Home Business Interview Series #6: Amel Abdullah, Professional Freelance Writer/Editor

About a year after quitting my nine-to-five job, and giving birth to my twins, I started searching for something I could do to earn money from home. I wasn’t looking to get rich, I just wanted to be able to earn a part-time income while caring for my three children at home. I received an email with a call for freelance writers to work with a growing Islamic publication called Rising Star Magazine (the magazine is no longer in publication) which was physically located in Seattle, Washington. I responded to the email, sent by the publication’s chief editor, Amel Abdullah and the rest as they say is history.

Amel is still one of the best editors I’ve ever had the pleasure to work with. She was very clear when providing instruction and provided very straightforward, honest feedback and constructive criticism. She is a very accomplished freelance writer (having written on a broad-spectrum of topics), editor, researcher and translator. She is also the author of the award-winning blog, Resources for Muslim Writers, an informative site providing guidance and leads for writers pursuing the Islamic market. If you have an interest in working as a freelance writer, editor or translator, this interview is sure to provide invaluable advice.

How long have you worked as a freelance writer and editor?

About 10 years.

What were you doing professionally before freelancing?

I was teaching EFL (English as a Foreign Language) to students in Jordan.

What motivated you to pursue writing and editing on your own?

My mother taught me to read and write at a young age. I wrote my first “book” when I was four and started a magazine when I was nine (although my mother was the only subscriber). I did not merely read books and magazines for pleasure; I also used to analyze them to see how they were put together and conceived.

My interest in magazines was propelled even further by one of my mother’s friends who was a magazine publisher. In those days, they did not use computers for the layout and design. She had a team of people come to her home whenever it was time to print the next issue, and they used to do the layout on the dining room table. That was very interesting to me. My mother used to occasionally write, edit, and translate for her friend’s magazine. I knew that I wanted to write books and have my work published in magazines, too. I continued to write and analyze my favorite magazines.

For many reasons, though, I did not pursue writing as a career until I was in my mid-twenties. I finally realized one day that time was passing by, and I still had not fulfilled my lifelong goal of becoming a published writer. It was then that I decided to go full speed ahead and make it happen. Within a few weeks, I discovered that I could easily make a comfortable income doing what I loved, and I have never looked back since.

You’ve established an impressive reputation as a writer in the Islamic online and print community. Are there other markets/specialties you target as a writer (e.g. parenting, healthcare)?

I tend to gravitate towards topics related to health and science but also follow my other interests, which could be anything from art, history, and culture to business, technology, and education. I mainly write for magazines, newspapers, small businesses, news agencies, and government institutions.

Lately I have done a lot of translation work, including the translation of a novel from Arabic into English. Translation obviously requires fluency in a second language; beyond that, however, it also requires you to be a skilled writer in your native language. So I have been targeting companies and institutions that value my skills in this area and mostly specialize in marketing and journalism translations.

How have you developed your skills as a writer and editor?

The main thing I do is read a lot. No matter what I am reading (book, magazine, website, brochure, etc.), I think about the words the writer used and what impression the piece makes on me. I note to myself what sounds awkward and what could be improved. I might go so far as to rewrite a text in my spare time—just for fun. On the flip side, I also learn from good writing and practice imitating the stuff I like. I have also been blessed to work with some incredibly sharp people who have given me lots of personalized pointers on how to write and edit more effectively. If you want to grow as a writer, you should be open to what other people are telling you about your writing—even if it is not what you think you want to hear.

To me freelance writing is as much a business as any other self-employed business venture. When you’re employed by someone else, there is structure already in place for you to follow. As a freelancer, you have to come up with your own writing schedule and way of getting things accomplished. Has this ever been a challenge for you?

Absolutely. Like many writers, I started writing out of a love for the craft—not because I necessarily wanted to become a businessperson, much less a salesperson. It was not long, however, before I realized that I was, indeed, running a business and would need to learn the skills that go along with that. Running a business can be hard work. It can be much harder than the actual writing. I have had months-long stretches during which I barely slept or left my home because I had to meet a deadline. This type of schedule can be detrimental to your health and mental well-being and have a negative impact on family life. If you are disorganized or procrastinate a lot, you will probably find it difficult to run a home-based business.

What resources (websites or books) do you recommend for someone considering pursuing a freelance writing career?

There are lots of informative blogs and websites out there dedicated to the business of writing. I think the main thing you want to do is follow people who are successful at something you would like to achieve for yourself. So, if you want to write for magazines, follow magazine writers. If you want to be a copywriter, follow people who do that type of writing. Personally, I like The Renegade Writer, Make A Living Writing, Writers Weekly, and the forums at Absolute Write.

You are the founder of an amazing, award winning blog – a portal of valuable resources and information really -that provides valuable guidance and information for those interested in pursuing a writing career. What makes your blog so different from the other writer blogs out there is that it caters specifically to Muslim writers and the Islamic publications/publishing industry. What was the inspiration that led to Resources for Muslim Writers?

As a freelance writer, I am constantly in search of new writing opportunities and scan the Internet on an almost daily basis to see what is available. I could not help but notice that information of interest to Muslim writers had never been compiled into a central location and that looking for magazine guidelines and other vital info. was like looking for a needle in a haystack. By establishing the blog, I wanted to create a rich database of information that Muslim writers could benefit from and refer back to when needed.

I also wanted to help Muslim women in particular (many of whom are stay-at-home moms and need the extra income) find legitimate work-at-home opportunities and avoid the scams and get-rich-quick schemes that one commonly encounters when looking for work on-line. My other goal was to interest more Muslims in the field of writing/journalism as we are lacking sufficient representation in traditional media outlets. Writing is an excellent way to share Islam with others and make a positive contribution to society.

What advice would you give to someone looking to break into writing for Islamic publications with no clips (writing samples) or previous experience?

Most Islamic publications are incredibly approachable and are open to working with new writers. Use this to your advantage and present yourself as professionally as possible. That alone will make you stand out from the rest of the crowd. If you have no experience or clips, you may be asked to write a sample article, and I think this is reasonable. Show that you have some unique ideas by proposing a few topics for articles. A common mistake among beginning Muslim writers is using a “scholarly” voice when they are not scholars. Muslim magazines are generally looking for a friendly tone that everyday people can relate to, so just be yourself when writing.