Amazon.com: Make a Real Living as a Freelance Writer: How to Win Top Writing Assignments: Jenna Glatzer: Books

From Publishers Weekly
Beginning with plenty of realistic words of caution, veteran freelancer Glazer (Outwitting Writer’s Block and Other Problems of the Pen; Words You Thought You Knew) provides a practical guide for aspiring writers who want to earn a living doing what they love. Glatzer takes readers through the must-do basics—from sending clean, spell-checked cover letters to avoiding harassing busy editors—then delves into the processes of generating ideas, pitching, landing assignments and negotiating contracts. Once a writer has the assignment, she also has to know how to do research, conduct good interviews with experts and provide solid back-up ("if a fact-checker complains loudly enough that Writer X’s article was full of holes, or that the source material was badly organized or unreliable, an editor might not hire Writer X again"). In this honest and thorough volume, Glatzer gives the inside scoop on all of these things, and many other facets of the business that novices (and, quite frankly, many experienced writers) might not realize they need to consider.
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Review

"An in-your-hand education in professional writing." —Christian Communicator

"Really shows what publications are looking for in a writer." —Dawn Papandrea, managing editor, The Collegebound Network

"A 'behind closed doors' look at freelancing...advice that will keep you ahead of the competition." —The Writer

"Covers everything novice and experienced writers need to know to succeed at freelancing." —Sheri McConnell, founder and president of the National Association of Women Writers

"A must-read for freelancers and wanna-be-freelancers." —Julia Rosien, senior editor, ePregnancy magazine

"A must-read for any freelancer wanting to break into the business and stay there." —Colleen Oakley, editor, Women's Health & Fitness

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Product Details

Paperback: 176 pages
Publisher: Nomad Press (May 1, 2004)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 097220265X
ISBN-13: 978-0972202657
Product Dimensions: 10 x 7.1 x 0.6 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)

Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (27 customer reviews)

Amazon.com Sales Rank: #47,648 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)
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#81 in Books > Reference > Publishing & Books > Authorship

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Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!

Inside This Book (learn more)

First Sentence:
So, what's a "real living" anyway, and can a freelance writer really earn one? Read the first page

Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
email queries, kill fee, query letter, electronic rights, serial rights

Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Family Circle, Woman's Day, Writer's Market, Woman's World, New York, Chandra Czape, Writer's Digest, Good Housekeeping, Jenna Glatzer, Stephanie Abarbanel, United States, North American, House Beautiful, Melissa Walker, Men's Fitness, National Writers Union, Workforce Management, Bobbi Dempsey, Natural Health, Robb Report, Todd Raphael, Women Who Make, Absolute Markets, Absolute Write, Good Food

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Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!

Citations (learn more)

This book cites 8 books:

Good Food by Family Circle on page 33
The Renegade Writer: A Totally Unconventional Guide to Freelance Writing Success by Linda Formichelli in Front Matter
Surviving High School: Making the Most of the High School Years by Mike Riera on page 117
Conquering Panic and Anxiety Disorders: Success Stories, Strategies, and Other Good News by Jenna Glatzer on page 134
Chicken Soup by Linda Zimmerman in Back Matter

See all 8 books this book cites

3 books cite this book:

Beginning Writer's Answer Book by Jane Friedman on page 180
Getting Started as a Freelance Writer (Culture Tools) by Robert W. Bly in Back Matter
Writer's Digest Handbook of Magazine Article Writing by Writers Digest in Back Matter

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	68% buy the item featured on this page: Make a Real Living as a Freelance Writer: How to Win Top Writing Assignments 4.8 out of 5 stars (27) $13.57
	12% buy Writer's Digest Handbook of Magazine Article Writing 4.8 out of 5 stars (5) $11.55
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Customer Reviews

27 Reviews

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4.8 out of 5 stars (27 customer reviews)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

46 of 47 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best Book for Magazine Freelancing, August 19, 2004

By	Barbra A. Annino "Freelance Writer" (Galena, IL USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

If Jenna's book was around when I went full-time a few months ago, I would probably have more work than I know what to do with. As it is I have tripled my response rate on queries and my productivity has skyrocketed.

How? Simple. This book is like camping out in the personal office of a professional freelancer.

Jenna offers invaluable insights about queries, markets, resources and how to maximize on your time. Sidebars filled with websites that all freelancers should be privy to are peppered throughout each chapter. Real life scenarios play out between the pages and you learn what works and what doesn't with supermarket publications like Family Circle and Woman's Day. Interviews with successful writers and seasoned editors reveal the keys to making it into the acceptance pile.

Queries? Jenna answers all the questions by disclosing her personal methods. Simultaneous Submissions? Always. Email pitches? You Bet. Multiple ideas queries? Why Not?

She delves into interviewing, syndication, contracts, copyrights, and everything else that a newbie and even pros should brush up on.

Even if your shelves are filled with other books on the business of writing and even if you subscribe to all the best newsletters, you still need this book.

