Get a Freelance Life: mediabistro.com's Insider Guide to Freelance Writing [Paperback]

Margit Feury Ragland (Author), Laurel Touby (Foreword)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0307238032 | ISBN-13: 978-0307238030 | Publication Date: April 25, 2006

Write Your Own Check

Considering a career in freelance writing? Already a freelancer but seeking practical, solid advice on the basics of the business? Get a Freelance Life is the complete guide to all aspects of a freelance writing career, straight from the creators of mediabistro.com—the nation’s most connected, authoritative source for media professionals.

Learn how to:

• Write compelling pitch letters

• Network with the best in the magazine and newspaper industry

• Understand the freelance market and detect its changes

• Self-edit and rewrite your work

• Manage tight deadlines

• Negotiate contracts

• Survive the financial ups and downs of the freelance life

With plenty of insider advice and tips from the most successful freelance writers and editors in the country, Get a Freelance Life is a must-have resource for turning your freelance gigs into a full-fledged writing career.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Ragland brings to print the popular communications Web site http://mediabistro .com, whose founder wrote the foreword. Drawing on her experiences as editor of several magazines, Ragland and the mediabistro staff offer a look at the life of freelance writing. Ragland begins by urging readers to evaluate what they'll need to succeed at freelancing: a tolerance for deadline pressures and uncertain paychecks and the ability to withstand rejection. Other sections focus on preparing a work space, cultivating relationships with editors and potential sources, and how to pitch and write articles targeted for a variety of magazines. The final chapter focuses on the business of being a freelance writer, including securing benefits and paying taxes. Interspersed throughout are samples of resumes and query letters as well as tips gleaned from interviews with editors and successful freelancers. Back-of-the-book resources include a listing of helpful sources, from professional associations to Web sites, and a glossary of publishing jargon. Aspiring freelancers will appreciate this authoritative and comprehensive resource. Vanessa Bush
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

About the Author

Margit Feury Ragland worked as an editor at Woman’s Day, Family Circle, Walking, Cornell, and Natural Health magazines before leaping headfirst into a successful freelance career. Her work has appeared in publications such as Self, Fitness, Health, Marie Claire, Parenting, and the Boston Globe.

Laurel Touby is the founder and CEO of mediabistro.com.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Three Rivers Press (April 25, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0307238032
• ISBN-13: 978-0307238030
• Product Dimensions: 5.4 x 0.7 x 8.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #736,712 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars More than I needed, but glad to have the extra, May 30, 2006

By 

Tom Carpenter "- www.sysedco.com" (Marysville, OH) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Get a Freelance Life: mediabistro.com's Insider Guide to Freelance Writing (Paperback)

I just started "pitching" articles to magazines earlier this year. I just never really saw the benefit before. So I went looking for a resource last week and came across this book. It has more than I needed, but I've gotten a few new tips for editing my work as well.

The coverage of how to approach and gain the interest of editors was very useful in addition to the reality check on pricing your work. But the surprise, the extra information on editing, was very useful as well.

All around - good book.

Tom Carpenter, Author: Wireless# Certification Official Study Guide, CWSP Certification Official Study Guide, Foundations of Effectiveness

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars It was okay, March 11, 2010

By 

Jeff A. "Semper Fidelis" (All over the Globe) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Get a Freelance Life: mediabistro.com's Insider Guide to Freelance Writing (Paperback)

I read this book having been only doing freelance writing for 3-4 months now. A lot of the information was common sense, like managing a business, paying your taxes, etc. The things I wanted to see explained more, specific to freelance writers, not just people in business for themselves, never seemed to get beyond the surface.

The thing I found that I didn't really like about the book, and caused me to knock a star off the review was the endless cross-promotion of Media Bistro. I ended up joining the Web site, and actually found it more useful than the book. It would've been nice though to see less blatant promotion of it going on in a book I paid for.

7 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Invaluable Resource for any aspiring freelancer!, August 30, 2006

By 

miss lauren "miss lauren" (new york, new york) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Get a Freelance Life: mediabistro.com's Insider Guide to Freelance Writing (Paperback)

I can't say enough good things about this book and am so grateful to the author for writing it. It answered all of my questions (and I had MANY) about how to break into freelance magazine writing. This book leads you through every step of developing and pitching a story. It also offers so many useful strategies for how to get your first break being published. There is also a lot of good reference suggestions and it is written in such an upbeat, encouraging tone. This was the best use of fourteen dollars, ever!