The Well-Fed Writer: Financial Self-Sufficiency as a Commercial Freelancer in Six Months or Less

I had been moonlighting as a freelance writer and marketing consultant for several years, dreaming of becoming a fulltime freelancer and ditching my “day job” once and for all. But until I picked up Peter Bowerman’s The Well-Fed Writer, I was going nowhere fast. What an EYE OPENER! There’s still a lot of buzz about this fantastic do-it-yourself freelancers guide – even 21yrs after original publication?! – don’t know why it took my so long to pick it up? But I’m sooooo glad I did! And if you want to become a financially successful freelance commercial writer, you should pick up a copy, too! LEARN THE TOOLS OF THE FREELANCE WRITER’S TRADE Speaking from personal experience, I can tell you being a successful freelance writer is all about keeping your client/project pipeline full! And this book gives you the tools and strategies to do exactly that. Peter outlines an organized, systematic approach to prospecting and “selling yourself” that’s invaluable, especially for "creatives" like me who don't necessary have the "sales gene." BEST CHAPTER: LERNING TO LOVE S&M (SALES & MARKETING) A clever title to be sure, but moreover this section alone is worth the total price of admission! Peter spells out, A – Z, exactly how to market yourself as a freelance writer and WIN BUSINESS. Legit, actionable tips, tools and strategies you can start using IMMEDIATELY! The Well-Fed Writer also offers tons of great advice on… --Setting up a practical, user friendly website that actually converts prospects into clients --Structuring a follow up system to stay top of mind with current clients and turn prospects into paying customers --Templating emails with portfolio links and attachments so you can immediately follow up after phone chat and in person meeting --Low stress, high reward call and warm calling techniques that really work (and won’t give you a total nervous breakdown) Suffice it to say, this book is PACKED with great info that will benefit both aspiring freelancer writers and established freelancers looking to increase their income. Hands down a 5-Star Read!!!

Like most aspiring professional writers, I probably have spent too much time over the years reading about writing, when I should have been writing. When my commercial writing, editing, and proofreading business finally began to take off, about five years ago, I pretty much stopped reading about writing, so that I could focus on, well, writing. However, a very good friend of mine, who is also a colleague for whom I have tremendous respect (since she is a better and more successful writer than I am), read The Well-Fed Writer about six months ago. Since she's had a flourishing business for 10 years and has earned an annual income somewhere north $125,000 for at least the past five of those as a FLCW - read the book to find out what that means - I was surprised that she was still reading books about writing. When she strongly recommended it to me, however, she told me that the book has very little to say about the craft of writing, or the art of writing, but she swore that it was the best resource out there on the BUSINESS of writing. After reading it cover to cover three times, and referring to selected portions of it at least a couple dozen times, I agree with her - I wish that I had found TWFW 10 years ago; heck, I wish that I had discovered it when the first edition came out nearly 20 years ago, because I think that I might have had less trepidation about launching my own FLCW career. The point is that, whether you're a novice or a seasoned pro, I would be very surprised if you don't find at least a few gold nuggets in TWFW. If nothing else, while it is obviously possible to build a great career without ever opening the book, it is also likely that if you are getting ready to launch your own foray into the FLCW world, Bowerman's book can keep you from spending a ton of time trying to re-invent the wheel. I am convinced that if you are a reasonably competent wordsmith, and if you pay attention to what Bowerman has to say, and you have the time and perseverance to go the FLCW gig full time - and really work at it - that becoming financially self-sufficient in "six months or less" is not just doable - it is probably fairly easily doable. Like I said, I wish that I had found this book a long time back!

I'll definitely use this book - lots of great stuff in it and worth the read, but I must say it wasn't "comprehensive" in the sense it's missing a few mentions which I thought were included. Rest assured, this isn't a complaint on what's already in there, but I was looking for the best way to keep track of stories, articles and submissions. As a writer, I have many submissions floating out there, so when a prospective client calls and says "remember that article about ***** you submitted a few months back? We're interested in running it," I'd really like to find a search system to keep track and tag key words or phrases. On the bookkeeping side, there's no mention in the book of how to keep track of financial transactions for such things including billing, quotes, or finding out other information. Yes, I'd like a way to make money, but I'd also love to be able to know how to keep track of it as it applies to writing. That being said, I'm excited about all the info in the book and I'd recommend it to anyone looking to market their work. Very good writing and great examples and references.

Very valuable book! Plenty of real-world information. A must-have for any type of writer at any level. Read, learn and profit.

Great book....if u r looking ti escape 9-5 hell ....go through it......found very helpful for me and hopefully it can change your life too.

This book is very useful if you want to be a freelance writer. It tells you everything you need to know and do. It is very well written, realistic and practical. There are no shortcuts on the path to success but hard work is the key to success in all walks of life. There will be a lot of rejection and uncertainty ahead but that's the price you have to pay for having a hedonistic lifestyle and the freedom to pretty much just take on work you enjoy as opposed to being a victim of a mindnumbing office environment. Be creative and entrepreneurial and adjust to the gig economy as it sure as hell isn't going away, folks !!!

After I read The Well Fed Writer, I must have told lots of people who are also interested in making a living out of freelance writing, to read the book. In a nutshell - It's brilliant. The tone is inspiring; the information is really useful and the guy who wrote the book seems really lovely. So if you're thinking about venturing into the world of freelance copywriting, this is the book to buy.

Peter Bowerman is clearly a talented and successful copywriter but can he pass his skills to wannabe writers via this book? While the book definitely got me motivated, and I am starting to bring some money in as a writer, I do think Peter may underestimate how his own character, personality and background in sales may have impacted his own progress. Having said that, any aspiring commercial writer will glean valuable industry know-how in these pages. Don't be too surprised, though, if you're not quite able to jack in the day-job by the end of the stated 6 months.