Barbra Annino
www.barbraannino.com

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22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sustain a Lucrative Career while Wearing Pajamas, June 7, 2004

By	Maryanne Raphael (Carlsbad, CA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Book Review by Maryanne Raphael, Writers World

Sustain a Lucrative Career while Wearing Pajamas
.
MAKE A REAL LIVING AS A FREELANCE WRITER explains how to be successful "in today's publishing climate where the Internet rules and stamps are nearly obsolete and the articles that earned front-page headlines last decade wouldn't even get short blurbs today." The book shows how to earn top dollars writing for magazines, how to write a marketable story, how to know what sections of a magazine welcome freelancers, how to market reprints, and how to become an expert in your chosen field.
Author Jenna Glatzer is the editor-in-chief of Absolute Write and author of Outwitting Writer's Block. She is a full time writer from NYC who has published 9 books and hundreds of articles. Her style makes reading fun with her quick wit, vast experience, knowledge of her subject and her use of meaningful quotes, relevant anecdotes and helpful resources.
She says, "You'll have to learn where to find writing markets and how to study them, write irresistible query letters, make editors fall in love with you, get regular assignments, negotiate, make deadbeats pay up and more." She helps discover your strengths and how to use them.,, shows you how to set goals, see writing as a business and get started.
"You must find something worth telling to a mass audience," she says, "and convince the `powers that be' that you're the right person to tell it."
She even tells how to make the most of rejection slips, how to network, write a column, interview, write for the Internet, have a Web Site, and make your article timely. She shows how to become your editor's favorite by being "reliable, accurate, nice, respectful of the editor's time and by proposing plenty of new ideas with regularity."
Author Glatzer helps readers learn from her mistakes as well as her achievements. After stating that big magazines do not want stories that have appeared elsewhere, she tells how she goofed once . "You shouldn't be a dummy like me and actually emphasize this as a selling point in your query."
The book tells everything you need to know about taxes once you start earning money from your writing. By the time you finish this book, according to the author, "You'll have the insider knowledge you need to figure out what sells to whom and how to build up and sustain a lucrative career while wearing pajamas." I'd recommend the book to anyone who wants to try freelance writing.

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17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Makes a good read, April 18, 2004

By	Debbie (CA United States) - See all my reviews

This was an easy-to-read book written with a "you can do it" attitude - good for writers who are new to the field or are trying to break into bigger markets.

The book is a good mix of the author's experience (what worked and what she learned from mistakes she made), and quotes from editors and other established writers.

Very helpful were the websites with additional helpful information, like a fax site where you can receive your faxes by e-mail at no cost (i.e. no need for a fax machine), websites for writers, websites for finding sources, etc.

Also helpful were sections on negotiating contracts, how to pitch a story, how to study the market for your work (and the importance in doing so), how fact checking works, and how to find story ideas (and spin them off into even more ideas).

If you're the type who does well with assignments, the book has assignments you can do like one on coming up with ideas.

The book is less how to write, than the mechanics behind getting assignments and following through on them. It takes the mystique out of the process. I ended up earmarking a bunch of pages to go back to, and have already used some of the information (mainly websites) to further my own writing.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best Freelance Book Ever
I refer to this book on almost a daily basis. Jenna helps you develop article ideas through interesting exercises that use the things you know to get you started. Read more

Published 1 month ago by Carla Michelle

5.0 out of 5 stars Great How-To!
This book is right on the money! I've sold two articles since I bought the book a month ago.
I've been writing for eight years without a real focus. Read more

Published 7 months ago by Sully

5.0 out of 5 stars Refreshing!
Excellent book by an excellent author. This one covered everything that I have always thought missing in other, similar, books. Read more

Published 8 months ago by Charmain Ross

5.0 out of 5 stars Let's read it again!
I read this book through in just a few days, and I'll be going through it a second time in a few days more. I am a freelance writer by trade, and Ms. Read more

Published 13 months ago by Dionne Obeso

5.0 out of 5 stars I've been in three national glossies with no prior experience... Thanks, Jenna!
I can't recommend this book highly enough. It's good enough that I've been able to masquerade as a veteran while really a novice. No, I never lied, editors assumed. Read more

Published 13 months ago by Amy Gamet

5.0 out of 5 stars For Serious Freelance Writers only!
Jenna is a great thought leader in this difficult, thrilling industry. She gives practical advice for those who want to make a real business out of writing. Read more

Published on July 4, 2007 by Kristen L. Fischer

5.0 out of 5 stars What References . . .
. . . do I rely on? Over and over again, I've been asked which books I turn to time and time again for reference. Read more

Published on July 1, 2007 by Jenn Greenleaf

5.0 out of 5 stars Sharp, practical advice from an insider who knows
Want to be a freelance writer? Jenna Glatzer tells you the truth about the business in a conversational, factual, no-nonsense style sprinkled with her warm personality and humor... Read more

Published on February 20, 2007 by Rebecca Jacoby

5.0 out of 5 stars Good Job
Jenna Glatzer has performed a valuable service in her work. Her work is insightful to what the news taking place in the media today. I enjoyed reading it. Read more

Published on March 9, 2006 by Troy Taggart

5.0 out of 5 stars Exactly what I was searching for
This book is packed with tactical real-life strategic know-how about how to get published. It's not a book full of fluff! Read more

Published on February 22, 2006 by Camille Benoit

› See all 27 customer reviews...

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