By Tim Grayling

Fiction freelance writing is one of the few careers that pays workers for creative expression. This said, the road to a successful fiction freelance writing career is long and difficult. This is because the job field is highly competitive. In order for you to become a successful fiction freelance writer, people actually have to want to read your work. Moreover, there is very little job security for fiction freelancers. They must utilize business practices to sustain a multiplicity of short term contracts with websites and other venues for fiction freelance writing.

How to Become a Fiction Freelance Writer
The first step to becoming a fiction freelance writer is to earn a bachelor’s degree in creative writing, English, or another field that cultivates students’ writing skills. Although obtaining a degree isn’t necessarily required to become a fiction freelance writer, it is difficult to develop the necessary skills and writing proficiency without doing so. Potential fiction freelance writers should be honest with themselves about their creative writing capabilities. The fiction freelance market is ruthless, and only the very best land contracts.

Aspiring fiction freelance writers should develop a portfolio of their best writing to show to potential employers. Regardless of an individual’s level of education, the quality of their writing samples and ideas ultimately determine whether or not they obtain contracts. By earning a degree in creative writing or English, you can expect to work with an adviser to create a portfolio that competes at a professional level.

Writing a Query Letter
Aspiring fiction freelance writers should submit what are called query letters to editors at companies who contract fiction short stories and novels. A query letter is a description of the article, short story or novel idea you plan to instantiate. The content of a query letter should be brief, concise and express your idea in a creative and attractive way. Write to convince editors that your idea is the best they’ve ever seen.

There is a certain degree of contention within the writing community about the necessity of query letters. Many writers prefer to send short, informal descriptions of their ideas, or already completed works for sale. The majority of writers, however, swear by query letters. A well written letter indicates your writing abilities and seriousness to potential employers. Moreover, the submitting of already completed work for sale suggests that it is a work that has failed to sell to other companies.

Ideas and Management
Coming up with good ideas is perhaps the most difficult aspect of a freelance writer’s work. An abnormally creative imagination is required to produce good fiction. It is usually best to ground fiction writing in reality. Writers shouldn’t be dissuaded from writing fantasy or science fiction, but should understand the difference between an idea’s relation to reality being improbable, and utterly ridiculous. Furthermore, the best works of fiction are often grounded in the life of the author. Use an event in your life as a starting point for your story. Do you think Dostoevsky could have written Crime and Punishment if he wasn’t part of the troubled social and political context of 19th century Russia?

Last, aspiring fiction freelance writers must have an understanding of the business aspects of a writing career. Since freelance writers work on contract, they are normally responsible for filing their own taxes and legal financial documents. Many freelance writers choose to obtain an online MBA to gain the skills needed to manage their writing businesses.

Tim Grayling is a writer for Online MBA.com, an online resource for those seeking their online MBA.

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