The Only Three Books You Need to Become A Freelance Writer

Today I looked at my shelf of writing books and decided I had spent a lot of money on Freelance writing books that I should have saved. As with most how-to writing books, the majority of the twenty or so sitting on that shelf all repeated the same information over and over again. So, I've decided to pare down.

I started three piles, the definite keepers, the maybe keep, and the boring, outdated and in my mind worthless. By the time I was finished, I had three books in the keeper stack, and one in the maybe. The rest went into the sell on eBay stack.

I won't mention the books that didn't make the cut, but the three I am keeping are definitely worth talking about. I believe these are the only three books you will ever need to be a freelance writer in today's marketplace.

Book 1: Writing for Magazines, A Beginner's Guide by Cheryl Sloan Wray. This book covers the basics, everything from how to get an idea to seeing that idea in print. It is written in a very clear, down to earth, easy to understand style. Step by step, Ms. Wray leads the wannabe writer along the path to published author. Her list of Twenty Ways to NOT Get Published is not only humorous but also filled with common sense that as writers we should already know, yet sometimes forget.

The downside, if you can call it that, is this book is a bit dated. Although written in the mid-nineties, it has very little information about writing and marketing in cyberspace.

Book 2: Make a Real Living as a Freelance Writer by Jenna Glatzer. This books picks up where book one left off. Ms. Glatzer is definitely a writer who knows and exploits using the web to market your work. As the founder of the website, Absolute Write, her forums are visited by hundreds of writers daily.

This book covers everything a freelance writer needs to know, from getting ideas, making yourself an expert, and getting deadbeat publishers to pay up. The strategies she gives for breaking into the top paying markets are tips that every freelancer should know.