The following review was contributed by: Rachel Newcombe

Many writers dream of scoring top assignments for big name magazines and Jenna Glatzer is one person who has achieved that. In Make a Real Living as a Freelance Writer she shares her insight and know-how so others can attempt to achieve it too.

In a friendly and down-to-earth manner, she takes the reader through the processes involved in becoming a successful freelance writer, from the initial stages of generating ideas and finding markets, to developing a pitching prowess and learning to conduct top-notch interviews. Along the way she shares plenty of advice and knowledge gained from her own experience, as well as quotes from other successful writers and magazine editors themselves.

It's not just all about passive reading, there are various exercises included for readers to tackle too, and there's plenty of encouragement to get out there and put the ideas into practice. Other practicalities, such as dealing with the dreaded taxes and finding other forms of supplemental work, are covered in detail and there's an interesting look at the realities of life for many freelance writers.

Unlike some other similar titles, it goes beyond just getting assignments and moves to the next stage, of developing a long-term working relationship with an editor and becoming a favourite freelancer. This is one of key elements involved in getting regular work from the same people and, in many cases, of being successful, and it's covered with familiarity and expertise.

The appendices provide an added extra touch, giving examples of real queries that landed jobs for Jenna and a useful jargon buster dealing with terms you're likely to encounter during your freelance writing life.

Although probably best suited to those just starting out in their writing career, the book could also act as a useful reminder for the more experienced who feel the occasional need to re-read tips and notes about particularly tricky or troublesome issues.

To put it simply, this book does what it says on the cover - and it does it very well. Jenna demystifies the process of being a successful writer and scoring top assignments, opening up the dream into a potential reality for readers. It's very inspiring, a real page-turner, and by the time you've finished it, the chances are you'll be all fired up and keen to get on with the job of writing.