Great new article by the AIPB!

When to use the new IRS home-office safe harbor

It turns out that deducting the actual expenses of a home office instead of using the IRS safe harbor does not always yield the biggest tax deduction. So, when should you use the IRS safe harbor v. actual expenses method?

The safe harbor lets you deduct on Schedule A $5/sq. ft., up to $1,500 (see our March and April issues) and prorate normally allowable home expenses such as mortgage interest, property taxes and casualty losses. But you cannot prorate a portion of actual house expenses—e.g., homeowners’ insurance, utilities and repairs.

Thus, to know which method to use you must consider both the amount of home-office expenses deductible from gross income v. home-related itemized expenses deducted on Schedule A.

An analysis published in Tax Notes Today found that in three hypothetical situations with different-sized homes, the actual expense method minimized Schedule C income—but the safe harbor method maximized Schedule A deductions.

The analysis found that for total tax savings, the safe harbor is best when the home-office is a smaller percentage of the home’s square footage: 10% in the examples. When a home office space is a larger percentage of the home (20%–25% in the examples) deducting actual expenses reduces taxes more.

But other factors can change the results.

For example, if personal income exceeds the Social Security wage base, the safe harbor method saves more on taxes because the higher Schedule C reduction offered by taking actual expenses becomes less beneficial when it stops reducing the self-employment tax as well as FIT.

Other factors that change results include whether your total itemized deductions or other tax benefits are subject to various phase outs as your adjusted gross income rises. In addition, actual expenses that affect only the home office but not the rest of the home might be deductible in their entirety as actual home office expenses. Nor does the safe harbor permit the depreciation of the home office; on the other hand, when depreciation is taken, it reduces the basis of the home.

  

You can alternate between the two methods each year, so a taxpayer who wants to maximize deductions should calculate both methods annually (tax software should let you compare these methods). Keep in mind non-tax factors. The safe harbor method reduces audit risk—safe harbors always do, because they result in lower tax deductions than taking actual expenses. It also reduces recordkeeping and the cost of tax preparation. 

10 Helpful Tips for Paying Taxes

IRS Tax Tip 2013-55

 

Are you making a payment with your federal tax return this year? If so, here are 10 important things the IRS wants you to know about correctly paying your federal income taxes.

Never send cash.

If you file electronically, you can file and pay in a single step with an electronic funds withdrawal. If you e-file by yourself you can use your tax preparation software to make the withdrawal. If you use a tax preparer to e-file, you can ask the preparer to make your tax payment electronically.

Whether you file a paper return or e-file your return, you can pay by phone or online with a credit or debit card. The company that processes your payment will charge a processing fee.

If you file Schedule A, Itemized Deductions, you may be able to deduct the credit or debit card processing fee on next year’s return. This is a miscellaneous itemized deduction subject to the 2 percent limit.

Electronic payment options provide another way to pay taxes by check or money order. You can make payments 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Visit IRS.gov and click on the ‘Payments’ tab near the top left of the IRS home page for more details.

If you pay by check or money order, make sure it is payable to the “United States Treasury.”

Be sure to write your name, address and daytime phone number on the front of your payment. Also, write the tax year, form number you are filing and the first Social Security number listed on your tax return.

Complete Form 1040-V, Payment Voucher, and include it with your tax return and payment when mailing it to the IRS. Double-check the IRS mailing address. This will help the IRS process your payment accurately and efficiently. Go to IRS.gov to download and print this form.

Remember to enclose your payment with your return but do not staple it to any tax form.

For more information, call 800-829-4477 and select TeleTax Topic 158, Ensuring Proper Credit of Payments. You can also find out more in the Form 1040-V instructions available at IRS.gov.

