The Renegade Writer: A Totally Unconventional Guide to Freelance Writing Success [Paperback]

Linda Formichelli (Author), Diana Burrell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 2003

Illustrates that breaking the traditional "rules" of freelancing can lead to success by revealing tips that the most successful freelancers use.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Keep query letters to one page. Never call an editor. Face-to-face interviews take up too much time. According to sassy authors Formichelli and Burrell, such standard rules about freelance writing ought to be tossed in the wastebasket with last year's self-addressed-stamped-envelopes. So why do so many writers stick to the rules? "Bugaboos abound because freelance writers work largely on their own," the authors explain, and such isolation makes it hard to learn about better procedures and ideas. Their own guide aims to set freelance writers straight. Full of great tips and common sense, the book demystifies all the stages of getting a piece published, from "Cranking up the Idea Factory" to "Getting the Green." Their overall advice: "Timely ideas and professional attitude...will take you further than the so-called 'connections' lesser writers gnash their teeth over." Upbeat and exceptionally informative, this book is an excellent choice for both working and would-be writers.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"A fresh, and dare I say exciting, view of how to run a successful freelance writing business, by writers who know. Recommended reading for every writer who wants to increase sales, get published, and make more money." —Bob Bly, author, Secrets of a Freelance Writer

"What a load off of writers' shoulders: You can break the rules and be successful! The authors are eminent professionals who lead by example. You, too, can be a bold, brazen, renegade writer by learning what really works in the modern publishing world." —Jenna Glatzer, author, The More Than Any Human Being Needs To Know about Freelance Writing Workbook

"The excitement of freelance writing just bristles from the page."  —thecompulsive reader.com

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 206 pages
• Publisher: Marion Street Press, Inc. (July 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0966517687
• ISBN-13: 978-0966517682
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.3 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (68 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,349,271 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

81 of 84 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If you dream to write for the big magazines, get this book!, March 11, 2004

By 

Ms T. Edwards "Writer" (Australia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Renegade Writer: A Totally Unconventional Guide to Freelance Writing Success (Paperback)

If I was to listen to many `other' freelance books, I'd have to start at the bottom, write for `Gopher's Monthly' or any other obscure magazine, amass enough clips to start a small recycling plant, be happy to receive any trivial payment offered and only then feel worthy enough to target the big magazines.

No thank-you! The reason I chose to become a freelancer in the first place was to be able to write the articles I was interested in for the magazines I read. But to do so I'd have to break a few `rules'. This is where The Renegade Writer comes in. It teaches you the rules you ARE allowed to break, and better yet HOW to break them.

Filled with tricks and tips for everything from the all important query letter to where to find those ideas editors drool over, this book is a must have for anyone serious about taking their freelance dreams and turning them into a paid reality.

Do yourself (and your career) a favour by buying this book.

61 of 65 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Rewriting the rules of freelance writing, November 26, 2003

By 

Michael Meanwell (Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Renegade Writer: A Totally Unconventional Guide to Freelance Writing Success (Paperback)

According to Linda Formichelli and Dianna Burrell,...Their guide, The Renegade Writer: A Totally Unconventional Guide to Freelance Writing Success, as the name suggests, is all about exploding myths and breaking rules ~ not for the sake of it, but for the success of it. The authors claim that not only are many of the so-called rules unnecessary, they're costing writers time, money and even business. They claim their earnings have gone from strength to strength by re-writing the rules of freelance writing.

The book redefines a wide range of issues facing freelancers including:

* Being well connected (they offer tips that allow even unknown-writers to get a foot in an editor's door);
* Brimming with ideas (they show you how to kick start your creativity and generate ideas naturally);
* Writing short queries (they show that queries up to three pages not only tell more but sell more);
* Asking for more money (if you think a piece is worth more money, the girls tell you to negotiate ~ and show you the best strategies);
* Turning down work (freelancers aren't beggars, so they can and should choose assignments that are right for them - the girls have built their businesses on this philosophy);
* Quibbling over contracts (you should negotiate a fair contract rather than simply settle for what's initially offered ~ the authors explain what to do and what to avoid before signing).

The Renegade Writer challenges many more rules and also offers plenty of commonsense advice and tips on everything from winning more assignments, earning more money and getting paid faster to 'stealing' other writers' ideas ~ a wonderful way to develop fresh material.

Some of the highlights of the book are chapters, such as:

* 'Signing on the Dotted Line' ~ lots of useful information on contracts, kill fees plus advice on writing for hourly fees or word rates.
* 'Talking the Talk' ~ solid guidelines for interviewing techniques.
* 'Putting Pen to Paper' ~ opinions on deadlines, quotations and fact checking
The Renegade Writer's light, breezing and somewhat witty style makes reading the book easy going and digesting the new 'rules' effortless.

Many writers will not agree with all of the opinions or conclusions, but most freelancers with an open mind will capitalize on the authors' fresh ideas and viewpoints.

The Renegade Writer is better suited to established freelancers rather than new writers. While it contains a new outlook on many areas of the business, it's important to know the rules before you begin breaking them.

-- Michael Meanwell, author of the critically-acclaimed 'The Enterprising Writer' and 'Writers on Writing'. For more book reviews and prescriptive articles for writers, visit www.enterprisingwriter.com

27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Practical, motivating, and fun to read, September 18, 2003

By 

J. Herrin "jenherrin" (APO, AE) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Renegade Writer: A Totally Unconventional Guide to Freelance Writing Success (Paperback)

Like many freelancers and those-who-would-be-freelancers-if-they-would-stop-reading-books-about-it-and-just-do-it (I'm in that category), I have a shelf full of books on writing and freelancing. They all contain useful information, but this book is the one that's finally made me realize that if other people can making a living from their articles, so can I. I tend to get bogged down in perfectionism, so, of course, my favorite of the authors' rules-to-break is "Make sure your query letter is perfect before sending it out." The authors don't advocate being careless, of course, but they do point out that perfectionism can paralyze a writing career; they then offer some advice for conquering it and even give some examples of their own goofs.

This book contains many highly practical tips and fun-to-read examples from the "real world," but the aspect that I most appreciate is that neither writer has been freelancing for years and years (Linda went full-time in mid-1997; Diana doesn't give a date, but I get the impression of a similar length of time). However, they've both cracked major markets and are making a decent living, complete with houses, vacations, and retirement plans. Very motivating!