For the price of dinner for
two, you can launch a great new career ... or bring in steady part-time
money ... doing what you love.
If You Want the
Freedom, Lifestyle, and (Yes!) Income of a Freelance Writer, You
Better Learn from Someone Who Knows Exactly How It All Works
You
CAN make money as a freelance writer. You can enjoy a great life
doing meaningful work. You can set your own hours, get paid for
traveling, be your own boss, get published in national magazines and
websites, and live a life that others dream about.
BUT
... Most writers struggle. Even if they're good, they struggle.
Because most writers do everything wrong. You don't want to be "most
writers."
Dear
Writer,
Have
you tried to get published and ended up with little or nothing to
show for it? Have you come up with great story
ideas, pitched them to
publishers, and then waited...and waited...and waited?
I
feel for you. Editors are rude people, aren’t they? They don’t
recognize brilliance when they see it. They just don’t
get it.
Okay,
okay. Let’s not carried away here. Maybe editors aren’t really
rude. Maybe, just maybe, you’ve been doing something wrong. It’s
possible that you’ve been doing EVERYTHING wrong.
You
don’t need to struggle. You don’t need to get frustrated. You just
need a mentor. A steady hand who’s been through the wars and come out
unscathed. Not only unscathed, but pretty darn successful.
My
name is Robert Earle Howells, and I've been a freelance writer for
30+ years, making a good living writing for magazines, for the Web, for
ad agencies, and for independent clients. I’m a journalist, the 2009
Lowell Thomas Travel Journalist of the Year silver award winner, a
copywriter, author of four books, publisher of a blog about writing,
and, yes, a mentor.
My
Ebook,
Write
Where the Money Is
Will show
you how to...
Cash
in on immediate income
using skills you already have.
Avoid
the pitfalls and bad
advice that prevent most freelance writers from achieving
success.
Realize
your dream of getting
published, seeing your name in print, feeling the satisfaction that
comes with being a published writer.
Bring
in steady income that
requires no job, no boss, no commute.
Set your own hours, work when you
want, earn as much money as you dare.
Earn
a living as a writer. Or bring
in part-time income working from home.
Get published and raise your
professional standing, no matter what you do for a living.
I think
freelance
writing is the coolest job in the world.
I
don’t have a boss. I set my own schedule. I don’t drive to work. I take
time off whenever I want. Magazines pay me to travel all over the
world, have cool experiences, meet amazing people, and then write about
them.
I’ve
been paid to travel to tropical paradises, explore the backroads of
America, cover film and comedy festivals, helicopter to the
best fly-fishing in the world,
bicycle in France, hike in the Andes, raft in
Sweden, fly
with the world’s
greatest aerobatics pilot,
snorkel with whales in Canada, kayak in Alaska, ride the
world’s fastest motorcycle, relax in the Four Seasons on Maui....
How
many people do you know
who have been doing the same job for more than 30 years and still wake
up every morning eager to get to work?
It
still astonishes me that people pay me to write. To travel, to learn,
to research, to meet people all over the world—and to write about these
experiences. Now it's my great pleasure to show you how you too can
enjoy the wonderful lifestyle and rewards of freelance writing.
Here's
what you'll learn in the 150+ pages of
WRITE
WHERE THE MONEY IS:
Exactly how to get your
first article published.
Why most
queries to magazine editors end up in the trash.
How to find the
best-paying markets for your writing.
How to convert tasks
you perform every day into writing that can bring yousteady income.
How to get
published even if you’ve never been published before.
How to avoid
the pitfalls most writers experience: Such as (ugh) slow response times, slow payments, and (double-ugh) chintzy fees.
How to understand writer
contracts, what rights to sell, and how to negotiate with editors and
clients.
How to make money
blogging, ghostwriting, or writing about the things you most love to do.
Maybe, just maybe...how to get
editors to pay you to take dream trips.
How much to charge for
your writing. And how to ask for more!
To
succeed as a freelance writer, you need all that and a whole lot more.
You
need the underground scoop from
someone who knows the writing
business inside and out.
I’ve
been writing for a
living for more than 30 years.
