Comments on: Top Ten Little-Known Freelance Writer Survival Tips

By: Maggie May

Maggie May — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 05:46:44 +0000

These tips are awesome;) Guess I’ll make my fortune now.

By: Paul Riddell

Paul Riddell — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 17:57:19 +0000

By the way, I take umbrage at needing to write a fake scathing negative review to garner sympathy. What’s wrong with writing something so foul that you get real scathing negative reviews that stimulate sales? (That’s the problem with the whole POD and PublishAmerica movement. Ten years ago, my books would have been the subject of any number of horrible reviews. These days, just knowing which letters of the alphabet go where and whether or not they’re capitalized immediately puts me in the top 10 percent of published writers this year. Compared to some of the completely illiterate gibberish such as _Space Ark_, I’m getting good reviews, and good reviews don’t get sales worth a damn.)

By: Paul Riddell

Paul Riddell — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 17:52:52 +0000

Bill, you know what’s funny? You’re not the only one who’s thought that. Particularly with POD titles, now not only does Barnes & Noble require that all copies be pre-purchased before any of the friendly clerks will put in an order, but they’ll just pitch them if you buy copies and then “accidentally” forget to pick them up. Why, no, I wasn’t thinking about doing anything like _that_. Why do you ask?

By: Jeff VanderMeer

Jeff VanderMeer — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 15:11:12 +0000

Ya sure ya wanted to admit that? ;)

By: Lane

Lane — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 14:07:58 +0000

Well darn. I wrote some flash a month ago that referenced bear-whales. Do I need to find that guy on the corner and steal his tip-hat?

By: Mark Gerrits

Mark Gerrits — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 07:30:37 +0000

Re #5: This made me think of Rock Plaza Central’s album Are We Not Horses. It’s about robot horses who think they’re real horses while waging war on heaven (I think I got that right). Good album.

By: Jeff VanderMeer

Jeff VanderMeer — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 01:07:14 +0000

Wollff–writers are known for getting all kinds of temporary day jobs, and all kinds of jobs period to pay the bills. It’s just commenting on that.

By: S.J. Chambers

S.J. Chambers — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 23:59:12 +0000

Well, as regards the need for #10 in breakdown times, I think it would help one keep perspective on why you were writing to begin with. It’s easy to get bogged up in the money aspect, but if you have a soul-crushing, stifling, cushy salary job, where food and gas is not a debate, you remember that writing is/was and forever shall be more about life than bank statements.

By: Wollff

Wollff — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 22:45:18 +0000

Readying for the breakdown of the economy?
What’s 10 doing on the list then? Is there a deeper meaning in getting a day job, just to lose it as soon as you would need it?

By: Jeff VanderMeer

Jeff VanderMeer — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 22:02:40 +0000

Hmmm. These sound nefarious. Shouldn’t I just have my publisher make sure B&N carries it?

We must distinguish here between *distribution*, kind sir, and *financial need*. I merely ready myself for the possible complete breakdown of the American economy.