Ready, Aim, Specialize!: Create Your Own Writing Specialty and Make More Money

by Kelly James-Enger

When you develop a writing specialty, you set yourself apart from other freelancers, save time researching and writing articles and command higher fees for your work. Contrary to what you might think, you needn’t be an M.D., or other recognized "expert" to focus your writing in a particular area. Your educational background, life experience, and interest in certain subjects can all be translated into a writing-related specialty. Need proof? The majority of freelancers who make a good living from their writing specialize—and you’ll hear from 56 of them in this book. You’ll ·Why you should develop a niche of your own and determine which areas are a good fit for your background and experience; ·What the top ten writing specialties are and how to break into and write about each one; ·How to better market your work and research and write more efficiently; ·How to find sources, research, data, and experts for articles; ·Techniques to help you maximize your time and income.

Genres: Writing

259 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

I “escaped from the law” on January 1, 1997, leaving behind a legal career to become a fulltime freelance journalist. Since then I’ve published more than 700 articles in 50+ national magazines including Family Circle, Health, Parents, Redbook, Self, Runner’s World, Continental, and Woman’s Day. I’ve authored, coauthored, and ghostwritten twelve books, and specialize in health, wellness, nutrition, and fitness subjects. I’m an ACE-certified personal trainer and motivational speaker, and balance a busy work schedule with my most rewarding job of being a mom to two--as well as a wife to one and a dog-walker and treat-provider to one more.

Reviews

[Raegan Fredrickson · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent read worth skimming. Not much to sink your teeth into... Despite being about specializing in fields, the lessons were general. Research well, contact experts, pay attention to market trends.

There were some good addresses to send queries to, but the book is 15 years old.

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[Tami · Rating 4 out of 5]

Many writers wonder if they should specialize in one specific area of writing expertise or if they should spread their work between several different genres. They wonder if writing in only one genre will allow them to create a niche of authority or simply limit the amount of writing opportunities. Conversely, writers also worry that if they work in several genres their writing will be seen as unfocused and difficult to market. Ready, Aim, Specialize: Creating Your Own Writing Speciality and Make More Money looks at this quandary and looks at the benefits and limitations of specialization. This book also includes resources to determine what your area or areas of speciality would include and tips to begin specializing as well as detailed reference lists and potential markets for the most popular writing specialities.

Ready, Aim, Specialize: Creating Your Own Writing Speciality and Make More Money is a good beginner resource for writers questioning whether they should specialize their writing. Though the title suggests that the writer supports specialization, the author gives a nice balance of information on both the pros and cons of specialization. This allows the reader to determine if specialization would be beneficial for his or her particular situation. Moreover, the author includes detailed reference lists so that the reader has somewhere to begin his or her specialization efforts.

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a detailed, practical, motivating book for freelancers. I found the sample queries very helpful. This is a great resource for freelancers and it may just entice you to specialize. If you do, it will provide support along the way.

[Sally]

2 copies?

[Tina · Rating 3 out of 5]

After reading this book, i wanted to be a freelancer!