077: Build Your Freelance Writing Career - Interview with Zachary Petit

Hello there Word Nerds!

Today I’m interviewing the awesome Zachary Petit. Zac is the editor of the National Magazine Award-winning publication PRINT. He is also a freelance journalist, a lifelong literary and design nerd, and a friend. Formerly, he was the senior managing editor of HOW magazine and PRINT, the longtime managing editor of Writer’s Digest magazine, and executive editor of the newsstand magazines Writer’s Workbook, Writer’s Yearbook and Writing Basics.

Alongside the thousands of articles he has penned as a staff writer and editor, covering everything from the secret lives of mall Santas to creative legends, his words regularly appear in National Geographic Kids, and have also popped up in the pages of National Geographic, Melissa Rossi’s What Every American Should Know book series, McSweeney’s Internet Tendency and many other outlets.

Zac is the author of The Essential Guide to Freelance Writing: How to Write, Work and Thrive On Your Own Terms (which is out now) and co-author of A Year of Writing Prompts: 366 Story Ideas for Honing Your Craft and Eliminating Writer’s Block.

He is obsessed with all things writerly (even down to his nerdy tattoos), and is a firm believer that anyone can break into any facet of the writing world—they just need to know the appropriate way in. Once that has been demystified, anything is possible.

In this episode Zac and I discuss:

• Why a writer would want to freelance.
• How and why to adapt your voice when freelancing.
• How to break into freelancing.
• Debunking major myths about freelance writing.
• How to expand your professional network.
• The pros and cons of pitching an idea versus pitching an article on spec.

 

Plus, Zac’s #1 tip for writers.

To learn more about Zachary Petit, follow him on LinkedIn and Twitter or visit his website. Also, if you're interested in building your freelance writing career, check out his latest book.

Until next week, keep writing and keep being awesome.

For more info and show notes: DIYMFA.com/077