The writer’s dependency…can we cut the ties that bind us?

Poor is the man whose pleasures depend on the permission of another – Madonna

And here we are, eh? The freelancing community has a knack for getting tied up in knots, literally, in our dependency upon others. The strings that move our fingers over our keyboards, our deposits into the bank, the corners of our mouths up and down – they all lead to our clients. And the economy and the market and…you get the picture.

Writers depend on publishers, printers, readers, reviewers…did I mention publishers? I know, I know -  this is all changing. We have blogs, we have self-publishing, we have the Kindle. But still – is it really true? Can we be independent? Can our pleasure be found through our own permission?

It makes me have to ask the most basic question. Can you be a writer without readers? Yes, but you might just starve. I’d venture to say that we do need something. We need people.

Are we poor?

I can list many ways that we are rich, aka, independent:

• We set our own hours
• We choose our niche
• We handpick our clients
• We set our own fees
• We write our own blogs
• We write about what we want to write about
• We build great writer communities

But back to the question, ‘are we poor?’ I’m thinking this isn’t an either/or situation. It’s more like an every other minute, hour or day situation. Right? I mean, how often does your reply change? Because the above riches are still dependent on other people.

So what’s the answer?

If you’re attached to people that say no, people that don’t have a lot of money, people that don’t share your vision, people that think there’s only one way, people that are insecure, people that don’t challenge themselves or you – then, yep! You’ll be poor.

The answer, then, is to surround ourselves with the right people. The people with the energy, the insight, the capacity to take risks, that are secure enough to shout about you from their own rooftops, the people that want success for all – and are brilliant enough to see that your success is actually their success. The people who love life…and can’t wait for what’s next.

Find these people. If we can’t cut the ties that bind us – because our writing needs to be read – then take them and fasten yourself to objects that are moving FORWARD and UP. Just like you.

Image credit: Hollywood Celebrity Pictures

Butter versus Margarine

Ham versus SPAM (the ‘food’, not the unwanted emails). Cheddar versus Velveeta. Labradors versus Dachshunds. Mac versus Dell. (sorry, that one just slipped out)

Do you see where I’m going with this?

I just got an email from my good friend, Andi (who writes a great blog about French things and other awesome stuff). Long story short, she’d done something pretty amazing for me and I’d thanked her. And her response began with 4 words:

Friends help friends. Period.

It’s true. They do. But only the real ones. The ones that fall under the category of margarine, SPAM, Velveta and Dachshunds? Not so much. Those ‘friends’ flee in times of trouble. They’re not quite there for you. You can see them standing there, but it’s through a veil of fog. There’s something missing, there’s not much to hold on to.

So, how do you tell the difference?

It can be tricky. Because (besides the Lab/Dachshund example up there) looks can be deceiving. But once you get in there and get the feeling for what you’re holding in your hands, putting in your mouth or talking to, there’s really no contest. The real and the fake show themselves readily. It’s hard to hide the plasticy taste of Velveta. To tell the difference, you sense it. You see, hear, smell, taste and touch. And feel it in your gut.

I think our writing follows the same map.

As a writing coach, people talk to me a lot about trying to be genuine in their communications. Should they be serious or funny? Should they try to use words they would never say out loud in conversation? Should they follow the step by step ebook they found that says you should use ‘these 10 words in every post you write and it will make you millions’? (Um, eww)

My answer is this: how does it feel? When you’re writing? When you’re reading it back to yourself out loud? When you’re reading it to someone else? Does it fill you up or collapse in your mouth? Does it sound like you or does it sound like someone else? Are you proud of it? Is your very essence oozing out of it? Does it make you tingle?

Start with you. Ask yourself these questions – and answer honestly. If you do and you act on the answers, you will find your voice, you’ll hit your stride. Then think about your reader. Because, they’re asking these questions too. They’re looking for real writers, real messages, real connections.

I don’t know about you, but I spread my butter high and thick on my bread. I’m drawn to it like hotdogs to a BBQ. And when I see margarine on the page? Click. I close the tab.

Image credit: nanio

From the bottom of the barrel to the top of the tower. (and how I got there)

As some of you noticed and inquired about (very sweetly and privately via email), I had a couple of weeks there around the holidays where I was down, down, down. Not just in the dumps, but I’d venture to say several feet beneath them. Sometimes, life does that to you. Sometimes it’s scattered showers. In this case, it was a typhoon.

I’d worked myself into a tight spot where pretty much everywhere I looked, I saw bad. Life looked sad and, to be honest, a bit hopeless. Work, writing, friends, marriage, kids, health, home…yep, all of it.

