How They Did It: 25 Bloggers, Authors and Writers Share All Their Secrets About Earning a Living And How You Can Do It Too
By Diana Bocco
()
About this ebook
Ever wished you could ask other writers the secret to earning a full-time income?
Some of the country's most prominent freelancers and bloggers share their best advice, covering everything from jumpstarting your career, landing well-paid assignments, expanding beyond your comfort zone and avoiding scams, and much, much more.
Get a special peek into the lives and work schedules of successful freelancers and learn:
- How they land assignments
- How many hours they work and how those hours are split (writing, marketing, etc.)
- How much money they make and where that money comes from
- How they transitioned into freelancing full-time (and tips to help you do the same)
- The importance of having a great workspace
- What qualities you need to make it as a writer
- How best-selling author Anthony Howard and self-publishing extraordinaire Peter Bowerman are changing the face of publishing
- Who's earning six figures and how
- How many of the writers interviewed are pulling more than $50,000 a year...
… and much more.
Learn it all directly from the writers, in their own words and style. No interruptions, no barriers, no secrets.
Plus, see photos of their writing spaces.
Read more from Diana Bocco
Luke (Forbidden Lust #1): Forbidden Lust Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Hot Alphas and Bad Boys Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsReinventing the Wheel: How 20 Entrepreneurs Started Non-Traditional Home Businesses -- And How You Can Do It Too Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSuccess Stories of Unlikely Entrepreneurs Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Lying Game (Part 1) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Broke Entrepreneur: How 20 People Started Successful Businesses For $500 or Less Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Bleeding Trees Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Related to How They Did It
Related ebooks
Influencer Entrepreneurs Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Business of Writing & Editing: Practical Tips & Templates for New Freelancers Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFreelance Writing Blueprint Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsStarting Your Career as a Freelance Writer Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Make a Real Living as a Freelance Writer: How To Win Top Writing Assignments Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A Freelancer's Survival Guide to Starting Your Own Business Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHow to Rock Freelance Writing: A Rage Against the Manuscript guide Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Writing Articles About the World Around You Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Online Writer's Companion: A Complete Guide to Earning Your Living as a Freelancer Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHow To Make a Living with Your Writing: Turn Your Words into Multiple Streams Of Income Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Six Figures in Sweatpants: A No-Bullsh*t, Practical Guide to Building a Freelance Career. Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSo You Want To Be A Freelance Writer?: Writing for Magazines, Newspapers and Beyond Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Organised Writer: How to stay on top of all your projects and never miss a deadline Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Writer's Guide To Getting Published In Magazines Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Copywriting for Creative Writers: Method Writing Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Field Notes for Writers Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBe a Freelance Writer Now: A Quick Guide to Starting Your Business Today Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Be About Something: Unlock Your Big Idea to Catapult Your Business to the Next Level Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsWrite a Book Fast Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe 13 Most Common Mistakes New Freelancers Make and How to Fix Them Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSo You Want to Be a Writer: How to Get Started (While You Still Have a Day Job) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Workplace Writer's Process: Getting the Job Done Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Start Your Own Freelance Writing Business: The Complete Guide to Starting and Scaling from Scratch Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Read Books All Day and Get Paid For It: The Business of Book Coaching Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Freelance Editor's Handbook: A Complete Guide to Making Your Business Thrive Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsStop Worrying; Start Writing: Worried Writer, #1 Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Stop Writing Books Nobody Reads: The Dangerously Effective Way to Write and Publish a Book That People Read and Refer Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Writer's Business Plan: Business Books For Writers Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFabJob Guide to Become a Freelance Writer Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Language Arts & Discipline For You