Eight Facts on Late Filing and Late Payment Penalties IRS Tax Tip 2013-58, April 18, 2013

April 15 is the annual deadline for most people to file their federal income tax return and pay any taxes they owe. By law, the IRS may assess penalties to taxpayers for both failing to file a tax return and for failing to pay taxes they owe by the deadline. Here are eight important points about penalties for filing or paying late. A failure-to-file penalty may apply if you did not file by the tax filing deadline. A failure-to-pay penalty may apply if you did not pay all of the taxes you owe by the tax filing deadline.

The failure-to-file penalty is generally more than the failure-to-pay penalty. You should file your tax return on time each year, even if you’re not able to pay all the taxes you owe by the due date. You can reduce additional interest and penalties by paying as much as you can with your tax return. You should explore other payment options such as getting a loan or making an installment agreement to make payments. The IRS will work with you.

The penalty for filing late is normally 5 percent of the unpaid taxes for each month or part of a month that a tax return is late. That penalty starts accruing the day after the tax filing due date and will not exceed 25 percent of your unpaid taxes.

If you do not pay your taxes by the tax deadline, you normally will face a failure-to-pay penalty of ½ of 1 percent of your unpaid taxes. That penalty applies for each month or part of a month after the due date and starts accruing the day after the tax-filing due date.

If you timely requested an extension of time to file your individual income tax return and paid at least 90 percent of the taxes you owe with your request, you may not face a failure-to-pay penalty. However, you must pay any remaining balance by the extended due date.

If both the 5 percent failure-to-file penalty and the ½ percent failure-to-pay penalties apply in any month, the maximum penalty that you’ll pay for both is 5 percent.

If you file your return more than 60 days after the due date or extended due date, the minimum penalty is the smaller of $135 or 100 percent of the unpaid tax.

You will not have to pay a late-filing or late-payment penalty if you can show reasonable cause for not filing or paying on time.

Note: The IRS recently announced special penalty relief to many taxpayers who requested an extension of time to file their 2012 federal income tax returns and some victims of the recent severe storms in parts of the South and Midwest. For details about these relief provisions, see IRS news releases IR-2013-31 and IR-2013-42. The IRS has also provided individual tax filing and payment extensions to those affected by the Boston explosions tragedy. See IR-2013-43 for more information.

For more information visit the IRS.

Learn how to promote your books with Carolyn Howard Johnson

Carolyn Howard-Johnson is a multi award-winning novelist and poet. She is also the author of the award-winning series of books for writers, How to do it Frugally. Carolyn has been an instructor for nearly a decade at the renowned UCLA Extension Writers’ Program. She is visiting Writers in Business to announce her newest release, the second edition of the Frugal Book Promoter.

Welcome Carolyn! Congratulations on your new book! Please tell us about it.

The new edition of The Frugal Book Promoter is bigger (nearly twice as big!) and updated. This edition even has its own subtitle to reflect the broader audience it appeals to. It is - “Ta Da! How to get nearly free publicity on your own or by partnering with your publisher.” But it still has all the award-winning qualities of the first edition, maybe even more! This book is the self-promoter’s bible.

I’ve learned a lot from reading your books! You share great ideas that are affordable and easy to put into action. Could you share one tip with my readers?

Sure, the Internet is traditionally a place where freebies abound. To assure traffic to your site, give something away. E-books are a good way to start because they cater to our need for instant gratification (and information!).

I understand you have received some influential endorsements for this book.

Yes, Dan Poynter, author of The Self-Publishing Manual said “The most expensive parts of book promotion are the mistakes. This book will save you time and money.”

It has been honored by USA Book News and Los Angeles Book Festival.

Tony Eldridge, author and blogger at Marketing Tips for Authors also endorsed my book. He wrote “I love this book...it is the answer to an author's prayer. Most authors are shocked and unprepared for the marketing that goes into having a successful book. Carolyn creates a resource that you'll go to again and again for advice and instructions on promoting. Seldom do I see a resource packed with as much practical information as I see in The Frugal Book Promoter II."

This praise is well deserved. You have authored several books on effective, frugal promotion and I understand you also offer a newsletter for writers.

