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The Welf-fed Writer. Financial Self-sufficiency as a Freelance Writer in Six Months or Less Peter Bowerman. 2000. Atlanta, GA: Fanove Publishing. [ISBN 0-96705984-4. 282 pages, including index. $19.95 USD (softcover).]
The well-fed writer is about building a freelance commercial writing business, assuming a reasonable level of writing skill, "from nothing other than your vision" (p. 5). That vision, however, must also include good marketing skills, persistence, professionalism, and the willingness to make and endure the lifestyle changes that go with establishing a business from scratch.
Peter Bowerman does not try to tell you what to write and how to write it, although he does offer some good ideas. Instead, he focuses on the professional and personal aspects of succeeding as a freelance commercial writer-the mindset required, the work itself (much more than just writing), and the financial and psychological rewards that the successful freelancer can attain.
If the very thought of marketing writing turns you off, this is not the book-or the career-for you. If, on the other hand, you've ever daydreamed about "doing your own thing," using your writing talents to make big money on your own terms, then Bowerman's The well-fed writer, subtitled Financial self-sufficiency as a freelance writer in six months or less, will, as it promises, provide you with a roadmap to your dreams. Getting there, however, is up to you.
Fortunately, Bowerman gives some fairly explicit directions. The first few chapters are motivational, in the classic self-help genre. If you're used to writing technical material, these chapters may strike you as hype and self-promotion. But wait. Think about any self-improvement book you've ever read. Didn't the author spend a good deal of time in the beginning building up your confidence? Bowerman illustrates his mantra, "If I can do it, you can do it" (p. 9), with copious, folksy, and, unfortunately, cliche-laden examples from his own experience. Those who are already professional freelance commercial writers may find his seemingly breezy attitude toward the business annoying, but anyone who's exploring this field either as a career change or as a source of additional income may...