Every
page of my book is packed with the lessons I’ve learned over a lifetime
as a writer and editor. Everything I tell you in WRITE WHERE THE MONEY
IS works. I spell out the exact steps to take to start, succeed, and
potentially make tons of money as a freelance writer. You can skim the
first chapter alone and start making money as a freelance writer.
Put
it this way. If...
You dream of getting published
You want to earn serious money writing, even if you can only devote a few hours a
week to it
You want to boost your career
status—no matter what you do for a living—by becoming a published writer
You want to advance your
writing
career and crack the really high-paying magazines
You want to start a blog, a
website, or cash in on some of the myriad ways to make tons of money on
the Internet
You want to try your hand at
the coolest
job in the world. The one I have. Freelance writing...
Okay,
I
hear you out there. “Hey, Bob—why would a successful writer bother with
a how-to book? And aren’t you just encouraging competition?”
Four
answers to those two questions:
1.
I don’t have a poverty mentality. I
know there’s plenty of work to go around. It’s an abundant world.
2.
I’ve been a go-to guy for young
writers and editors looking for advice for a long time. I like helping
writers.
3.
I’m a practical guy. I write for money. I wrote WRITE WHERE THE MONEY
IS for money. (Duh!) My book isn’t philanthropy. But it will save you a
lot of time and grief.
4.
I’d be happy to refer my friends to really useful books and websites
that teach the ins and outs of how to make money as a freelance writer.
But I can’t find any.
I’ve
tried. I bought
books and e-books, signed up for newsletters, surfed the writers’
forums, and visited lots and lots of “how to make money as a freelance
writer” websites.
Try
it yourself. Google “freelance
writing.” Here’s what you’ll find:
Lots
of leads for low-paying gigs. A bunch of myths passed down like
folklore. HOPELESSLY out-of-date, old-school advice. Promise-the-moon
offers, touting stuff like ebooks that’ll turn you into a six-figure
advertising copywriter within a week. (Should I wince or laugh?)
Forums? Hardly the place to go for professional advice. The pros don’t
visit forums.
Now
Google my name: “Robert
Earle Howells.” Page after Google page, you’ll find links to hundreds
of my stories. I'm not trying to toot my horn here; only showing you
that I’m the real deal. I’m a freelance
writer who has published more than 1,000 articles in national
magazines. Even if I make millions of dollars selling this ebook, I’ll
still be a freelance writer. I love doing what I do. And I practice
everything I write about.
My
30+ years in the publishing business include a lot of time behind the
editor’s desk. I’ve purchased
hundreds of articles from writers. I know what works and what doesn’t.
I also write for ad agencies and have launched my own Web business.
That’s how I know the business of writing inside and out. That’s why I
know where the money is.
You
can’t get this advice anywhere on the Internet. Nor in any printed book
on the market. Not the way I’m presenting it. Not from a real pro.
"I've
been in the magazine and freelance business for a while, but I found
Bob's book to be full of great tips and inspiration. It's loaded with
practical ideas for finding new publishing outlets, savvy shortcuts to
bringing in more cash from each story, and much-needed encouragement to
keep chugging along, even in crazy times like these. Thanks, Bob, for
the kick in the pants!"
Katie
Arnold, Freelance Writer
and Former Managing Editor, Outside Magazine
Santa Fe, New Mexico
“There
is simply nothing out there as concise, practical, and helpful for an
emerging writer as Robert Earle Howells’s Write Where the
Money Is—believe
me, I’ve looked. The book reads like a
conversation with a trusted advisor, one who is genuinely interested
and invested in your success. Each chapter ends with an Action
Plan—nine of which together form a comprehensive to-do list for any
writer wondering how actually to be a writer. Bob uses his years of
experience working as a freelance writer to provide new writers the
confidence and wherewithal to navigate the frustrations and rewards of
making writing your job. I’m one of those newbies trying to carve out a
place for myself, and Write Where the Money Is gave me the push I
needed to get going—writing and making a living.”
“Speaking
as an editor with three decades of experience, I highly recommend Write
Where the Money Is
to prospective, novice, and experienced
freelance writers alike. Howells's clear, detailed advice about how to
pitch stories and how to work with editors is invaluable. Not only will
the information in this book save you time, it will keep you from
making fatal mistakes, such as two of my pet peeves—they’re both in the
book.
