The Wealthy Writer

by Michael Meanwell

The Ultimate Guide to Freelancing for Commercial and High-Paying Markets! The choice to begin a freelance writing career was the easy part - now how to be successful is the challenge. How do you set up and run your business productively? What high-paying markets are out there that you haven't explored? The Wealthy Writer has the answers you need to reach the most lucrative markets and become a profitable freelance writer. This nuts-and-bolts guide will show you how you can write stronger, do business smarter, and make money faster. Author Michael Meanwell walks you step-by-step through each facet of running your own freelance business by

Genres: Writing, Nonfiction, Business

308 pages, Paperback

First published July 10, 2004

Reviews

[Morven · Rating 3 out of 5]

My biggest complaint about this book would be the subtitle ("How to Earn a Six-Figure Income as a Freelance Writer"). I'm sure there are people who do that, but with the advent of services like Fiver, freelance writing has become devalued. But maybe it wasn't that way back in 2004, which is when my copy of the book was published.

So take it with a grain of salt: Freelance writing income varies. This book gives a good idea of the types of writing you can do and tips on everything from writing more efficiently to blasting writers' block.

[Lance · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been struggling in a number of ways to answer questions related to my own freelance writing business, and here I find some answers. Michael Meanwell has the down-to-earth advice that freelance writers need to hear. Starting out as an e-book, Meanwell's tome has hit the traditional presses. And it's easy to see why: Meanwell has filled the pages of his book with time-tested and practical advice for when the rubber hits the road.

I love his conversational style. He uses personal experiences to highlight his points, and yet he also lets the reader judge for himself or herself which is the best way to proceed. He simply lays it all out, even providing helpful case studies and examples of forms he has developed to run his business smoothly and efficiently.

Of course, if you come to this book thinking the road is easy, think again. Starting ANY business is difficult. But Meanwell's practical advice can serve as a guidepost. In the very least, you can avoid the same mistakes that he made when starting up his business.

Meanwell focuses on the many different outlets that his business has serviced, including technical writing, Web writing, speech writing, e-books, corporate communications, advertising, and direct mail. In fact, he advocates diversity for anyone considering freelance writing work. Diversity helps to shield against the ups and downs of business cycles (since not all business cycles are aligned) and it keeps the freelance writer fresh and interested in the work (since writing about the same thing all the time eventually makes the writer stale and unproductive).

Meanwell's background is in journalism, so naturally he gravitates towards the PR and advertising work that has served as the foundation of his own business and provides less of a real interest for me personally. But I do like that he has tons of references to other sources for all of the different types of writing that serve as the focus areas of his book. That way people like me who may be more interested in a particular type of writing can obtain more information than what Meanwell can provide.

Meanwell's book is authoritative, a welcome reference for anyone looking to start their own business as a freelance writer and make money at it. The subtitle for Meanwell's book is "How to Earn a Six-Figure Income as a Freelance Writer" and I believe it. I'll definitely be applying many of the principles he espouses to my own business and recommend this book to anyone else looking to do the same.

[Adam · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book provides a great deal of explanation about the freelance writing industry and how one succeeds in it. I read it, hoping to get some inspiration and ideas for my own career. In truth, I found it discouraging in many ways, particularly because there is little advice on how to break in. Most books and advice sites I research explain how to grow your business, but not how to start it. As a result, I read it and kind of threw up my hands and said, "Well, no idea how to get there!"

Another problem with the book (though little fault of its own) is its age. It is now almost ten years old. When the author talks about keeping an eye on online writing markets because there might be untapped potential there, you know it's dated material. While it provided some general advice and clarified some confusion I had, I don't feel it brought me much closer to starting a freelance career.

[Christopher Goins · Rating 5 out of 5]

I guess I will have to review it after I make six figures to show that it works, right?