Success Stories: Susan Gunelius

Welcome to a new a series that will be featured regularly here at Freelance Writing Jobs. Success Stories will profile the people who turned freelance writing and blogging into a successful career. It’s my hope that you’ll learn or become inspired by the personal accounts posted here.

Today we’re happy to bring you an interview with my friend Susan Gunelius. She’s an author, freelance writer and About.com’s Guide to Weblogs. I’ll let her tell you all about it.

How about a brief bio?
I spent over a decade directing marketing programs for some of the largest companies in the world, including divisions of AT&T and HSBC. When I gave birth to triplets in 2004, returning to the corporate world wasn’t going to work. About a year later, my husband and I decided to leave the rat race of Northern New Jersey and the New York City area for better weather and headed to Central Florida. A year or so later, I had an idea to write a book about copywriting for small business owners who couldn’t afford to hire a professional copywriter. It’s about two years later now, and I now run a thriving business writing books, copy, articles, blogs, websites, and more through my company, KeySplash Creative, Inc.
How long have you been writing professionally?

I’ve been writing professionally in one way or another since 1993.

Was it hard to get your foot in the door?
My journey is unique in that I started writing as an employee for large companies. It wasn’t until I left the corporate world that I started freelancing and writing for my own company. When it came time to start my own business, I focused on developing my online platform to sell my first book proposal. My freelance business and company were born as a byproduct of trying to sell my first book proposal.

How long was it before you were able to leave corporate America for a life of freelance writing?
Freelancing came after I left Corporate America as an indirect result of trying to sell my first book proposal. I wasn’t planning to start a new career. It just happened!
Tell us about some of the places you’ve been published
My books have been published through Palgrave Macmillan (a division of Macmillan Publishing), John Wiley & Co., and Entrepreneur Press (distributed by McGraw Hill). My freelance articles have been published on Entrepreneur.com (I’m a featured columnist there), WomenEntrepreneur.com, BusinessWeek.com, MSNBC.com, FoxBusiness.com, TheStreet.com, SmartMoney.com, Yahoo! Small Business, Yahoo! Finance, WashingtonPost.com, TodayShow.com, AT&T Onward Small Biz, HispanicBusiness.com, and more.
How did you land these great gigs? Querying? Cold Calling? Referrals?
Two of my books I sold based on proposals I wrote. The other two were offered to me by the publishers who found me through my online presence. All of my other gigs have come organically as a result of my online presence. Once in awhile I might stumble onto an opportunity online that I follow up on, but it’s rare that I have the time to look for new work. I’ve found that by growing my online presence, more and more people find me.
What is your best tip for a beginning freelance writer?
Know your niche and develop an online presence establishing you as an expert in that niche. Start a blog, find paid and pro bono writing work that will help to build your online presence as an expert in your niche. Don’t try to wear too many hats. Focus on your strengths. And take the time to do your research. Understand the world you’re trying to get into before you dive in.
You’re the author of several books. Many in the FWJ community are particularly interested in learning about the process of having books published. How did you land your book contracts?
My first book deal came as the result of a blog post I wrote. The publisher contacted me and asked me to write a book about the success of the Harry Potter brand based on a blog post I had written about Harry Potter. A couple of weeks later, I sold my first book proposal to a different publisher. I landed that contract because I took the time to do my research first. I spent a lot of time on the forums at AbsoluteWrite.com. I took the time to write a good proposal, develop a unique approach to my subject, and establish my online platform before I queried any agents. Then using my copy of Writer’s Market, I researched agents and made a list of agents to query. I sent out my proposal to 10 agents and within a week or so, I got 2 responses from agents who wanted to represent me. My agent sent my proposal to one publisher to test the waters. That publisher bought it, and the rest is history.
Is it hard to pitch a book to a publisher?
It depends. You need to have a strong platform for nonfiction (that’s what I write), so I try to continually build my online platform. You also need to have a unique twist on your subject because just about every topic has already been written about. It also helps to have a great agent who can get your proposals in front of the right people.
What is involved in the process?
For your first book, you have to write your proposal and either send it to agents or directly to publishers who accept direct author submissions. Once a publisher extends an offer, you are given an amount of time to write the book by the publisher. The process from proposal to publishing for nonfiction can take anywhere from 6 months to a year or more. Once you have an agent, the process will vary depending on how your agent likes to handle it. My agent allows me to send ideas to him, and then he either takes a 1-page write up to publishers to get an idea if there is interest or he has me write an entire proposal if he thinks the idea is a good one. He also tells me if he thinks an idea won’t fly, so he saves me a lot of time!

How long does the process take?
From proposal to publishing it can take anywhere from 6 months to a year or more.

What is your best piece of advice for anyone wishing to publish a book?
Do your research first. Understand how the process works before you dive in.

What do you feel makes a successful writer?
I write about subjects I’m passionate about, and I work hard to continually grow my online presence. It also helps that I love to write.

What is next for Susan Gunelius?
I have a new book coming out in the Fall of 2009, “Building Brand Value the Playboy Way”, and I’m in the process of writing some new proposals. I also have some speaking engagements coming up. For example, I’ll be speaking about my book, “Harry Potter: The Story of a Global Business Phenomenon” at the annual Harry Potter fan event, Azkatraz, in July, and I’ll be speaking about branding at the Entrepreneur of 2009 event sponsored by Entrepreneur Magazine and UPS. When my triplets go to school full time in the fall, I hope to have time to grow my business even more. Right now, I’m tied to not having enough hours in the day to do all the writing I’d like to do.