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  Read the review by Nancy Duncan Interview with Donna E. Boetig, author of Feminine Wiles, Creative Techniques for Writing Women's Feature Stories That Sell (Word Dancer Press, Inc, 1998). A highly successful freelance writer, her articles have appeared in national magazines such as McCall's, Reader's Digest, Family Circle, Woman's Day, The Saturday Evening Post and Brides. She has also been a contributor to several books on writing. A former newspaper reporter, she earned her graduate degree in writing from John Hopkins University where she now teaches writing in the graduate program and presents her workshops throughout the United States and Canada. This is an important book for any writer considering cracking the barriers of writing women's magazine feature stories for national publications. Interview by Nancy Duncan. Author’s e-mail: boetig@erols.com NANCY DUNCAN - You've been a journalist and freelance writer for a number of years. Perhaps you could give an overview of your career and what drew you to freelancing. DONNA E. BOETIG - I started writing for my hometown newspaper when my children were small. I loved the freedom and independence. It was a great learning experience. There's an excitement to freelancing that hooked me from the beginning. I feel like I'm my own boss. Today I travel around the country giving perhaps forty or fifty seminars a year. It's the variety and working on my own terms that is appealing. Freelancing is exciting and never boring. In the beginning I gave myself two years to break into a major magazine and eventually sold an article to Family Circle for a new column they were starting. ND - How is Feminine Wiles different from other books on writing? DB - It's honest. Most writing books give you standard information that isn't helpful to writers looking for concrete nuts and bolts tools on how to break into feature writing for major magazines. Writers want information on how to sell their material. Many books on writing glossed over or ignored that element. I wanted to fill a niche that wasn't on the bookstore shelves. No one talks about publishing as a feature writer. Writers have to bend the rules. ND - Did you have a specific goal in mind when you wrote Feminine Wiles? DB - Yes, I wanted to write one true honest book that could be relied on as a source for freelancers. I wanted the book to respond to what most writers ask: How did you do it. Feminine Wiles is the result of what I did and what worked for me as a freelancer. ND - You began your career as a reporter. In your book you state that you began freelancing for religious magazines, next Brides, then Family Circle, Woman's Day and so forth. Was there a reason to this particular pattern? Or was it by chance? DB - I bought a copy of Writer's Market and got hyped about freelancing to women's magazines. I started thinking of ideas and wondered who might be interested in the stories I was coming across. It got me excited. I don't think I had any particular plan in mind. I never set out to sell to one market. I think it was the level I was at with my writing. ND - Why specialize in writing for the women's market? Should writers specialize? DB - That's debatable. I certainly didn't intend to specialize. I was interested in politics, then gravitated to education. Would I advise specializing? There's an advantage. Editors like to know they can rely on writers for certain material. When you start to specialize, it gets easier. You are recognized by editors for your knowledge and the skills you bring to an article. ND - In your book you say it took you about two years to break into the higher paying markets. Is that what most writers can expect? DB - Yes and no. I'm not an extremely talented writer. My friend the beautician who's in the book, broke into Family Circle the first time out. She had a nice style and a story no one else could write. It was her story. Lots of talented writers never break in. I see talent all the time in my seminars. It can be disheartening for writers. I have never forgotten what I learned from the rejections. I tell students it isn't your degree or talent, though talent is important. It's persistence and never giving up. I worked hard to break in. ND - What gets an editor’s attention? DB - Ideas that no one else has. So many people are sitting on ideas. I'm sitting on one right now. Writers have a gold mine to draw from that can launch their careers. So often writers forget to put energy and that wow editors like to see in a query. What makes your story different from all the rest? A few key points: 1 - The idea; 2 - You have an intriguing voice; 3 - Be willing to go out on a limb; 4 - Be brazen; 5 - The tone of your story is important. Tone is a difficult concept to explain to students. It's more a feeling. Basically, editors want stories they can't get anywhere else. ND - What do editors dislike most from writers besides pesky calls? DB - Well, I think editors are not going to be teachers. They don't have the time. Editors like to be able to fact-check a story. Writers should present themselves as business-like and professional. ND - Besides competition and an established stable of writers, is there a specific reason why freelancers are continuously rejected by the larger magazines that pay substantially more for articles? DB - There is something to be said for the simple article. Simple pieces sell and many writers overlook this. Many times the tone of a query or article is off. An editor isn't going to call to tell you the tone is off. Editors want the real McCoy, not a carbon copy. You have to be in the same gene pool with an editor. Marketing is the key. Knowing the magazine and the editor's needs. ND - What topics are currently hot with editors and why? DB - That varies. An editor recently told me she was looking for stories about women of color but not about women of color. The focus was not on the woman's color, if that makes sense. Editors are always on the lookout for a story that hasn't been blasted all over but is still a virgin. Double duty stories, medical stories with TLD - true life drama. One editor said she tones down TLD's because they can be too much for the reader. Even if the writer is able to capture the true essence of someone's awful experience and everything is true. ND - Is the market for freelancers changing? If so, what advice do you have for writers trying to earn an income while establishing their career? DB - It's tough. There's a sense of greater freedom today. The freelance market is tighter. The pace of freelance writing is not slow. The tempo has quickened. Yet editors are responding to paying and contacting writers at a much slower pace. I had to keep emailing, calling one editor to ask for payment. It took months. I have limited experience with this, but the Internet is changing the market and making an impact. Although I don't think books and printed material will be replaced, I do think writers need to be familiar with the Internet and what's out there. Persistence is the best advice for any writer. ND - You've taught writing workshops for a number of years. Should writers consider teaching once they're established as freelancers? How can writers supplement their incomes? DB - It depends. I love teaching at John Hopkins. Frank McCourt, author of Angela's Ashes, said to me that he found his voice in the classroom. He felt as I do, that he learned along with the students. Teaching is a good way to supplement a writer's income. ND - One piece of advice for freelancers? DB - Persistence pays off. Many writers give up. Being headstrong worked for me. Keep your confidence. Someone once said that a writer is only as good as his last story. Speak to the reader and make sure your confidence shows through. I don't recommend writers doing articles on spec. One time maybe. Don't be afraid to phone an editor for payment. Writers can be so reticent about such issues. And don't write for free. ND - Do you have a Web site? DB - No. I should. ND - Do you think there's a future in writing for publications on the Internet? DB - I don't think I know enough about what's on the Internet to comment. I know I should explore further what's out there. For example I picked up a magazine called For The Groom which is in print and on the Internet. Writers should examine paying markets on the Internet. I have many students who tell me they are being published on the Internet. But are they being paid? I wonder about the quality of writing although I do think the Internet offers a lot of possibilities. ND - Feminine Wiles is a wonderful book that should be on every writer's bookshelf. Is there a follow- up book forthcoming? DB - Thank you. I've thought about it and considered using information from my seminars that are geared toward professional organizations. On the other hand, there are so many writing books out there to choose from that I'm not sure I'll write another book. It's a lot of work. I think I'd like to have an agent first. ND - How can a writer get more information about the workshops you teach? DB - They can call 1-800-444-2942. I give seminars all over the country for such groups as International Women and Christian Writers. ND - Any closing thoughts or comments? DB - Writing is a lot of work. If my husband is away and I want to write until two in the morning, I can. I work hard. Yet I love the freedom of being my own boss. Persistence does pay off. Information on workshops: 1-800-444-2942 Author’s e-mail: boetig@erols.com |
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