Over the course of the last week, it has all (virtually every bit) shifted – magnificently, magically, epiphanically, wonderously. I could wax thesaurus here for a good long while and continue to make up words that are creatively spelled, but feel right nevertheless. But instead, because I know times are a bit hard all around (and I know this because many of you write me and tell me so), I’m going to take a good look at this fantabulous shift. I mean, what if it can be reproduced, put into operation at will, bottled and sold (or generously given out for free here on this blog)? At the very least, what if it helps even one of you shift…if even just an inch. That would be nothing short of grand.

As far as I can tell, here’s what I did:

Cried.

Oh lord, how I cried. At first I tried to resist it, but then I realized that at moments when I felt really shitty and I tried to fight it, I felt worse. So, I got to the point where crying was like medicine, a huge release that promised lightness at its end. I’d just be sitting here at my computer, feel it coming on, welcome it hugely, shed somewhere between 1 measly and 1,000 sobbing tears – and then pick my fingers back up and get back to work, knowing that I’d moved one step closer to feeling like me again.

Reached out.

When the sadness first came upon me, I had this odd notion that I had no one in the world to talk to. And then, the weirdest thing happened, although it really wasn’t that weird. Without thinking, I reached out to a friend. The perfect friend – who didn’t really ask questions, seemed to be able to read my mind, held me up just enough while never doubting that I couldn’t use my own two feet and passed absolutely no judgment (she also has an incredible business and blog which was featured in the WSJ). And then? This light flurry of fantastic friends that have known me and loved me for years (some for close to 30) started to trickle in. They just had this sudden urge to get in touch. Blood may be stronger than water, but good friends kick major ass.

The funny thing was, I didn’t feel the need to talk to these friends constantly and regale them with stories of woe or complaint. I actually felt very quiet as I turned the dregs of life’s fridge into something delicious with all of my stewing. Small connections scattered about and occasionally some nice long conversations bubbled up. But, I needed and wanted to have time to myself – it was the knowing that the friends were there if I needed them that was is the saving grace.

Plucked.

No, not into the guitar (though someone just showed me an inspired iPhone app for the ukulele yesterday wherein your iphone becomes a ukulele). I mean ‘pluck’ as in luck, pluck and virtue. As I discussed in my posts about finding a niche and writing a proposal, I stopped complaining about the lack of work in this economy, and I found a way to fix it. I made my own way.

Now, mind you, I haven’t actually gotten any work from that niche or that proposal yet – I haven’t even rolled them out. But the shift in my attitude and the action that I’ve been taking has done something huge for me. I started to feel like myself again, I started to feel strong and in control and energized. And so what I did get was three other ‘big, exciting, knock my socks off’ kinds of jobs. Yes, high fives all around.

Pounded.

The pavement, the pedals, the sticky mat. As a dear reader reminded me (hence this addition), I ran, rollerbladed, biked and yoga’ed every single morning. First thing I did (pretty much) when I rolled out of bed – no matter what. There is nothing, nothing, like starting the day with an accomplishment like running five miles. And the sweat is just like the tears – cleaning things out, letting things go. And the meditative experience, the time to think and plan and dream and…

Let’s just say the cycle of movement is like fluid grease to stuck cogs in the heart, brain and gut.

Swallowed pills. (but only just enough)

Note: I am not a doctor and this is not a medical blog. I am in no way shape or form suggesting that you take any sort of pill or supplement without checking with a medical professional first (which I DID). I am not a medical professional. Just a woman who has a great naturopath and has benefited highly from certain supplements. You may NOT sue me or hold me responsible for yourself or your health or your mental state as a result of anything I write here. Got it? Good. So long as we’re clear.

Those of you who know me well, know that I go out of my way to put the purest of pure things into my body. Usually that’s food related, but it stands true here as well. That said, I have friends who take pharmaceuticals to help them with all kinds of things, and I’m glad for them. And my kids just had pneumonia (yes, both of them – see? I told you things were bad) – and they took antibiotics and wow, did they get better fast. So…no judgment.

Is there a part of me that is worried about telling you all that I needed a little help of the pill variety in this case? Yes. I like to think that I can do it all myself. And I want you to think that too. But then I thought, Well that’s pretty mean! I would never come down on any one of my friends for doing this! So why be so rotten to myself? Huh, interesting. So, I’m telling you, laying it all out there.

