Customer Reviews

The $100,000 Writer

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

If you're a Type A personality, this is the book for you. If you're not, I suggest 'Secrets of a Freelance Writer' by Robert W. Bly or 'The Well-Fed Writer' by Peter Bowerman. Both authors deliver accurate, detailed and practical information; but, unlike Ms. Flynn, they do it with grace, style, humor and a modicum of humility. Both Bly and Bowerman lack hubris.

I agree with the reviewer from Massachusetts: the overall tone of this book depresses me. Ms. Flynn is condescending at times. For example, she writes: "Have a problem with networking? Get over it." She reminds us in almost every chapter how successful she is. While this may add validity to her ideas, the tone gets tedious. So does wringing every last dollar from a client.

To be fair, Ms. Flynn's section on avoiding sexist language is useful. Buy Bowerman's or Bly's book. You'll be able to make a good living as a freelance writer and still look at yourself in the mirror. As Ms. Flynn writes: "Making $100,000 as a freelance writer is not for everyone." Thank goodness, she is right.

Before I read Nancy Flynn's book, I had contemplated doing freelance business writing work, however, I had no idea what types of projects there were, let alone what to charge. I thought that a few hundred dollars an issue was a good price to charge for a newsletter. Boy was I wrong, and I have Nancy to thank for expanding my vision.

Not only does her book help the aspiring young (or old) writers develop fees for their projects, it helps the inexperienced writers broaden their business with supplemental products. That alone can double a writer's income. I didn't even know what a media list was before I read her book. Now, I not only know what it is, but I know how to use it to maximize my business writing income.

Anybody who has even remotely considered freelance writing or starting their own business writing company needs to read this book. Not reading it could cost them a fortune.

The title of Flynn's book makes a grand promise - and she delivers. As a person who's made a better than good living as a writer (and info entrepreneur) for the last 15 years, *this* is the one book I'd give to any of my writer friends who aspire to independence and a six figure income. Her material on how to find clients and how to manage them once you find them is priceless. I can't imagine a better introduction to the realities of this potentially lucrative business that is a mystery to so many.

I started reading this book, and while it seems to have some good points, the writing is pretty bad (strange for a book on writing to be poorly written). She keeps repeating herself over and over, about how successful she is. While trying to inspire, she is also depressing, that it may take years or decades to get yourself established. I don't think so...sounds like she's just trying to make money from this book, yet wants to discourage any new competition! Take my advice and buy the "Well Fed Writer" by Peter Bowerman. His advice is better, his writing is funny and very readable, and he doesn't speak to the reader like they're a moron. Which Flynn does, by the way.

The $100,000 Writer is full of common sense advice and suggestions as well as useful examples from the writer's own career. The book gives the aspiring writer good tips on how to get started and what to avoid. The already-established writer will be reminded of where they are getting off track and how to get back on target to attain $100,000 per year. Following the "Recipe for Press Release Succes," I'm planning to write my own release to advertise my self-empowerment coaching.

Nancy Flynn has done a wonderful job covering the high income potential of business writing. Though not as indepth as Robert Bly's book on freelance writing, it is more than adequate for those just starting out. It is an enjoyable read and gives freelance writers (as well as those desiring to go freelance) helpful, timely information that is definitely worth the price of the book.

Simply put, BUY IT!

I'm not a business writer -- though I once did consider the possibility and saw that it wasn't going to be easy. Still, I found Flynn's book to be an extended pep talk, backed up with facts and figures that could pay off in a big way for anyone willing to commit to this field. I especially liked her showing that it's possible to love what you're doing without taking a vow of poverty.

Wow! This book is incredible. Nancy Flynn has given me ideas I never could have imagined. I especially like the "scoop" on setting fees and the "skinny" on creating products to sell again and again. I understand how you can make six figures with The $100,000 Writer.

...Overall, I found the thoughts shared in this book to be valuable for anyone who wants to be a freelance. And frankly, I appreciated Nancy's honesty that earning a six-figure income from writing takes time - sometimes 10 years or more. Personally, I'm weary of reading authors who promise overnight success. Nancy's views on long-standing hard-work to success seems to be more in keeping with my experience...

On one hand this book has lots of excellent information: for example, there are plenty of insider tips that can only come from experience, such as the advice never to let on when a project only takes an afternoon to do, since the customer will then undervalue your services. It also has a lot of ideas on expanding the list of services you can offer customers, for example with media lists. But there are some pieces of advice that are just plain terrible: the author suggests that writers new to freelancing take on an apprenticeship position with an established freelancer, working for a pittance or even for nothing. That is very bad advice--it's hard to imagine a better recipe for ill feelings when the newbie decides to go off on his or her own. Who gets the customers? Far better for a newbie to get work at nonprofits or small local businesses as a way to break in. Besides, would a lawyer fresh out of law school give away her services at an established law firm? Hardly. Writers have a hard enough time taking themselves seriously without this kind of bad advice. Also, there are several other books out there on the same topic but none of them comes across as being quite so crassly interested in squeezing every possible dime out of the customers as this one. If we want corporate customers to respect us, we have to respect them. I appreciate the information in this book a lot but I get depressed at the tone in which it is delivered.