My newsletter, Sharing With Writers Sharing With Writers, is published semi-monthly and offers useful tips for writers including the craft of writing, marketing, promotion, editing and social networking. It’s a place where writers can come to learn and share what they know.

You can sign up for the newsletter by sending an email to HoJoNews@aol.com. Learn more about the Frugal Book Promoter and Carolyn’s other outstanding books by visiting her online at How to do it Frugally.com.

Looking for your tax refund?

Useful tools for writers from the IRS: http://www.irs.gov/uac/Newsroom/Small-Business-and-Self-Employed-Tax-Center-Provides-Online-Tools-and-Resources

Ten Things to Know about Free Volunteer Tax Help - IRS.gov http://www.irs.gov/uac/Newsroom/Ten-Things-to-Know-about-Free-Volunteer-Tax-Help

Important information about tax filing this year.

http://www.irs.gov/uac/Newsroom/IRS-Offers-Tips-to-Help-Taxpayers-with-the-January-30-Tax-Season-Opening

Top 10 Ways to Get Help from the IRS! http://www.irs.gov/uac/Newsroom/Top-10-Ways-to-Get-Help-from-IRS.gov

IRS Announces Simplified Option for Claiming Home Office Deduction

Interesting new option for writers working out of a home office. Directly from the IRS:

The Internal Revenue Service announced a simplified option that many owners of home-based businesses and some home-based workers may use to figure their deductions for the business use of their homes.

In tax year 2010, the most recent year for which figures are available, nearly 3.4 million taxpayers claimed deductions for business use of a home (commonly referred to as the home office deduction).

The new optional deduction, capped at $1,500 per year based on $5 a square foot for up to 300 square feet, will reduce the paperwork and recordkeeping burden on small businesses by an estimated 1.6 million hours annually.

"This is a common-sense rule to provide taxpayers an easier way to calculate and claim the home office deduction," said Acting IRS Commissioner Steven T. Miller. "The IRS continues to look for similar ways to combat complexity and encourages people to look at this option as they consider tax planning in 2013."

The new option provides eligible taxpayers an easier path to claiming the home office deduction. Currently, they are generally required to fill out a 43-line form (Form 8829) often with complex calculations of allocated expenses, depreciation and carryovers of unused deductions. Taxpayers claiming the optional deduction will complete a significantly simplified form.

Though homeowners using the new option cannot depreciate the portion of their home used in a trade or business, they can claim allowable mortgage interest, real estate taxes and casualty losses on the home as itemized deductions on Schedule A. These deductions need not be allocated between personal and business use, as is required under the regular method.

Business expenses unrelated to the home, such as advertising, supplies and wages paid to employees are still fully deductible.

Current restrictions on the home office deduction, such as the requirement that a home office must be used regularly and exclusively for business and the limit tied to the income derived from the particular business, still apply under the new option. The new simplified option is available starting with the 2013 return most taxpayers file early in 2014.

Further details on the new option can be found in Revenue Procedure 2013-13, posted today on IRS.gov. Revenue Procedure 2013-13 is effective for taxable years beginning on or after Jan. 1, 2013, and the IRS welcomes public comment on this new option to improve it for tax year 2014 and later years. There are three ways to submit comments.

E-mail to: Notice.Comments@irscounsel.treas.gov. Include “Rev. Proc. 2013-13” in the subject line.

Mail to: Internal Revenue Service, CC:PA:LPD:PR (Rev. Proc. 2013-13), Room 5203, P.O. Box 7604, Ben Franklin Station, Washington, DC 20044.

Hand deliver to: CC:PA:LPD:PR (Rev. Proc. 2013-13), Courier’s Desk, Internal Revenue Service, 1111 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC, between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.

The deadline for comment is April 15, 2013.

Employee or Independent Contractor?

As your writing business grows, there may be times when you need to hire help. You also may be providing writing services and wonder if you are working for a company as an employee or if you are really self-employed.