I have taken two herbal/food supplements in deep times of stress that have really helped me. They’ve helped me fly (which is huge) and they’ve helped me make it through some hard days. Et Voila: L-Theanine (an amino acid that reduces stress) and Holy Basil (an herb that reduces stress and promotes feelings of well-being). For me, yes, they do both of those things. I use them when I need a little help…and it’s gratifying to see that as the days go by, I’ve needed a lot less help. Haven’t had any in some time now. And we all know how nice it is to get feedback like that. It’s like emotional ROI.

Wrote.

You bet your bippy. I never stopped. Some of it I shared with you here, some it I kept to myself (you can thank me later). Some of it was dark, some of it was brighter than bright. Writing is how I process, learn, move through. It is a great discharge. It imparts a great sense of accomplishment when it’s done (no matter how long, good or misspelled). I blogged, I made lists, I dreamed, I ranted, I worked. I wrote. Because that who I am and that’s what I do.

I should also add here that I read – gathering other writers and their words around me, a little coven of prolification and literary expression. Highly, highly recommend The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Oh, and I became addicted to Kelly Diels’ blog, Cleavage, told her so and made a wonderful new friend. She is the consummate woman, writer and ball-buster. If you’re into amazing Buddhist nuns, try Pema Chodron.

Self-pleasured.

Read into that what you like. But, no matter how bad I felt, I did something that felt good, to me and me alone, every single day. Still doing it actually (I mean, really, why stop). Why did I do this?

• Because my instinct is to wallow in displeasure, to beat myself up because things aren’t going well – and I wanted to do the opposite.
• Because I am the only one who is going to give me this pleasure for absolute certain every day – and if someone else happens to do something to or for me that gives me pleasure? Then that’s just a fantastic bonus.
• Because I believe that I deserve it.
• Because when you make yourself happy in one spot of your mind or body, it’s contagious. Seriously, it’s like all of your other bits can’t help but join in.

Faithed. (otherwise known as ‘knowing thyself’)

When it came right down to it, there was a little voice, a knowing, that I was going to be okay. That everything really was going to work out. Sure! You say. It’s easy for you to say that now! Yes, it is. But I said it then too, I said it all along. And I think this is the most important thing. Sure, life will continue to move up and down and sideways – some days will be great, some will not. But I’ll continue to move forward. True or not, one of my dear friends said, “You know, people kill themselves over less then what you’re going through.” That thought never did cross my mind. I mean seriously, kill this? Deprive the world of this?

Ha! I guess the final piece of this climbing out of the dumps, then, would be a nice healthy slice of self-esteem pie. You wanna piece?

Image credit: Unhindered by Talent

Practice business the Twilight Way.

Trust me when I say that this post is not for teenagers or tweens, it’s for everyone. And, it’s actually about writing, freelancing and my other usual topics. I promise. It really does have a point.

Until this weekend, I’d avoided all the Twilight hype. Robert Pattinson didn’t do anything for me and I don’t really like vampires and scary things – so I just maintained a polite distance. But, let’s be serious, it’s a little hard to escape it when you live online (and have a teeny tiny addiction to celebrity gossip. As I’ve said before, I don’t drink, smoke, drug or eat white sugar – give me just this one thing!)

My in-laws and my millions of nieces were here this weekend. (There are 13 of them). And, I just so happened to walk by one of their makeshift beds on Saturday morning and there was Twilight, just sitting there. I thought, I’ll just read the first couple of pages, see what this is all about.

Swear to god, it was like falling down the proverbial rabbit hole. I couldn’t stop reading. I had no sense of anything going on around me. I just read. My sister-in-law was sitting next to me studying (grad school) and then suddenly she was getting in the shower, and I asked her when she got up  and why she was all sweaty; she said, “About two hours ago – I went for a run and down to the pond.” I had no idea, but she totally got it because she read all four books in one weekend, in Florida, with her boyfriend, who she wouldn’t talk to because he wasn’t Edward or in the book (the vampire, the god of Twilight, for those of you who are still abstaining). Apparently that story is not a rare one.

Long story short. I read the first book of 500+ pages in about 7 hours. Woke up the next morning, went to buy the second book and read that one in about the same amount of time. Down the the rabbit hole, like I said. I have a company to run, clients to write for and a family to love…so I’ll wait to get the 3rd and 4th book until next weekend. As I read voraciously, I was asked by a bewildered adult if it was like Harry Potter. “No,” I replied. “It’s like 90210 with vampires.”

