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A writer contacted me this week to find out how to become a freelancer. I had two recommendations: read about it and take some classes. I've combined my answers to her questions into this week's article, How to Build a Freelance Career. ~Gregory |
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February 7, 2008 |
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Gregory A. Kompes, Editor |
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ISSUE #164 |
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February 23 — Book Fair — 2pm-4pm
Writer’s Pen & Grill (Las Vegas, NV) is a social networking evening for writers. Meets the 4th Wednesday of the month at 6:30 PM. Open to all. Visit http://www.PenandGrill.com for location and details. |
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There are many types and forms of freelance writing possible, from the technical side, to magazine articles, and business applications. It can take some time to build a career, but it is quite possible and potentially lucrative.
In the beginning of building a freelance career, being type cast is actually a very good thing. The best thing you can do is establish yourself as a topic expert. You'll be more likely to sell your work. Once you build a few clips in your niche topic, it'll be much easier to branch out into new topics. It actually can take years to get to writing features for the big names, so you need to strike out into trade publications and to write for most of those you need to be able to stress your expert status.
Most writers read a mountain of books on the art, craft, and business of writing. I know I have. When I recently moved my office the number of boxes of writing books was an eye opener. When I got to the new office, I dutifully unpacked, dusted, and shelved all of those writing books, again. Just like my large stack of rejection letters, I consider those books a writing badge of honor; they're proof to me that I've learned a great deal about our business. If you don't already have one, get a library card. Do a search online for books on freelance writing and nonfiction writing (also article writing and magazine writing), make a list and then check them out from your local library, and start reading. If your library doesn't have your book list, see if they do inter-library loans.
One of the best books on freelancing is The Well-fed Writer by Peter Bowerman. This book really does explain how to build a freelance writing career and I highly recommend it as a freelance career starting place.
Magazine writing, while difficult to break into can also be very lucrative. If you're not familiar with the whys and hows, might I recommend Eva Shaw's class The Craft of Magazine Writing (http://www.ed2go.com/cgi-bin/ed2go/newcrsdes.cgi?course=mw1&title=The^Craft^of^Magazine^Writing&departmentnum=PW&path=1). Offered fully online, this is an affordable and excellent way to learn about the craft and markets. (Six weeks/$129).
There's also a mountain of information via the Web and in books. My own library is over 100 books on various writing and freelance topics. For a little free information, check out Writers on the Rise (www.writersontherise.com) or just do a Google search.
It's important to build an online presence, no matter what type of writing you're going to be doing. Websites, blogging, social networking, ezines, etc. are all things to explore and take advantage of. I offer an online class, Internet ACE: Online Self Promotion, that covers all of these topics and more (10 weeks/$149). More info at http://www.writerpreneur.org.
Finally, I highly recommend getting a copy of The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron (you can pick up the original edition used for under $10 on Amazon.) This isn't a book to just read, but to work through--that's why you need to get your own copy. It's set up as a 12 week course and should be worked through at that pace. It's one of the reasons I'm a working writer today. And, everyone I know who actually worked through the book is now a working writer. |
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If you're tired of all those rejection letters from magazine editors, do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of The Renegade Writer's Query Letters that Rock: The Freelance Writer's Guide to Selling more Work Faster by Linda Formichelli and Diana Burrell. Query Letters that Rock is set up in two parts. The first, in Q&A form, will truly answer every question you have about query letters. Part II is a selection of query letters that sold accompanied by a write up from the letter author about the choices they made in the query and a follow up from the editor that bought the piece and why they liked the query. Written in plain language, Query Letters that Rock, is by far the most comprehensive explanation of what you need in a query letter and why. Don't just pick up a copy of this excellent guide, but read it from cover to cover several times. You'll be writing the best queries of your career and on your way to selling more articles. |
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1. Did you choose the writing profession or did it choose you? I have always wanted to write but it took getting divorced for the third time and then having “all” that time to myself.
2. What is your background? (education, work, etc.) I am retired from the California Department of Corrections and a juvenile hall in Northern California, I’ve got a BA in Social Work/Corrections, all of which has been the sources for my two published books.
3. When did you ‘know’ you were a writer? I knew I was a writer when i sat down and wrote and liked what came out.
4. How would you describe your style of writing? Style??? Primarily first person and third person with a lot of factual stuff in there also.
5. What is your writing process? A cup of warm tea and a little smooth jazz to get me primed.
6. What was your path to publication? My path to publication was littered with greed. I wanted all the money without realizing that I got all the work too. Then common sense took hold.
7. What is your favorite self-marketing idea? My favorite self-marketing ploy is the book signing. I look forward to them.
8. What are the biggest surprises you’ve encountered as a writer? Being self-published and finding out that the larger institutions, libraries, book stores, etc. do not want to deal with me because I am self-published.
9. How do you inspire yourself? What are your sources of creativity? Most of the time I just get the urge and sit down and write, sometimes it is a thousand words and sometimes its one hundred but I write. 10. What is your proudest writer moment? My proudest moment as a writer is being asked about my next book and then answering questions at a book signing.
11. What’s the best advice you were given about writing? The best advice was from a Pete Dexter statement, “write at least one hour per day”
12. What is your most embarrassing writer moment? The most embarrassing moment was reading my first book and finding all the grammatical errors.
13. What business challenges have you faced as a writer? The challenges I have seen and which really piss me off is hearing the price that newspapers want for an ad and then having no turn out at all from the ad.
14. What is your writer life philosophy? My writing philosophy is basically wanting to produce something that will catch the eye of students that are majoring in Criminal Justice, etc. as when I was going through school, there was nothing of this nature that I could fall back on or glean any information from.
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15. When you’re not writing what do you do for fun? When not writing, I read and garden. I recently moved to southern Oregon with a friend of mine and we are busy putting this house together and deciding what we would like to do to it on down the road.
16. Who do you like to read? I read James Lee Burke, probably have all of his; James Patterson, some Joe Wambaugh and recently picked up a Mary Higgins Clark.
17. What’s your advice for new writers? My advice is just keep writing, you’ll not suffer writers block as long as you put something on paper. You can always come back and change it.
18. What are you currently working on? Thanks to Jump Drives, I have a third book in the works and have compiled a fair amount of short stories. Am trying my hand at writing some erotica and plan to enter some writing contests and apply for one or two residencies as well as a work shop or two.
Bibliography |
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ISSN 1554-0804 |
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Are you a published author? Take the 18Q today! |
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Patchwork Path: Grandma’s Choice Deadline: March 31, 2008. Choice Publishing Group is looking for original stories and essays up to 2000 words about and by grandmothers and the choices they make. Each submission will be reviewed and considered based on creativity, originality, concept, and style. Reading will be continuous and submissions will be considered as they arrive. Not all works will be accepted. There is NO Entry or Reading Fee. Queer Collection: Prose & Poetry 2009 Deadline: December 31, 2008. Pays $50 upon publication. Looking for creative original prose and poetry by and for a gay, lesbian, bi, transgender, and queer (GLBTQ) audience. Fiction, nonfiction, and poetry will be considered. http://www.queercollection.com |
