Customer Reviews

Writer Mama: How to Raise a Writing Career Alongside Your Kids

5 star:		(54)
4 star:		(3)
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As a writer and mother of two young kids, this book has been invaluable to me! I've read a lot of writing books over the years but this is the first one that so clearly addressed my specific concerns as a writer trying to balance motherhood and a career. This has truly become my writing "bible." And with it's convenient "purse-size" I hardly leave home without it anymore!

The chapters are chock-full of easy-to-follow practical advice and exercises to help you succeed, from writing query letters to finding your perfect target market. And you'll find lots of warm-hearted encouragement for those days when you have "writer mama burnout." It's like having a best friend sitting with you at the keyboard, cheering you on!

For any mother who dreams of non-fiction publication, this is the perfect resource. I highly recommend it!

I came across this at the library and found myself renewing it over and over. Sometimes returning it late, and paying fines, I realized it would make sense to finally PURCHASE it (!) and let someone else enjoy the library's copy. I also read it in just a couple days and then pick it up a few times a week for more inspiration and practical tips. Thanks for helping writers and mothers figure out how to do both better!

FINALLY! There is finally a book that reflects the life a freelance writer mama lives. Christina Katz has written one of the most - if not the most - comprehensive books for "Writer Mamas" I've ever read. Five ideas came to mind immediately for fillers and a feature article while reading the book, things I hadn't thought about in years. Now, I'll be submitting these ideas. This book reminds me of something someone once said to me, "It may be simple, but it won't be easy." If you're a "Writer Mama" now, or have aspirations to become one, this is the book to buy!

Women, and particularly Moms, face emotional challenges daily, such as: Did I love my children well? Am I presenting my best self professionally and coming across confidently? Am I subconsciously harboring insecurities about writing which ultimately keep me from putting pen to paper?

Don't get me wrong: this is a book about writing and taking practical steps to getting published, focusing on freelance writing but also including nonfiction; it does not presume to be a psychological book at all. HOWEVER, Katz hints at something a bit deeper and more subtle throughout the book: don't get overwhelmed, just take it one step at a time.

I like Christina Katz's approach of taking small steps slowly in achieving your goals. In truth, it is remarkably comforting to see it that way, and of course, it is the only way to go. Obviously I shouldn't be going for the front cover feature on my first try.... As a young writer, this book made me realize my own tragic flaw: I wanted to be happy, smart, articulate, and semi-famous, and that without much effort at all...

Katz demonstrates the "you can do it" mentality by the broad and very complete scope of issues that she deals with in the book (check out the table of contents to see what I mean). She takes nothing for granted, but clues you into all the big and little steps some people may assume you already know. I knew next to nothing about freelance when I picked it up, and now I am not nearly as intimidated by the freelance world.

And her good news is, work can be pleasurable and even fun! Browsing through the aisles of Barnes and Noble (or your bookstore of choice), with a hot beverage in hand, looking for the zeitgeist amongst bestsellers to get ideas for articles (getting "geisty" as she calls it)... how much more fun could it get?! If you are a born writer, you will hear her voice calling you like a siren, and you will find her tips, ideas, and her encouragement to write irresistible!

One realizes right away that Christina Katz has put an incredible amount of work into this book. She provides all the detailed information a new writer needs to know about the freelance writing business, and refreshes the mind of the experienced writer who may have momentarily lost touch with the ins and outs of the business while having children.

Katz supplements her own expertise as a Writer Mama by providing additional resources and websites inside the book that offer Writer Mamas support and good ideas.

There are thousands of books on writing---THIS one is for the Writer Mamas! Whether they are nursing their dreams along with their babies or are already writing and publishing, all of the Writer Mamas will enjoy reading a book just for them.

As Katz points out throughtout the book, one's writing does not have to halt once one has children--it may just need to transition a bit. Writer Mama is the book, and Katz is the author, that helps one undergo that transition the way only a Mama could.

I think this book is really a perfect entree into freelance writing for moms who are trying to launch a home writing business. It offers clear instructions on how to break into writing for magazines and Christina's and other writer-mom's tips on how to juggle the writing life and motherhood.

I've been a professional writer for a dozen years, so some of what I read in the book was not new to me -- however, I have never been a full-time freelancer or a mom before this past year, so the book has already been invaluable to me, especially for the practical mom advice. My struggles are time, organization and to get or not get childcare, tough topics she tackles in the book. Also, I'm used to bigger writing projects, and the idea of writing short pieces with fast turnaround was an a-ha for me, and a good lesson in how to shift my focus and juggle my new roles.

Christina's tone is friendly and clear, and she includes quotes from many successful freelancers and writer mamas. I love it, and read it while I rock my sleeping little one.

I've read this book cover to cover twice and I reference it regularly--my copy is well-worn.

Christina Katz's tips, suggestions, and examples have been invaluable in helping me successfully launch my new writing career. This book has given me the ideas, the confidence, and the good old-fashioned "kick in the pants" that I've needed for years and haven't found anywhere else.

I'm recommending Writer Mama to all my writing friends, even those who aren't mamas--they can skip the mama-specific stuff and still get tons of good advice.

I happen to be a freelance writer and a young mother, and this book teaches me a ton about how to do better at the first without sacrificing time or quality of care for my son. While the book does not actually cover how to get things done around a baby, she does do an admirable job of teaching you how to get the most out of a few minutes, and that is what I needed to know. Thank you for the EXCELLENT book!

I don't care if you are a Writer Mama, a Writer Dad or a singleton without kids, this book is indispensable if you want to become a writer/author and get published! As opposed to most books out there about writing that are intimidating and overwhelming, Ms. Katz's tone is warm and helpful. She shows you how to get published even though you don't have a newspaper column that 300,000 people read every week or a marriage to a famous celebrity. (For those of you in the dark here, I'm talking about Jessica Seinfeld and her book Deceptively Delicious. We all know she got that book deal because of her marriage to Jerry.) But I digress. Perhaps more important, Writer Mama is very well organized and filled with practical information. If I ever get published, it will be because of Writer Mama! So if you want to be a published author, don't walk, but run to your nearest Barnes and Noble or Borders bookstore. Or better yet, let your fingers do the work and place the order now on Amazon.

Christina Katz is the Queen of the Query!

Members of our writers' group read, discussed, and applied Katz's inspiring principles. Her section on query letters is particulary informative, with professional examples.

Katz never claims that being a writer mama is easy. Rather, she offers helpful tips and encouragement to prevent "mommy mush mind." Our favorites? That even the smallest amount of writing is writing, and how to "Get your name known."

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