yo

The office malarky is driving me to the brink and I feel as if I could be doing summat a whole lot better than the 9-5.

The only thing that's in any way desirable is writing words for people. I do it for a few websites and magazines but I'd like to make the cross over into full time and more financial reward.

I was just wondering if anyone in Sheffo does it for a living and if they had any helpful hints for someone looking to get started in this field....

hit me

yo

The office malarky is driving me to the brink and I feel as if I could be doing summat a whole lot better than the 9-5.

The only thing that's in any way desirable is writing words for people. I do it for a few websites and magazines but I'd like to make the cross over into full time and more financial reward.

I was just wondering if anyone in Sheffo does it for a living and if they had any helpful hints for someone looking to get started in this field....

hit me

I'd hit you, but my fist would feel like a tone of bricks, so I'll just type lol. I think mate, you can do well by; going here www.lulu.com

Recognise that printing cost monies if you want to do your own magazine. To do so, will take time, its linear income, and your trading time for money but you need something to bring money in. So I know a web site, if you find a niche, then write about it.

Write a book, a magazine and upload it at www.lulu.com. Now, you don't need to fork out monies for printing. It's print on demand. You put the price of the magazine. They will show you when you register for free and upload your work, how much it costs to print. Then you add what you want to make, i.e. royalty income from each sale of the book or magazine.

So now, you can go out and write your heart out and make money out of what you love doing without thinking of capital outlay. Then buy your own copy and show it to people and print cards with the web site details, and the work to spread your work begins.

Hope thats helpful. :D

I'm assuming that you're interested in writing for magazines, etc. who will then pay you for your words.

I've written professionally on and off for about 25 years, mainly for the technical press. I had ONE year in all that time where I could have lived (barely) on my freelance income, and that was in the pre-Internet days.

Whether you can live purely by teh pen alone depends upn :

Current lifestyle.
Your area of writing expertise.
The size of the market you're writing for.
How good you are.

If you get hold of something like 'The Writer's and Artist's Yearbook' or similar directories, it might look like there are hundreds of magazines to write for. There are; and there are tens of thousands of writers.

Start by 'testing the water'. Identify a couple of magazines you could write for, buy a couple of issues, study them, contact the editor for contributors notes (not all magazines take freelance input) and start thinking of ideas. Some magaziens will ask you to check the topics of the articles out before you send stuff in, othrs will just ask for the article 'on spec'.

Payment is not good - OK, if you end up writing month in, month out for high end glossies you'll probably make an OKish income, but you might be lucky to hit GBP200 for a typical article. Payment is rarely on-time - you might submit an article, wait 4 months to see it, then 2 months to get paid.

I HATE sounding pessimmistic, but it is a VERY tough world to make a living in. Most writers I know write as an aside to their main profession. Also, writing is still a 9 to 5 job - when I was freelancing I was writing for 7 or 8 hours a day, every day, editing, phoning, researching, etc. It's NOT an easy change from 9-5.

Joe

I am a writer and poet; Yes, it is tough being a freelance writer, and best done as a supplementary job to your main one.

Best of luck, Jimooooo.

Hi there peoples

Thanks for your advice on this. I'm still weighing up me options but work experience with approaches aimed at various, relevant magazines sounds like the way to go first of all.

I'm aware that it is hard work and I'd say it's more than a 9-5 in terms of what's required. I'm just a little tired of having to get up everyday and do something I'm not bothered by in the slightest whereas with this, I might even tell people what I do and not be embarrassed. haha

Maybe looking at jobs with papers in the area would be a good place to start and then trying to subsidise that with other freelance work....

hmmm

Hi there peoples

Thanks for your advice on this. I'm still weighing up me options but work experience with approaches aimed at various, relevant magazines sounds like the way to go first of all.

I'm aware that it is hard work and I'd say it's more than a 9-5 in terms of what's required. I'm just a little tired of having to get up everyday and do something I'm not bothered by in the slightest whereas with this, I might even tell people what I do and not be embarrassed. haha

Maybe looking at jobs with papers in the area would be a good place to start and then trying to subsidise that with other freelance work....

hmmm

You'll find your way, don't worry. Looks like your passionate about writing. Nothing easy, but hey, just find a job maybe with Newspapers or in printing company, so you got a day job still, or even working in a cafe, or something you can enjoy and not be embarrassed about, while you work your way to writing books etc and making a living.

The best way mate in regards to writing is call the Arts Council, find out where there are meetings for writers. They have established writers who have written books already and made very good money out of them.

When you got the dates, invest in going to their meetings. You'll meet Publishers, Authors and fellow writers like yourself. Use these meetings to write a book, and they'll help you all the way.

End of the day, if you're really passionate about writing, then something give. It might not be in writing books but it might be in writing columns for newspapers, magazines. There's always a way if you really want to do what you say.

Good luck and go for it but with the mind of having a job while you find your way.

Hey,

Try getting a copy of the latest Artist's and Writer's Yearbook, it's essential for the contacts listing alone but it should also give you a few other pointers from well known authors and journalists. I found it helped me to think a little more broadly about creative opportunities.

M