"Starving" and "writer" are NOT forever joined at the hip...
You love to write. You also love to eat. AND pay the rent (or the mortgage on your own digs?), and buy cool clothes and the latest gizmos, stay out of debt, take a nice vacation now and then, and have enough left over to sock some away for a rainy day (or even better, the sunny ones at the beach...).
You also really like the idea of working for yourself, getting up and going to bed when YOU decide, taking a day - or week! - off without having to ask anyone's permission - basically living life on YOUR terms.
Bottom line, you want to be a well-fed writer...
So, how can you have a life like that through writing? After all, everyone knows that most writers starve, right? Well, actually, most writers DO starve. But there are a healthy number who don't, the ones who've discovered...
...a field called "freelance commercial writing"...
And it spells some big opportunities for freelancers...
Never heard of it? Not surprising. Most people haven't. Here's the scoop. Businesses from the Fortune 100 all the way down to 10-person shops, in virtually every industry, outsource an enormous amount of writing work to freelancers, and pay handsomely: $50-125 an hour or more.
"What's freelance commercial writing?" Anything a company would have to create in the course of doing business. A short list? Marketing brochures, ad copy, newsletters, direct mail campaigns, web site content, sales sheets, trade articles, case studies, DVD/video scripts, and about a zillion other project types. Don't worry if some of that sounds like Greek. You learn as you go.
"What's freelance commercial writing?" Anything a company would have to create in the course of doing business. A short list? Marketing brochures, ad copy, newsletters, direct mail campaigns, web site content, sales sheets, trade articles, case studies, DVD/video scripts, and about a zillion other project types. Don't worry if some of that sounds like Greek. You learn as you go.
Here's the reality check...
It's not a get-rich-quick proposition...
You've got to work hard to build it up. You're not going to make a few phone calls and have a bunch of $5K jobs fall into your lap. If it were that easy, everyone would be doing it and we'd all be making seven bucks an hour. And if I told you it were that easy, you wouldn't (and shouldn't) believe me.
You won't get all your creative fulfillment out of it, but that's the trade-off. You write what someone else wants you to write and get paid very well to do that. You DO have to be a good writer, but you DON'T have to be an amazing, incredible, "blow-them-away-with-your-talent" writer.
Most companies don't outsource; many do it themselves. But enough of them DO.
You won't get all your creative fulfillment out of it, but that's the trade-off. You write what someone else wants you to write and get paid very well to do that. You DO have to be a good writer, but you DON'T have to be an amazing, incredible, "blow-them-away-with-your-talent" writer.
Most companies don't outsource; many do it themselves. But enough of them DO.
Why would a company outsource writing?
For some solid economic AND common sense reasons..
1) No need to provide salary, vacation or benefits. A minus? A lot of freelancers don't think so...
2) They pay for the help they need - ONLY when they need it.
3) They get fresh "outsider" perspectives, often invaluable in the insulated corporate environment.
4) They get access to wide range of talent, which allows them to find the right writer for the job.
2) They pay for the help they need - ONLY when they need it.
3) They get fresh "outsider" perspectives, often invaluable in the insulated corporate environment.
4) They get access to wide range of talent, which allows them to find the right writer for the job.
Sound good so far?
I%u2019m guessing it does...
And while it's not a breeze of a biz, it IS one of the most accessible writing fields out there. Bob Bly, THE freelance writing guru, direct response copywriting legend, and author of 60 books on writing and publishing, started out in commercial freelancing, and says of the field, "I know of no other field so lucrative, yet so easy to get started in."
I've been doing this successfully for 14 years, and when I started out, I had NO prior writing experience, NO professional writing training, and NO industry contacts. I had never had been paid to write anything. And within four months of starting my business way back when, I was paying all my bills. I can't promise the same results, but the work is definitely out there.
I've been doing this successfully for 14 years, and when I started out, I had NO prior writing experience, NO professional writing training, and NO industry contacts. I had never had been paid to write anything. And within four months of starting my business way back when, I was paying all my bills. I can't promise the same results, but the work is definitely out there.
Who am I?
My name is Peter Bowerman (bio at top left)
I'm known as "The Well-Fed Writer" because I wrote a few award-winning step-by-step how-to guides with that title about starting your own commercial writing business. Check 'em out at (what else?), www.wellfedwriter.com.Oh, and I also self-published my books, ended up with 50,000 of them in print and they provided me with a full-time living for five-plus years. And then wrote another book about how I did all that. But, THAT'S a whole other story for a whole other day. But, if you're curious, you'll find a few more details at www.wellfedsp.com.
Thanks for stopping by, and may all your writing be well-fed!
Income-Boosting Writing Links
Some of my favorites: good people, good info
- Free Report: "Why Commercial Writing?"
- Click at the top of the green bar on the left side of the home page ("Free Report: Why Commercial Writing?"
- Home Base for The Well-Fed Writer
- Income-boosting information and resources for ANY writer wanting to make more money. Free report, free monthly ezine, chat groups, books, ebooks, CDs, coaching and much more.
- White Paper Source
- White papers are a lucrative segment of the freelance commercial writing market, and no one knows WPs better than Michael Stelzner, the international authority on the subject (and my friend). Your source for all the tools you need to tap the potential of this profitable writing arena.
- Bob Bly's Resources for Writers
- THE freelance writing guru shares his best resources for writers
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Bob Bly's Blog
The copywriting master weights in...
Actually, Bob's not a big fan of blogs, but he still weighs in every few days with some gems...
Fetching RSS feed... please stand byMichael Stelzner's Blog: Writing White Papers
Fetching RSS feed... please stand by"The Well-Fed Writer" Titles
Check out the 100+ reviews (avg. 4.5 stars) for "The Well-Fed Writer" and the 35 (avg. 5 stars) for "TWFW: Back For Seconds" on Amazon. I think people liked them it! (But don't believe me - check it out!)
The Well-Fed Writer: Financial Self-Sufficiency As a Freelance Writer in Six Months or Less
Amazon Price: $13.57 (as of 12/30/2009) 
Bob Bly's "The Copywriter's Handbook"
My books are about how to start a commercial writing business. THIS book is the definitive how-to guide to actually WRITING those commercial projects.
The Copywriter's Handbook, Third Edition: A Step-By-Step Guide To Writing Copy That Sells
Amazon Price: $12.24 (as of 12/30/2009)
Writing White Papers
THE book on writing white papers from THE WP expert, Michael Stelzner, founder of www.whitepapersource.com.
Writing White Papers: How to Capture Readers and Keep Them Engaged
Amazon Price: $23.07 (as of 12/30/2009)
by wellfedwriter
I'm Peter Bowerman, "The Well-Fed Writer," and I want to help you make a GOOD living as a writer. I'm the author of the award-winning Book-of-th...
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