Customer Reviews

Secrets of a Freelance Writer, Second Edition: How To Make $85,000 A Year

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The title intrigued me, the numbers enticed me. I bought the book and changed my business path.

Though Bly had obvious advantages due to previous jobs in the field, I decided I'd give it a shot.

Mr. Bly offered some excellent insight and explanations about where to advertise your services and what services to focus on.

His line concerning the great american novel not being the best or most realistic way to earn a living as a writer, struck a something inside me. Yes, I wanted to be recognized as a 'writer' but I wanted to make a living as well.

With Bly's advice and direction, I began learning the tricks of the trade for copy and niche writing. The I created some samples and advertised. It worked! I now get rave reviews and returning clients.

This is a great first book and one to keep on the shelf for reference. I highly recommend Bly's "The Copywriter's Handbook", David H. Maister's "True Professionalism", and Ross Dawson's "Developing Knowledge-Based Client Relationships" as wonderful sources for writers.

If you visit many websites on writing, particularly, copywriting, Mr. Bly's name generally comes up. He is sort of looked upon as the trailblazer, the guy who laid out the roadmap for people who want to write but not have to starve by doing so.

Peter Bowerman, author of "The Well Fed Writer," gives Bly all the credit in the world for essentially being his "muse" in regard to copywriting. Aside: "Well Fed," is a slightly better book, although I recommend you read both.

Bly does a great job of laying out what copywriting entails, what you will need to do the job, and how to become a copywriter. All great information. But I have two problems with the book (just don't let these problems dissuade you from reading it).

First, the book is very light on advice on obtaining clients. Bly touches on it, gives some advice, but ultimately there is a lot to be desired in advice on finding work. Bowerman's book does a better job in this area, although even he doesn't provide any magic formula that will have clients lining up at the door to hire you. Hint: you've got to work to find the work; just no way around it.

Second, and this is a problem I have with every book or program out there that seems to indicate everyone and anyone can become a copywriter: It just ain't so, folks! Pardon the poor grammar, but that's part of the problem.

A sizeable chunk of our population is clueless about how to write anything, much less advertising and marketing copy. I think before a lot of people assume they can read this book, become a freelance writer, and suddenly start earning enormous amounts of money, they are going to need to go back to school and develop an understanding of basic grammar.

But, in part, that is what creates value for freelance writers. They do something that most other people actually can't, even though many people believe they could do it if they just took the time.

So, I have a problem with the promise that almost anyone can become a freelance writer. But if you have a decent grasp of grammar and a little creativity, you probably can and this book will be an excellent place to seek help in starting out.

Just be aware, you will probably want to pick up some of Bly's other books on copywriting that actually explain the process of writing effective copy.

Not that Bly's book isn't filled with useful information, it is. But it becomes somewhat problematic when he glosses over the difficulties in breaking into freelance commercial writing. He did, however, discuss this in the book's predecessor: The Copywriter's Handbook. Buy Secrets of a Freelance Writer for its invaluable information on the nuts and bolts of ad writing and commercial writing in general. But read it with the premise that cracking open your first commercail acccount(s) is considerably more difficult that the author conveys.

While seriously considering taking up freelance writing, I happened across this book. The title itself was enough to cause me to buy it. After all, who wouldn't want to make $85,000 doing what they like to do? The book turned out to be a treasure chest of information for those who would desire to freelance. From the basics, to how to sell yourself, the book answers every question a beginning freelancer could ask. The book supplies so much more than the price attached to it. If you are thinking of writing freelance, then this book is a must-have for your reference shelf.

RECOMMENDED FOR ALL WRITERS! This book is an essential tool for anyone who wants to make money as a writer.Its benefits to me have been surprising, rewarding, and in some cases, astounding. Because of the advice in this book, I established myself as a nationally known copywriter who specializes in fundraising.I went from being paid $50 to $300 for a magazine article to over $2,400 for a single piece of commercial copy.Bly is probably the first well-known expert to pull back the curtains on the copywriting industry. He explains how the industry works. Then he shows you step-by-step how to break into specific areas and make the money you want.Bly gives detailed advice on marketing, self-promotion, telemarketing, direct response -- everything you need to succeed as a freelance writer.Additionally, he gives lots of resources and actual examples, graphics and case studies to help you along the way.Secrets of a Freelance Writer is a proven, realistic blueprint for real success as a writer.

When the first edition of this book came out, I bought a copy and immediately followed its practical suggestions --- and attracted business in my field (education)! Bly is another author who speaks to you in a conversational tone and tells you how to start. But he doesn't stop there. He includes actual examples of what he has done and what has worked for him. For example, Bly includes a sample letter that he sent to prospects. I thought that was great and wished he had included a few more.

