I often hear from people eager to share their experience as writers with Writing It Real subscribers. I write back to them all with interest in how their experience can clarify aspects of the writing life as well as inspire others to add to their lives as writers. When Danica told me her story, I knew her experience as a young writer would help all of us stick to our guns when it comes to getting our writing out there. This week, I am posting an interview with freelance writer Danica Davidson. Her energy for and commitment to supporting herself with freelance writing while she works on having a novel published should help the rest of us realize we can work, enjoy family, meet our obligations and keep our writing goals in mind.
 Sheila
I am always impressed when a young writer reaches out to established writers, websites and publications. I enjoyed learning about your background. Can you share more of the details of how you knew you were a writer, the early attention you got when you were 14, and your writing life today?

Danica
I wrote before it ever occurred to me to call myself a “writer.” It’s just what I did, and I’ve always loved it. I started telling people stories when I was three and having my parents write them down. When I was in first grade, I was making my own picture books with illustrations, and when I was in second grade, I wrote a short novel (or a very long short story) called White Beauty. When I was in middle school, I was regularly completing novels, and by then I knew I could be nothing else but a writer. I was also getting a sort of fan base with students and teachers, and even got a few people who were really obsessed with my stories. My eighth grade English teacher called up the Los Angeles Times, and the newspaper featured an article on me as a 14-year-old novelist. Since then I’ve become a professional writer and work on my craft every day. I don’t keep set hours for it, but I can never go long without writing something.

Sheila
What did early attention do to help you keep you writing or did it make keeping on difficult?

Danica
I would be writing no matter what happened, so the early attention didn’t really alter much. Not everything I write I want to publish, but I write daily, usually for hours. After the Los Angeles Times article, I was expecting it all to come together nicely for me . . . agents and publication and all that. I didn’t realize how cutthroat the industry could be, and how competitive. I’m a professional writer, but I’m still not a professional novelist. Writing novels for a living is what I really want to do with my life.

Sheila
What do you think a freelance writer has to believe and do to succeed?

Danica
For starters, they have to be a good writer. They also have to have a good understanding of grammar. It’s not uncommon for people to show me their writing, in hopes I can help them publish it, and I’m startled by how often their writing has bad grammar. There are some great books and websites to help with grammar, so it’s easy to fix that. Besides the basics, freelance writers have to keep working, and keep submitting. I’ve gotten hundreds of rejections. I’ve also published hundreds more articles. I get fewer rejections these days, because the more you show you’re publishable, the more editors will be interested.

Sheila
How many pieces have you published, and in how many different venues?

Danica
You know, I’ve lost track. That’s actually a good thing, because that means I’ve written a lot. I know I’ve published a few hundred articles, and sometimes I see articles I’ve written — because my name is there — but I don’t specifically recall writing them. I write articles each day — usually between one and seven — and they all go on to be published.

I’ve done freelancing for About.com, Anime Insider, Booklist, Book Reporter, Comic Book Resources, The Comics Journal, Geek Monthly, Graphic Novel Reporter, Homeschool News Link, Hotwire, iF Magazine, Japanator, Kids Read, Llewellyn Journal, Manga.com, Mature Advisor, Ms., Otaku USA, Play Magazine, Publishers Weekly, RT Book Reviews, Senior Advocate, Shojo Beat, Sturgis Journal, Teen Reads, Tokyopop.com, Whisper in the Woods and Willamette Writer. There are some more magazines I’ll be published in soon, but I don’t really like to talk about them until the article’s out.

I’ve also done freelancing for the publishing company Digital Manga Publishing, which is headquartered in California. They publish manga which are Japanese graphic novels, or comic books. I got involved because I’ve written some of the English versions of their books. Someone else translated, and then I rewrote the book so that it would flow and sound conversational.

Sheila
How do you research where to send these articles and how long are? Do you find that you write on certain subjects so you are always in the know there and can crank out the articles? Are these gigs all paying gigs? And most importantly, do you belong to organizations for professionals that help you find work? Which ones are they?

Danica
Editors usually tell me how long they want articles to be. A lot of my articles end up being around 500 words, though sometimes they’re more than a thousand. I do research both online and through books. A number of places have me review books and TV shows, and then it’s just a matter of my reading or watching and then writing something up.

I don’t know that I’m always in the know, because no matter what the subject is, there’s always more to learn about it. I have tapped into certain topics, like graphic novels, that I cover again and again. Much of that just comes from reading graphic novels and then writing about what I’ve read. But I get embarrassed when people assume I know everything there is to know about graphic novels, because it just isn’t possible.

