Writer Mama: How to Raise a Writing Career Alongside Your Kids

I came across this at the library and found myself renewing it over and over. Sometimes returning it late, and paying fines, I realized it would make sense to finally PURCHASE it (!) and let someone else enjoy the library's copy. I also read it in just a couple days and then pick it up a few times a week for more inspiration and practical tips. Thanks for helping writers and mothers figure out how to do both better!

As a writer and mother of two young kids, this book has been invaluable to me! I've read a lot of writing books over the years but this is the first one that so clearly addressed my specific concerns as a writer trying to balance motherhood and a career. This has truly become my writing "bible." And with it's convenient "purse-size" I hardly leave home without it anymore! The chapters are chock-full of easy-to-follow practical advice and exercises to help you succeed, from writing query letters to finding your perfect target market. And you'll find lots of warm-hearted encouragement for those days when you have "writer mama burnout." It's like having a best friend sitting with you at the keyboard, cheering you on! For any mother who dreams of non-fiction publication, this is the perfect resource. I highly recommend it!

FINALLY! There is finally a book that reflects the life a freelance writer mama lives. Christina Katz has written one of the most - if not the most - comprehensive books for "Writer Mamas" I've ever read. Five ideas came to mind immediately for fillers and a feature article while reading the book, things I hadn't thought about in years. Now, I'll be submitting these ideas. This book reminds me of something someone once said to me, "It may be simple, but it won't be easy." If you're a "Writer Mama" now, or have aspirations to become one, this is the book to buy!

One realizes right away that Christina Katz has put an incredible amount of work into this book. She provides all the detailed information a new writer needs to know about the freelance writing business, and refreshes the mind of the experienced writer who may have momentarily lost touch with the ins and outs of the business while having children. Katz supplements her own expertise as a Writer Mama by providing additional resources and websites inside the book that offer Writer Mamas support and good ideas. There are thousands of books on writing---THIS one is for the Writer Mamas! Whether they are nursing their dreams along with their babies or are already writing and publishing, all of the Writer Mamas will enjoy reading a book just for them. As Katz points out throughtout the book, one's writing does not have to halt once one has children--it may just need to transition a bit. Writer Mama is the book, and Katz is the author, that helps one undergo that transition the way only a Mama could.

I think this book is really a perfect entree into freelance writing for moms who are trying to launch a home writing business. It offers clear instructions on how to break into writing for magazines and Christina's and other writer-mom's tips on how to juggle the writing life and motherhood. I've been a professional writer for a dozen years, so some of what I read in the book was not new to me -- however, I have never been a full-time freelancer or a mom before this past year, so the book has already been invaluable to me, especially for the practical mom advice. My struggles are time, organization and to get or not get childcare, tough topics she tackles in the book. Also, I'm used to bigger writing projects, and the idea of writing short pieces with fast turnaround was an a-ha for me, and a good lesson in how to shift my focus and juggle my new roles. Christina's tone is friendly and clear, and she includes quotes from many successful freelancers and writer mamas. I love it, and read it while I rock my sleeping little one.