At the same time, Bly might have cautioned readers that implementing and getting great results from his suggestions takes time. For example, I wrote and mailed about 100 letters in 2-3 months before I began receiving responses. My efforts paid off. For example, I served as a freelance developmental editor for Addison-Wesley, wrote activities for Scholastic's Big Book Math, and completed a 6-month project for a book developer. Had I not read Bly's book and implemented his suggestions, I would not have thought of exploring profitable avenues and expanding my writing career.

I recommend Bly's book to anyone who loves to write and would like to earn more money from his or her writing. A big thumbs up!

Mr. Bly has put together a fine "how-to" manual for anyone interested in a freelance writing career. The 1997 edition is very thorough, instructing the reader in many aspects of running your own business. The amount of actual writing advice is rather low, however, particularly when compared to the 1988 edition. Still, this is not a bad thing, because Bob Bly has now given us TWO excellent references on freelancing (they merely have the same title!) Anyone considering a freelance career must read this book and heed its advice!

... or perhaps better, because you don't have to feel you're imposing. Bly takes all those niggling apprehensions you have about launching a freelance business and dispels them one by one. He explains how to pinpoint your niche, how to market your services, how to assemble a portfolio, and how to gloss over prospective clients' questions when you don't yet have an extensive portfolio. There are also practical suggestions on working at home, and on the writing life, and even a few elementary pointers on copywriting that are especially helpful to someone making the jump from fiction writing. The appendix contains a treasure of forms and sample letters.

I have only two very minor beefs with this book.

First, it's in need of an update: The latest edition was released in the mid-90s and is quite lacking in information about internet marketing and opportunities for internet-related work.

Second, it, for the most part, assumes that the reader has professional writing experience, which would be a huge leg up in beginning a freelance business. There's very little in the way of suggestions for people who have talent and skill, but who never had a job that let them use them. (And who, in the case of yours truly, are making quite a bit more in their non-writing job than they ever could in an entry-level writing position.)

All in all, however, Bly's book is an excellent introduction to the career of freelance business writing that has gone far in advancing my understanding of the field and confidence in myself as I enter it. I'll be buying more Bly.

Im a pampered copy princess who has worked on national accounts at big Chicago ad agencies. Creatives of my ilk have generally smirked with superiority at freelancers, John Caples, direct mail, auto dealer TV spots, etc. But now, if youll pass me a fork, Im about to eat crow.

I bought Bobs book to help me set up D.J. and Other Letters, a freelance writing business. I didnt need advice about How to Write a Headline. I wanted to know when to invoice, what to do about the guys who dont pay on time and-most of all-what to charge for a wide variety of media. All the stuff that involves (yech!) math. Bob Bly spells these things out with a straightforward authenticity that respects both client and writer. For the established copywriter, I heartily endorse this book. It has helped me with my own business and is one of the few books on this topic that I recommend.

And while its hard to find much fault with this book, I will mention two things. One is kind of a little thing: The internet references are becoming dated. If youre internet savvy, that wont hold you back.

But the other is a HUMONGOUS point of contention: I must vehemently differ with Bob on the premise that anyone who has written a few church newsletters can break into the ad biz. ::groan:: I urge any professional writer, no matter how well-established in other fields, to work for small ad agencies before even contacting agencies with annual billings over $1 million. At one large agency, I used to screen resumes from writers who had no clue we called text copy. Or what CD stood for. Do you know what it stands for? Uh, no, besides compact disc. Do you know how to determine which agencies bill over $1 mill? Unless you live in Podunk Falls, U.S.A., population 500, youll need to do MUCH more homework than Bob Bly suggests. And I implore you to do so. YES, read Bob Blys book. You'd probably better read ALL of his books and then some. But I haven't read his other books, so I can't say. But please also read Ad Age every week for a year. Learn our buzz words AND the concepts behind them. Understand something about target audiences, branding, voice, etc. Get a feel for why writing for radio is utterly different than writing for print. And why we scoff at inverted pyramid objectivity. And why it's okay to start sentences with "and." And write sentence fragments.

Also read The Well-Fed Writer by Peter Bowerman, which the author dedicated to Bob Bly, saying, Youre my hero. That dedication is what drove me to look into Bobs work. Bob is now my hero, too. Bob? I have come to love writing beautiful, glossy four-color DM packages that both client and consumer ooh and ahh over. You and I write in different styles, on different accounts, in different markets. But I hope one day Ill meet you. I respect you, your career and your willingness to share your expertise. And based on what youve written, I can only think of you as a darn nice guy. Above all, thanks for helping me with the freelance aspects of my business.

This latest edition is much better than the first. It answers all the questions the first book didn't. The sheer amount of information is astounding, and it's all easy to understand and pt into practice. You'd be hard pressed not to launch a sucessful writing career after reading this. It saved my writing business! I'd recommend it to any writer who wants to make some *real* money from their efforts.