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Wednesday 28 April 2010

Book Review - The Freelance Writer's Handbook

The Freelance Writer's Handbook by Andrew Croft
Publisher: Piatakus 3rd Revised Edition 2007
ISBN: 978-0749927639

Andrew Croft is a very successful author and freelance writer, who is also very good at marketing his wares. So much so that The Freelance Writer’s Handbook is in it’s third stage of life, having been updated to reflect the technological changes in our world like blogs and e-books.I have the 2002 edition, which I do use as occasional reference and for those ‘down’ times when I want to be told ‘yes, you can do it’.

Croft believes passionately in writing as a way of living, so this book is for professionals wanting to sell their craft. But it’s not just about non-fiction, Croft has been very successful in the fiction world as well, particularly in ghost writing. The book starts from the premise that there is not better way to feed yourself and have fun at the same time as in the world of freelance writing. He warns against unrealistic day dreaming however, laying down the good and the bad in the first two chapters, so there is no room for misunderstanding. The Freelance Writer’s Handbook aims to help develop an ‘approach’ to writing which will ensure an income and provide the requisite enjoyment.
It’s all down to self-marketing, a skill most writers shrug their shoulders at or even turn their back.

If you have the ability to market yourself, then Croft believes you can sell your writing. This book is not about how to write well, it’s about how to market your writing and get paid for it.

The Freelance Writer’s Handbook asks the reader first to undergo a bit of self-analysis, a familiar activity. Then a short section is dedicated to the kind of equipment and materials you need to make a start - the practical bit. For me this is a little like telling grandma how to suck eggs, but I guess there are some people still out there who believe they can get by without a PC.
The majority of the book is dedicated to individual market sectors with insider advice about how to, and what not to do when approaching them. So readers would access these chapters depending on their self-analysis or not if they felt like a bigger challenge. Sections include; newspapers, magazines, non-fiction, business, travel, fiction, children, film, television, radio, and I believe the new edition includes blog and eBook writing.
The final section is dedicated to the ‘business’ of writing and constitutes the basic rules and regulations of any business. Advice is given on how to sell your work, agent representation, publication rights and record keeping. This part is the bit that will increase your chance of success in placing a piece of writing, but no part of the book will tell you how to write it.

Andrew Croft believes in the continued future of freelance writing, in whatever medium that might be. The Freelance Writer’s Handbook does not provide all the answers or covers all the advice but it is a good start, a framework to build upon. There is one golden rule – NEVER, EVER GIVE UP – brick walls are meant to be climbed over and the secret of writing success lies in the preparation you make to see what is on the other side.

Visit the website where Andrew Croft shares more about his life as an author and ghost writer.


Readability Rating: 10  -very clearly written for the intended market
Recommendation: Definitely - for serious writers

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