IF WE’RE DISCUSSING WRITERS’ BOOKS, I found an earlier edition of Gordon Burgett’s book Sell & Resell Your Magazine Articles invaluable for learning the mechanics of pitching magazine articles. That, a copy of the Writer’s Market, a laser printer, a stack of paper and envelopes, and a roll of stamps were all I needed to get started.

How that process translates into the age of email and e-media, I leave for the budding freelancer to discover for him or herself.