The ASJA Guide to Freelance Writing
A Professional Guide to the Business, for Nonfiction Writers of All Experience Levels
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- $11.99
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
Whether you're just starting out, considering going full-time, or are already a successful freelance writer, you'll find the information and insights needed to take your work to the next level in this smart, thorough guide. Compiled by the prestigious American Society of Journalists and Authors, the book's twenty-six chapters cover the business from every angle, tackling the topics every freelancer needs to master in order to make it today.
Chapters cover: planning a writing business * generating fresh ideas * the secrets of a successful magazine query * the latest research tools and techniques * writing for the Web * developing areas of specialization * promoting yourself and your work * op-eds, essays, and other ways to leverage your knowledge * contracts * taxes and deductions * working with editors and agents * going full-time * key lessons you won't have to learn the hard way * and more.
Written by twenty-six of the top freelancers working today, this indispensable guide provides trade secrets that others have learned the hard way, inspiration to take your work where you want it to go, and a revealing view into the minds and working habits of freelance writers at the top of their game.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Freelance journalists come together to offer advice on their solitary business in this handbook for working, and aspiring, writers. Each of the 26 chapters is penned by a member of the American Society of Journalists and Authors, and their subjects range from how to stock a home office and how to hire an assistant to how to brainstorm new ideas. Lisa Collier Cool's essay on writing a successful magazine query brims with smart suggestions, as does Richard A. Marini's contribution on contracts and protecting your rights as a writer. Perhaps the most valuable part of the book is its appendix, which shares"Tips From the Pros." Here's where Sondra Forsyth recommends,"Always finish a story two days before your deadline," and where Greg Daugherty counsels,"Aim high. Try the best-paying, most prestigious markets first. You may find, as I have, that you're rejected less often and simply treated better." Though the great variety of voices sometimes makes for abrupt transitions and small contradictions, this advice-filled book successfully provides an enlightening guide to the field.
