Don’t just sit there—get published! With these two books in your arsenal, you’ll strike joy into the hearts of editors everywhere—and boost your writing career.
- The Renegade Writer: A Totally Unconventional Guide to Freelance Writing Success
- The Renegade Writer’s Query Letters That Rock
The Renegade Writer: A Totally Unconventional Guide to Freelance Writing Success
You’re following all the rules like a good little writer, but you’re still not satisfied with your success. Be a renegade and watch your income skyrocket! In The Renegade Writer: A Totally Unconventional Guide to Freelance Writing Success, by Linda Formichelli and Diana Burrell, you’ll learn how to break these common “rules” (and many, many others) ≢ and take your freelance career to the next level:
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Upbeat and exceptionally informative, this book is an excellent choice for both working and would-be writers.
- You need “connections” to make it in this business. (We know that even the most unconnected writer can break into top magazines. We give great tips on how to get on an editor’s radar screen in chapter one.)
- You need to generate lots of ideas. (Sure, having a notebook crammed with saleable ideas rocks, but read in chapter two how you can profit when your idea well needs a fill-up.)
- You have to keep your query letter to one page. (In chapter three, read why that old one-page mandate is a dud in today’s changed marketplace.)
- Never sign an all-rights contract. (We hate rules that start with never. In chapter four, we spill the beans on when it’s okay to sign less-than-stellar contracts.)
- Public relations people are there to help you. (Truth is, they’re being nice to you so that you’ll give good press for their clients. In chapter five, we show you how to leverage your relationships with PR flaks so that you get good press with your editors.)
- You have to conduct your own interviews. (Read how Linda handed off this task in chapter six.)
- If an editor gives you an assignment topic, that means it’s a good story. (Yes, sometimes editors make mistakes. Gasp! Read in chapter seven how to handle a non-story.)
- If your article gets killed, all you can expect is your “kill fee.” (Au contraire. Read how, in chapter eight, you can get your full fee from a magazine if the editor kills your article.)
- Freelance writing is an ultra competitive field. (Sure, there are plenty of people out there who call themselves freelancers, but in chapter nine, you’ll find out why few of them deserve that title.)
- You need to research only the magazine and your article topic. (Spend some time doing some other types of research, as we advise in chapter ten, and soon you’ll be cashing more checks from magazines.)
- And many, many more dud rules!
The Renegade Writer is packed with fresh tips, sample letters, advice from top editors and freelancers, and rule-breaking anecdotes that will inspire you to new levels of freelance success!
Order the book from Amazon.com.
Read the Renegade Writer Blog.
The Renegade Writer’s Query Letters That Rock
The Renegade Writer’s Query Letters that Rock: The Freelance Writer’s Guide to Selling More Work Faster (Marion Street Press, November 2006) gives freelancers the goods on what sells and what doesn’t—even if it means breaking the “rules” of query letter writing.
This companion to The Renegade Writer employs Burrell’s and Formichelli’s signature sassy, convention-defying style and is a must-have for writers pitching all types of magazines. The Renegade Writer’s Query Letters that Rock offers a variety of actual query letters that garnered assignments from national magazines, complete with extensive comments on the letters from both the writers and from the editors who assigned the stories. Freelancers will learn what works with advice from editors at high-profile publications including Smithsonian, AARP: The Magazine, The LA Times Magazine, Fitness, Parenting, USA Weekend, and mental_floss.
The Renegade Writer’s Query Letters that Rock also provides a Q & A section with answers to freelancers’ most common query questions, including:
- What should I do if I find a mistake in a query letter I’ve already sent out?
- How can I find the best editor to pitch at specific publication?
- How can I suss out an editor’s e-mail address if it’s not listed anywhere?
- When is the best time to follow up on a query?
- Which is more effective: e-mail or snail mail?
- How much research should I do before sending a query letter?
- How can I find compelling anecdotes, quotes and experts for queries?
Packed with useful, no-nonsense advice, The Renegade Writer’s Query Letters that Rock gives freelancers the tools they need to create query letters that land the job.
