, ALCS (Authors’ Licensing and Collecting Agency) pays royalties to authors from secondary rights – such as photocopying and library borrowing. I’ve had several payments from them over the past few years, from my books (the written work and the graphics in them). I probably earn more through being a member of ALCS than I do from sales of my books.

So, when the email arrived to put myself forward for election, I thought it would be a great way to give back, and I think it’s important to have new experiences. The idea of attending meetings, and getting to learn and contribute to helping other writers is an exciting challenge for me. I’m not sure I’ll be voted in. I’m competing against over twenty others, all with far more experience than me, but it never hurts to try.

If you would like to vote for me, (you have to be an ALCS member) you can follow the link in the email ALCS have sent out to members. Everyone has a unique code to access the voting page, so there’s no point in me posting the link here.

***

The second piece of news is my short non-fiction booklet on writing. What Do I Know? answers several questions about writing and publishing, and briefly talks about copywriting and dealing with requests for unpaid sample tests. I’m pleased to be able to share my experiences in writing and publishing, going back to 2014, when I first self-published a book and had no idea what I was doing.

The book doesn’t claim to contain expert knowledge, but is a summary of many of the things I learned. Back then, I relied on Amazon Kindle, before creating a paperback (also through Amazon). I didn’t realise the other options which were available to an author looking to self-published their books.

I struggled with marketing, and still do. As I said, this isn’t an expert guide. However, the book tells you some of the ways I learnt to market myself as an author.

I think people will already know some of the answers given, but there is probably something you will learn. It’s about sharing knowledge which took me 7 years to learn. I come across questions on Facebook all the time about marketing, finding publishers and more. So, If I can help someone reduce that learning time, it’s worth the time it took me to put the book together.

You can find it here.

This book is also part of my twelve projects in twelve months. I have set my co-written book, The Snow Was All We Could See for pre-order. So, I only have one more left to go, then I will have completed my self-set challenge.

The books I’ve completed all different, so if you’re not interested in reading a book on writing, you still might find one of my books completed during this challenge will interest you.

It doesn’t seem like it was only September last year, when Words to Remember: A Printed Words Anthology was released. In that time, we’ve raised money for Marie Curie and Cancer Research. All the profits so far have been donated to these to charities. We hope to raise more for other cancer charities.

Now is a great time to buy a copy, if you haven’t already. Amazon seem to love messing around with book prices. At the time of writing this, the eBook is just £1.59 and the paperback is the same price.

(This is a piece from my forthcoming collection of spoof clickbait.)

They repeatedly call you by the wrong name and their eyes glace over as if trying to recall a far-off memory, when you ask them to use your real name.They take you shopping as a special treat but “accidentally” forget about you while you’re in the toilet and drive off, feigning ignorance when you call to ask where they are.They rearrange the letter magnets on the fridge to spell out “go away” or “piss off”.You find them with your brother or sister in a compromising position and they say they thought it was you, even though you look nothing alike.They take out their phone during sex and sign up to a dating site.They eat your food and tell you, you didn’t need it anyway, because you’ve put on a few pounds.They invite you out for dinner, then introduce you to their other boyfriend/girlfriendYou walk in on the end of a phone conversation and hear them say, “That’s where I buried the body.”None of their exes can be traced and he/she is vague on the details; saying something along the lines of they moved away and don’t use social media.When you’re in public together people say things like “I hope you last longer than the last one.”

While lockdown restrictions are being eased, life is yet to return to normal for many people. So, if you’re looking for activities to inspire creativity in yourself and others, here are some suggestions.

Write

Even if you’ve never written before, or the last time you wrote anything creative was at school, you can still write. A great way to get started is to free write. Just sit down with a pen and notebook and write whatever comes to mind. The purpose isn’t to create a poem or a logical story, but to get the words down, until you have nothing left to say. You can go back at a later date and pick out words, lines or paragraphs you want to keep and expand on.

Go for a Walk

If you’re like most people, you probably know your local area better than you did before. Even the nicest walking areas will have lost some of their inspiration. However, as restrictions are lifted and you’re able to travel a little further, you can start to visit new places, or those you haven’t been to in a while.

Start a Podcast

Everyone has something they can talk about, and podcasts are popular at the moment. You might not attract thousands of listens, but it will help you connect with people, while inspiring others as you discuss subjects you feel passionate about. You can also bring on guests to make your episodes different each time.