So, why, oh, why did this happen to me? I’m a smart, mature, 36 year old woman! The writing is good, but it’s not the best thing I’ve ever set my eyes on. It’s meant for adolescents, after all and that’s obvious. So, WHY?

When I made mention of my guilty pleasure on Twitter, many (and by many, I mean a lot) of women and a few men readily joined in my excitement. And, then, someone simply tweeted, ‘You are not alone’ with a link to a blog post by Erin Gates called, Pop Culture Digression: The Twilight Phenomenon Explained that just laid it out, all crystal clear like. (And her blog normally has nothing to do with this foolishness either, which I loved, of course because it made me feel like less of a loser.) Erin wrote this:

“Edward causes such a stir because his character is the perfect man. He’s handsome, wealthy, romantic and devoted. The mysterious, brooding bad boy who writes lullabies on the piano for his girlfriend but also rips out the throats of bad guys in defense of her honor. He says things like “You’re my own personal brand of heroin” and “I don’t think I have the strength to stay away from you any longer” (cue knee buckling). He is the perfectly impossible combination of poet, athlete, intellectual and bad ass- the human(ish) equivalent of a unicorn…Every woman wants to feel coveted, craved, defended and protected and well, that’s just what we get from reading about this fictitious character who was crafted to feed that desire (because let’s face it, we don’t always get that from our real life men.)

But, the thing is that this isn’t just about women being unsatisfied by their men, or every woman wanting to be ‘coveted, craved, defended and protected’ – this is about every person wanting to be ‘coveted, craved, defended and protected’. Whether you’re in a romantic, familial, educational, professional, client/freelancer, parent/child relationship – it doesn’t matter. We all want to be those things. And, if you read the books or have a heartbeat (um, or not, in Edward’s vampire-case) you’ll realize that the one ‘giving it out’ also gets quite a lot from the deal.

I’m ghostwriting a book for a client right now – and it’s about using client relations as a main factor to building a successful career (in a very different kind of industry from mine) – his main point is that if you make your clients feel outstanding, if you build the relationship genuinely – it will feel good to both sides, and most importantly, it will stick.

Everyone wants to be loved. The client and the writer. The boyfriend and the girlfriend. The guy at the desk at your printer and you as you drop off your order. It’s completely basic, elemental. We are addicted to the books because we get to live that kind of love vicariously.

Erin Gates also wrote this: (after she compared Twilight for the 18+ female crowd to Internet porn for the entire male crowd)

“It’s an escapist fantasy that allows you forget all the bull going on in your life and just enjoy the pleasure of a hot, undead teenager who would kill people for you and then buy you a brand new Audi for your birthday.”

We want the love, but we also just want to feel like everything’s okay and hopeful and safe for awhile. We want our attention taken to a good place.

I’m not suggesting that you tell your client, or the kid at the drive thru window for that matter, that “You’re my own personal brand of heroin” – you can’t be Edward and Bella in real life. Seriously, don’t. You’ll get arrested.

But I am suggesting that you experiment by taking it down several notches. What if you treat your clients like they’re truly special, with total respect, letting them understand that their business is safe with you, that you always have their best interests at heart. What if you really hold their attention with the work that you do and the person that you are.

Would they become addicted to your work and to working with you? Would it bring them so much joy and good feeling that they would be clients for life?

I don’t think that acting this way could create Twilight hysteria around you and your business, but who am I to say? But, even if it doesn’t take you that far, I can’t imagine how it won’t lift you a bit higher on the food chain.

Image credit: Angie22Arts

Muscle, negativity or delight?

This morning, we had to do a little family health test. It wasn’t a big deal, but three of us need to find out what we’re allergic too – and that takes blood, in case you didn’t know.

I went first. I put on my bravest face and told my toddlers that it was no big deal. But the finger stick kind of hurt…and then I didn’t seem to have much blood – couldn’t tell you why – so I was squeezing and strangling my ring finger trying to fill the four circles on the paper. I bruised the hell out of my finger, but eventually I got the job done.

The Snack Pack went next. He was crying before he started. He didn’t want to get his hands washed, he didn’t want to do any of it. He screamed like the lancet was a jousting pole (sorry, watching The Tudors) or a sword. And then, the blood flowed freely out of his finger, like a beer tap. He announced five minutes later that it still hurt.

The Loaf was the last victim. She told us that she loved to get blood tests while we were washing her hands. She said, “that’s it?” when we pricked her finger. She was fascinated by the blood dripping out and wanted to make sure all of her test circles were filled and perfect. She couldn’t wait for her bandage.

