Media diet week 4

Press: not much to report this week, my diet's been pretty much the same as usual. Being ill and thus confined to the 4 walls of Wordsmith Towers has prevented me from picking up new reading material from my nearest corner shop or newsagent. The postie brought me a supermarket mag this morning - not one I'd written for but one I'd been a case study for, for another journalist. I'd forgotten all about it I did the interview so long ago. so its arrival was a nice surprise and I spent a good 30 minutes admiring the very fab photo of me taken by the snapper.

Blogs: journalist Linda Jones has resumed blogging on her Freelance Writing Tips site. A welcome return after the extended break as it's one of the top blogs around for plain-speaking advice. I also discovered Dougalfish, a new blog by another freelance editor, which offers some interesting perspectives on working from home and dealing with clients. I also tripped over another blog by an author, which I've decided shall remain nameless on here - suffice to say that for a published author, while she has a lively writing style, is passionate and has plenty to say, her punctuation and grammar are atrocious. So I was pretty shocked when said blogger blogged that she'd bagged a new job as a writing tutor. Enough said.

TV/radio: I'm seriously missing Pandora since it stopped streaming to the UK. I used to listen when I was pottering - invoicing, emailing, hanging out on Journobiz - but now it's silent. A year or so ago, I'd tried Last.FM and hated it but with the lack of any competition, I'm giving it another chance. It's going to be a pain inputting all my favourite artists again. On the small screen, it's been my usual diet of EastEnders, Torchwood and Mistresses, which by episode 3 has become ridiculously predictable, but I need a dose of trash TV.

Books: I finally finished Attention All Shipping and jolly good it was too. I've now started Rupert Everett's autobiography, Red Carpets and Other Banana Skins. So far it's been unputdownable and he's still only 18 and at drama school. Everett writes incredibly well - he is both literate and entertaining and I suspect I'll finish this one very quickly. Too soon, certainly. Expect different books in this slot next week...

The only book a writer will ever need

Review: The Greatest Freelance Writing Tips in the World, by Linda Jones

When my review copy of this nifty tome fell into my "Grub Street" hands, I was startled at how small it is. Not having encountered a “Greatest Tips” book before, I had been expecting a full-size paperback weighing at least 500g. It’s a hardback, in fact, but compact and neat enough to fit into my handbag.

Don’t be fooled by its diminutive size, though. This book packs a wealth of information into its pages and is of far greater value than many bigger, textbook “how to” guides on freelancing.

What I really like about Jones’ book is that she speaks plainly – there’s a wonderful no-nonsense air about the advice and tips she offers. Right from the get-go, she warns there’s no place to hide if you want to write as a freelance and that a reality check is the first port of call. From such auspicious beginnings, Jones covers a huge amount of territory in a compact manner – from reminding you that you are running a business (rather than being an artist in a garret), with all the paperwork that involves, to letting editors know you exist (and how to get them to hire you) via writing for magazines, the nationals or the internet, which all need very different approaches.

Interspersed throughout are lots of handy checklists, bullet points to remind you of essentials, obscure but interesting facts and useful chapter summaries. I also love the pithy quotes about writing by famous authors from Sylvia Plath to James Michener. I can’t begin to detail just how many valuable tips are stuffed in here – many of them cover ground that I learned the hard way over the course of my career (when a book like this would have saved me much grief). Obviously, newcomers to the trade of professional writing would be wise to invest in this book if only to avoid some of the more common pitfalls than can happen to the inexperienced. But even the most seasoned hacks should find enough in here to inspire them, remind them or encourage them. Of all the books on freelancing and writing I have sitting on my groaning bookshelf next to my desk, I strongly suspect that The Greatest Freelancing Writing Tips in the World is the one that will end up the most thumbed, dog-eared and used, simply because it’s the most practical.

And don't forget Linda's blog either - it's crammed full of yet more useful advice, tips and guidance to keep you on your toes (and your bank manager happy).

Freelancing - how and why

Journalist Linda Jones, a freelance I greatly admire, has been writing a book on being a freelance writer. More to the point, the book is full of top tips on being a freelance writer in the most productive way possible. It's not out yet, but I hope to be at the launch on 4 October. In the meantime, place your orders through Linda's site because you won't regret it if you are a freelance writer, aspiring or experienced...

It's obviously a week for dispensing info on freelancing. An editing colleague of mine has been picking my brains on how to break into earning money from writing. It's not easy and you need to be persistent as well as know what you are doing.

I also had my attention drawn to this list of 101 Reasons Freelancers Do It Better, which has just been published. It's an interesting list and hard to disagree with most of the 101 reasons, although some seem to be duplicates (eg, reasons 7 and 42 are virtually identical, as are 55 and 56). Some of the reasons are questionable - take no. 44, for example. I do take issue with this. A lot of freelance work can be very boring even when you are freelancing in the profession you love. If you agree to edit a 600-page book on a subject you have no interest in, you will get bored very quickly, no matter how much of an enthusiastic pedant you are. I had just such a book recently (the MS From Hell), when it was really hard to sustain my interest, but to be fair, it was less due to the subject matter than the incompetence of my client that caused me to lose interest.

On the whole though, this list gives a pretty fair picture of the realities of what you'll be dealing with as a freelance (whatever your trade), even though it tends to portray everything as a positive, including what I call the shit jobs, such as doing the books - no one will ever convince me this is enjoyable!

If you're thinking of turning freelance, having a look at the 101 Reasons will give you a first grasp of what working for yourself entails. And if you're planning to write for money, buy Linda's book. It could be the best fiver you've ever spent.