The Internal Revenue Service has strict definitions they use when determining if someone is an employee or a subcontractor. You can learn all about it on their web site using this link:Employee vs Independent Contractor

Marketing Your Writing Business by Brigitte Thompson

There is a lot involved in establishing your business and getting that first customer, but it is only the beginning. You will need to build a solid client base for your writing business to succeed.

Consider hanging signs advertising your business on public bulletin boards with tear off phone number strips. Contact local newspapers to ask about writing a short column for readers where you can share tips on a specific topic in exchange for the publicity. For example, you may be able to write a column and instead of being paid by the newspaper, you are allowed to include your contact information and web site which acts as an advertisement for your business.

Local radio stations may be interested in your tips for their listeners as well. If you are a sport fishing writer who can offer their listeners tips on great places to fish, pitch it to the station. You can record the tips and the station can air them with your name and contact information.

A web site provides an affordable means to reach your customers 24 hours a day. Domain names are affordable and several low cost hosting sites are now available online. Business cards and signs are a great way to let people know about your business. Hanging flyers at local colleges is a great way to attract professors looking for help writing their next article or book. Be sure to include all the benefits your service will provide and how it will make a positive difference in their lives. Keep your business cards handy so you can share them with people you meet who may have an interest in your services.

Networking is very important for any new business. Look into your local Chamber of Commerce or national writing organizations for additional people you can connect with or advertise through.
The Internet offers a multitude of ways to publicize, market, and promote your services as well as being a fantastic resource for learning more about the field of writing. Connecting with organizations and other writers through the Internet is a productive way to spend a few hours each day. Many discussion groups are available to writers through Yahoo.com. If you visit, just go to their Groups link then enter “writing,” “editing” or be even more specific and search for “moms who write comedy” or “science fiction screen play writers.” You will be amazed at what will turn up.

Brigitte is an accountant and the author of several business recordkeeping books including Bookkeeping Basics for Freelance Writers available through Amazon.com. She is a freelance writer living in Vermont with her husband, three children, two cats and three dogs. You can visit her online at Datamaster Accounting Services, LLC and Bookkeeping for Writers .

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) requires that our writing expenses be ordinary and necessary in order for them to be acceptable. An ordinary expense is defined as common and accepted in our profession. A necessary expense means we need to spend this money in order to operate the business. The expenses must not be considered extravagant. They must be an essential part of doing business as a writer. It is important to differentiate between personal expenses and business expenses.

Writers are able to realize some unique deductions which may be considered personal for other taxpayers. For example, a book on the history of New Mexico used for researching my fiction manuscript based in that state could be deductible as a writer.

Other potentially deductible expenses include tickets to a ballet used to build the character of a ballerina I am writing about and an instructional DVD used to improve my public speaking skills. Most writers will call these expenses research or professional development. We need to be able to justify each expense if audited, so be sure it is legitimate and has the supporting documents to back up the claim.

Check out my book, Bookkeeping Basics for Freelance Writers, to learn more about deductible expenses and how to reduce the income taxes you pay as a writer. You can read about it on my web site and on Amazon.com.

New Medicare Tax in 2013

Beginning on January 1, 2013, taxpayers earning $200,000.00 single (or $250,000.00 joint)will have to pay an additional Medicare tax.

Jen Singer - Parenting Author

Jen Singer is the author of Stop Second-Guessing Yourself — Baby’s First Year, Stop Second-Guessing Yourself — The Toddler Years and Stop Second-Guessing Yourself — The Preschool Years. For two years, she wrote the Good Grief blog for Goodhousekeeping.com and has written for or served as a resource for The New York Times, The CBS Evening News, CBS The Early Show, USA Today, Associated Press, Parenting, Family Circle, Real Simple, American Baby, Parents and more.

Welcome Jen! Tell us about your books.

