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to travel all over the world. There are little old ladies in your community right now who have great accomplishments that are either undocumented or long forgotten.

What are you waiting for?

I hope that I have convinced you that there are untold (pun intended) treasures awaiting the freelance writer in the town where he or she lives. Now, understand, you cannot just pop in and exploit these folks for their life stories and then disappear. You must contact the nursing home and request permission to visit or contact the resident's family and get their approval. You will need to make your intentions known and perhaps get proper releases signed. In the end you will make new friends of these residents and their families.

Opportunity two:

Families who have biographical material written by a deceased loved one treasure those writings more than almost any other possession. Very few older people sit down and write out their life story. Most families do not have the skill, time, or know-how to create a book detailing the lives of their loved ones. But you, dear reader, have all of the above; and, families are willing to pay a fee to have you create just such a book.
Previously, expense was a major roadblock to the creation of a family member's biography. No more; publishing on demand makes publishing even ten copies reasonable. You can charge a fee to write the book and then profit again when family members purchase copies for themselves, children and grandchildren.

I think that I have presented a win, win, win idea. You win by gaining writing experience, financial return, and new friends. The nursing home residents get the benefit of your company and the interest you show in their lives, a book about their lives, and the therapeutic benefits of telling their stories in their own words. Families get a book that will be passed from generation to generation.

Books of this sort are invaluable as references for genealogists, local historians, and generations of unborn descendants who will want to know about their origins. Think about it, your book in an honored place on a family's book shelf, a treasured heirloom. Every time the family shares the book that you wrote with family or friends; it becomes an advertisement for your services.

I cannot imagine a better writing experience for the biographer or nonfiction writer.

Learn more about this author, Ron Owens Ph. D..
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