In my last entry, I talked about the fact that I write for part of my living. Today I thought I'd give you an idea about what I have due to various editors in the next month or two.

My biggest employer to date is Clean Run (www.cleanrun.com), an internationally available dog agility magazine. Every month I produce two columns for them. One is titled "Everything You Wanted to Know About Agility But Were Afraid to Ask". Readers are supposed to send in their questions about rules, etiquette, and other non-training aspects of agility and I hunt up the answers. Often I have to contact the heads of agility organizations for clarifications of rules. Sometimes I interview other competitors when the question calls for it. I'm fortunate that nearly all the interviewing and consulting that I do for this and other articles are done via email.

The biggest problem is that people don't send in questions. Every so often I sent out a plea for questions to the Clean Run Yahoo Group, where dedicated agility enthusiasts send messages about training and the magazine. I just got a whole slew of questions, so I'm in good shape for a while.

My other regular column is called "Ask the Experts". Once again readers submit questions, but this time they are training oriented. I contact four to six "experts" every month. These folks are instructors or competitors who have experienced a high degree of success, or who have a reputation for innovative training techniques or who succesfully train unusual breeds of dogs. I send out the question and get commitments from these experts. Then I send out a word count for them to for their answer(many people have major problems "only" writing 600 words, let me tell you). The entire column should be about 2500 words long, but sometimes it creeps up to 3000 words.

After I receive their answers (hopefully before the deadline I gave them - this month I think I said the 24th), I have to edit them for grammar, clarity, and sometimes length. It's hard work to make sure that non-writers sound good without changing their voice or intent. I then write a one paragraph (or so) introduction to the question of the month.

Every other month (which happens to be this one) I compile reports from every agility organization that wants to participate. They send me updates on what is going on with them - rule changes, special events, and so on. I usually have to assign them an early deadline because so many of them miss it and I have to harass them repeatedly to get their stuff in. For a few of the organizations, I go to their websites and write an update and then forward it to them for their approval.

Some of the updates have to be heavily edited, since again many of these people are non-writers. I find it much more challenging to edit the Updates than my Experts columns, although I'm not sure why.

This month I also have a feature due to Clean Run. This is an article about how dog training clubs handle the setting up and taking down of their equipment during classes. Moving equipment efficiently is an important part of teaching classes.

All of these articles, with the exception of the Update, are due on June 1. The Update is due on the 7th.

Also due before the end of the month are two things I do on a volunteer basis. I write a monthly column called Sighthounds Sound Off! in Front & Finish, which is a dog trainer's magazine that's been around since 1971 (www.frontandfinish.com). They give me a free subscription, which I would never accept as payment now but since they are highly respected and gave me one of my first "breaks" as a regular columnist, I keep doing it. I do like being able to write about whatever doggie thing I want, and it's fun to get feedback from readers via email.

I also write a brags column in my local dog club's newsletter. Since I had my son, life has gotten too busy for me to teach every week and volunteer from sun up to sun down on agility trial weekends. By assembling the month's brags, I can still contribute.

Venturing into next month I have my regular Clean Run, Front & Finish, and dog club columns, as well as a feature on the use of a remote treat dispensing device for a Canadian magazine called DogSport, a feature for Clean Run on outdoor agility surfaces, and a book review for Clean Run as well.

On top of this, I am delighted to have gotten a regular gig with the United States Agility Association (www.usdaa.com) where I will be the managing editor for a new paper and web newsletter. I'm nervous about this new job, and I hope I can translate the organization's thoughts onto paper.

So, I'm going to be a little bit busy in the upcoming months. I hope I can keep my son/three dogs/cat from destroying my house as I attempt to get work done. Wish me luck!

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