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	Freelancing for the Fiction Writer
	by Susan Molthop

Revised August 3, 2007

Homeworkers Wanted. Be your own boss. Name your own hours. Earn hundreds of dollars per year, with lots of effort. No door-to-door selling. Travel optional. Start immediately. No pay for several months.

Sound like a dream job? It can be, but, it can also be a nightmare, if you don't know the ropes or you can't make yourself work without someone else to crack the whip. You must also wear several hats - high-pressure salesperson, bean-counter, low-paid clerk, low-paid researcher, and janitor - to name just a few.

The good news about freelance writing is that it's MUCH easier to break into than writing fiction. There are so many hungry markets out there, you should be able to find one or several that suit your situation.

Freelance writing can also help your fiction-writing career by subsidizing your research. If your protagonist is a travel agent, fireman, logger, whatever, as you research his/her profession, look for a magazine or newsletter for that occupation, and think up an article to submit.

Travel and outdoor articles are always in demand. As you research the setting for your next novel, submit an article on that destination. "Getting Started", from Travel Info Exchange, has lots of helpful info for beginning travel writers.

Fictional characters have hobbies (chess, gardening, knitting, etc.) and lifestyles (vegetarian, gay/lesbian, animal rights activist, etc.). All of these topics can make you some extra money while deepening your character's personality. Writers Weekly will give you an idea of the market potential for beginning freelancers.

In each of the above examples, you might be able to use parts of the articles in your stories or novels, so one hand really can wash the other.

Freelance writing is an EXCELLENT way to sharpen your writing skills. You MUST communicate when you write nonfiction, and you normally have a limit on the number of words you can use, so you don't have the luxury of wasting any. These two disciplines will help you tighten up everything you write.

If your goal is to publish a nonfiction book, short articles can gain you a reputation in your field and some free publicity. At the end of each article, add one short sentence like "Joe Wordy is a freelance writer and author of Bestseller." If "Bestseller" hasn't found a publisher, yet, the more articles you can sell on your subject (and list in your query letter), the better your chances of getting a publisher's attention. Marketing is EVERYTHING in the nonfiction book publishing business.

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