Local literary figure Larry Atkins imparted wisdom about freelance writing to a group of intent listeners at the Penn Bookstore last night.
Atkins, a lawyer, has written over 170 Op-Ed articles and personal essays for various area newspapers, including The Philadelphia Inquirer, as well as papers throughout the nation.
"I always knew to some extent that I wanted to be involved in journalism," Atkins told the group, jokingly adding, "Even as a kid, I would go around interviewing kids with a stick at the playground."
Atkins was at the bookstore to present the release of The ASJA Guide to Freelance Writing, of which he wrote a chapter entitled, "Op-Eds and Essays: Leveraging Your Knowledge."
The book addresses every aspect of freelance writing, including important business aspects, such as how to publish independently, and ideas for formulating articles.
He focused mainly on relaying practical and hidden aspects of the business to the audience.
"It's a hit or miss field," he said, adding that timing is everything in the Op-Ed world.
He also pointed out that you must "write what you know." People are experts at what affects them personally, so Atkins recommends that they write about what helps to distinguish them.
"A lot of this [business] is networking" which, along with determination, gets people published, he said.
"I liked the idea of writing and I just need to do it. I was hoping this would inspire me," Housing and Conference Services employee Sarah McFarlane said of her reason for attending.
Atkins "made writing seem a lot less daunting and that I can do it," she added.
Another attendee, who said he has written a few Op-Eds and wants to return to the field, said he came because, "I was just interested in the topic. I came to learn more info about sources from local papers." He added that he felt Atkins had clarified many of the questions he had before attending.
Part of Atkins' advice to those present was to try to see things from the perspective of an editor.
"Editors are making subjective decisions. You might catch them on a good day or a bad day," Atkins said of getting their attention when submitting work. However, he said catchy hooks or opening lines are one of the best ways to make editors notice.
He ended by saying that "the competition is unbelievably fierce."
"Rejection is simply part of the process. You have to develop a thick skin and just go for it," Atkins said, encouraging those with a passion for writing to do so.