The Elements of Style, Fourth Edition Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Lost Art of Handwriting: Rediscover the Beauty and Power of Penmanship Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Speed Reading: How to Read a Book a Day - Simple Tricks to Explode Your Reading Speed and Comprehension Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Fluent in 3 Months: How Anyone at Any Age Can Learn to Speak Any Language from Anywhere in the World Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Barron's American Sign Language: A Comprehensive Guide to ASL 1 and 2 with Online Video Practice Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Writing to Learn: How to Write - and Think - Clearly About Any Subject at All Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Grammar 101: From Split Infinitives to Dangling Participles, an Essential Guide to Understanding Grammar Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Show, Don't Tell: How to Write Vivid Descriptions, Handle Backstory, and Describe Your Characters’ Emotions Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Dirty Sign Language: Everyday Slang from "What's Up?" to "F*%# Off!" Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsWebster's New World: American Idioms Handbook Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Get to the Point!: Sharpen Your Message and Make Your Words Matter Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5On Writing Well, 30th Anniversary Edition: An Informal Guide to Writing Nonfiction Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Verbal Judo, Second Edition: The Gentle Art of Persuasion Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5500 Beautiful Words You Should Know Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Craft of Research, Fourth Edition Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Everything Sign Language Book: American Sign Language Made Easy... All new photos! Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Writing Fiction: A Guide to Narrative Craft Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Talk Dirty Spanish: Beyond Mierda: The curses, slang, and street lingo you need to Know when you speak espanol Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHow To Write A Children’s Book Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5We Need to Talk: How to Have Conversations That Matter Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I Will Judge You by Your Bookshelf Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Summary of Lessons in Chemistry Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Road Not Taken and other Selected Poems Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Talk Like TED: The 9 Public-Speaking Secrets of the World's Top Minds Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5As We Speak: How to Make Your Point and Have It Stick Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Wordslut: A Feminist Guide to Taking Back the English Language Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Reviews for How They Did It
0 ratings0 reviews
Book preview
How They Did It - Diana Bocco
by
Diana Bocco
An Imbolc Books Publication
How They Did It © 2012 Diana Bocco
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Cover art by Char Adlesperger
Electronic book publication: March 2012
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise, without written permission from the publisher, Imbolc Books® or the author.
While all attempts have been made to verify information provided in this publication, the Publisher assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions of the subject matter herein. In practical advice books, there are no guarantees of income made or improvement of skill. Readers are cautioned to rely on their own judgment and act accordingly.
Introduction
As a full-time writer myself, I‘ve often wondered how others do it. Just how do writers deal with crazy schedules and unstable income? How do they land lucrative (and interesting) assignments? This was an especially important question at the beginning of my career, when I was trying to find my way, and having a hard time figuring it all out.
This is why I loved working on this book. I‘ve been a writer my whole life, but I didn‘t really focus on the ―making money‖ side of it until 2006. I was living in Russia at the time, working as an ESL teacher and in need of some additional money to supplement my income. By 2008, I was freelancing full-time. It was easier and more fun than I‘d expected and I‘ve always wondered whether other writers had gone through the same experience when making a career switch.
There are some amazing writers here, including Peter Bowerman, author of ―The Well-Fed Writer‖ (considered by many as ‗the freelancer‘s bible‘), and self-publisher extraordinaire Anthony R. Howard, who made over $30,000 within the first year of publishing his Kindle novel. Some writers started out as journalists or English teachers, while others were actors, sold timeshare property, owned coffeehouses and yoga studios, or worked as technology experts and optometrist assistants. One of the writers was even a professional poker dealer! If you‘ve ever wondered if you need a specific background to become a writer, consider this book your final answer.
Besides the profiles, you will also find pointers on how to jumpstart your career, land well-paid assignments, expand beyond your comfort zone and avoid scams, and much, much more. Some writers, like copywriter Tom Bentley, offer more ―practical advice,‖ such as ―build a well-stocked bar.‖
The most important lesson I learned from writing this book is that successful writers diversify. Except for a few exceptions, almost everybody does several things: they keep a blog, work as freelance editors, self-publish ebooks... Successful writers
have several clients and projects going at once—If one stalls or gets postponed, they focus on something else. This not only ensures a steady flow of money, but can also help you keep your sanity.
I can‘t end this without mentioning the photos. I have office envy. Tom‘s office, set inside a 1969 airstream, is one of the best things I‘ve ever seen!
Whether you‘re a beginner writer looking to break in or a seasoned one trying to expand and diversify, I hope this book inspires you and shows you that when it comes to being a writer, there is a world of options out there.
Diana Bocco
Case 1: Tara Jefferson, blogging and social media
Official website: tarajefferson.com
Age: 26
Last year's income from writing: Approximately $37,000 (still tallying!)
The most you've ever made from a single piece of writing: $750
How long you've been freelancing: 3 years
Your background before becoming a writer: I've always been a writer at heart, but after I graduated from college in 2007 with a degree in magazine journalism, I couldn't find any writing jobs at local magazines. So I took a job in public relations and began my career editing brochures and newsletters.
