Make a Real Living as a Freelance Writer: How to Win Top Writing Assignments

Beginning with plenty of realistic words of caution, veteran freelancer Glazer (Outwitting Writer's Block and Other Problems of the Pen; Words You Thought You Knew) provides a practical guide for aspiring writers who want to earn a living doing what they love. Glatzer takes readers through the must-do basics--from sending clean, spell-checked cover letters to avoiding harassing busy editors--then delves into the processes of generating ideas, pitching, landing assignments and negotiating contracts. Once a writer has the assignment, she also has to know how to do research, conduct good interviews with experts and provide solid back-up (""if a fact-checker complains loudly enough that Writer X's article was full of holes, or that the source material was badly organized or unreliable, an editor might not hire Writer X again""). In this honest and thorough volume, Glatzer gives the inside scoop on all of these things, and many other facets of the business that novices (and, quite frankly, many experienced writers) might not realize they need to consider.