Events

Six-Figure freelancing for Food Writers, IACP, OCtober 2006

The IACP Food Forum published their last and final issue this Fall. It features my piece on six-figure freelancing for food writers.  An excerpt —

A quick search on Amazon.com for “six figures” reveals a multitude of books on how to earn this magical number. Books with titles such as Secrets of Six-Figure Women, Six-Figure Freelancing, Six-Figure Consultant, and The $100,000 Club promise a way into the land of financial freedom. I wondered, as a writer, is it possible to earn that kind of money without being famous? Celebrities and best-selling books can boast that kind of income but what about regular everyday writers. Is this even realistic?

Freelancing is a difficult profession – think about it – you have to make educated guesses at what editors want; then you send queries and wait. If you are lucky you get an acceptance. If not you get a note that says, “we are already working on this,” or worse cyber-silence. Regardless, you have to motivate yourself to keep going forward. In the meantime, you have to pay bills, have health insurance and worry about retirement. Having these parameters, is it still possible to early a living as a freelance writer? And a good living at that?  Kelly James-Enger and Jenna Glatzer are successful writers who have made a name for themselves in the writing world. I decided to tap into their expertise on how to make six-figure-freelancing a reality and not just a dream. Jenna Glatzer is the author or 14 books, most recently the authorized biography Celine Dion: For Keeps (Andrews McMeel Publishing). A contributing editor at Writer’s Digest, she has written hundreds of articles for publications such as Prevention, Woman’s World, Women’s Health & Fitness, Physical, and Salon.com. Her book Make a Real Living as a Freelance Writer ( Nomad Press) provides practical advice for freelancers.  She is the editor-in-chief of Absolute Write (www.absolutewrite.com), a free online magazine for writers with 75,000 subscribers

Kelly James-Enger has been freelancing for close to 10 years and has written for more than 50 national magazines including Redbook, Health, Self, Family Circle, and Continental. She is the author of six books including Six-Figure Freelancing: The Writer’s Guide to Making More Money (Random House, 2005.) Her Web site is www.becomebodywise.com 

If you are a food writer, you can email me for a copy of the article. For all others it is available for reprint. Please contact me for details.

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