Articles & News About Money & Coin Collecting

How To Make Money Freelance Writing For The Gaming Industry

An Interview with BRIAN KONRADT, author of Freelance Poker Writing: How to Make Money Writing for the Gaming Industry

Q: Tell us about your book.

BRIAN: Freelance Poker Writing is the first book showing freelance writers how to make money writing for the gaming industry.

Q: So it?s not just writing about poker?

BRIAN: No, it?s writing for the gaming industry in general. This includes all types of casino-style games. I focus more on poker in my book because it is the most popular game and writers make more money covering poker and the influences of poker.

Q: Tell us about your writing career.

BRIAN: I?ve been a professional freelance writer since 1992. I?ve written for many publications and companies in several industries. I am mainly skilled as a copywriter, since most of my clients were corporations and ad agencies who hired me to write their marketing materials. I?ve been reporting on new trends in freelance writing since 1998. I don?t do much freelance writing for clients anymore because in the last ten years I have branched out into other areas. You can read about my writing career at my website, www.BusyEntrepreneur.com.

Q: How did you come up with the idea for your book?

BRIAN: I became addicted to Texas Hold?em when The Travel Channel began airing poker tournaments on TV. I then started playing poker for fun and became even more addicted. My poker addiction led me to research more about poker and the gaming industry. During my research I met freelance writers who were making money in this growth industry. I was interested in how they broke in and what it was like freelancing in this industry. I wanted to tell their story. This is what gave me the idea for my book.

Q: What was the writing process like?

BRIAN: It took me close to seven months to complete my book. I spent a lot of time researching the industry and interviewing writers and poker players. Because I run my own business during the day, I wrote this book in my free time.

Q: What obstacles did you face when writing your book?

BRIAN: Getting some of the information and facts correct was difficult, especially writing about the gaming laws. Interpretations of some of the gaming laws conflict with one another and don?t make sense entirely, depending on who is interpreting the law.

Q: Who designed your book cover and website at FreelancePokerWriting.com?

BRIAN: I did. I love graphic design as much as I love writing. The two skills go hand-in-hand with me. I learned a long time ago if you offer both services to corporate clients ? writing and graphic design ? you can make a lot more money. The skills I had developed from my freelance career made writing and designing my book a lot easier. I also have two negative traits that work in my favor: I am a control freak and I have a (less than) zero attention span. I enjoy controlling all aspects of a project (writing, editing, designing, publishing, and marketing) as well as juggling several other projects throughout the day. I get bored very easily, so staying busy creatively is my cure.

Q: Can you make a living writing for poker magazines?

BRIAN: You can make some money, but don?t quit your day job just yet. Poker magazines (the ones on the newsstand) don?t pay high rates. Average rates are between .10 and .15 cents per word. Established freelance poker writers earn between .35 and .65 cents per word. Unless you are a writer with many clips and lots of experience, it is very competitive writing strictly for poker magazines. Poker trade magazines, on the other hand, do pay more and are less competitive, but this requires you to know the business sides of gaming.

Many writers look outside the scope of poker magazines to other magazines that cover topics related to poker and gaming; these include magazines on women?s issues, men?s issues, lifestyle, sports, betting, gaming, technology, travel, entertainment, law and so on. Many writers do make a living writing for these magazines. Pay rates are much higher, up to $1 per word and sometimes more.

Q: What other writing gigs exist for poker and gaming writers?

BRIAN: Tournament coverage, such as WSOP and WPT; SEO writing (writing search engine optimization copy) for businesses and affiliates; copywriting (writing for casinos, ad agencies, and gaming companies); ghostwriting books and ebooks; and, of course, magazine writing (which includes writing for newspapers, special publications, websites, and blogs).

Q: Which pays the most?

BRIAN: That depends. Covering a big tournament can make you plenty of money because you can generate many articles and news pieces with exclusive content and interviews. Plus, networking at tournaments is priceless. You can almost guarantee yourself you?ll walk away with more writing gigs. However, covering a large tournament requires a lot of time ? or, should I say, a lot of non-billable time.

Many writers find that SEO writing pays well. A client will ask a writer to write 20 articles at 300 words each on a topic (using certain keywords) for $10 per article. A skilled SEO writer can whip out these articles in less than three hours. That?s $66 an hour. Many SEO writing gigs are not for me because I write slowly and I prefer writing articles that entertain and educate readers.

Freelance copywriting in the gaming industry pays well. The average hourly rate is between $25 and $45 per hour with three or more years of related experience. Many freelance copywriters secure copywriting gigs from ad agencies in this industry.

The most popular writing gig, I would have to say, is freelance writing for poker-related publications, both offline and online. Poker and gaming cover so many topics, and many writers sell their articles to a variety of media outlets.

Q: How do writers break into this industry?

BRIAN: I answer this question extensively in my book, so I will be brief. Some writers start their own blogs. Other writers pitch an article idea to an editor. Yes, that?s it. No real big secret. Of course, you have to know your stuff. You can?t fake it till you make it in this industry.

Q: What is the most effective marketing strategy to publicize your writing services?

BRIAN: Online and offline social networking is the least costly and produces the best results to build a loyal readership and to build relationships with prospective clients. Online and offline social networking includes blogging; networking and schmoozing at poker events and tournaments; participating in discussion forums at poker websites and writing-related websites; joining a writer?s association to network with other members; creating a personality profile at MySpace.com; posting informative articles at AssociatedContent.com to generate free publicity for your services; and so on. There are so many variations of social networking these days, I can?t list everything.

