At checkout, I put thirty tins of cat food on the conveyor belt, and noticed the dark circles underneath the checker’s eyes. She brightened a bit when we talked about her cats. I told her about my work with cat rescue; but I didn’t mention how, earlier that morning, I’d found out that two of my co-workers tested positive for the virus. The look in her eyes told me that she’d watched many co-workers get sick, or suddenly disappear from work. After check out, I said thank you. Thank you for your service. You can’t help but feel an overwhelming sense of gratitude for workers and first responders. In this war against Covid-19, grocery store checkers are among those on the front lines. Meanwhile, people in the SoCal area are parading down streets and waving signs, protesting closures. Of course, I don’t know what’s best, so I’ll leave it up to the experts who do, and they say it’s not safe yet in Los Angeles because there’s not enough testing or a vaccine yet. But I get it. We all want it to be over.

Day to day, we adjust to a new way of living. Some writers struggle to find time to write with kids at home. Others, like my husband, have lost their jobs or have been ordered by their doctors to self-quarantine. And others, who already worked from home before shelter-in-place or those whose jobs now require them to work remotely, have found themselves working nonstop with little breaks, eating a sandwich in front of the computer during lunch, taking Zoom meetings with coworkers whose kids and pets photobomb and thankfully, provide a much-needed laugh. Video conferencing has become our new way of connecting with one another. The need to hear a loved one’s voice. To see a smile on screen and receive a virtual hug. The new sense of “touch.” (A much safer form than the man who brushed my arm at the grocery store!)

As writers, we use the five senses to bring readers into our stories, but what will become of the sense of touch? Dr. Anthony Fauci suggested Americans should never shake hands again. Even as some states make plans to reopen, recommendations to wear masks and keep distancing remain. How will it affect us in business dealings and as a community?

As an essayist, I can’t help but ponder both the big and small topics that Covid-19 provides. An essay or story using the sense of touch as a central theme would be a timely topic right now, and if you want to take that idea and run with it, consider entering one of our contests. I’m itching to write another essay! But since last issue, I’ve taken on an overwhelming amount of freelance work. The majority is in content strategy, which is a thriving industry right now. Even though I’m exhausted, I can’t help but feel grateful, and other freelancers I’ve talked to feel the same. Grateful we have work when so many have lost their jobs. Grateful we can write, pitch, publish, and get paid online. And with that also comes a sense of urgency—to take on all the extra contract work we can get because we’re worried there won’t be any later. But so far, that hasn’t been the case. New markets are popping up. Opportunities abound.

Editors are seeking personal essays and stories now more than ever. (Just check out the sidebar for editors seeking pitches, and the Covid-19 section below.) Personal stories are the balm we need during precarious times. We strive to connect. And if we can’t do that physically, we do it virtually—whether it’s through Zoom or better yet, through words. Our words and personal stories have the power to heal. They create community and connection around a shared topic.

One of the best ways to make good money for a piece of writing—whether it’s an essay or other creative writing piece—is by pitching your ideas (and retaining clients). Pitching typically pays more than submitting. Our markets columnist, Ashley Memory, shares a recent example in her column this month. Don’t know how to pitch? Check out WOW Managing Editor Margo L. Dill’s tips for querying in the section below. Also, remember, we’re accepting queries/article pitches for the next two WOW e-zine themes. A quick reminder:

Your Burning Question

Deadline for pitches: June 15

Every article title should be a question, and the content will be the answer to the most pressing questions writers have.

Authorpreneur

Deadline for pitches: September 15

This issue will focus on how to be a career author, from planning your writing products to managing your list, from taking care of your health and wellbeing to becoming a speaker and coach, from creating a sales funnel to earning passive income, and more.

Check out our writer's guidelines here (scroll down to "Submissions." Pay $50 - $150).

We know some of you freelance full time. We strive to make this newsletter useful for writers of every genre and field. If you’re freelancing, you know that Covid-19 has affected some markets. Magazines and publishers have suspended print issues due to printers closing and a decline in media advertising, which is due to closed businesses. (And if it’s affected you, I compiled this list of grants for freelancers and artists.)

Watching the bees inspired me to get busy! So, in an effort to help other quarantined writers, especially disabled writers and people debilitated by illness, I pitched an essay to Rooted in Rights, an online magazine dedicated to redefining narratives around disability, mental health, and chronic illness. Not only did they kindly publish A Writer with M.S. Finds Unexpected Gratitude with an Antique Typewriter, they paid $150!