( 19 reviews )
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Posted: May 26 2009
It is easy to see this was a good book when released. However, it feels out of date. The book essentially revolves around the idea of becoming dominate in your "local market" i.e. the city in which you live. Phone calls and personal meetings are hugely important in world this book was written. Emails, not so much. The point at which Bowerman strongly suggests getting connected to the Internet is the case in point. Today, no writer would seriously consider not being connected the Internet. As a result, the book becomes one to skim, not read in detail. The basics are sound but the means of execution are out of date. I have no had the chance to read the "Second Helping" book that Bowerman wrote in 2004 - perhaps that has more up to date information. I wouldn't recommend buying this book. Get it from the library. It is no longer the kind of book you'll be lining with notes and post-its, so a library copy would suffice.
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Posted: Mar 12 2009
"The Well-Fed Writer: Financial Self-Sufficiency as a Freelance Writer in Six Months or Less" by Peter Bowerman is an essential read for anyone considering or new to the world of freelance writing. Peter Bowerman makes the topic of owning your own business interesting and he offers a great deal of insight, having managed his own successful writing firm for many years. It's hard to put this book down as each chapter gives lots of ideas and sound advice, often with a humorous tone, about the business of being a writer. This book has helped many writers launch their own writing businesses and be able to earn the kind of money to replace other less rewarding careers. I recommend this book to anyone who is considering leaving a corporate job to work as a freelance writer. It's a resource I turn to again and again, so will you!
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Posted: Mar 11 2009
Bowerman's book is absolutely an excellent resource for newcomers to the freelance writing field and even for seasoned pros. However, the book has two flaws that should be addressed. Ironically, the first flaw is the sub-par writing. There a great many errors of grammar, punctuation, and usage throughout the book, including the incorrect use of "that" and "which," incomplete sentence fragments, misplaced commas, and many others. It's perfectly acceptable to ease up on the rules of language for promo copy, but "The Well-Fed Writer" itself is obviously a book ABOUT writing copy and, while the chatty, breezy tone is a pleasure to read, the text should have been more carefully copy edited. The second flaw is the lack of gender-neutral writing. Most of the time, Bowerman uses male pronouns, and the very occasional use of "he/she," (so clumsy), "her," and "she" does not mitigate the fact that men are dominant in this book. Creating gender-neutral sentences is so easy that there is simply no excuse for not doing so. Criticisms aside, you will not find a more valuable book on the subject of freelance commercial writing.