“Bob
understands and explains
the business of freelance writing from all points of view—the writer's,
the editor's, and the industry's. He takes you through the entire
process, from how to generate ideas to how to read contracts to how to
find markets for your stories, and each chapter ends with a practical
"action plan" checklist. His chapter "We've All Been There," containing
advice from successful editors and writers, is indeed worth the price
of admission.
John
Lehrer, Editor in Chief, Westways
Magazine
“Bob
is an award-winning travel journalist and his latest info product
reveals 30 years of his tricks of the trade for getting published. When
you publish work off-line in traditional media you build your
authority. Bob is an EXPERT at this. After reading his ebook you will
know exactly how to get a publisher to favor you over other
submissions. When your name goes in print you can now leverage your
credibility as a published author. I’ll be doing it more and I
encourage you to do the same.” James
Schramko www.internetmarketingspeed.com
“Bob
Howells makes it look easy, but don't be
fooled: He's gone to hellish extremes to come back with the story. But
he's not just some daredevil with a laptop, he's a polished, prolific
reporter and a nimble storyteller, not to mention a gentleman. He's in
a class of his own.”
Christian
DeBenedetti
www.theaccidentalextemist.com
"While
I was spending time hunched and sweating over a keyboard as a
professional writer in Corporate America, Bob was gallivanting across
the planet, having real adventures and writing great copy about it. Now
he's created this terrific book about how he pulled the strings to make
his writing life work, and very profitably.
"Thanks,
Bob. I needed this book 30 years ago!
"Sadly,
I can count on one hand the number of people I know who love what they
do for a living. One of them is Robert Earle Howells."
Wally Conger
www.fireupyourcashflow.com
When
you order WRITE WHERE THE MONEY
IS, you get the benefit of decades of experience, inside-the-biz
scoops that you won’t find anywhere else.
Let’s
peel back the cover and take a
look inside:
Chapter
1
Why I KNOW You Can Succeed as a Freelance Writer
Guess what? You already have an
audience for your writing.
You can write! Even if you don’t
think of yourself as a writer. I tell you how.
Why “they never heard of me” is not
a problem. You can get published anyway.
Here’s
a quote from Chapter 1:
If
you can bring real life experience to life on a page, you’re a writer.
Fancy turns of phrase, arcane vocabulary, scholarly allusions,
I’m-smarter-than-you-are attitudes—these don’t matter a whit. The world
wants information and inspiration. Supply plenty of both and you’ll be
amazed at your success.
Chapter
2
How to Become an Idea-Generating Machine
Ideas are everything. And in this chapter, I spell out exactly how you
can mine your life experience to generate unlimited, sellable ideas.
This is powerful stuff that will leapfrog you over other
writers—even experienced pros.
Chapter
3
How to Pitch Stories
Did I say ideas are everything? They are. But they’re nothing if you
don’t know how to pitch them.
How do you get editors to open your
queries and fire off a “Yes, please write for us!” reply?
16 Secrets of Successful Querying. Hint:
Throw out everything you think you know.
Plus: 9 Major Query No-No’s.
Bonus: A look at some
of my own winning pitches that landed me stories in
magazines like Smithsonian and National
Geographic Traveler.
Chapter
4
Red Tape—Contracts, Rights, and Other Nitty-Gritty Stuff
Believe me, I’m saving you a lot of grief in this chapter. Every
writer needs this information. Publishing can be a
minefield. You need to know where to step. For example:
What rights should you sell and
which should you retain?
How do you format and submit a
manuscript?
An inside look at a writer’s
contract—all terms defined (plus a few opinions tossed in)
Chapter
5
Working with Editors
This one’s full of inside
tips that will get you repeat work. Chapter 5 alone will
turn you into a pro.
Can you become a successful writer
without writing query letters? The answer will surprise you.
Chapter
6
The Money Game—How Much You Can Make and How to Make It
How much should you charge? How do
you negotiate?
Exactly how to calculate whether
or not an assignment is worth taking.