Who are you in this story – today or every day? Do you muscle through and have to work extra hard for results? Are you negative and whiny? Or can you hardly wait to try something new and you’re bringing your sparkling attitude with it?

Image courtesy of Soller Photo

What’s Your Hardest Part?

We all have our battles – with ourselves. Writers? Ours can be just gruesome.

I love talking to new clients. I love writing proposals. I love getting the call that says, ‘We want to hire YOU!’ I love the research. I love the concepting. I love the writing. I love the feedback. I love the revisions. I love the getting paid.

I don’t love, or even tolerate very well for that matter, the moment before I begin to write.

Do you know the moment I’m talking about?

Everything is there, spread out before me on my desktop like a deli spread on game day. I know it’s all there – I can see the bread, the meat, the mustard – but I have yet to dig in and see what I really have to work with. Is it rye or sourdough, turkey or corned beef, dijon or honey? And how will they all fit together?

I know what I have to do. I have to just grab my plate, tie the napkin around my neck and start. But I’m paralyzed – about one step away from the table.

Why?

I’m afraid. Insanity in the form of ridiculous thoughts runs amok in my brain: did I ask the right questions? do I have enough information? can I write? what if they don’t like it? Oy vey. Somebody smack me.

It never fails though, something rattles my brain (and proverbial balls) and I jump in there, get my hands dirty and start writing.

And, then, of course…

I wonder what in the world was wrong with me – this is easy, it’s cake! I breathe writing like it’s air (or however that saying goes). I can do this! This, after all, is what I DO!

So, that’s it: the moment before I jump in, that’s my hardest part. In the words of Little June in Gypsy: “What’s yours?”

Image by Brian Auer

The brilliance of blog comments for writers

Have you ever written something on a blog about grape jelly only to come back an hour later, read your comments and realize you were wrong – that you actually wrote the post about peanut butter?

It doesn’t happen to me often, but it happens.

Blog comments offer us an incredible view of what we said, how we said it and how it lands with our audience. Did we, in fact, communicate the message we were hoping to deliver? Did we sound angry when we meant to sound passionate? Negative when we meant to be realistic?

What an opportunity to learn, to be critiqued in the pseudo-privacy of our own blog’s backend.

When this happens, I go back and reread what I wrote. I’m curious to see if I can find the place(s) that led my readers to that other place. I try to figure out how I can do it better next time…or if my readers tapped into something more fascinating than I could have, originally, imagined – which is quite often the case.

The ‘hello, goodbye’ game

A friend of mine just told me about this wildly useful exercise she did in couples therapy:

They sat facing each other and closed their eyes (which signified ‘me’ time). Whenever each of them felt like opening their eyes (which signified that they felt like connecting with their partner), they did and said, ‘hello!’

Sometimes their partner also had their eyes open, sometimes not. Sometimes while they had their eyes open, their partner opened their eyes and they connected. Sometimes their partner never opened their eyes, and when they were ready to go ‘back inside’ they said, ‘goodbye’ and closed their eyes once again. Rinse, repeat.

I found the explanation of this exercise to be a poignant metaphor, not only for how we interact with our partners, family and friends, but for how we ‘live’ on the internet.

The purpose of this exercise is to let couples see that you can’t possibly always be connected, that you are, in fact, individuals with needs, desires and personalities that simply don’t jibe with each other all the time.

This reality is oftentimes extremely difficult for people in relationship to understand (and what makes relationships so challenging). We want connection when we want it and we don’t want it when we don’t want it. In other words, we want their needs met on our terms, when someone else’s terms have to be considered, it’s quite, um, inconvenient. Shocker: it takes work, collaboration and compromise.

The internet and social media have us participating in this ‘hello, goodbye’ game every time we log on. We say hello and goodbye at will and so does everyone else – we have no choice but to accept this. Sometimes we connect with people at the same time, sometimes we don’t – and there’s a delay between responses. Just like in relationship, if we absolutely require connection, we can set up a meeting where both parties agree to be present.

But, we’re okay with this scenario online. Why?

The view is often expressed that our computer and mobile device screens provide a buffer that allows us to say things we might not normally say to someone’s face. SO, are the screens also allowing us to ‘deal with ourselves’ in a positively abnormal way too? (Or is it that we’re not married to the people in our online communities? Those of you that do communicate online with your partners will have to let me know about that one.)

Are we doing our internet relationships better? Or am I about to get pounded by my readers for comparing the virtual vs. the live relationship? I can see it going both ways.

Weigh in…I know you’re all going to have some strong opinions here.

