Shortlisted for Flash Fiction Prize

A month or two ago, on a whim, I wrote a one-page story and entered in a contest run by Fish Publishing.

Fish Publishing is an independent publishing company based in the West of Ireland. It has been running writing contests since 1994 with the goal to discover, encourage and promote new writers.

The one-page story contest (also called "flash fiction") was established in 2004. The goal for each writer is "to create, in a tiny fragment, a completely resolved and compelling story in 300 words or less."

The 10 winners and the top prize will be announced at the end of the month, but the short list of 114 (out of 1,500 entries) was announced today and my story, "Rebellion", is on it!

4 Years Ago Today

April 16, 2006 was the first day I opened my freelance business. In the four years I've been in business I've pitched, signed and completed hundreds of thousands of dollars in business (not bad for a one-woman shop).

Some of the highlights have been . . .

• My first book, coming out from FamilyArchives.com later this year (read an excerpt).

• Content for many websites including heritagewerks.com, familyarchives.com and constitutionfacts.com and others.

• Relocated from Virginia to the greater St. Louis area.

• Dozens of word-of-mouth marketing stories for the Snow Companies on behalf of clients like Genentech and EMD Serono.

• Given hundreds of dollars to Miriam's Kitchen and the St. Louis Area Foodbank.

• Working with a thought leader on op-ed pieces published in USA Today Online.

• Content marketing, including new quizzes, fun facts and Facebook page for ConstitutionFacts.com, including flagship quiz that has been taken over 60,000 times since launch in Sept. 2009.

• Business blogging for Furniture Brands (Henredon, Pearson Textiles, and Furniture Designed) on behalf of Durbin Media of Ladue, Missouri.

• Advised many friends and colleagues about launching their own freelance businesses.

• Led corporate history projects including creation of unique history quiz cube for M.C. Dean, Inc. of Sterling, Virginia, on behalf of CorporateHistory.net of Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey, working with Craig Martin Simon Design of St. Louis.

• Copyediting for publishers, including Colonial Williamsburg and the Omohundro Institute/UNC Chapel Hill Press (Chicago Style).

• Production proofreading and for MD Consult and Anheuser-Busch on behalf of Switch of St. Louis, Missouri (AP Style).

How I Spent My Recession Vacation

Like many freelancers and small businesses, at the end of 2008, I had some free time on my hands. I'd just moved from the Washington, D.C. area, where I had a network of colleagues and clients, to the St. Louis area, where I didn't know anybody — just in time for the economy to go kerpluey.

Instead of moping or scrambling for business, I put my energies into expanding my skills. I focused on learning more about search engine optimization and writing for the web. I'd always spent time reading great business books, but this time I was more focused.

Websites for Web Writers

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Looking Back on 2009

So much can happen in a year.

A new book for FamilyArchives.com (due out in 2010). Great new clients. Chances to work with some old friends. A big move from Edwardsville into the city of St. Louis.

And a holiday donation to the St. Louis Area Foodbank — $10 from every invoice of 2009!