Teach a Course

If you have the knowledge and experience in a particular topic, there are websites where you can upload and sell your own courses. You’ll need to be comfortable recording yourself and have an in-depth knowledge, but if you’re excited about what you’re teaching, that can inspire learners. When advertising your course, you can attract attention by using eye-catching images, and using fancy fonts online.

Learn a New Skill

If teaching isn’t for you, you could get inspired by learning a new skill or language. If you look on websites such as Eventbrite, you’ll find free and paid courses, webinars and other events. Before normality finally resumes, make the most of whatever extra time you have at home.

Join a Group

Speaking to other people with a shared interest, and exchanging ideas and experiences, can inspire and be inspiring at the same time. Because many of these groups are online rather than in person, you can (virtually) meet people from all around the world, who you wouldn’t have had the chance to meet before.

Create Your Own Diet Plan

I doubt I’m the only one who has let the diet slide during lockdown. If you’re looking to lose the excess weight too, why not be creative and come up with your own diet plan? Note to self: this should not include crisps for breakfast and cake for lunch.

Liven up Your Home and Reuse Old Household Items

If you’re fed up with looking at the same boring furniture and painted (or wallpapered) walls, then do something about it. Get online and research all the ways you can upcycle your furniture, or change the appearance of your rooms in simple but effective ways.

Start Knitting

Knitting is good for improving your mental health, and keeping your feet warm – if you can learn to make woolly socks. If you find yourself inspired, you may also progress to making jumpers, stuffed toys and anything else you can think of. These can make thoughtful presents too.

Start a YouTube Channel

If you find yourself inspired by any of these suggestions and want to inspire others, a YouTube channel is the perfect platform to share your writing, or any of your wonderful creations or knowledge. If you get enough views, you can make money at the same time.

Hopefully, you’ve been inspired by this blog post. I’d love to hear about some of the creative things you’ve tried.

If anyone wants a free (digital) copy of my novelette "Hidden Identities" in exchange for a honest review, click the link and follow the simple instructions.

https://booksprout.co/arc/61297/hidde...

Photo by Stas Knop on Pexels.com

My website where these are listed is closing in just over a month. So, I’m listing here, most of my interviews from last year.

Hannah’s Bookshelf (talking about Ghost of Me and my podcast Reading in Bed)

BBC Radio Manchester (reading my poem “12 Things Employers Don’t Want You To Know” followed by a short interview)

Mysterious Goings On (talking to J. Alexander Greenwood about my writing)

Hannah Kate’s Not Quite Live Poetry Special (with my partner Andy N, near the end of the episode)

Everything Imaginable (talking about ghosts, zombies and clowns)

Midnight FM (this one requires a paid membership to listen on catch-up, but it’s worth it if you’re a paranormal enthusiast)

When I saw this was well over 400 hundred pages, I was expecting it to be a tough book to read. I hadn’t seen the film Catch Me if You Can, though I had heard of it. It actually wasn’t difficult to get through the book. It tells the story of Frank W. Abagnale, but having since watched the film, I can confirm it’s a vastly different story from the one he and those involved in making the film would have you believe.

Backed up by links, quotes from those in the know and with the added narrative told by Paula Parks, it’s pretty likely that Frank’s claims are mostly fabricated. If you’re wondering who Paula Parks is, she met Frank when she worked as a flight attendant and to cut a long story (you’ll have to read the book for the full story) he worked his way into her family, played on their trust, then stole from them. They weren’t a corporation; they were just an average family who took him at his word and paid the price.

As Logan uses this book to debunk most of the claims made by Abagnale, it poses the question why nobody ever questioned them. They are ludicrous when you examine them individually, but it seems nobody did, at least not at first.

He managed to air his claims about working as an airline pilot, a doctor and so much more, on a chat show, seemingly without a research team carrying out any fact checking. This opened the floodgates and with each public stage given to him, his audience took it as gospel that he must have done all these things, perhaps because everyone just assumed that someone, somewhere must have verified what he was saying.

The Greatest Hoax on Earth delves into some of the doubters who did try to expose Abagnale, and despite several published articles showing him to be a fraud, enough people continued to believe him, for Abagnale to continue earning money from public appearances. I’m sure there’s a lot of psychology involved here. By the time anyone spoke out publicly, the story was already rooted in the minds of the public and there was little that could have changed their mind en masse.

It’s worth a read, and serves as a warning not to believe everything you see, hear or read (without concrete evidence and expertise) which is particularly important today, with all the misinformation on the internet.

The book is on Amazon.