Reading & Writing Lounge

Jenna Glatzer’s ‘How to make a real living as a freelance writer’ is the one book I wish I had when I began freelancing. Having this on my book-shelf or in the library would have saved me, literally, hours of internet surfing, reading hundreds of websites and making the mistakes a newbie writer makes.

The book covers everything a freelance writer would need to know. From explaining the basics (finding ideas, studying your market & learning about FOBs), to understanding the intricacies of reprints, queries, and interview techniques, to tips and insider information on dealing with editors and the publishing world, the book is a goldmine of information.

Jenna’s friendly tone and say-it-like-it-is approach makes you feel like she’s the writing mentor you’ve never met. For a newcomer to the freelance and magazine publishing world, things are explained clearly. For me, the book cleared some misconceptions, introduced me to techniques and tricks which, without doubt, will help me with my career. Some of these are so obvious that it makes you wonder why you didn’t think of it yourself. That’s the beauty of the book - it prompts you to think of your own methods and whether what you are doing is working.

I highly recommend Jenna’s book to anybody contemplating a career in writing and needs to know the industry. Trust me, this book will save you a lot of time. I’ve read it twice already - the first time I took it all in, barely stopping to turn the pages because it was all so good. The second time around, I’ve made notes. Lots of them. Hopefully, these should stand me in good stead in the coming days.

And yes, once you buy the book, as an added bonus, email Jenna for an editor’s cheat sheet. Then, start writing.