Customer Rating:  
Summary: Geared more toward newcomers, but still informative
Comment: The book takes the angle that the person reading it has never written for any publications before, so for those who do have writing/journalism experience, some of the chapters seem almost too simplistic. If you are just starting out, though, it goes step-by-step in what you need to do, and gives some good tips for writers, no matter what their experience level. The chapter that talks about what you need in your office can be skipped; technology has changed so much since the book was published that it is no longer a questions of whether to get dial-up or high-speed internet, or what kind of word processor program or computer to purchase. I hear a new edition is coming out next year, so hopefully that chapter will receive a huge update. Otherwise, a good read and definitely helpful.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Kelly is a superstar
Comment: I had the good fortune to see Kelly speak, at a local area writers group, in the Chicago area. What impressed me is her openness about her own life, and sharing it in a public forum. Kelly was a lawyer for a few years, but never liked the profession, and later pursued her original passion of writing. Her book has good advice, and prompted me to pursue my own writing passion, after being downsized from a major corporation. She gives some excellent advice on slanting articles for different vendors, using the same subject matter. This book, along with Secrets of a Freelance Writer by Robert Bly, inspired me go plunge into the freelance writing world.
Randy Kemp
http://www.randykempcopywriting.com
Customer Rating:
Summary: Am I Making Six Figures Yet?
Comment: Well, no. But then again I'm not putting all the steps into play. I bought this book because I'd been "following" James-Enger through various writing websites and magazines and I've always found her to be a straight-shooter with a good sense of humor.
She covers a great deal of information that is particularly important to the novice business-person. I stress this, because the only way you are going to make six-figures at ANYTHING is if you think like a business owner.
I'm already a business owner in a different field and agreed with all that was shared. It's a well thought-out book and useful from many angles.
I have no doubt that if I were to sell my other business and focus solely on what is presented here (along with writing every day) I would be earning six-figures as a freelance writer. It's not rocket-science, it's a business! But one you can absolutely love!
Customer Rating:
Summary: A Really Great Resource
Comment: Kelly's book is a great resource both for people who are new to writing for magazines & journals, and for people who've been freelancing for a while who want to bump up their career.
My co-author and I have written before, but never had a need to write a query. We followed Kelly's procedures for writing a tight, one-page query letter (and then also followed her procedures for writing a follow-up letter 6 weeks later), and received notice from our first choice magazine that they want to see the manuscript!
I wrote a note to Kelly right away to tell her the good news and to thank her for her practical, easy-to-follow guidelines and examples.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Not quite what I expected
Comment: Bottom line: I thought this was well written but felt I'd already encountered almost all of the provided advice at my large-corporation, professional job. As a plus, the book is an easy read and does an excellent job introducing generic professional skills like good time management, prioritization, networking, negotiating, self-confidence, etc. They're necessary skills for almost anyone pursuing a six-figure salary. However, I bought this book looking for content specific to freelancing. I was hoping for advice on coming up with great topic ideas, finding and interacting with experts, breaking into corporate freelancing, writing well, and finding and researching smaller publications. Not much in the book on those topics. It was a quick, fun read but I won't be reaching for this book as a how-to reference anytime in the future.
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