Can You Make a Living as a Full-Time Writer? by Robert Medak

Regular followers will remember writer, Robert Medak, from an earlier post on Writers in Business. Robert is a freelance writer, editor, book reviewer and aspiring author. He has written or ghost written over 350 articles and 80 book reviews. Today he is joining us to answer one of the biggest questions facing writers.

Can You Make a Living as a Full-Time Writer?
This is a simple yet complex question, with an answer to match.

Unless your name is Bob Bly or someone as well known, please don’t quit your day job.

It takes time, effort, marketing, quality work, and referrals to become a go to person for writing. It isn’t going to happen overnight no matter how often some people tell you. They will probably try to sell you some course, program, or get you involved with PLR articles or books that you can rebrand to call your own. Others will try to get you involved with affiliates.

I don’t do any of that since I offer 100 percent original work and test it with Copyscape for and possible plagiarism questions. I have also signed an ethics pledge.

I have gone so far as to turn down work due to ethical concerns. I realize individuals will make their own decision, but you still have to face yourself in the mirror each morning and have to live with your modus operandi of business; for writing is a business, have no fear about that.

If you choose to enter the realm of freelance writing, you will need to price your services and believe that you are an entrepreneur, because you are.

When the economy slows down so do writing jobs. With the diminishing number of magazines and newspapers, the number of places that would normally take a chance of new writers also diminishes. Along with this, many companies are looking to outsource to other countries where labor is cheaper than the United States.

It is still possible to make a living as a writer depending on how hard you are willing to work at finding jobs.

The best way to find jobs is to start out locally. Check in with your local Chamber of Commerce, Church, and Civic Groups.

Build a website, blog, guest blog, use social media (Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter) to let potential clients know you exist. If potential clients don’t know about you, they will not come to you. Build a portfolio of work that you can show to potential clients. Keep a CV/ Résumé up to date; some clients make ask for one.

Watch out for any signs of frustration that things are not happening according to the way you think they should when jobs do not come easy, you are not the only one trying for them.

Excellent ideas! Thank you Robert. You can find Robert online at the following sites.

Website, Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

Taking the Mystery Out of Business - new release by Linda Faulkner

Today I'd like to introduce Linda Faulkner from Missoula, Montana. She is an entrepreneur and the founder of four businesses. Her new release, Taking the Mystery Out of Business: 9 Fundamentals for Professional Success, is destined to be a best seller.

Putting words together has been Linda's lifelong passion. In addition to writing fiction and non-fiction books, Linda is a freelance writer and has been multi-published for many years. She develops and writes career development workshops, procedures manuals, and continuing education seminars, workshops, texts, and online courses.

Linda is a member of Mystery Writers of America, Romance Writers of America, the Rocky Mountain Chapter of Mystery Writers of America, and Sisters in Crime.

She is visting us today to share the details of her new book, Taking the Mystery Out of Business.


Linda, why do you think people consider the business world to be “mysterious?”

Most people occasionally encounter subjects about which they know little or nothing. When they bump into such topics at work, however, they tend to get frazzled and often find themselves unable to avoid or work around them. Because I’ve worked in the business world for over thirty years—as an employee, manager, and business owner/entrepreneur—I’ve run into many personalities and perspectives about what to do and how/when to do it. I believe the best way to learn or overcome gaps in knowledge is to simplify a subject (i.e., de-mystify it). That’s what Taking the Mystery Out of Business is about: taking subjects that seem to be complex, simplifying them, and sharing my business knowledge and expertise in a way that anyone can understand.

Many writers hate the business side of writing and, in fact, do not consider themselves to be business people. What advice do you have for them?

If writers want to sell their work, they either have to be business persons or hire one or more people to assume that role for them. Books don’t sell and market themselves; neither do they pay bills, acquire a following, or manage a writer’s time. Self-employed individuals (i.e., writers) need to operate from the same perspective as other businesses. Yes, adaptations are made--a writer won’t handle his or her business in the same fashion that IBM handles its business, for example--but the fundamentals are the same.
Following the advice of those who are successful in their own business endeavors is a quick and easy way for a writer to learn what techniques will and will not work. Each person has his or her own personality. Shy people tend to avoid large gatherings and speaking in public. Readers and fans, however, love to meet writers and learn more about them. Shy people should arrange marketing events that allow them to interact with people while taking advantage of their personalities. Social networking, blogging, and other types of online marketing take a great deal of time—more so than speaking in public and addressing large groups of people. Creating events that involve small groups, like book clubs, however, works well for individuals who prefer avoiding large crowds. If a shy person enjoys smaller venues, is successful at them, and doesn’t mind the extra time and effort involved—that’s what he or she should do.

Being creative is essential. Writers should read and study the successes of other business people and then use their creativity to adapt those processes so they work for themselves.

Who should read Taking the Mystery Out of Business and why should they read it?>

In this practical primer, I lay out the fundamentals of business, providing examples and tips so newcomers to the business world can easily gain an understanding of the challenges they face. Experienced professionals will benefit from a refresher on basic strategies and how to stay ahead of the competition.

Linda, your book should be on the desk of every writer who is serious about their career. Thank you for telling us more about your newest book. Readers can order a copy through her web site and through Amazon.com. Linda also offers a newsletter and blog with tips. You can learn more by visiting her web site.