Michael Stelzner, in his Writing Write Papers blog, has listed the Top 10 blogs for writers based on popular vote. He notes that the "top 3 blogs in this contest were within 1 percentage point of each other, making this an exceptionally close race."
The winners are:
1. Copyblogger
2. Men With Pens
3. Freelance Writing Jobs
4. Write to Done
5. Confident Writing
6. The Renegade Writer
7. Remarkable Communication
8. The Writing Journey
9. Freelance Parent
10. The Urban Muse
We can't all be in the top 10, but there are several other writing-related blogs that (IMHO) deserve honorable mention. Some of these were on Stelzner's short list; some didn't make the cut. Rather than trot them all out at once, I will name and discuss the merits of these various writing blogs, broken down by category and in no particular order, in a three-part series starting here:
Freelance Writing
Inkthinker -- Kristen King is a successful freelance writer whose blog has a lot of great advice, conference information and other resources for other freelancers. She provides news and information of genuine value. She blogs, she writes, she edits and she's active in the American Independent Writers. King gives seminars and speaks at conferences. She was recently quoted extensively in a MediaBistro article (which you need an Avant Guild subscription to access--sorry) on how freelancers can survive economic downturns. (Did I mention that she leaps tall buildings in a single bound?) And she's not above throwing in the occasional fun link or video or blogging like a pirate (argh!). A daily must-read.
The Irreverent Freelancer -- the blogger with the signature tag line Screw You! for all those cheapo and/or deadbeat clients that freelancers suffer from time to time, Kathy Kehrli describes herself as "a ten-year veteran of the freelance writing world whose success has hinged on not sitting back and allowing myself to be taken advantage of." (Can I get an amen?!) For good or ill, there seems to be more than enough material to let Kehrli to blog regularly on this subject, but I have seen posts on other cool topics, like the five things she learned from taking a vacation, so it's not all doom and gloom stuff. Among the highlights from her usual fare are the "Ultimate Get-A-Clue Freelance Request" for each week (like this one), plus her complete willingness to "out" her deadbeat clients. This blog is not only funny (in a sad way, if you think about it), but great payback and, dare I say it, a lesson for all freelancers not to let ourselves be kicked around! And I totally love Kehrli's mantra: "If you stand up for something under the guise of anonymity, you're really not standing up for anything at all." (A-fraking-men!)
The Golden Pencil -- Anne Wayman provides solid, practical writing advice and resources for writers of many stripes. While I think of this as a freelancer's blog, she also covers the publishing business, including posts on trade publishing, self-publishing, book writing and other areas where many other freelance blogs don't go. I love this blog for many reasons, not only for the Q-and-A posts on various freelancing issues (like this one), but for the pragmatic, straightforward style in which Wayman writes and some of the really cool videos (like this one) that she digs up. Always a pleasure to read.
The Well-Fed Writer Blog -- Peter Bowerman, author of The Well-Fed Writer, offers advice and initiates interesting discussions on his blog about the commercial writing world. Among my personal favorites include this post about asking for more money next time (speaking of mantras . . .) and the difference between networking harder and networking smarter. I also read the blog for its free-ranging discussions of topics like whether you should post samples online without permission and what commercial projects people are working on. A must-read for anyone interested in business writing.
The Wealthy Freelancer -- I've just started reading this blog, but I'm seeing highly useful information here, like advice on developing an e-newsletter that will draw clients, the biggest pricing mistake a freelancer can make and a "no-frills" strategy for generating a steady income. The blog is a collaborative effort--it has three editors and several contributors, which may be one of its strengths, in that it offers a variety of viewpoints and doesn't pressure one author to scramble for content. It offers practical advice and information in an easy-to-read format. I'm keeping a daily eye on this one.
Next time: Honorable Mentions for Fiction Writing, Publishing and Screenwriting Blogs
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