I’ve done a few non-paying gigs to bulk up my resume, but that was mainly when I was getting started. Since this is where I get my income, it’s important now that I stick with paying gigs. Unfortunately, there are a lot of magazines out there that insist “paying” you with your name in print should be enough for you!

I’ve joined a few online groups, like She Writes, but that’s as close as I’ve come to being in any professional writing groups.

Sheila
If your writing doesn’t support you, how do you support yourself and have time for so much writing?

Danica
Right now I still do have another part-time job where I help students online. (When I started freelancing writing, I juggled it with more than one part-time job and going to school. After that, everything feels less chaotic.) I do feel more comfortable having a part-time job along with the freelance, because it keeps things steady. When it comes to freelance, some months I’m amazed by how much I get in, while other months I feel as if I’m scrambling and not earning much. A magazine might want a ton of work from me one month and then want next to nothing the next. It’s not personal, it’s just how it often goes. It’s my goal to be a full-time writer, but for now there is security in having a part-time job.

Sheila
You told me in an early email that you live in an isolated rural area now, not LA. What is missing for you now in terms of making connections with other writers and publishing professionals?

Danica
I used to live in Burbank, just outside of Los Angeles. For now I’m living in a rural town in Michigan, which is a world away, and I miss Southern California terribly. It was because of a family tragedy I ended up moving here, and I still want to move back. There’s definitely less of an “artistic” air here. In Burbank, I could tell people I was a writer, and I would usually get a good response. Here, people are either intrigued or get angry. Yes, angry! Quite often I’m told to “get a real job.” There’s not as much support here. That isn’t always the case, but I often get a cold shoulder when I mention my writing. One good thing, though, is that it’s less expensive to live here, so that’s easier on a freelance writer’s budget.

Sheila
What would you want from a writer’s network if you had one to go to in your locale?

Danica
I’m very career-oriented, so I’d want one about business: getting connected, getting yourself out there, getting published. I was part of an online writer’s group once that mostly talked about personal things . . . and by that I mean they complained. Mostly it was about their husbands annoying them, but they also complained about the publishing world. Very little was done. My experience there gave me fodder for some interesting characters, but it didn’t help me publish. Different writers like different kinds of writing groups, but with me, I like to get out there and get things done.

Sheila
How has the Internet helped?

Danica
Since I’m about three hours away from any big city, the Internet has done wonders for me. I’ve gotten most of my writing jobs through the Internet. I email editors. I use networking places like Facebook and Twitter. I’ve also met people I wouldn’t otherwise, because the Internet connects you to people all over. It’s a unique and amazing experience.

Sheila
Can you describe some of the ways you use Facebook and Twitter to network and market yourself?

Danica
With Facebook, I reach out to other professionals. Some of them ignore me, and some of them show interest. So far nothing amazing has happened through Facebook, but it has led to a few freelance jobs.

Twitter is different. I’m not a Twitter whiz and I know it. Mainly I use it as a place to give links to my latest published articles. Oftentimes if you start to follow another person, they’ll follow you in return. Most of my followers are writers or people interested in anime or graphic novels.

Sheila
What is the toughest part about being a freelance writer? The most rewarding?

Danica
The business of being a freelance writer is tough. There are some freelance writers who earn a lot, but many of us don’t. Rejection also hurts, and freelance writers get that by the ton. The only thing I can say is that the more you publish, the more editors will start seeking you out. It’s the most difficult at the beginning, before you’ve established yourself. It can be so easy to give up, because it feels as if you’re not getting anywhere. My advice to writers is that it can be helpful to start small and to build up. I like knowing I used to have to scramble for editors and now sometimes they come looking for me.

The most rewarding is the fact that I’m writing. No, it’s not novel writing, so it’s not my true love (sorry for the cliché), but it’s still putting words on paper. And it’s my hope that the more I get my name out there through freelance, the closer I get to publishing my young adult novels.

Sheila
What are your secrets for successfully switching between writing for money and working on your novels?

Danica
I used to only write for fun, but family circumstances changed when I was in high school, and I had to start earning my own money. In some ways, I had to grow up faster than many other people my age. At first I got nothing but rejections, but the acceptances started coming after a few months, and then magazines began having me as a regular contributor. In the midst of this, I’ve continued to do my own writing, because there really isn’t another option. When I haven’t written in a while, I can start to feel physically ill. After I write, I feel better. It is frustrating for me when I have to put my novel writing aside to get articles done for deadlines, but that’s something most writers have to deal with. I count myself lucky that the freelance writing life is working for me as well as it is.

