by Steve Weinbert

Books about writing magazine articles abound, as do books about writing books (nonfiction and fiction). So do books about everything that surrounds the writing: idea generation, studying potential markets (including self publishing), connecting with editors through queries, using social media to connect as a supplement to old-fashioned queries, developing a platform, finding a literary agent, marketing after publication, and on and on and on.

For years, Melissa Gaskill has been tasked with filling this space. Most months, she has filled it with three or more capsule reviews of books about the freelancing craft. Gaskill has written many of those reviews herself; she has also served as editor. Thank you, Melissa Gaskill.

I have volunteered to manage this space for a while. I have been freelancing for 42 years now, and am publishing as much as ever. In addition to writing books, I review them. Lots of them—an average of one per week, 52 weeks a year. I have written about the book-reviewing portion of my freelance life for The ASJA Monthly. I built it up intentionally, as part of my overall business plan. The pay for reviewing is low; the bottom of my range is $50 per review. The normal top in these lean times is $300, although occasionally I have earned more for a review. My reviews appear in general circulation newspapers (usually on Sundays), in general circulation magazines (hard copy and online), in publications that emphasize advance reviews (especially Kirkus Reviews and Publishers Weekly), and in niche publications.

Getting paid for reading books sounds magical and, in a way, it is magical. I seek synergy, reviewing, whenever possible, books I really want to read for pleasure or really need to read for research purposes.

Why am I telling you this, except for the possible motive of vanity? Here is why: I probably have read far more books about our freelance craft than have most of you, because of my longevity (I am 63 years old, so have freelanced longer than many of you have been alive) and my professional reviewing niche. Here is a sad lesson I have learned: It is nearly impossible to even know about, much less actually read, all the useful books about the craft. Here is a corollary: Reading even a small percentage of those books can feel overwhelming, which means retaining the practical advice can constitute a challenge.

I have dealt with my admitted shortcomings by sampling as many potentially useful books as possible, then settling on a very few that I read over and over, hoping to absorb the lessons, intent on practicing what they preach until I achieve something akin to mastery.

In a close race, my number one go-to advice book is Writing for Story by Jon Franklin. It has been with us for decades, and I can guess what at least a few of you are perhaps thinking at this moment: Eeeew, I don't like that book. The formulas do not apply to all stories, the formulas can feel difficult to grasp, and Franklin is such a know-it-all. Yes, yes, and yes: The formulas do not apply to all stories, they can be difficult to grasp, and Franklin is a know-it-all. (A know-it-all I have come to know a bit, and admire. He is an accomplished published author, and he is really, really smart.) I will not devote much more of this column to proselytizing about Writing for Story, except to say Franklin's not-so-secret recipe revolves around the complementary engines of tension and resolution.

What other writing books do I consult over and over? The following is not a complete list; the "What's In Store" department runs about 850 words. But I hope you agree it is a strong list:

The Forest for the Trees: An Editor's Advice to Writers by Betsy Lerner

Thinking Like Your Editor: How to Write Great Serious Nonfiction—and Get It Published by Susan Rabiner and Alfred Fortunato

Intimate Journalism: The Art and Craft of Reporting Everyday Life by Walt Harrington

The Beholder's Eye: A Collection of America's Finest Personal Journalism, edited and with an introduction by Walt Harrington

Poison Penmanship: The Gentle Art of Muckraking by Jessica Mitford

The Elements of Story: Field Notes on Nonfiction Writing by Francis Flaherty

Who Let the Dogs In? by Molly Ivins

The Secret Parts of Fortune: Three Decades of Intense Investigations and Edgy Enthusiasms by Ron Rosenbaum

A Writer's Life by Gay Talese

Going Deep: Twenty Classic Sports Stories by Gary Smith

The New New Journalism: Conversations With America's Best Nonfiction Writers on Their Craft by Robert S. Boynton, editor

The Lifespan of a Fact by John D'Agata and Jim Fingal.

On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King

The Lifespan of a Fact by John D'Agata and Jim Fingal —This book is just reaching stores in February 2012. I am listing it based on an uncorrected proof. It is a book about craft so different from all other books that words nearly fail me. I will treat the book fully in a future issue of The ASJA Monthly.

Gossip: The Untrivial Pursuit by Joseph Epstein — I know, I know: a book about gossip seems like a strange choice for this list. In my next column, I will explain why I think this book, which was published in December 2011, is so important for all of us who write professionally.

Thank you for joining me on this page.

Steve Weinberg writes an average of one book review per week all year long as part of his just-above-the-poverty-line freelance writing career. steveweinbergwriter.com