OK I know this is a high-minded and literary thread, but I want to ask a question about money.

Call me big-headed, but I think I can write.

I've been employed to write articles and (sort of) books before.

They were about subjects I know about, like web publishing.

Now, I'm thinking "where can someone who can write earn money?" and the "earn money" thing is key.

If I don't care what it is -- the first-five-minutes 'plots' in porn movies, speeches for right-wing politicians, Hallmark cards for people who've successfully passed a kidney stone -- are there places I can get money as a freelance writer?

Someone has to write the blurb in the catalogue of Palm Pilot accessories after all:

Lost the stylus for your PalmPilot? Need a spare for the car or boat? Never be without a stylus again with this pack of durable plastic thingies (contains three).

so, where do I start looking?

If you think this post should really be somewhere else, please say so, but I'd be interested in your answers.

Go to the library and look for a big book called Writer's Market. It comes out every year, and the latest will be in the Reference section. You may have to promise your first born to the ref librarian, because I hear this book has a tendency to walk.

Go to the library and look for a big book called Writer's Market.

Cool, thank you.

I forgot to say, it will be even better if I could somehow write for companies or organisations overseas, and avoid all that pesky "tax" nonsense...

New poem, once again on the topic of Autumn.

Advice for a Fall Afternoon

Beware
the maple tree,
engulfed in leaves
of flame

consumed but
not truly afire

like the bush
in the desert
that called
to Moses,

changing his life

and mankind

in a few short
moments.

Most foliage never
speaks

(as Moses surely knew)

but if it
has a voice
within the flame,

don’t expect small
talk.

Oooh, Steph. I like that. Nothing real concrete to offer, but that's just nifty.

Me too, Steph. Beauty-ful.

Thanks! Poetry is very new for me. And since my prose is so rambly and verbose, my terse verse (heh) doesn't quite sound right. I have to get used to what my poetry sounds like.

Teppy, that was cool. Loved that last line. "Don't expect small talk." Hee.

Nice poem, Steph. I find it interesting that you chose to use Biblical references.

And now for my question: I wrote a poem last night, and I'm not sure about it at all. I don't know if it makes any sense, and I'm really not sure about how it should be layed out if it does. So far I have three main options that I can see.

1) keep it all in small letters, no caps or punctuation at all, and let people figure it out on thier own (the first way, the way I saw it while I was writing the first draft).

acidaura
cutstoic
andichar
unumbero
sarcasms
tighttit
inmeandi
coldstic

2) Normal poetry, with capitals the beginning of every line and punctuation in, including spaces:

Acid aura
Cutstoic
And I char,
U number, O,
Sarcasm's
Tight tit
In me and I
Coldstic.

3)To bring out the 'hidden' meaning, with capitals:

AcidaurA
CutstoiC
AndIchaR
UnumberO
Sarcasm'S
Tight tiT
InmeandI
ColdstiC

Which one do you think works best? Do any of them work? Would a mixture of types be better?

Could you put it in three columns across? Or would that be too obvious?