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2/3/2011 1:38:19 PM

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Section 18: Outdoor Writing
Subject: Writing For A Living Msg# 768506

From:

Joe Reynolds Outdoors Network

Joined 8/1/1999

To:

turkeyjim (Read)

Joined 8/15/2004

I would pretty much support what Bryce says about the possibility of earning a decent livelihood as an outdoor communicator.

I didn't suggest it was impossible, just more difficult than in the past. Also, my initial comment was about making a living selling articles to outdoor magazines, not the full gamut of potential income sources.

The issue of "decent livelihood," or however we might describe the monetary end, is something always left in a nebulous nether world. How much gross income from freelance outdoor communicating constitutes a "decent livelihood?"

In today's world a decent livelihood from a profession should be in the $100,000 per year range, give or take a little, at least in my view. I wonder how many freelance outdoor writers are making that sort of income.

For reference, the above message is a reply to a message where:

Joe et al.--I would pretty much support what Bryce says about the possibility of earning a decent livelihood as an outdoor communicator. I'm fairly comfortable with my role in that regard, although I'm certainly not getting rich. the key to whatever modest succes I have is diversification--at least a book a year, magazine articles as I can find outlets (I hold some masthead positions and have columns, so that helps), consulting, public speaking, appraisals (collectibles in turkey hunting and books), selling out-of-print books, two newspaper columns and a weekly one for an Internet site, etc.

They keys are hard work, a modicum of talent, hard work, diversity, hard work, self-marketing, and hard work. Obviously I think possession of a pretty good dose of what Max Weber styled "the Protestant ethic" is critical.

We no longer live in the golden age of Russell Annabel, Robert Ruark, or Charlie Elliott (and obviously man more could be named), but it isn't time for total wailing and gnashing of teeth. Productivity can mean prosperity.

Jim Casada

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