Launching A Freelance Writing Career - 7 Questions To Consider

Have you always wanted to be a freelanceadvice from those who are as inexperienced as
writer? Or are you considering moonlighting as ayou are.
writer to earn some extra income? AlthoughDo you have the ability to work for a long period
most beginning writers think first of fiction whenof time without any outside reinforcement?
considering writing as a career choice, there areBeing a writer is challenging at best. Until you have
several questions you may want to considerestablished a reputation as a trustworthy and
before making a final decision between fiction andtalented writer, it's unlikely that you'll find it easy
non-fiction. Making the choice that is right for yourto get published. If you have a story to tell, and
circumstances can mean the difference betweenthe vision to keep plugging away, you may
financial success and a drawer full of rejectioneventually succeed with fiction. If you just want
slips.to write in order to communicate an idea or to
Do you need to earn money from your writing?instruct or encourage others, non-fiction is
If you need to earn money quickly, shortprobably the best place to start. You can build a
non-fiction items, including articles or columns, orportfolio and refine your writing style, and if you
commercial writing, such as brochures andwant to try fiction in the future, the option will
website copy, are usually the fastest way to getalways be open. Earning a living as a writer takes
started earning. Commercial writing can pay veryboth skill and perseverance, plus the discipline to
well, but it demands professional quality writing, asit down and write regularly.
business-like approach, and often a fastDo you want to practice writing as an art or a
turnaround time. Peter Bowerman's The Well-Fedcraft?
Writer is an excellent introduction to the world ofGenerally speaking, writing that is considered art is
freelance commercial writing, and his website andpoetry or fiction, while craft writing is usually
e-newsletter offer consistently sound advice onnon-fiction. There are, of course, exceptions.
the subject.Henry David Thoreau's Walden is creative
If you want to write fiction, are younon-fiction, but its beautifully crafted prose raises
well-grounded in good literature?it to the level of art. Shakespeare's poetry and
While you don't need a degree in English to writedrama are certainly art, as are the poems of
a story, you need a strong background in readingGerard Manley Hopkins, the short stories of Edgar
quality literature in order to write well. If you don'tAllen Poe, the imaginative worlds or Lewis Carroll
understand the elements that make strongand J.R.R. Tolkein, and the thought-provoking
characters, realistic settings, and compelling plots,fiction of Joseph Conrad.
it's unlikely that you can write a story that willOn the other end of the spectrum is commercial
stand the test of time.writing, from brochures, websites, and sales
To understand what makes a book great, youletters, to journalism. In the vast middle ground
need to read books that have endured-- booksbetween useful and beautiful lies all the rest of the
that have spoken to readers over decades orstuff you find in bookstores and libraries - genre
centuries. And you can't just read superficially;fiction (mystery, fantasy, series books, and so
you must read to understand! If you have notforth), and all the middle-of-the-road books that
taken any advanced literature classes, I suggestdisappear after a few years. Genre fiction is a lot
choosing a few classics, and reading throughof fun to read, and a good series can be an
them, using the commentary and study questionsexcellent source of income for the writer.
found in SparkNotes or CliffNotes to help youThe only requirements for writing as a craftsman
read analytically. I suggest beginning with Victorare a reasonable amount of skill, dedication, and
Hugo's Les Miserables, Jane Austen's Pride andself-discipline. Writing as an artist requires inborn
Prejudice, and Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre. Whentalent, plus all the other attributes. I suggest
you understand the ingredients of greatness, youstarting to write as a craftsman. If you have the
may be able to write fiction that will be read fornecessary talent to create art, it will show up. If
generations.not, you can still serve others and possibly earn a
How much time do you have available?decent living by writing whatever you do best,
If you are at the stage in life where small childrenwhether it's fiction or non-fiction.
tug at your skirts and take joy in your attention,Do you understand the business of writing and
you probably need to focus on the kind of writinghow to market your work?
you can do in bits and pieces of the day. DuringA writer's work doesn't end with the completion
this stage of life, I chose to write short pieces,of an article or book. Often, it has just begun.
such as newsletter articles, short storiesWhen you choose the type of writing you want
transcribed from family memories, and journalto do, you are choosing how you want to market
entries. These pieces gave me the opportunity toyour work. If you choose to write books,
practice my writing skills, while building a portfolioespecially fiction, you will first market to agents or
of work I could use in the future.publishers, then if your work is accepted, you will
If you want to write for publication, have you hadbe expected to help market it to the target retail
objective feedback on your skills?audience.
Writing for publication takes more than being ableIf you will be self-publishing your work, you can
to spell and use language correctly. It takesskip marketing to agents and publishers and
imagination, research, and the ability to writemarket directly to the appropriate retail and
fluently and to self-edit before turning your workwholesale markets. Be ready for the fact that
over to an editor. If you're not sure that yourpromoting your book will probably take as much
writing skills measure up, you can't go wrong bytime as writing it, but a good marketing plan
reading William Zinsser's classic On Writing Well,means the difference between a steady seller
and taking his advice to heart.and a garage full of books. Peter Bowerman's The
You may also benefit from taking a class inWell-Fed Self-Publisher will help you understand the
writing, either online or at your local communityfundamentals of making a book successful.
college, or working with a writing coach orIf you choose to write short pieces, such as
evaluator. You can find coaches, developmentalessays, short stories, or articles, you will most
editors, and evaluators through the classified adslikely be marketing to magazine or newspaper
in the back of writer's magazines such as Writer'seditors, or corporations, with little or no further
Digest or The Writer, or through professionalobligation once the piece is purchased. Marketing is
organizations such as the National Association ofan important piece of the writing puzzle, so be
Independent Writing Evaluators. Feedback will helpsure to consider all it involves when deciding what
you grow!sort of writing will meet your goals.
Some writers enjoy networking with others in anA career as a freelance writer can be truly
online or local writers' group, and this can be trulysatisfying when you find the right niche, and hone
helpful. However, it may take awhile to find theyour craft. It takes time and perseverance to
group that meets your needs.You will usually getreach the point where you are making a living, but
the best feedback from a group of experienced,if you have something of value to say, and you
serious writers who have been published, or arelearn to say it well, you should eventually find
nearing that point. It can be fun to socialize withsuccess in the writing career of your dreams.
other beginners, but beware of accepting a lot of