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Today's Expert Interview"Freelance Writing Success Secrets - Discover How To Earn A Fortune With Your Words"
Did you know...
Hello Kelly, I wonder if we can start by giving our readers an idea of how you got started with both freelance writing and writing your own books? Kelly [Answer] I was a lawyer in my former life, but I majored in rhetoric (writing) in college. In my late 20s, I started writing again, but chose to focus on nonfiction articles rather than short stories--mainly because I realized there were many more markets for nonfiction work than fiction. After selling two articles--to Cosmopolitan and Bride's--I quit the law January 1, 1997 to freelance writing fulltime. I started writing books three or four years into my freelance career, and have written both nonfiction and fiction. Jeff [Question] The question many people reading this will have is...can you make a good living based on freelance writing, and if so, how long should someone allow to build enough reputation and word-of-mouth experience to get to that full-time living? Kelly [Answer] Yes, you definitely can make a good living. In fact, I just interviewed 18 six-figure freelancers for a book I'm doing on six-figure freelance writing for Random House. It took me six years to hit the six-figure mark, but by my third year, I was making mid-40s, which isn't bad for a fulltime freelancer. Writing part-time before you quit to freelance fulltime gives you a chance to build your portfolio, develop relationships with editors, and look for steady work. If you basically start from scratch, like I did, however, I think it takes a year or two to get established enough where you're not worrying whether you'll have to take a part-time job to pay the bills. Jeff [Question] Can you share with us the main point behind your fabulous book "Ready, Aim, Specialize?" Kelly [Answer] After about 18 months, I realized I was specializing in several lucrative areas--health, fitness, nutrition, and bridal--and it was making me much more efficient. Efficiency usually translates into more income as well, and when I looked around at the writers who were making a good living (say $50,000+), I discovered the majority of them specialize. That's how the book came about--the idea is instead of trying to write about anything and everything, which is extremely time-consuming, to focus on specializing (you can always branch out later.) Jeff [Question] In terms of specialization - two questions, first, what do you see as "hot" areas of specialization and second, how knowledgeable does someone have to be to become specialized? Related to this last question, if you had to put a percentage on your previous work, what percentage of knowledge would you have already have had with your freelance writing versus what percentage you filled in with research? Kelly [Answer] Business and health are the hottest, and will continue to be. It helps if you have a background in the area, you're writing about, but you don't have to be a CEO to write about business. It's more important to be able to educate yourself about what you're writing about and find experts who can explain things to readers. As far as writing about what I've already known, that's a difficult question to answer--I had some basic knowledge about a lot of things I wrote about (nutrition, for example, since I'm a vegetarian) but I learned a lot as I researched and wrote articles--like the difference between omega-3 and omega-6 fats. But my learning curve wasn't as steep when I was covering subjects I had at least passing knowledge of. Jeff [Question] Without giving away all of your secrets, what are 2 or 3 leading online or offline resources you use to find freelance writing work? Kelly [Answer] www.freelancesuccess.com is a great resource; I also occasionally use www.profnet.com to find sources for stories. I actually find most of my clients the old-fashioned way--by looking at magazines and then querying or contacting the editor via email or snail mail. Market guides like The Writer's Handbook and Writer's Market are also good resources, especially for newer writers. Jeff [Question] Thanks very much for sharing your years of success and wisdom with us, our readers really appreciate it. I would like to leave with 1 final question - if you had to give our readers 3 tips for becoming successful freelance writers, what would they be? Kelly [Answer] 1. Think about the market wants. It's not enough that you want to write about a subject--you have to find a home for the topic, and consider what the editor (and her readers) want to know. 2. Start with what you know. You'll have a better chance of getting assignments if you pitch ideas you have some unique connection with, or have first-hand knowledge of. You don't have to specialize if you don't want to, but mine your background and experience for ideas when starting out. 3. Be persistent! Freelancing, like acting, is a career where you're going to get rejected a lot. Expect that, and have a plan in place for what you'll do when a query is rejected (what I call "bonged.") Successful freelancers are like sharks--they may get bonged, but they don't stop. They keep moving until they find another market for the idea. Kelly James-Enger Bio: Kelly James-Enger escaped from the law in 1997, but don't worry-she's no fugitive. Since then, the former attorney's work has appeared in more than 50 national magazines including Redbook, Self, Health, and Continental. She specializes in health, fitness, and nutrition subjects and is a frequent speaker at events throughout the country. Kelly is also the author of Ready, Aim, Specialize! Create your own Writing Specialty and Make More Money (The Writer Books, 2003) and the novels, Did You Get the Vibe? (Strapless, 2003) and White Bikini Panties (Strapless, 2004.) Visit www.kellyjamesenger.com for more information about her. Hope you enjoyed today's interview. Building your own thriving online business often means building multiple sources of profit. Hopefully, you can now see where freelance writing can definitely be one of those sources. If you have comments, questions or suggestions on what you would like to see in future editions of this newsletter - be sure to contact me here: mailto:jeff@infoproductcreator.com Jeff Smith http://www.highertrustmarketing.com ATTENTION: There is only one way that you could be receiving this ezine, that is you, or someone using your email address, subscribed. There is no other way of being added to this list. We do not make this list, or your address, available to ANY other companies or individuals. We value your privacy. Although we work hard to make sure that all of the information in the Profit Secrets newsletter is accurately and genuine as possible, neither the publisher, nor the editor assume any responsibility for the accuracy or otherwise of the information presented. By reading this information, the Information Product Profit Secrets reader assumes all responsibility for an inaccuracies or other risks associated with the information within this newsletter. Jeff Smith Editor Online Marketing Secrets Revealed webmaster@inf oproductcreator.com http://www.highertrustmarketing.com Home | Marketing Articles | Newsletter | Products | Hire Jeff | Free E Course | Resources | Make Money | Writing Courses | Writing tips | Copywriting Course | Internet Marketing | About Us | Contact Us 
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