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Here’s the deal – I normally search for freelance jobs on a daily basis via the sites Guru and Elance. A majority of the jobs are buyers looking for or ebook writers. I have absolutely no previous experience writing a book, so what qualifies me to write an ebook? On that note, what does one need in terms of experience to write an ebook? These questions I sought out answers for and this is what I learned:
1. Writing experience is what counts. If your a good writer, you can write an ebook. Why? because most buyers who are looking for someone to ghostwrite their ebook are only looking for the text portion, as they will usually format it and add photos on their own. Also, the buyer will already have the book’s concept in mind, as well as the title and a rough outline of topics being included, the writer only needs to be concerned with the actual writing.
2. From the Googling that I’ve done on the topic, the general draft of the ebook can be written in an all-purpose word processing software format, like MS Word. The only real formatic concerns the writer would have to worry about is creating a table of contents as well as appropriate headings/subheadings/chapters which are not always provided from the buyer.
3. As far as the writer is concerned, to my understanding, the actual author will convert the .doc file of the ebook into either EXE or PDF (which is the most popular) format.
So here’s what I’m thinking: while I have no objections to ghostwriting article for a paying client, ghostwriting an ebook seems like a lot of work. If I were to take on the task, I might as well write my own ebook and reap the profits of my hard work, instead of being paid a one-time fee with no recognition. But that’s just my opinion.
Have you ever ghostwritten an ebook? Have you ever written your own ebook?
If you have some time, head over to Suite101 and read my new article. It’s all about Disney World vacations for adults.
Just a quick post to say that my second article for Suite101 is posted!
It’s a little bit different than my first article, as this one falls into the category of marriage and it’s all about what newlyweds need to do after the wedding is over. As a newlywed myself, I thought this was a helpful article to write.
Check it out when you have a chance and as always, give me some feedback!
I am so excited by this new opportunity I’ve been fortunate enough to have. Thanks in part to my sister-in-law, I decided to apply as a freelance writer for the website suite101.com. They accepted my application and I eagerly wrote my first article and submitted it last week. It needed some tweaking as far as style was concerned, so I acclimated it to fit the site and I found out today that is has been published. Feel free to check it out and let me know what you think.
Thanks to my sister-in-law I’ve landed a job at Suite101.com as a freelance writer. This is a very exciting opportunity for me, since it is my first long term assignment where I get to write about specific topics that interest me. My goal is to produce 10 articles for them in a 3 month period. Ideally I would like to write book reviews for them, so that is what I am concentrating on at the moment. Although before I can do any writing I need to familiarize myself with their writer’s handbook which is quite extensive. Thank goodness I have Samantha to turn to for help!
Currently I am working on my first article for them, and I’ll post the link when it’s up.
Have you gotten your 2008 copy of The Writers Market yet? As a newbie freelancer, one of the most often heard pieces of advice is to buy an updated copy of “the writers bible”, A.K.A. The Writers Market every year. I am told it is the best $25 investment I could make.
So I ordered my copy and when it arrived I immediately freaked out when I saw the size of it. At over 1100 pages, I had no idea where to begin. Do I read it cover to cover? Do I skim it for specific information? How do I make use of this industry behemoth? Here’s some basics to get you started:
Front Section The first couple hundred pages are perfect for a beginner. They are comprised of short informational essays about different aspects of the freelancing world. There are chapters devoted to query letters, formatting a manuscript and guidelines on what to charge for various markets.
Main Section The main section is the flesh of the book and what most writers buy the book for – the market information. You get the most recent (as of press time) listings with pertinent contact information for Literary Agents, Book Publishers, Canadian Book Publishers, and Small Presses. There is an extensive section on Consumer Market Magazines that are organized by subject (ex. Animals, Men’s, Women’s) and contain contact information as well as specific details regarding their query submission preferences. Finally, there is a section on Trade Journals which contain niche specific submissions information.
Back Section This section is relatively new to this edition. It contains submissions information for Newspaper markets, Screenwriting markets, Playwriting markets and Greeting cards markets. There is also a section on Contests & Awards for writers and a list of professional writer’s associations.
As an added help, there is also a book put out by the same publishers called Writer’s Market Companion (MSRP $19.99) which throughly covers all the basics of freelance writing. Combine these two books for a step-by-step how to guide to kick start your freelance career.
Photo courtesy of Amazon/Writer’s Digest 2007
