Worth Its Weight In Gold

 

If you are considering a career in freelancing, Writer Mama by Christina Katz is the first book you should add to your writing library. This vibrant yellow book is packed with helpful advice and information that is geared especially toward mothers who would also like to be freelancers, but you don’t have to be a Mama to read it! Any freelancer can benefit from the wisdom contained in Writer Mama!

I received Writer Mama from my mother last summer, and my first thought when I looked at the book was, “Me…a freelance writer? You’ve gotta be kidding me! I could never do that!”

Since that day, I have taken the old saying, “Never say never!” to heart. I was intrigued enough by Writer Mama  to give it a chance. Let me tell you, by the time I had finished the first chapter, I was hooked! In just a few short days, I read Writer Mama, devouring the brilliant insight into the world of freelance writing. I lhonestly felt like I had a seasoned freelancer for a friend, who was taking me under her wing and showing me the ropes.  I still frequently refer to my dog-eared copy when I need a little advice or a quick shot of confidence. I have begun a new, exciting phase in my life, and I owe it all to Christina Katz and Writer Mama.

Here is a brief look at the sections of Writer Mama:

• Introduction: A Pep Talk-Remember that first chapter that pulled me in so effectively? This is it! It includes a list of ten reasons to combine writing and mothering. Sometimes, when I’m discouraged by the “R” word, I re-read this chapter it’s a great motivator. This is one introduction you shouldn’t skip!
• Preparation-Learn how to find inspiration in your daily life, and how to keep track of ideas. Discover your ideal target audience and learn how to research a magazine like a freelancer and find writer’s guidelines. This section also includes great advice about getting clips and writing cover letters.
• Practice- Jump into writing, with comprehensive information that will have you writing tips, list articles, fillers, how-to articles, and essays. This section also includes tips that will help you find your writing specialty (or specialties).
• Professionalism- Advice about writing longer, feature-lenth articles, with an invaluable chapter about query letters, including sample queries and an outline for a basic query. Learn how to professionally conduct an interview, and learn about contracts and negotiation.
• Poise- Discover all the different roles a writer mama can play, including accountant, general manager, file clerk, publicity director, and many more. Discover the secrets to becoming an expert in your field. Learn how to get your name out there with marketing platform. Tips for attending a writers’ conference and pitching a non-fiction book idea.

As you can see, Writer Mama  takes you all the way from fledgling freelancer to successful writer and author, without missing a step between. Besides the topics I’ve listed above, there are tons of mini-chapters between the regular chapters that answer almost any question a new freelancer might have, from childcare issues, to finding time to write every day, to building your rolodex, and much, much more.

Writer Mama is truly worth its weight (and more!) in gold! I think the publishers knew that when they decided on a color for the book cover!