Why/How did you make the jump to freelancing? I had been writing on the side to satisfy myself. And when I got laid off in late 2010, I figured why not try to make it work as a full time freelancer?
First piece sold: I wrote a piece on social media for marriage educators in January
2011 for $750. It was for the National Healthy Marriage Resource Center.
Areas of specialization: I'm a bit of everything. I write books. I have my own blog and write for a few others. I'm managing editor of a black parenting website and I contribute to a handful of other online properties. I also provide social media services for three clients.
Describe your workspace: I work all over the house, but when I have a big project or when I'm on deadline I retreat to my home office (the former guest room). Nothing too fancy -a desk, a couple of dry erase boards and an inspirational wall poster to help me get over my writing slumps and bouts of insecurity.
Typical work day: The beauty of what I do is that there is no typical day, but for the most part, I do a lot of work between 12-2 (my son's naptime) and then from 7:30 p.m. until about midnight. It's a long day, particularly when you throw kids and graduate school into the mix.
How many hours do you work? I probably work about 7 hours a day.
How do you land assignments? Right now I'm fortunate that a lot of my clients come to me with assignments. Because I'm very active on social media, my name gets out there a lot.
Who have been some of your clients? I write for Loop21.com (a current events website with an African-American focus), Momtourage.com (an iVillage property), and Black and Married with Kids (a black parenting/marriage website). I also work as a copyeditor with a self-publishing company.
Most memorable moment since you started writing? My son (who is three) had been bugging me all summer to take him to the beach. But the weather hadn't cooperated so we didn't make the hour-long drive up to the lake. But one Friday, it was perfect. He asked me at about 9:30 a.m. if we could go, just as I was sitting down to begin working. I looked at my pile of work and said, Absolutely.
I took him and his sister to the beach and we had a blast. That day reminded me of how fortunate I am to be able to do what I do from the comfort of my home. It hit me that I am my own boss and I work my own hours. It's amazing.
What would you say are the most important qualities one needs to possess in order to be a successful freelance writer/author? You have to believe in yourself. Write a list of reasons why you think you'll be successful and hang them somewhere you can see them. Because a lot of times, you'll be faced with rejection and months where the checks are a bit lighter. So just embrace the fact that life as a freelancer is a rollercoaster.
What are the best and worst parts of the freelancing life? The best part is being able to stay in my house when faced with harsh winter weather! I also enjoy being able to build a career from scratch. That's very fulfilling. The worst part is that there is no time off, really. I work seven days a week (less on weekends). When my husband and kids were off for a two-week Christmas break, I still had projects to finish.
What are your long-term goals? I hope to continue to write books and articles about parenting, particularly from a young mother lens. That's a huge void I see in the marketplace and I'm doing my best to fill it.
What words of advice would you give a person entering your field? If you're a freelancer, you feel like you're supposed to be working all the time, because your income depends on your output. But you have to remember to schedule time to unwind and do something fun for your sanity's sake.
Anything further you'd like to add? There have been lots of times during this past year when I wanted to give up. Right after, I would land a big assignment. It was like a greater power was telling me to keep at it. Don't give up. If you feel like being a writer is what you truly want to do, don't ever give up on that.
Case 2: Amy Shojai, web content
Official website: www.shojai.com
Age: 54
Last year's income from writing: Varies annually from 6 figures on good years, to
25,000 on bad years.
The most you've ever made from a single piece of writing: $160,000 for a 2-book advance.
How long you've been freelancing: I began submitting freelance articles in 1985 and quit my day job
in 1992.
Your background before becoming a writer: I have a BA (double major) in music/communications/theater.
Why/How did you make the jump to freelancing? My degree is in performance, and I couldn't make a living at that, so I'd been working several different jobs while writing on the side. I worked as a TV news reporter/anchor, as an optometrist assistant, a veterinary technician, a legal secretary, and finally in a bank first in the note department and then as a compliance officer. I got the compliance officer position because it entailed interpreting and writing bank regulations, and then (trying!) to ensure the employees followed those regulations.
Meanwhile, I wrote freelance articles about my vet-tech experiences on the side—on lunch breaks from the day job and after work until midnight—and had just gotten the second book contract. My boss at the bank announced the bank examiners would arrive in two weeks. As the compliance officer I'd be in charge and have to explain why employees