Who’s got your back?

I went to high school with one of my brothers, Steve, who is just two years older than me. Here’s a classic scenario from those good old days at Clayton High: I’m standing at my locker – talking, flirting, what have you with some boy that had trouble written all over his face (and body) – and from out of nowhere, Steve appears.

“What’s going on here?” He would bellow. “Are you okay? Is he bothering you?”

I’m not kidding.

He drove me crazy and the boys away. But as I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized this protection wasn’t actually a bad thing. I mean, what a concept? Someone watching out for you, able to swoop in just when you need them…hmmm, sounds oddly like a comic book I read somewhere…

How does it translate to being a freelance copywriter? Who’s got your back in the social media realm? The answer really speaks to the beauty of networking and being a genuine part of the conversation.

Because of social media, there are actual places you can go to be around people that understand your situation – like a local writer or tech listserve, a mom’s network such as Mom Bloggers Club or your own blog that builds community with conversation, comments and subscriptions/feeds. You can also cast your net somewhere like Twitter where word of mouth is fast and the conversation is faster. My experience with all of these examples is that most of the people using them are incredibly helpful, supportive and there to connect.

These people will help you navigate new proposals, pricing, finding the perfect word, tech breakdowns…and you’ll do the same for them.

When you participate in any networking group, online or off, you build relationships, and you make an impression. The quality of your relationships will span the range. There will be those you won’t get along with at all. Some people will actually become really good friends, trusted colleagues. And, you’ll find everything in between – acquaintances, fast & powerful encounters, steady contacts. As do most experiences, it’s got the makings of the classic bell curve.

Strong connections will be made with the most unlikely characters because the usual filters (class, clothes, environment, location, culture, etc.) aren’t present. No one is to be discounted (unless they behave badly) because you can’t predict where the jewels will be found.

Pay attention to the people that become the really good friends, the trusted colleagues, because they’re the ones that have your back. They’ll notice a typo in your last post, they’ll tell you what ‘LMAO’ means, they’ll be there if you need to share really bad news or really good news, they’re supportive – they’re real because you’ve been real with them. And, it’s likely, if required, they’ll show up at your locker and by your side.

Travel Writing as a Freelancer…Your Own Guide to Getting Published, by Wendy VanHatten

Listen, I’m a cancer (the crab) – and I take my astrological sign literally. I come equipped with my own little home and I like to stay inside of it, ie. I’m NOT a good traveler. Just the hour and half to Boston messes with me and the packing thing…don’t like it. How do I know what I’m going to feel like wearing 3 days from now? Seriously.

But there is something I love about traveling – reading about it. Yes, I am an armchair traveler. One of my all-time favorite books? A Year in Provence by Peter Mayle.

I do realize, however, that many people LOVE to travel. So I’m thrilled to offer my freelance writer readers some insight into how you can make a career out of travel writing with the review of Wendy VanHatten’s Travel Writing as a Freelancer…Your Own Guide to Getting Published. And, In the process, I get to be part of a very cool thing for someone who hates to travel – a blog book tour.

Sidenote: A blog book tour is a smart marketing creation where several bloggers are lined up to review a book. Yesterday the blog tour began with Claudia at Ebook and Book Reviews and tomorrow it continues with Linda Dessau at You Talk- I Write. Follow those links to read more reviews of this book. Basically I’m on tour, but I don’t have to leave my office – I love it.

Wendy VanHatten’s book is fantastic. And, by that, I mean – she’s a wonderful writer, so it’s enjoyable, and even though I have no desire to travel anywhere to write anything, when I read this book I had the undeniable feeling that if I wanted to, I could be a freelance travel writer.

• The book worked for me because it is unforgivably honest (freelancing is hard work and this is not a get rich quick scheme) while it is equally supportive and incredibly helpful. She knows what she’s talking about and tells you how to make it happen.
• The book worked for me because once upon a time, a long time ago, I read a book about how to become a freelance marketing writer that told me honestly what to do…and here I sit today. Wendy’s book is that kind of book for the travel writer.

I’m going to leave you with Wendy’s final step in her list: How to Become a Freelance Travel Writer in 10 Not So Easy Steps. You’ll find this list among the first few pages, and it will compel you onward. Step 10 characterizes VanHatten’s no-nonsense style and the charming wit that makes you feel like someone’s got your back as you begin your process:

10. Hit the road.

Travel and write.  Repeat.

Now, GO! Go and travel and write about it so that I can stay right here. But, first? Download this ebook.