Interview with The Write Stuff blogger, Brittany Roshelle Davis, and a Beauty Giveaway

Posted by bridgid on | January 9, 2012 | 25 Comments |

We have the perfect antidote to the holidays: first, an inspiring interview with writer Brittany Roshelle Davis, then, our first-ever Beauty Giveaway (scroll down to see the beauty items you can win).

Brittany is the writer behind The Write Stuff blog, where she interviews authors and hosts book giveaways on a regular basis. (It’s a great blog to follow if you like hearing about new books…and winning them!) She’s also a beauty, fashion, and style writer (thus the beauty giveaway) for the national online women’s magazine Betty Confidential, a health psychology writer for Health Daily Online, and writes a food column for her local newspaper. And there’s more! Brittany is an aspiring Young Adult fiction author, currently editing her first YA novel.

In her interview, Brittany dishes on how she’s landed jobs, what she’s working on next, and the secret to successful blogging.

Brittany’s Interview

BG: You recently landed a job with a local publication (Fort Collins newspaper). Would you mind sharing the story behind how you landed that job?

BR: Not at all! It’s my firm belief that freelance writers need to stick together and give each other plenty of advice and tips. When you want to write for a publication, the best thing you can do is to peruse the content regularly and keep an eye out for job openings. I happen to be reading an article online for The Coloradoan on a local restaurant and their food when I spotted an ad asking for freelance writers to contribute as restaurant profilers for the newspaper. I emailed the editor for the entertainment section right away.

BG: Awesome! Thanks for the advice and congrats on landing the job!

You also write for online markets such as Betty Confidential and Health Daily Online. Please share a little about your experience writing for online markets. Would you recommend it? Why, or why not?

BR: Absolutely, I would recommend it. I’ve been a contributing magazine writer for Betty Confidential for over a year now as a fashion, style, and beauty writer…and I have to say I love every minute of it. Since it is an online publication, it operates at an incredibly fast pace and I interact with my editor, fashion designers, and experts daily. The pace, the communication, the love for all things beauty related—is amazing and I thrive under it. The same goes for Health Daily Online.

What I also love is the ability to expand your interests and abilities as a writer through online content as well. I can easily be in multiple places at once. For Betty Confidential, I’m a beauty writer. For Health Daily Online, I’m able to use my background in social and health psychology to write medically sound articles for the entire Healthy Living section. I’m able to use my full potential as a writer in a multitude of places, which is perfect for me.

BG: I love your perspective on this. Hopefully our enthusiasm (and positive experiences)will get Inky Fresh readers thinking about their interests, and how they can use them to land writing jobs!

Are there resources you would recommend for writers who are also interested in writing for online markets?

BR: WhisperJobs at Ed2010 is a great place to look for job postings.

BG: Love WhisperJobs! I follow Ed2010 on Twitter and they have fabulous opportunities.

What recent writing accomplishment are you most proud of?

BR: I’d have to say finishing my first YA fiction novel. I’m in the process of editing it but I still can’t believe I wrote 65,000 words. It was a big dream for me since I was little and I’m glad I bit the bullet and went for it.

BG: Congrats! That’s a huge accomplishment! (And good luck with the editing.)

Your blog, The Write Stuff , is great! I love that you include so many interviews with such a broad array of authors. Where did the idea for your blog come from? Did you know that you would be mostly doing interviews and giveaways when you started?

BR: Thank you! Long ago when I just wrote fiction in my spare time, I had a burning desire to be a published writer but I had no idea how to get there. I started a blog and began posting articles about the news and personal events in my life. Then, it hit me a couple months later I should interview authors about how they became published since it’s the biggest question I had at the time. How on earth do they do it??! Soon enough, I had a new interview every week on tips from published authors and I started to host book giveaways.

BG: What advice would you give to writers who are new to conducting interviews?

BR: Have fun with it and don’t be afraid to ask the questions you really want to know.

BG: Awesome advice.

So, what’s the story behind your other blog (26 Countries and 1 Kitchen)?

BR: My husband and I started the blog with the idea that we’d love for nothing more than to throw caution to the wind and travel around the world…except you’d have to call us Ishmael because we can’t cover the ever increasing airfare. So we decided to bring the world to us instead. The tastes and smells of different countries, minus the jet lag, would be invited and experimented upon with the help of our tiny kitchen. We want to sample the exotic cuisine of 26 different countries and share what recipes worked out for the average American and which ones turned out disastrous such as the Canadian Tourtiere meat pies or the orange Russian Borscht soup.

Unfortunately as with traveling, we got stuck in China and never left, so we’ve decided to come back State side for a few days of reflection and to cook a few comfort dishes, like Rice Krispies Treats with Champagne, before tackling Chinese cuisine.

BG: It’s a fun concept! (More importantly, when can I come over for Rice Krispies Treats?)

With two blogs of your own, you’re something of an expert on blogging! What advice would you give to writers who are new to blogging?

BR: Get in touch with bloggers who match your interest and ask for their advice. They can connect you in ways you can’t imagine.

BG: The network of awesome people who blog never ceases to amaze me. This is fantastic advice. Especially since, in my opinion, new bloggers often feel intimidated by other bloggers (especially more experienced and/or successful bloggers). You won’t know for sure until you go for it, but I’ve found the blogging community amazingly helpful and supportive.

Ages ago, I sent you my advice on querying magazines. Did it help, or have you found other techniques that you prefer?

BR: Absolutely, it did help! Your advice on writing a magazine query with a hook, outline, credentials, and closing was spot on. Best tips I could have ever received!

Thank you very much for having me on Inky Fresh Press!

BG: Of course! Thanks for sharing your advice with us, and for the AWESOME Beauty Giveaway!

Brittany’s AWESOME Beauty Giveaway

Brittany is offering a $25 Beauty Giveaway to one Inky Fresh Reader. The only requirement? You MUST “Like” The Write Stuff Facebook page to enter.

Here’s what you’ll win:

• No7 Boots Mineral Perfection Eye Shadow Palette in Heather ($8.99),
• Sonia Kashuk Primer Vitamin Face Serum ($17.99), and,
• Wet n Wild best-selling nail polish shade in Heatwave.

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