Q: What makes your book unique or what adds value?

BRIAN: That?s easy ? the entire premise of the book is unique. I feel what adds value is the interviews with freelance writers and poker players. Many of them are at the peak of their careers. They exemplify success in every imaginable way. I was very fortunate to pick their minds. All of the writers and poker players I interviewed were eager to share their experiences so they could help other writers to succeed.

Q: What?s next for you?

BRIAN: I am currently under contract to ghostwrite two books, one on small business funding, and the other on Internet marketing strategies. This should keep me extra busy for a while.

Thank you for your time.

Read more articles on freelance writing at http://www.FreelanceWriting.com and http://www.WritingCareer.com

Other Article Sites

findabook.com  moneycd.info  a-mortgage.info   about-lemon-laws.info  aboutstudentloans.info
all-about-publishing.info  auctions-articles.info  bestcollege-university.com  bestispconnection.com
biblefolder.com  blogger-website.com  books-used.info  brokers-guide.info  buywindows.info  cable-dsl.info
career-miner.com  carpel-tunnel.info  cashinaflash.info  cashloanreviews.info  casinobell.com  chat-house.info
clearmycredit.info  collegeloantips.info  crones.info  depression-articles.info   dirnic.net  dishguides.info
divers-below.com  expodog.info   financewizz.com  fire-insurance.info  getgood.info  handleit.net   it-idea.info
health-supplies.info  hosting-right.com  insidealert.com  insurance-facts.info  jobs-employment.info
justgood.info  lookgold.net   lowcost-travel.info  money-source.info  myhostzone.info  numisblog.com
peoplesearchfinder.info  pr-articles.info  realeas.com   refinancing-guides.info  spyware-remove.info
telelot.info  the-law.info   toppaid.info  travel-deals.info  travelcorrect.com  wedding-guide-site.com
your-blog.info  your-credit.info

Coin Collecting At FindaBook.com
Search For Books On Coin Collecting

Buying Coins at Local Estate Sales: A Shopping Guide For Collectors of Estate Sale Coins
What Is An Estate Sale An estate sale is generally a liquidation of physical assets from a home

Coin Collecting Supply Company "Wizard Coin Supply" Launches New Website
New site will provide a comprehensive catalog of coin collecting supplies and educational resources for coin collectors.

Coin Collecting Becomes More Popular as Gold Tops $1,000 an Ounce
As the price of gold skyrockets and the economy falls into a recession, more people are taking up the hobby of collecting coins. And all the while, sites like CoinPeople.com and OmniCoin.com are reaping the benefits.

Historical Silver Dollar Value Trends Reveal Coins Destined for Bullish Futures
Analysis of U.S. Peace silver dollars (minted 1921-1935) indicate only a few dates of this artistically acclaimed coin series are good bets to enjoy strong price advancements in the future. This conclusion is based on proven performance over a period of many years.

Knowing Your Coin Collection Value
Back in the olden days, people hoarded coins for the sole reason of the value they can get from them Centuries later, people transformed that mindless activity into an elite art called coin collecting

Coins Minted In Gold, Silver And Platinum As Investments In Metal
Coin collecting goes back over many centuries. It is man's inborn nature to collect something. And coins are one of the most popular collectable objects. The collection of coins, whether by professionals or amateurs, is called Numismatics. This article is a list with the most popular coins made from precious metals. People always collect coins, especially ones which are minted from precious metals like gold, silver and in later years from platinum. The early technology of coin-making was very primitive for many centuries. And many sorts of coins had very varied shapes.

Coin Collecting: Tips On Quarter Collecting
Anyone and everyone could make collecting coins one?s hobby. However it is believed that at present 106 million Americans are into the hobby of collecting quarters. Collecting quarters involves men, women, and children of all ages.

Buy Silver Coins With Confidence: A Guide To Selecting Reputable Silver Bullion Dealers
With the price of silver exploding in recent years, there seems to be no lack of silver bullion dealers advertising their services online Trying to find a reputable dealer can be a bit confusing for the novice silver coins investor

Challenge Coins - A Special Type of Coins
For your convenience we have published this article in order to let you know of everything related to the Challenge Coins. Enjoy ?

Hammered Gold and Hammered Silver Coins: Evaluating Their Price
When it comes to evaluating the price of hammered coins it is much more challenging than it is for other items that are still manufactured today. That is why both buyers and sellers have to be extra vigilant in ensuring that they buy and sell for a fair price. If you are considering selling or buying hammered coins, make sure that you seek professional advice before doing so and that you do not simply jump in at the first offer.

Canadian Coin Prices - Evaluate Your Coins
I trust that you will take a few moments to read this article. If this is the case then lets get started.

Gold Coins and Gold Bullion Remain a Safe Place For Your Money
The Bull and The Bear are continuing to bang heads Wall Street and even Main Street USA, and I am sure even your street is in shambles

Leading Coin Supply Company "Wizard Coin Supply" Launches Book Advisory
Wizard Coin Supply, a global provider of coin supplies and coin collecting accessories, is proud to announce the launch of its New Book Advisory.

Collecting Rare Old Coins
---------- Getting your coin collection on the go isnt as tricky as you might consider and there are a quantity of avenues you can follow. Almost all of it depends nevertheless on why you desire to become a coin collector. If youre doing it just as a peaceful pastime then you have no problem and can get started pretty much off the bat.