In Stop Second-Guessing Yourself — Baby’s First Year readers will find new ways to embrace the roller-coaster of new parenthood, and enjoy the laughs along the way. The book includes humorous sidebars, self-quizzes, and real-life anecdotes from moms who have endured the new-baby trenches. It tackles the practical concerns of baby care, the psychological adjustments of new motherhood, and the myths that can get in the way of the new mom’s quest for sanity. Filled with helpful, sometimes hilarious, yet always straight-from-the-hip advice, this must-have guide will arm new moms with what they need to know to enjoy Baby’s first year.


When it comes to raising a toddler, forget about ‘what to expect.’ It’s the unexpected that transforms calm, collected women into frazzled, fried moms. Days when you’re running on four hours’ sleep and your toddler is melting down on the grocery store floor; times when you’re wondering how to dislodge a small object from your child’s nose; or those minutes when you think it surely must be two o’clock…except it’s only ten thirty. So much for the blessed moments that moms admit to. Welcome to reality.

Stop Second-Guessing Yourself — The Toddler Years is filled with proven real-world parenting tips, moms’ true confessions, and plenty of humor. This validating guide will help you survive the toddler years with more confidence. From bedtime to naps, feeding and potty-training, finding the right playgroup to finding mom-time, it’s all here and more. It’s the field guide to confident parenting that you’ll want to keep in the diaper bag, just in case.

With Stop Second-Guessing Yourself — The Preschool Years Jen shares her must-know advice plus dozens of “what works” tips from other moms. In this manifesto for modern momhood, she gives the girlfriendly skinny on everything that could confound you during the preschool years, from sleep issues to sibling rivalry, from starting school to stopping whining, from potty-training to picky eaters. With candid confessions, prescriptive tips, and a much-needed dose of humor, this must-have resource will help moms like you lose the doubt and gain much-needed advice and a pat on the back.

You can read more about Jen's books and subscribe to her free newsletter (Mom's Coffee Break) by visiting her online at MommaSaid.net.

How to Make Writing Your Book Easier by Melinda Copp

Today we welcome Melinda Copp to Writers in Business.
Melinda helps aspiring nonfiction, business, and self-help authors get clear on their story and book idea, and figure out how to put it all together so their readers love it. She operates the The Writer's Sherpa, LLC based in Bluffton, SC. Melinda has some tips to share with us.

I'm no expert in human behavior, but as far as I can tell, we as a species thrive on routine. I know for a fact that both my sons behave better when they know what to expect. For example, this morning school was delayed for two hours because of the weather. So instead of eating breakfast at 7:00, getting dressed at 7:35, and walking out the door at 8:05, my sons and I lay in bed until 7:15, ate breakfast at 8:00, watched television until 9:45, and then I had to rush everyone to get dressed and out of the house at 10:00. We're adaptable, thank goodness, and everything worked out okay. But the little change certainly made things more hectic. And all my morning chores that are usually done by 8:00 a.m. didn't get done until about 11:00.

So routines are good-they give us a rhythm to follow through key parts of the day. They also make writing big projects, like books, easier to finish. That's the hardest part, you know, actually finishing the book.

Routines get you in the habit and before long, you've done your writing for the day without any struggle or difficulty at all. Writing becomes one of those tasks you do every day, like making the bed or washing a load of laundry. But although most people accomplish more on routines, they aren't always easy to establish. It almost seems like you're the kind of person who establishes routines automatically or you aren't. I fall in the second category for sure. I don't naturally establish routines; I tend to fly by the seat of my pants, which makes it difficult to get things done.

I have to consciously make the effort to build habits that keep me organized and on track, with my writing and other areas of my life. If I want the house to be clean, I have to work straightening up into my routine. If I want my blog to be updated every day, I have to find somewhere to fit it into the rhythm of my life. And if I want to write a book, I have to give myself a deadline, break the project down into small assignments, put the task on my to-do list, pour my cup of coffee, and then show up to write at my desk in the morning. Motivation waxes and wanes, so when I don't feel like doing anything, I have my routines to fall back on, to coax me into productivity.