How to turn a low-paying
assignment into gold.
An overlooked
writing niche that can be your own personal writing goldmine.
Chapter
7
Markets for Your Writing
Online, print, and everything in
between: Here’s all you need to know about where to pitch your stuff,
how to crack the high-paying magazine market,
how to make money blogging, writing for article sites, writing e-books,
how affiliate marketing and Google AdSense can turn a modest
blog into a moneymaking machine.
8 profitable ways to write for the
Web
Surprise! Print is NOT dead. It’s
still the hottest market for high-paying writing. Here’s how to get in
on the action.
Chapter
8
Plying the Trade (Part 1)—Skills Critical to Successful Freelancing
11 skills that will set you apart
from the herd and get the best-paying jobs out there.
Why time management is a myth. You
can’t manage time. But I’ll tell you what you CAN manage. This
can rocket-launch your writing career.
Bonus: My researching secrets.
They’ll save you tons of work and give you a huge edge.
Chapter
9
Plying the Trade (Part 2)—Work Habits and Tools of Successful
Freelancers
A peek inside my
brain and office, including the work habits I’ve
developed that make me fast, efficient, and relaxed.
The hardware and software that
make my writing life a whole lot easier.
Chapter
10
We’ve All Been There—Successful Writers and Editors Weigh in on the
Challenges Every Freelancer Faces
I
number among my friends some
of the country’s most successful freelance writers and editors,
and here you get the benefit of their generous insights. They share
trade secrets—any one of which is worth the price of this book. They
inspire, share the best advice they received when they were starting
out, tell you how to deal with rejection (it could happen!), and offer
some brilliant insights on how to pitch stories.
Bonus: Most of my writer friends
have also been editors. You get deep inside the industry from both
sides of the desk.
Another bonus: These people are
great writers! It’s a darn entertaining chapter.
Chapter
11
A Writing Biz Glossary
What’s the difference between the
BOB and the FOB? And the TOC, for that matter?
Know how to SEO your blog?
Why you should avoid WMFH like the
plague.
“Hed TK.” “Nut graf needs work.”
“OK on spec.” Do you speak the lingo?
Chapter
12
Key Resources
How to find leads to writing jobs
The few truly useful websites for
writers
A directory of writers’
organizations
The books that should be on every
writer’s desk
PLUS:
Step-by-step action plans for
every chapter. Each chapter is a road map to freelance success.
WRITE
WHERE THE MONEY IS contains 150+
pages jam-packed with the best information you’ll ever find about
becoming a freelance writer.
“But wait a
second, Bob. Isn’t writing a notoriously low-paying job?”
Absolutely.
If you
focus on low-paying markets and accept the pathetic fees that many
publishers and clients get away with paying. If
you shoot only for long-shot, maybe-someday-I’ll-win-the-lottery work
like books, novels, and screenplays.
I
WRITE WHERE THE MONEY
IS and I spell out how you can do the same. And
start earning money NOW.
This
is practical, from-the-ground-up, useful, actionable info that you can
start applying tomorrow and begin to realize the dream of making money
as a freelance writer.
Speaking of
dreams...isn’t it time to stop dreaming?
Quick
little story. Years ago, I was making a pittance as a magazine editor,
editing copy written by writers who were out having a whole
lot
more fun than I was in my 8–6 gig. The freelance side of the world
looked pretty cool. But I was stuck. I mentioned my dream to one of
those freelancers. He gave me the most practical advice I ever got:
“Go for it.
Hang out your shingle and declare yourself a freelance writer.”
I
gulped. But I did it. And I’ve never
looked back for a second.
You
don’t have to gulp. You have me to help you. Whether you want to write
for a few extra bucks a month or as a lucrative, full-time career,
WRITE WHERE THE MONEY IS is your road map to a tremendously
satisfying new way of life.
They’re
yours for just $47. You should make at least 10
times that on your first sale. And that first sale is right around the
bend.
I
guarantee that you will find this the most
useful book you’ve ever read about freelance writing. If
you don’t agree, just let me know. Any time. You get your money back.
No questions asked.
Hang
out that shingle! Declare
yourself to be a writer.