The Indispensable Field Guide to Freelance Writing (Paperback)

~ Amy Farrar (Author)
Key Phrases: book packager, freelance editing, query letter, Microsoft Word, Puerto Rico, Costa Rica

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Are you curious about the world of freelancing? Do you want to improve your writing and sell what you write? Then The Indispensable Field Guide to Freelance Writing can show you how! Unlike other books about freelancing, this guide isn’t limited to writing for a specific market. You will find information in it about freelancing for magazines, newspapers, book publishers, nonprofit organizations, marketing communications firms, and more, and it will show you how to distinguish yourself in the field. Even if you’re a seasoned freelance professional, this guide provides some essential tools to making it in the increasingly competitive world of freelancing.

About the Author

Author Amy Farrar has been in business for herself since 1999 and has been working in publishing for more than 20 years. She is the author of Global Warming (Essential Viewpoints), and her articles have been published in numerous magazines and newspapers, including the Los Angeles Times. Her Web site can be found at www.writeandedit.net.

Product Details

• Paperback: 74 pages
• Publisher: BookSurge Publishing (January 8, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1439220891
• ISBN-13: 978-1439220894
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.9 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #674,621 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excelent pocket guide for writers, April 8, 2009

By	Craig Lang (Minneapolis, MN United States) - See all my reviews

I found Amy Farrar's book to be a practical, concise, clear guide to both writing and freelancing. In it, Amy presents a lot of good advice, pointers to key sources of practical information, plus useful notes on applying both.

The book is short and sweet. It is not a 200-page tome, but a quick guide to what you need to know--and/or where to find what you need to know. As an entrepreneur, writer, researcher and hypnotherapist, I found her book incredibly useful. I recommend it to anyone considering a career in writing, either freelance, or as an employee. It is a must read.

--Craig R. Lang, MS CHt, Anomaly Researcher and Certified Hypnotherapist; Author of The Cosmic Bridge, Close Encounters and Human Destiny;[..]

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Helpful for Beginners, April 8, 2009

By	Frederick S. Holton (Washington, D.C.) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Written in an engaging, personal style, Amy Farrar's Indispensable Field Guide to Freelance Writing addresses issues from how to write better to how to write for newspapers and magazines, how to write books, and how to work for other types of clients. In the course of this, she covers query letters, finding clients and managing client relationships, pricing, and many other topics. She also includes a valuable list of resources. The Indispensable Guide should be particularly helpful to people who want to become freelance writers or who are just starting out on their own.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Indispensable Field Guide to Freelance Writing by Amy Farrar, March 2, 2009

By	Julia Tagliere (Twin Cities, MN, USA) - See all my reviews

The Indispensable Field Guide to Freelance Writing by Amy Farrar is a user-friendly reference book that freelancers of all skill levels, from novice to experienced, will find very helpful. Farrar's book is concise, yet packed full of sound advice and helpful insights based on her own hard-won years of experience in the freelancing trenches.

Some of the book's chapters focus on very general topics applicable to all freelancers ("Tools of the Trade", "Fees and Contracts"), while others provide information specific to particular types of freelancing ("How to Write for a Magazine or Newspaper", "How to Get Your Book Published".) Each chapter contains engaging personal anecdotes, solid recommendations, and cautions against common freelancing pitfalls that many newer freelancers will find particularly illuminating as well as entertaining.

I particularly enjoyed the introductory chapter "Freelancing--A Lifestyle Choice" for its unvarnished assessment of how carefully one must consider freelancing as a career choice. Farrar's list of additional resource works at the end provides many tried and true sources of information, as well as adding some new, valuable suggestions to the list.
With her informative yet down-to-earth style, Farrar immediately puts her readers at ease, making this handy book a great place to start if you're looking into joining the world of freelancers.

Julia Tagliere
Freelance Writer/Editor