Examples of famous people who started out as freelance writers
Posted: Mon Jan 20, 2025 12:03 pm
Many famous writers began their careers in a very simple way: freelance writing. These modest beginnings helped them gain the experience necessary to undertake future projects, as well as hone the talent that would bring them fame and fortune years later. Do you know what some of the main ones are?
Distinguished writers who started out as freelance writers
Upton Sinclair . Years before releasing his legendary work The how does cash app work? Jungle , this Pulitzer Prize winner produced short stories and tales for various publications in the Pulp Fiction genre , as well as for student magazines. These early writings were sometimes comical in nature, a complete contrast to the works that would elevate him to the position of one of the most important authors of the first half of the 20th century in the United States.
Stephen King. You’ve probably read a few of his books, including It , Pet Sematary , and Carrie . Several of these publications have been successfully adapted to the big screen, establishing this gentleman from Portland, Maine, as one of the contemporary masters of literary horror and suspense. But like all the big names on this list, he also had an easy start, as in his teens he sent many of his stories to various magazines, being rejected by all of them. This didn’t discourage him, of course, and his first published story was in Comics Review magazine in 1965. The title was “I Was a Teenage Grave Robber .
Isaac Asimov. The famous novelist and writer born in Russia in 1920, began his long career by sending small works to many publications specialized in science fiction. Some of them trusted in his talent, while others flatly denied him the opportunity. Even so, his ambition was stronger than any obstacle and today the world continues to read classics such as The Steel Vaults , Fantastic Voyage and The Robots of Dawn .
Charles Dickens. England was the birthplace of this author, one of the most renowned in the world and whose inspiration gave rise to famous books such as Oliver Twist and A Christmas Carol , among others. Considered the greatest novelist of all time, he began his career writing for a newspaper owned by his brother-in-law ( Mirror of Parliament ). Later another newspaper, The Monthly , would also give him a small space to publish his stories, these being the beginnings of an absolutely successful career.
Robert E. Howard. The creator of the character Conan the Barbarian , who had an enigmatic personality with certain traits of madness, began his career as a freelance writer thanks to the trust that Weird Tales magazinegave him. In this way, his first story ( The Spear and the Sword ) was made known to the public when its author had barely turned 18 years old. Later, it would be this same publication that would present most of his work, which caused controversy among the conservative society of the southern United States in the 1930s, due to its slightly risqué language.
Mark Twain. Although his most famous work is The Adventures of Tom Sawyer , the truth is that this author and humorist also produced other fabulous titles such as A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court and Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc . Before he was 20, he wrote some travel stories that were purchased by his brother's newspaper. His independent spirit led him to acquire knowledge outside the classroom and that is why he spent long hours in the public libraries of his city.
Robert Frost. This American poet won the Pulitzer Prize four times, but long before that he began selling his first poem to the weekly The Independent for just $15. No one imagined that this first step would lead him to well-deserved fame, which he forged by delighting readers with his verses full of love for nature.
As you can see, each of these great authors started out as freelance writers , seeking to share their passion with millions of people. They all did it successfully and their lives are undoubtedly a source of inspiration for those who seek to develop professionally doing what they love most: writing.
Distinguished writers who started out as freelance writers
Upton Sinclair . Years before releasing his legendary work The how does cash app work? Jungle , this Pulitzer Prize winner produced short stories and tales for various publications in the Pulp Fiction genre , as well as for student magazines. These early writings were sometimes comical in nature, a complete contrast to the works that would elevate him to the position of one of the most important authors of the first half of the 20th century in the United States.
Stephen King. You’ve probably read a few of his books, including It , Pet Sematary , and Carrie . Several of these publications have been successfully adapted to the big screen, establishing this gentleman from Portland, Maine, as one of the contemporary masters of literary horror and suspense. But like all the big names on this list, he also had an easy start, as in his teens he sent many of his stories to various magazines, being rejected by all of them. This didn’t discourage him, of course, and his first published story was in Comics Review magazine in 1965. The title was “I Was a Teenage Grave Robber .
Isaac Asimov. The famous novelist and writer born in Russia in 1920, began his long career by sending small works to many publications specialized in science fiction. Some of them trusted in his talent, while others flatly denied him the opportunity. Even so, his ambition was stronger than any obstacle and today the world continues to read classics such as The Steel Vaults , Fantastic Voyage and The Robots of Dawn .
Charles Dickens. England was the birthplace of this author, one of the most renowned in the world and whose inspiration gave rise to famous books such as Oliver Twist and A Christmas Carol , among others. Considered the greatest novelist of all time, he began his career writing for a newspaper owned by his brother-in-law ( Mirror of Parliament ). Later another newspaper, The Monthly , would also give him a small space to publish his stories, these being the beginnings of an absolutely successful career.
Robert E. Howard. The creator of the character Conan the Barbarian , who had an enigmatic personality with certain traits of madness, began his career as a freelance writer thanks to the trust that Weird Tales magazinegave him. In this way, his first story ( The Spear and the Sword ) was made known to the public when its author had barely turned 18 years old. Later, it would be this same publication that would present most of his work, which caused controversy among the conservative society of the southern United States in the 1930s, due to its slightly risqué language.
Mark Twain. Although his most famous work is The Adventures of Tom Sawyer , the truth is that this author and humorist also produced other fabulous titles such as A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court and Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc . Before he was 20, he wrote some travel stories that were purchased by his brother's newspaper. His independent spirit led him to acquire knowledge outside the classroom and that is why he spent long hours in the public libraries of his city.
Robert Frost. This American poet won the Pulitzer Prize four times, but long before that he began selling his first poem to the weekly The Independent for just $15. No one imagined that this first step would lead him to well-deserved fame, which he forged by delighting readers with his verses full of love for nature.
As you can see, each of these great authors started out as freelance writers , seeking to share their passion with millions of people. They all did it successfully and their lives are undoubtedly a source of inspiration for those who seek to develop professionally doing what they love most: writing.