When I'm working with a client or student and they're struggling to find time to write I encourage them to work writing into their normal routine. I have found for myself, and many other writers, that if you clear calendar days and make writing a big deal, that you won't make the kind of progress you do when you make writing a little part of every day. And you won't be as good at it either.

Here are a few tips for easily incorporating writing into your day.

Put Writing on Your List

Even though I know I'm supposed to be writing every day, I still put it on my to-do list. I don't know why writing things on lists makes them more likely to happen, but it really works.

Ritualize Your Writing Time

I had a teacher in graduate school recommend making your writing time a sort of ritual that you do every day. By making it a ritual, she meant to set up your writing time in the same way each time, not only to make it a habit, but also to successfully transition yourself into it. For example, turn on your favorite music, fix yourself a cup of tea or coffee, light the candle, and then sit down at your desk to write. And then blow the candle out when you're done.

Give Yourself an Assignment

Thinking about what to write when you sit down at your computer can eat away time. So at the end of every writing session, when you're still in that creative flow, take a minute to give yourself an assignment for what to write the next time. Then when you open up that draft on your computer, you'll know exactly what you're supposed to be writing.

Writers write, even though that can be one of the hardest things to make time to do. Successes like getting your book done require doing whatever it takes to make sure you write. And the more you write, the easier it will be.

You can download a free copy of Melinda's "Jump Start Your Book E-course!" by visiting her online at Writers Sherpa and get your book started now!

The Writer’s Workout by Christina Katz

The Writer’s Workout: 366 Tips, Tasks & Techniques from your Writing Career Coach By Christina Katz

Christina Katz is the author of three books from Writer’s Digest: The Writer’s Workout, Get Known Before the Book Deal, and Writer Mama. Her writing career tips and parenting advice appear regularly in national, regional, and online publications. She holds an MFA in creative writing from Columbia College Chicago and a BA in English from Dartmouth College.

A popular speaker on creative career growth, Christina presents for writing conferences, literary events, MFA writing programs, and libraries. She is the creator and host of the Northwest Author Series in Wilsonville, Oregon, where she lives with her husband, her daughter, and far too many pets.

Christina, Welcome to Writers in Business! Tell us about your new book, The Writer’s Workout.

The Writer’s Workout contains 366 ideas—one idea per day—intended to encourage writers into prosperous action. It reviews critical skills for every writer such as improving craft, learning to sell work, how and when to specialize, ways to keep learning and growing, self-promotion from the basics through advanced topics, and how to balance traditional publication with self-publication.

How is The Writer’s Workout different from other writing books already out there?

One thing that makes The Writer’s Workout unique is that the rise and fall of the how-to curve is set against the backdrop of the seasons of the year. The seasonal backdrop helped me deliver advice for writers on four levels: beginner, intermediate, seasoned pro, and veteran—each paralleling a season: spring, summer, fall, or winter. The result, I hope, is one idea every day that will help writers find and maintain literary momentum all year long in these highly distracted times.

Some people say these are tough times for writers. Others say there are opportunities around every corner. What do you say?

I say we are living in a gig economy, where professionals are stringing freelance jobs together into creative careers. We’re all doing the best we can, finding and maintaining our momentum. Not only can The Writer’s Workout assist folks who are just getting started supplementing their income with writing, it can help people who have already been writing professionally recognize that there are more opportunities to build income streams writing than any of us have realized. And then it’s just a matter of choosing the goals that will best suit your goals.

I understand The Writer’s Workout originally had a different title. What was the original title?

The Writer’s Workout actually had three previous titles. I’ll share them if folks, who have read the book, will tell me which they think is the best match with the final version.
1. The first title was: Read. Write. Grow.
2. The second title was: The Everyday Writing Coach.
3. The third title was: The Anyday Writing Coach.
4. And the fourth and final title was: The Writer’s Workout.
Personally, I prefer The Writer’s Workout. But what does everyone else think?

