Okay, so I finally got my hands on Zachary Petit's freelance writing guide, and here's the tea ☕️
First off, this isn't your typical dry writing manual. The guy actually makes learning about queries and contracts... fun? Who knew that was possible!
The chapter on query letters alone is worth the price. Petit breaks it down like he's explaining it to a friend over coffee - no jargon, just real talk about what editors actually want to see.
As someone who's dabbled in freelancing before, I appreciated how he doesn't sugarcoat things. Yeah, you can make money writing, but no, it's not gonna happen overnight. His honesty is refreshing in a world full of 'get rich quick' writing scams.
Pro tip: Keep a notebook handy while reading. I found myself constantly jotting down ideas and strategies. My favorite was his 'idea generation' system - simple but genius.
The only downside? Now I have zero excuses not to actually start pitching articles. Thanks for that, Zachary 😅
Seriously though, if you're even slightly curious about freelance writing, this book is a must-read. It's like having an experienced writer-mentor in your pocket.