cover image Asja Guide to Freelance Writing

Asja Guide to Freelance Writing

. St. Martin's Griffin, $16.95 (336pp) ISBN 978-0-312-31852-9

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.