Things have always been difficult for writers to earn a good living. With the glut generated by layoffs in print media, it's gotten far worse. Expect even more obstacles when Conde Nast cuts loose those McKinsey and Company advised the company weren't contributing toward profitability.
Penelope Trunk put that in, well, writing, and in THE WALL STREET JOURNAL. In that article dealing with taking risks to boost a career, Trunk opines, "This world isn't set up for writers to get anywhere." So, she made her own opportunity by establishing a web startup Brazen Careerist. It put her in massive debt and deep-sixed her marriage but it seems to be working out just fine. Trunk is now a communicator headed for the very big time.
After years of being The Good Girl Writer for corporate executives and conservative causes, I noticed that, hey, that plain-vanilla persona and delivering The Establishment's party line weren't pulling in the big bucks, at least not for me. Like most writers, I lacked and lack those top-tier contacts who distribute the lucrative plum assignments to friends and relatives. With the bloated ranks of writers just like me, I had to do something and that something had to be whatever it would take to have me stand out.
So far, so good. My personal brand and copy now reflect fierce intelligence, irony, and grassroots anger. Yes, that is bringing in a new kind of client.
In addition, I took a stab at fiction. So far so good there too. My first novel "The Fat Guy From Greenwich" is getting the kind of attention which generates new business. There are requests for everything from coaching to copyediting to mau-mauing. Here is the first chapter, for you to take a free peekeroo Download FatGuyFromGreenwich. It will be published late fall and listed online with all the biggies like Barnes & Noble and Amazon.com.
There's more. There are those who aren't wealthy but can pay a fair price and on time. They need a writer with intelligence and the judgment to discern when the party line won't fly. Increasingly, they're using my services.
Opining: People with the real money don't share it or influence/power with those w/o the real money. Prune networks of folks who promise and don't deliver.
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