FOUR AREAS OF PERSEVERANCE By Kathryn Lay

For the last 14 years, I’ve followed my heart and written whenever possible and about anything that struck my fancy. But it wasn’t until two years ago that I found the confidence, power, and opportunities that changed my writing income from less than $1500 a year with 60 sales to $12,000 a year part-time and 200 sales.

THE KEY TO THE PARALLEL UNIVERSE By Ellen Neuborne

Two years ago, I quit a perfectly good editing job at BusinessWeek magazine to be a freelance writer. Why? To have more flexibility, to spend more time with my children, and to never, ever sit through a Friday staff meeting again.

SELLING TO NEWSPAPERS By Sally Mesarosh

This morning I dashed down my driveway to get the morning paper. I’m not usually this excited to read the daily paper, but today’s edition is especially thrilling for me because it contains my first paid article for a newspaper.

HOW TO KEEP THOSE IDEAS FLOWING By Susan Miles

Like most of you, I carry around an “ideas notebook” to jot down story and article ideas as they occur to me. Some days I can fill pages with one line outlines of future articles to write. Other times, my notebook may remain untouched at the bottom of my bag for weeks on end. This […]

HOW I BECAME A FREELANCER By Martha White

I was working for a handloom and yarn manufacturer, weaving, and writing promotional materials. I also did volunteer editorial work for a non-profit historic preservation group. One day I was under deadline, editing (heavily) a manuscript that a historian had been paid $40 an hour to write. The thought hit me — I was pushing the wrong pencil.