Any final comments you would like to make in closing?

At the end of the day, it does not matter if you are self-published or traditionally published, blogging or not blogging, a book-sniffer or a digital diva, a social media maven or a social media deer-in-the-headlights—what matters is that you cultivate the creativity that wants to be expressed through you. That’s your job. Go do it!

Wonderful advice! Thank you Christina! To learn more about her writing visit, ChristinaKatz.com.

Allan Douglas Writes!

Self described as “an author, writer, prattler, dreamer” Douglas Allan Bittinger (pen name Allan Douglas) has been writing articles, short stories, poetry and novels since the late 1960's.

Three of his books have been published so far; a fourth book is in progress. Stories about his life as a mountain man wannabe are posted on his blog, Simple Life Prattle. He also blogs about writing at The Write Stuff.

Welcome to Writers in Business! Let’s start off with an overview of your experiences and they have become part of what you write.

I have blogs that share what I've learned as a woodworker, as a gardener, as a writer, and as someone who has learned to live a less frantic lifestyle. I have been a real teacher: I've taught many woodworking classes at Rockler Woodworking, taught 5th grade computer science, I was a pre-school teacher for many years, taught gymnastics, and I currently teach a young adult Sunday School class.

The Write Stuff is a way to inform others but was conceived as a marketing tool for my books for writers. The other blogs have no such ulterior motives - yet. I am working on my Mountain Man's Gardening Guide, which would be featured on one of my other blogs - and mentioned frequently in my column for Grit Magazine: Of Mice and Mountain Men.

You are a man of many talents! Tell us about your Simple Life Prattle blog.

Easy to understand, deal with, and use. Not elaborate, ornate or complicated. Free of deceit, unpretentious. Humble. Those are our favorite dictionary definitions of the word Simple and they express our vision of The Simple Life.

We are accomplishing this by moving closer to nature and being aware of the Earth, by seeking God’s will for us, embracing the good things and happy times that are here for us right now, and by uncomplicating our lives. We can not (yet) claim to be minimalists, but we do embrace many of those precepts.

We moved from St Louis MO. to the Great Smoky Mountains in 2001 to begin our pursuit of simplicity. We live on 5 acres of wooded, steeply sloping mountainside land. Mountain side living can provide a few challenges, but it is serenely beautiful here, the air is clean and fresh and we love living where the clouds recline for the night. The articles offered in the blog posts are snippets of our journey and discoveries we have made along the way.

The articles I have read on your blog are inspirational. I admire the simple, uncomplicated way of life and hope someday to follow that path. Your other blog is for writers, the Write Stuff.

The Write Stuff is a collection of articles on the topic of being a writer. Some apply to blogging, some to writing for magazines, some to writing a book, some to marketing your work, and some to the life, frustrations and blessings of being a freelance writer.

I am not a world famous author, nor a teacher of creative writing. I am just a guy sharing what I’ve learned. If you are wondering if I’m just parroting what others have said or actually know something to talk about, check out the About The Author page. I think you will see that while I may not be on the NYT Best Sellers list, I *do* have some experience.

While exploring your web site and blogs, I read your article Writing for Profit or Pleasure: Where (and how) to Publish and was impressed by the amount of information it contained. Useful tips, thoughtful suggestions and concise instruction. I understand you share details in your book, Writing for Profit or Pleasure; Where to Publish Your Work. Can you tell us more about it?

Yes, my book is 146 pages, 30,000 words of concise, insightful information about where and how a writer can achieve publication of their writings. Whether you write for income or for the joy of it, whether you aspire to write on-line or for print, this book has a wealth of information to help you find and secure publication.

It can be purchased through Amazon as a print book , in Kindle format and for the Nook .

Can you share a tip with my readers?

