My name is Michael L. Berry. I’m a writer, editor and reviewer based in the San Francisco Bay Area.

I write for a living. I don’t do it by writing only the stuff that interests me the most (ie, fiction and off-beat non-fiction) but by accepting a wide variety of assignments — from marketing copywriting to book reviews to young-adult bios. I’ve freelanced full-time and put in years as a member of an in-house staff.

“Two-Fisted Freelancing Tales” is my attempt to define the characteristics of a successful freelance writer. As I learn from past masters and today’s most accomplished practitioners, I hope I can pass along some useful tools and advice to others who wish to pursue this tough, but rewarding, vocation.

Why “Two-Fisted Freelancing Tales”? Well, in the Fifties, EC Comics published “Two-Fisted Tales,” edited by the incomparable Harvey Kurtzman and full of manly men facing incredible odds in various 20th century battles. Writing for a living takes a certain degree of intellectual toughness and moral fortitude. You don’t have to be a “he-man” or even a “she-woman” to succeed, but there will be days when it feels like you’re going one-on-one against some mean s.o.b. with a pointy hook for a hand.