Freelance Writing

This course is taught by:

Lee Raye

M.A. (hons) Celtic Studies, (the University of Aberdeen); M.St. Celtic Studies, (the University of Oxford)

Lee is a PhD candidate at Cardiff University with degrees from Aberdeen and Oxford. He has written two books, digitalised another and written several academic papers. He has been interviewed by National Geographic and presented papers at eight different national and international conferences. Lee’s native language is English and, if asked, he is always happy to help students with their English spelling and grammar. He is also a keen proponent of the digital revolution and dreams of a world where all books are available instantly to be read, searched or treasured. Although he mainly writes non-fiction, he loves Victorian literature as well as modern fiction and poetry of all kinds. His academic knowledge of medieval events, cultures and the history of Britain’s environment make him especially qualified to help students interested in writing sci-fi and fantasy.
Lesson Structure: Freelance Writing BWR102

There are 10 lessons:

Introduction to freelancing
Scope of freelance writing (types of writing, where to begin, styles, etc). getting help, finding resources & contacts, understanding industry terminology.
Basic writing skills
What is communication, types of communication, types of language, clear wording, concise wording, parts of speech, grammar, punctuation.
The publishing world
Periodicals, books, remaindering, copyright, publishers advertising conditions, public lending rights, contracts, selling.
Manuscripts
Types of printing, preparing a type script, etc.
Planning what you write
Mechanics of writing, developing an idea, sentence structure, precis, planning what you write, building a paragraph.
Newspaper writing
Newspapers, regular columns, fillers, short features, etc.
Magazine writing
Travel writing, magazine articles/features, determining potentially marketable articles.
Writing books
Non fiction, fiction, short stories, determining what to write and developing an idea.
Writing advertising
Writing a press release, writing an advertisement, writing for public relations, etc.
Special project
Planning and developing a manuscript for a small book.

Learning Goals:Freelance Writing BWR102

Discuss the nature and scope of freelance writing.
Evaluate your basic writing skills and identify deficiencies needing attention in order to be successful at freelance writing.
Develop a concept for freelance writing which has potential for selling.
Identify commercial opportunities to sell writing to publishers.
Describe the preparation of a manuscript for submission to a publisher
Write commercially viable items for publishing in a newspaper.
Write commercially viable items for publishing in a magazine.
Plan for production of a commercially viable book manuscript.
Write commercially viable advertising.
Apply all skills and knowledge so far developed to the production of a complete manuscript

Success as a freelance writer depends upon finding publishers who will pay for your work.
Freelance writers are dependent on publishers to buy their work and get it into the marketplace, so it is important to get an overview of the world of publishing. Publishers are in the business of editing, designing, printing and marketing books, magazines, reports, newspapers and other written works. At one end of the spectrum is a desktop publishing business run by one person who does all the writing, editing, artwork, printing, promoting and distribution, and at the other end are the multi-national companies that publish thousands of books and magazines worldwide each year.

The people who work in publishing include editors, proof readers, designers, graphic artists, typesetters, printers, literary agents and marketing executives. Allied businesses include distributors, book sellers, newsagents, libraries and public relation companies. Depending on who you sell your work to, you may have dealings with these people.

As a freelance writer, always keep in mind that you have to sell your work to a publisher. This means that to some extent you will need to tailor your writing to meet their needs. Publishers only publish work they can easily sell, and until you are an established writer, they call the shots!
This course recognises the difficulty in making a start. No amount of training will ever guarantee success; but there are ways to improve your chances - and we believe it is important to get help from tutors who are not only qualified in writing, but also "street smart" about dealing with publishers.