In my view, blogging and social media are about quality not quantity. By that I mean that gathering a group of 2,000 people who are actually interested in what you say and will read your stuff is far more valuable than 10,000 people who ignore you. Big numbers may look impressive, but are of little use other than impressing people who don't know better.

Very true words of wisdom! Thank you for visiting us at Writers in Business! Readers, you can learn more about Allan Douglas by visiting him online at Allan Douglas.com.

This Business of Writing: Ordinary and Necessary Expenses

This Business of Writing: Ordinary and Necessary Expenses by Brigitte A. Thompson, author of Bookkeeping Basics for Freelance Writers.

C. Hope Clark's Lowcountry Bribe- Part of the Carolina Slade Mystery Series

“He winked and clicked his tongue. Panic coursed through me at the altered state. Like hearing that your church-going mother likes her bourbon straight and sex on top. He’d offered me a bribe.”

Welcome to C. Hope Clark’s other world. Lowcountry Bribe, released in February 2012, is the first book in the Carolina Slade Mystery Series which is set in South Carolina and is certain to captivate you.

C. Hope Clark was born and reared in the South, from Mississippi to South Carolina with a few stints in Alabama and Georgia. The granddaughter of a Mississippi cotton farmer, Hope holds a B.S. in Agriculture with honors from Clemson University. She has 25 years’ experience with the U. S. Department of Agriculture all of which enable her to talk the talk of Carolina Slade, the protagonist in most of her novels.

Welcome to Writers in Business! I understand there is an interesting story behind the concept for your series.

Yes, the concept of the series originated from my many experiences with USDA investigations as well as those of my husband, retired Resident-Agent-in-Charge Gary W. Clark, Sr. I spent a career in the rural arena, covering every county in South Carolina via my positions within the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The main character in my series, Carolina Slade, fights crime, with the aid of Agriculture’s Office of the Inspector General, a little touted arm of the federal government filled with badge-toting agents just like the FBI.

Can you tell us more about Carolina?

Carolina Slade is smart, sometimes too smart. She’s cocky, sometimes too cocky. She has a white streak in her long dark hair, and what goes against the grain of many mystery writers in the industry, she has two kids. Ivy and Zack provide a three-dimensional side to Slade unseen in other mysteries with female characters. And they can be a hoot!

Slade stumbled into sleuthing by accident then fell in so deep she had to embrace it. Then she learned to love it. Then it became her job. Her love life, well, let’s say she has one, but the kids and solving cases seem to come first, turning into a rub with the man who wants to become her guy. .

In researching for our interview, I was thrilled to discover your book had already won several awards.
Yes, Lowcountry Bribe's opening chapter took first place in the Phillip Mangelsdorf Award, third place in Alabama Writer’s Conclave Competition and honorable mention in The Writing Show Chapter Competition as judged by bestselling mystery author C. J. Box. The chapter also made top three finalist status of the Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense sponsored by Romance Writers of America. The novel enjoyed semi-finalist status (top 100 out of 10,000) in the 2009 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Contest.

As an award-winning writer, you have been published in The Writer Magazine, Writer’s Digest, Chicken Soup, Next Step Magazine, College Bound Teen, Voices of Youth Advocates (VOYA), TURF Magazine, Landscape Management and other trade and online publications. Can you share a marketing tip with us based on your experience?

The most successful marketing tip I can give writers promoting themselves and their work, whether novel, copywriting, plays, etc., is to write articles. That means guest blogs, magazine articles, newsletter pieces. Do you know that one article can reach more people in a weekend than your book could sell in a year? That's serious promotion.

I love guest blogs, no matter how large or small. They are today's word-of-mouth, and so quickly re-delivered via Facebook and Twitter. How hard is it to write 500-700-word pieces? And each article improves your search power on Google, and the viral potential is phenomenal. People find me more through articles on other sites than any other method.

Thank you Hope!

You have until March 15th to win a free copy of Lowcountry Bribe through GoodReads . If you don’t win, be sure to buy your copy through Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Bell Bridge Books.