Linda Formichelli has an enviable list of publishing credits: everything from Business.com to Family Circus to Writer's Digest. You may know her as co-author of wildly popular freelance books The Renegade Writer: A Totally Unconventional Guide to Freelance Writing Success and The Renegade Writer's Query Letters That Rock. I've had this interview in the works for a few weeks, and, by shear coincidence, the Renegade Writer blog today features a question from yours truly. Must be kismet! Read about Linda below... Urban Muse: What is the biggest lesson that you want readers to get from The Renegade Writer?
Linda: That there are no rules. Saying there are rules that every single writer has to follow for every single query and article presupposes that editors are identical robots instead of normal, thinking humans with varied needs and their own likes and dislikes. You can't read an editor's mind. All you can do is try different things; if something works for you, stick with it, and if it doesn't, chuck it and try something else. For example, I had one e-mentoring student who kept sending out queries that I would have done much differently, and guess what? She landed all kinds of assignments with those queries. Some things are common sense, of course -- like acting professionally and not stalking editors -- but for many things, you have to go with your gut.
UM: Why help other writers through the blog and e-mentoring? Why not focus on your own writing?
L: It always bothers me to see how much misinformation is out there confusing and frustrating new writers. I'm happy to have the chance to set things straight in our blog and my e-course/e-mentoring. Not to mention that I absolutely love hearing from writers that my advice has helped them break into freelance writing or crack their dream markets.
But I'm not totally altruistic. The e-course is part of my writing business, and the blog is a great promotional tool for the Renegade Writer books.
UM: You and Diana seem to work really well together on the books and blog. Any tips on writing collaborations?
L: I think that we work well together because our writing styles are so similar. In fact, when I read the books now, I sometimes have trouble remembering who wrote what. I can imagine that if you and your co-author have wildly different styles, you'll have one heck of a terrible time trying to make the book flow well! So I suggest trying to find a writer you really mesh with. Also, make sure you have a contract that spells out who does what and who gets what.
UM: I’ve heard other freelancers say they miss the social interaction of an office setting. How can writers combat feelings of isolation if they work from home?
L: Luckily for me, my husband is also a freelance writer, so I never feel isolated. Also, I have some local friends who are also freelancers of different types (writers, interior designers, etc.), so we get together for lunch every so often. But if you don't have this built-in network, I suggest looking for a writer's group in your area. You can often find groups on craigslist.com and meetup.com. And if you don't find a group in your area -- start your own! You can also post in writers' forums asking if anyone there lives near you, and set up a coffee date.
UM: You’ve written for a variety of publications and interests. What is your favorite article topic?
L: That's a good question. My favorite topic varies depending on the time of the day, what I had for breakfast that morning, and the phase of the moon! For a while I was really into writing personal development articles, and recently I've been enjoying writing about business and marketing. But my favorite recent assignment was to test and write about natural face masks and peels.
I may sound scattered, but switching topics often is probably what keeps me from getting totally burned out. For example, if I get sick and tired of writing about health, I start targeting business magazines instead.Thanks, Linda. Keep up the great work!