Sheila
When do you have time to work on your novel and how does that writing feel different to you than the work for hire?

Danica
I always find a way to make time for my novel writing, one way or another. I used to work on my novels in school and the teachers would think I was doing my homework. I’ve also worked on them when I’ve had a break on a job. Now my work is mostly flexible, so I can move things around. Sometimes I work on my novel first, then my freelance, and sometimes it’s the opposite.

They feel very different. There’s no emotion in writing for hire. I just write what I’m supposed to, and it’s usually easy, and I get it accomplished so I can move on to other things. I don’t put much of myself in it. I’ll write something straight-forward, or something clever, or something intellectual; it’s whatever the editor wants. However, when I write my novel, I write what I want, and it’s incredibly freeing. Sometimes I don’t want to finish a book because I’ve gotten so attached to the characters; but finishing an article is fine, because then I can do something else. I can write another article, or, more importantly, get back to work on my novel. Don’t get me wrong: writing articles can be fun, but it’s not the same as a novel. A novel consumes me.

Sheila
What is most frustrating to you as a writer?

Danica
The business of being a writer is very frustrating. But if you want to be a professional writer, you have to deal with that business. Some editors are very difficult to work with. Some have had me write extensive articles, then decide not to use them, and thereby not pay me. Unfortunately, that’s not that uncommon; most if not all freelance writers tell such stories. Agents are also notoriously difficult to get, and you can’t get into a big publishing company without one. Sometimes you have to jump through hoops and it still doesn’t get anyone’s attention.

Sheila
What is the most fun?

Danica
The writing itself! It’s the best form of therapy I can imagine, and it lights up my days when the words just come rushing out of me. Sometimes I can hardly keep up with the words — and I can type more than a hundred words per minute! But I’m not complaining — I live for times like that. Afterward, I feel as if I could walk on air.

Sheila
Do you ever think of becoming something else? What?

Danica
The short answer is “No.” When I was younger, I thought about other jobs . . . but only if they were in addition to writing. I considered paleontology and marine biology seriously for a while, though even then I knew I’d be writing about dinosaurs or sea life along with it!

Sheila
Can you provide links to some of what you have been publishing?

Danica
The first is a folklore piece that was published in the print magazine Whisper in the Woods, but I republished on my blog.

This is an anime review, which was published by an anime company’s website.

Here’s a link to an interview I did with graphic novelist David Small for Comics Journal.

And here’s a book review I did for a site that informs teachers and librarians about children’s literature.

Another piece I’m pleased with I did for Ms. Magazine’s website:

And here’s another link to a project I am proud of. I wrote the English versions of some graphic novels, creating colloquial and conversational language from a dry literal translation from the Japanese.

Sheila
You have immersed yourself in literature for markets that may seem outside of the mainstream to many Writing It Real readers. What advice would you give to older folks, say 40-60 who want to start freelancing? How did you go about finding a niche for yourself and how might they go about finding niches for themselves?

Danica
Starting small worked for me. Unless you know someone on the inside, you probably won’t get your first article published at a place like The New Yorker or Time Magazine. I’ve found that editors usually (though not always, so don’t get discouraged) won’t look at what you’ve written until you can name some places that have already published you. I think starting out is the hardest part to being a writer.

Some people seem to think if you’re a certain age, you have a better shot at being a writer. That’s not true. I’ve been told (too many times to count) that I must be too young to write professionally. I’ve also listened to other writers talk about how they’ve been told they’re too old to get started as a writer. Is there some magical in-between age when we should all be writing? I don’t think so.

I’m pretty eclectic in my writing, though I have covered graphic novels quite a bit. You could say that’s my main freelance niche. The truth is, it pretty much happened by accident. I only started reading graphic novels a few years ago; before that, I knew they existed, and that was about the sum total of my knowledge. But now that I’m covering them quite a bit, I’ve gotten well-versed on the topic and I see myself getting quoted at places like Wikipedia on what I’ve said about specific books. I started really writing about graphic novels for Booklist. Booklist is a big name, so that opened doors for me to write about them at other places. How did I get into Booklist? I emailed them multiple times with my resume, waiting a few weeks between each email, then heard back from an interested editor. Sometimes you just have to keep plugging away.

Sheila
Danica, I appreciate the determination and tenaciousness you demonstrate as well as the information you have provided us in outlining the life of a novelist working freelance to keep herself involved in the writing life. I, too, believe all of your connections will one day help you get published. Your outlook and productivity are extremely admirable as well! My very best to you on your novel writing. Let us know as soon as you do have that YA book you are ready to publish coming out!

Danica
Thanks so much!