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Topic: anyone read Get A Freelance Life?
| Author | Message |
| Venus | Posted – 7/28/2006 4:38:36 PM | show profile Sorry if this is a repeat topic. Just curious who's read it and if you learned anything new. Is it worth the money, or is it basically repurposed MB web content? |
| kstwrites | Posted – 7/28/2006 7:25:03 PM | show profile read Get a Freelance Life i read it in two days, it was really great. not just "do this, do that," but informative and interesting. major insight into the freelance career. |
| globetrotter78 | Posted – 7/28/2006 7:33:15 PM | show profile I've got it. It's geared toward beginners a lot but still full of great info! I learned a lot from it. |
| Newsy | Posted – 7/28/2006 8:19:11 PM | show profile Awesome, and thanks for the info. I was actually thinking of getting it myself, but didn't know if it's worth it. |
| MedScribe | Posted – 7/28/2006 8:24:41 PM | show profile Is it written by someone who continues to make their living primarily as a freelancer? I've noticed some books are written by ex-freelancers, which suggests that writing a how-to book is more lucrative for them than actually freelance writing. Hmmm ... |
| dribbledrive1 | Posted – 7/28/2006 9:06:28 PM | show profile Generally, books are written by freelancers. --Posted ? 7/28/2006 8:24:41 PM | show profile Is it written by someone who continues to make their living primarily as a freelancer? I've noticed some books are written by ex-freelancers, which suggests that writing a how-to book is more lucrative for them than actually freelance writing. Hmmm ..... |
| dribbledrive1 | Posted – 7/29/2006 9:48:38 PM | show profile Oh, as a broad generalization, the freelance writers who make the most money are doing corporate and marketing work. Book writing isn't really a particular lucrative venture for the vast majority of people. ----Posted ? 7/28/2006 8:24:41 PM | show profile Is it written by someone who continues to make their living primarily as a freelancer? I've noticed some books are written by ex-freelancers, which suggests that writing a how-to book is more lucrative for them than actually freelance writing. Hmmm .....-- |
| arewrites | Posted – 7/30/2006 6:48:15 AM | show profile >>Oh, as a broad generalization, the freelance writers who make the most money are doing corporate and marketing work. Book writing isn't really a particular lucrative venture for the vast majority of people.<< Very broad. There are at least three ASJA members I can think of without effort who have cleared over $100K a year doing magazine work only...in two cases, well over that amount. |
| belinda | Posted – 7/30/2006 10:48:22 AM | show profile >>There are at least three ASJA members I can think of without effort who have cleared over $100K a year doing magazine work only...<< I can think without effort of at least two ASJA members who have claimed to make more than $100K a year on magazine work, but who actually make their income in several arenas, with mag writing the largest but by no means the major portion -- and at least one whose $100K a year was her income combined with her husband's. |
| MedScribe | Posted – 7/30/2006 12:05:37 PM | show profile Does anyone know if ... this book or any other book for freelancers is written by someone who makes their living freelancing? (In other words, I'm not interested if they clear more than $100k or not, just that they are a successful prolific consumer freelancer, not a novice how-to writer). I'd like a book NOT aimed at beginners. Any suggestions? |
| belinda | Posted – 7/30/2006 12:14:21 PM | show profile You bet! "The Renegade Writer: A totaally unconventional guide to freelance writing success" by Linda Formichelli and Diana Burrell "Six Figure Freelancing" by Kelly James-Enger |
| Linda F | Posted – 7/30/2006 5:50:48 PM | show profile Thanks, belinda! It's nice to hear Diana's and my book being suggested as a must-read. (Your check is in the mail. ;-) I read Get a Freelance Life and learned a lot since Margit Feury wrote it from the perspective of an editor-turned-freelancer-turned-editor (I think I got that right). It as an interesting read as well. I'm trying to think if there was ever a time when I did 100% magazine work. From 1997 until maybe 2002 or so I did some corp work as well, then I ditched the corp work for a while but ended up co-authoring books. I'd say maybe 75% of my income is from mag writing, with the rest from books, my e-course, and the occasional corp writing job. I don't think it's impossible to make a great living writing only for magazines, but sometimes you get sick of certain aspects of mag writing and want to try other things. Also, creating multiple "income streams" (don't I sound all businessy?) helps even out the "feast or famine" bumps. Linda http://www.lindaformichelli.com http://renegadewriterblog.blogspot.com |
| overthehillwriter | Posted – 7/31/2006 2:10:00 AM | show profile | email poster Linda's right -- the feast or famine thing is big. Long ago, after working in radio, daily newspaper and PR, I went freelance. My salvation was having my fingers in five different pies -- I had a column in a mid-size daily, I designed and wrote resumes, I did freelance PR for nonprofits, I organized conferences and recruiting fairs and I wrote freelance articles for small papers and magazine. A year ago, i returned to freelance after editing and writing for papers and regional mags. Once again, my fingers are in many pies -- writing for a large-ish daily, writing for magazines and websites, writing non-fiction, editing, copywriting. By resting my career platform on all these legs, it takes the pressure off any single one. Although I feel the stress that comes from pleasing many clients, no one single person or publication holds my heart in their hands for the crushing. I haven't read Get a Freelance Life, but I've heard good things about it. so I'd recommend it just on the basis that as a journalist, I think the more informed I am about ANYTHING I'm going for, the better off I am. |
| eriksherman | Posted – 7/31/2006 7:43:13 AM | show profile | email poster I'd agree that you can make decent money just from magazines. However, as others have said, many writers diversify to have a greater variation in what they're doing as well as to smooth out the revenue rollercoaster. I tend to split most of my time among periodical, book, and web work - 'cause that's what I enjoy doing. But I've been known to do some corporate work and have even started teaching classes at Freelance Success, which is certainly an interesting experience. You might also look at the ASJA Guide to Freelance Writing. A disclosure - I wrote the chapter on business planning, though I get nothing from its use, so have no profit motive. But I've heard a number of writers say that they found the book useful. |
