Author Crush Month: Pamela Britton

I first met Pamela Britton at a Romance Writers of America meeting. When she said she wrote books with NASCAR heroes, I thought, “Whatever.” But as she gave her talk, I found her funnier and cooler and I finally decided I had to at least try one of her books. I loved them! I’ve read almost all of her NASCAR books now, and yesterday I started reading her newest book, THE WRANGLER. Ahh, cowboys and horses and secrets – oh my!  I hope you’ll check out some of Pam’s books, too. Meanwhile, she’s got some great advice on helping along your full-time writing career. Enjoy!

Writing full time.

It sounds like a dream job.  But the realities of obtaining a steady stream of income while working from home can be like wrestling a chicken to the ground.  The key word there is “steady”.  Here’s the thing: when you turn in that full-length novel, or proposal, or revised manuscript, it might take your editor a day, a week or even months to get to reading it.  Payment is always tied to editor approval, and so if it does take your editor awhile to approve your latest work, you’ll be waiting for payment.  Let me be perfectly candid here: you never know when you’re going to get a so-called “paycheck”.  That’s fine if your backlist is earning royalties.  You can count on checks at least twice a year, but here’s the kicker about that: you never know how much those checks will be.  I’ve decided that understanding reserves and returns is like trying to understand global warming.  Impossible.

So what’s a writer to do?

I have the answer.  Freelance.

Are you good at a particular hobby?  Are you an expert in your field of work?  Do you enjoy sharing your opinion?  If you answered “yes” to any of those questions you’d be a perfect freelance journalist.  Be forewarned, however, getting your work in a magazine can be every bit as daunting as getting a publishing contract.

Having grown up in the horse world, it has always a dream of mine to write for one of the big horse publications.  I mistakenly assumed that my publishing career would be the launching pad for this new vocation.  Boy, was I wrong.  It turns out that most magazines have a dedicated staff of writers–and freelancers–that contribute to their magazine on a regular basis.  It was like trying to get a book published all over again.  I kept hearing, “Thanks, but no thanks.”

Desperate, I resorted to Google and found a terrific web site:  www.freelancewritinggigs.com

Here was the information that I was looking for–but didn’t know I was looking for.  One of the founders of the site compiles a weekly list of publications looking for freelance journalists.  It was here that I found NASCAR POLE POSITION MAGAZINE.  They were looking for someone to write short features for their FAN GEAR section.  Since I routinely visit NASCAR garages, I suspected they would be interested in talking to me.  I was right.  I have since published numerous pieces in their magazine.  That led to other freelance opportunities.  Currently, I’m a stringer and a regular columnist for THE QUARTER HORSE JQURNAL, and a freelance writer for HORSE & RIDER–the two magazines I most wanted to work for when I first started down this road.

A word to the wise:  it’s not uncommon to be asked to work for free.  Don’t be offended.  I worked for what amounted to be “free” for nearly two years before I was actually “hired” as a writer for one of the above magazines.  To be honest, I didn’t mind.  I knew that having my articles in print would lend me credibility with future magazine publishers.  Sometimes it’s about getting your foot in the door.  However, be careful.  Don’t sell yourself too short.

It’s taken me over a year to find solid ground in the world of freelance journalism, but becoming a stringer for one of the world’s largest breed organizations means a monthly income that will come in handy at times.  I have a friend who writes for a number of magazines.  She juggles articles like most of us juggle plot lines—but it’s a monthly income stream that helps to supplement her royalty checks.

Being a full-time writer can be scary at times, but there are ways to accomplish this goal.  It might take you awhile before you’re ready to quit that day job…but it’s a heck of a lot better than working in the salt mines.

Good luck!

Pam

Pamela Britton considers herself a veteran of the publishing industry with twenty-three books under her belt, but when she’s not writing, she’s riding…the two words so similar it’s quite confusing at times.  “She said RIDING, not WRITING!” is scheduled to be inscribed on her tombstone.