Review of The Well-Fed Writer
Peter Bowerman's Unique Guide to Freelance Commercial Writing
The original Well-Fed Writer: Financial Self-Sufficiency as a Commercial Freelancer in Six Months or Less was published in 2000, and followed by Back For Seconds in 2004. This new edition, released in June 2009, brings both those books together with new material, updated insights and tips for making a living as writer to the corporate world.
What is a Freelance Commercial Writer?
Known variously as copywriters, freelancers and business writers, commercial writers provide written materials for businesses and non-profits. They are the press release, newsletter and speech writers of the world: The field of freelance commercial writing runs the gamut from thinking up catchy headlines to huge, detailed white papers worth several thousand dollars apiece.
In his book, Peter Bowerman makes the point that any business with 25 or more employees can easily provide a living to a writer who has "just okay" (or better) skills. Such a writer can enter the field at $50 an hour; the better the writer, the more he or she can command.
So how does one become a freelance commercial writer? The author describes his own process in great detail – to find his first clients, he made hundreds of cold phone calls, followed up, and when the law of averages came through with a job he asked his client for recommendations. After that initial push, to maintain the business all he needed to do was keep in touch with his clients and occasionally make a few more phone calls when things got quiet.
While the cold-calling method may seem terrifying to the classic introverted writer, the author makes the point that in business such contacts are expected. A good writer can save the clients thousands of dollars in lost productivity and failed marketing messages, and the caller is unlikely to receive a harangue such as a telemarketer calling at dinnertime might. Even so, he goes into other methods of meeting that first client; several techniques and case studies are included in the book, along with practical tools such as a cold calling script and sample follow-up letters.
What Information is in the Book, "The Well-Fed Writer?"
The first two chapters of this book introduce the life of a freelance commercial writer and give compelling reasons to consider this career. Then the author examines start-up equipment, sales and marketing, including the vital steps of building a website and portfolio (with many examples of sites to view and learn from). From here he follows up with a detailed account of where business can be found.
The next several chapters deal with the details of running a freelance writing business: Interviewing techniques, follow-up methods, keeping in touch, finding clients, pricing and billing.
The remainder of The Well-Fed Writer handles a smorgasbord of issues including networking, writing skills, specialized markets, success in rural areas, moving from part-time to full-time business, with many case studies, examples and a rich collection of resources.
Business Writing With a Sense of Humor
Written in a chatty, informal style, The Well-Fed Writer is not a typical business manual by any stretch. Peter Bowerman's sense of humor renders the book remarkably fun and readable. It's also an excellent guide to starting a freelance writing business.
You will not find detailed instructions on how to account, plan or run an enterprise, here, though you will find links to further resources and reading. What you will find is a convincing, detailed explanation of how to become a freelance copy writer, how to get business and, above all, why it is so important to value one's skills.
Why is the Book Called The Well-Fed Writer, Anyway?
Writers are often inclined to settle for rates much lower than the commercial writing arena can provide. The starving writer persona is well-known, but freelance commercial writing can provide a freelancer with a veritable cornucopia.
This second edition of The Well-Fed Writer is a consolidation of the first edition and its sequel, Back for Seconds. Even if you had the original, there is more than enough new material to make the updated edition worth the investment.
Additional materials and tools are available on the author's Web site and in e-books. The Well-Fed Writer is an excellent, compelling introduction to the world of freelance commercial writing and should be required reading for any writer considering the move from starving artist to "I can afford to eat at five-star restaurants."
Cover of The Well-Fed Writer by Peter Bowerman
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