Book Review: The Renegade Writer: A Totally Unconventional Guide to Freelance Writing Success

Most of us here are fiction writers, but novels and short stories take a long time to pay the bills. Enter freelance writing. Magazine articles take relatively little time to research and write, compared to a full-length novel. But articles are a different animal.


The Renegade Writer: A Totally Unconventional Guide to Freelance Writing Success helps writers navigate the "rules" of the freelance writing world, and even gives advice on when to break those rules. Ten chapters and twelve appendices give you the confidence you need to approach magazine editors with your ideas.


The authors, Formichelli and Burrell, also run a popular blog for freelancers. Posts like 5 Tips to Finding Story Ideas That Sell, and 11 Tips for Getting the Most Out of Writer's Market give writers an edge.


Also available on the site is a free packet of successful query letters to give writers an idea of what magazine editors expect. The authors also offer a free teleclass each month. The current class is titled, Using Fear As Fuel When Writing or Querying.


Conventional freelance advice says writers should start by penning articles for small, regional magazines and work themselves up to the "big" jobs at national magazines. Formichelli and Burrell offer "unconventional" tips to help writers climb the freelance ladder more quickly.


Some novelists can't imagine what topics they would write about, since their minds are immersed in their fiction. Consider the hobbies of your characters, the location where your story is set, or the time period that fascinates you. Chances are good that there are magazines serving readers with the same interests. And down the road, these same readers may be buying your novels.


Have you considered writing for magazines?

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