How I Spun A Garage Sale Find Into Several Profitable Articles! By Trisha Faye
Fictional tales in writers' heads aren't the only thing that can bring us money. Writing can transform items in our homes into dollars.…
Success Story
From Layoff, to Chronic Illness, to Amazing Freelance Writing Success! By Wendy McCance
Back in 2009, I would never have been able to predict that I would end up in a dream career working as a freelance writer. I also would never have predicted how hard I would truly hit bottom before I saw my dream become a reality. The year 2009 was right in the middle of the economic fallout the United States was struggling through. Back then, I had a big home in an upper-class neighborhood and my husband and I both worked for a truck plant. When the economy took a turn for the worse, the plant closed. My husband and I ended up losing our jobs, home and savings. With three children, we scrambled to get our footing.…
What Delayed My Writing Career? Guilt, Shame, Doubt, and a Father’s Discouraging Words… By Janet Garber
All my life I’ve distracted myself from writing, keeping myself inordinately busy, rarely leaving myself a moment, a space, a lapse. Except in my dreams. Some dreams felt as vivid as a movie. One dream begged me to make it into a book. A few decades later, I finally did.…
I’m 81, Still Writing, and Still Getting Paid for It! By Marv Gisser
Last October I turned 81 and I'm still writing, still enjoying it, and still getting paid for it.…
Sharing Writing Jobs With Other Writers? Yes!!! By Wendy Hobday Haugh
Sharing success with others by extending encouragement and concrete opportunities to newcomers and seasoned writers alike…
How Translating One Poem Led To A Profitable Spin-off Service! By Pamela Allegretto
Until I stumbled into this little side gig of translating Italian poetry, my idea of poetry didn't go much further than "Roses are red..." etc., etc. Occasionally, I read, and reread, and tried to understand some of the poetry published in The New Yorker. First of all, it didn't rhyme, so that threw me off. Then, on many occasions, even after a third or fourth read, I was still asking: "Say what?" I must have snoozed through the poetry segment in English class because all this free flowing thought was a puzzle to me. And now, I was being asked to translate it.…
The Profitable Pros and Concerning Cons of “Single-Subject Writing” By Wendy Hobday Haugh
Getting extra mileage from an interview by writing multiple articles on the same subject, each with a different slant, not only nets bylines and paychecks, but also helps freelancers develop a more intuitive, multi-dimensional approach to interviewing. This may sound like a no-brainer. But, sometimes a writer gets so caught up in pursuing exciting new topics it becomes incredibly easy to overlook the many additional stories that a past interview might provide. …
“Passive” Marketing Through Strategic Guest Posting! How I Landed More Clients With Less Effort By Jennifer Brown Banks
Want to work "smarter, not harder" this year? Strategic guest posting is the ticket! In fact, Leo Babauta, mega-successful blogger, author, and creator of Zen Habits, (with more than 200,000 subscribers), states in an interview: "Guest posting is by far the best way to grow an audience."…
10 Creative Book Signing Tips to SELL MORE BOOKS! By William S. Creed
Half or more of published books are now self-published. I published my books myself and was set to 'reveal' by wonderfulness to the world. However, after selling it to friends and relatives, I still had boxes in my garage. My writing career was talking a dip! It was obvious, if I were going to sell those books, I would have to be my own promoter...…
From Multiple Rejections to Full-time Freelancing – Five Easy Rules! By Dennis L. Peterson
The first article I ever submitted was accepted, published, and paid for - about $300, if I recall. And, I was hooked.…
Caring For My Dad Inspired Me To Return To The Writing Life By Julie Guirgis
When my father's dementia started to decline, I cut back on work to look after him. Facing the constant barrage of demands of looking after someone with dementia, my soul was craving more. I needed an outlet to stimulate my mind and something outside of caring. Not only did I want something to distract me from looking after Dad, but also something I could profit from financially.…
How My Friend Set My Freelance Career Rolling Big Time By Derrick Okubasu
One day, while lazing about on Facebook, I stumbled upon a freelance writers' group. After researching the field, I discovered it was a viable venture...or at least the sites I sampled promised me so.…
How I Converted a One-Assignment to a Regular Client! By Lindsey Danis
When I was first offered a blog ghostwriting gig by Jim, a director of something-or-other for a tech company, it would've been putting it nicely to say I was underwhelmed. Via LinkedIn message, I was offered the chance to connect about a writing assignment. The lead seemed so low qualified that it was not until Jim messaged me again that I replied with (admittedly faked) interest. …
Writers – Find Loneliness and Fill it With Words By Britany Robinson
I was sitting on a floating dock in Montana, watching the sun set over a glassy pond, when I suddenly felt like quitting. …
(THIS IS FUNNY!) How I Earned $2,800 Writing 5 Stories in 1 Month By Sylvia Spruck Wrigley
Amazing commission: Write five short science fiction pieces on specific themes for a corporate brainstorming/innovation event. The catch: all five stories required in a month.…
