Review: It's Not a Genie in a Bottle, But it Might Help You Get What You Wish For
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 12 20, 2013
Oh my God, I thought, as I clicked open page one of The Ten Commandments for The Thriving Writer, which I received free in exchange for an unbiased review, another book exposing all the secrets to becoming a millionaire as a freelance writer! I started reading, expecting to be underwhelmed – and received a pleasant surprise. Karen Banes, a freelance writer, blogger, and editor, actually offered up some practical advice for anyone who is into, as her subtitle says, “enjoying and embracing the freelance writing life.”Okay, I’ll be honest, Banes’ book isn’t rocket science, and it’s not the Genie’s Lamp that if you rub will grant your wish for instant fame and riches. It is, though, a fairly well-written book by someone who has had a measure of success at freelancing, outlining some fairly basic principles on how to do it and be fairly successful yourself.I’m always a but put off by the disclaimers put in books – I have them in two of my own that were put out by a publisher who I suppose worries about potential litigation. The Ten Commandments has a rather lengthy disclaimer up front, one section which I found intriguing – ‘ . . . views not to be taken as expert instructions or commands.’ I’m being a bit of a nitpicker here, but the book does contain instructions, and the title says they are ‘commandments.’ So, that part of the disclaimer at least should probably have been left out. There’s nothing wrong with someone who has mastered a craft listing instructions on doing it, as long as they let you know this is how they did it, and it might not work for you. Okay, okay, like I said – I can pick nits.If this is the only problem with the book; and, it’s the only one I could find; it still leaves a pretty good read for the beginner who’d like even a sketchy roadmap into the terra incognito of the world of freelancing.