Professional Copywriting Reinvigorated My Theater Critic Career! By Amelia Forsbrook
Defining myself as a specialist writer, I refused to take on work other than criticism for the simple reason that I saw diversity as a threat to my status as a professional. I saw extra work as a crack in my armour, and feared that others within my industry would see me as less of a critic for each step I took towards becoming a jack of all trades writer.…
The Four-Word Laxative to Getting Published: How to Cure Information Constipation Once and For All! By Michael Wilts
How 4 simple words from Angela Hoy at WritersWeekly cured 10 years of writer's block.…
How I Generate Four Streams of Income from My Writing! By Keesha Metcalfe
About three years ago, I officially launched my freelance writing career after I lost my job as a manager at a financial institution. You can imagine how devastated I was when I lost my job since I had no other steady source of income at the time and I had children in school and bills to pay. However, I had been doing some freelance writing on the side for awhile, and was able to earn a good supplemental income. …
How I Made Money Writing Poker Player Profiles…for a Decade! By Jennifer Newell
Since I was a young girl, I knew writing was my strength and one thing at which I truly excelled. However, a lack of knowledge of the realm of possibilities for a writer in today's world as well as some tumultuous teenage years and beyond threw me off of any solid path in that direction.…
From Sexual Harassment Victim to Successful Freelance Writer! By Nicole Stracek
I didn't plan on becoming a writer. In fact, I had completely given up on the idea before it could even become a reality. At age 22, I was a single mother, attending college full-time, working 2 jobs, and determined to be successful.…
How I Became a Professional Script Reader! By Justine Owens
About three years ago, at age 45, I was sitting in my pajamas, eating breakfast, pondering…
A FEW REGRETS! Records I Wish I’d Kept During My Freelancing Career By Wendy Hobday Haugh
I've been freelancing for 36 years. Although I've carefully maintained certain records throughout my career, looking back I wish I'd kept even more.…
Succeed as a Full-Time Freelancer with The Three-Legged Stool Approach! By Troy Lambert
When I was fourteen, I determined I wanted to grow up and write for a living. School counselors laughed so, as a high school senior, I enrolled at Arizona State University majoring in aeronautical engineering. I dropped out of school, went back several times, and after a series of jobs and ìcareersî that resulted in an extensive collection of hairnets and nametags, I finally got serious about being a writer, and figured out the first obstacle to working at home full time: Money.…
Slam-Dunk! My Self-Published Book (through BookLocker) Has Already Earned More Than My Traditionally Published Book! By Shannon Cutts
I published my first nonfiction book in 2009. After a whirlwind courtship with a respected mid-sized…
How I Get Paid to Watch, and Write About, Television Shows By Kimberly Stempel
Let's face facts. Freelance writing is not an easy business. You pursue this vocation because writing is your passion, but you also need to tend to more mundane matters, like eating and paying the bills.…
How a Clucky Blog Post Led to a Long Term Freelance Gig By Karen Doll
Blogs can move mountains. A simple blog post can create a path to success. It was one such blog post that paved the way to a very unique freelance writing gig and my success story.…
Freelancing The Baby Boomer Market By Steven King
It may seem ironic but one of the reasons I left my self-imposed retirement from freelance writing is due to the number of people who are entering into retirement age.…
Writers, Why Not Write About Yourself For Profit? By Wendy Hobday Haugh
Looking for a fresh article idea? An engaging topic? An interesting person to profile? Don’t discount…
I Flunked Math But I Earned $3K Writing About Economics! By Marcie Rendon
We are often told as writers to write what we know. If you are going to make a living as a writer, it sometimes requires writing what you don't know, what you don't like, or what you find difficult. I make money by rarely saying no to a writing assignment or request.…
How A Trip To The Mall Launched My Writing Career By Steven King
Most people would have been panicking about flying home or begging for their old job back but, rather than get all worked up, I decided to take a trip to the nearby shopping mall with hopes that a change in scenery would brighten my outlook...…
Illness Forced Me Into Freelancing…and Now I’m Swamped with Work! By Jane Fazackarley
Like many would be writers, I used to lack the confidence I needed to turn my passion into a full-time job. Then, one day the decision was forced upon me.…
My Hobby of Profiling Street Musicians Turned Into a Paying Gig! by Marco Gallerani
Surprisingly, I was contacted by an important Spanish magazine. When I understood why they got in touch with me I thought it was a joke. But, it wasn't! They wanted me to start writing profiles of those musicians for their magazine. And, the best part is, they pay me $50 for each of them! …
A Positive Problem! Too Much Writing Work! by Jane Thomas
I remember looking out at the white mist so thick I couldn't see a tree ten yards away, and morosely contemplating the fact that this was not quite what I'd had in mind when I decided to move to Africa. Swaziland, it turns out, gets remarkably cold in the winter ...…
