A lot of writers would like to break into mainstream novel writing, but first you have to figure out how to subsist as a freelance writer.

Dan Poynter has been selling edocuments at his Web site for years.

Look Ma, no more envelopes, or stamps, or query letters. No more sneaky freelance tricks like mailing a letter with Eurpean stamps and waxed seal to attrack attention. No "Par Avion" stickers. No illustrated query letters (photos and captions) to try to break into mainstream, high-dollar writing.

And you don't need to buy a computer that costs an arm and leg. I've used laptops for years because I move around a lot while researching for adventure travel articles, but you can also use a library computer to create your edocuments.

I used photojournalism to break into writing. Editors loved my photos — picture, thousand words, all that — thus, allowing me to write stories describing my, um, digital photos. My first digital camera was a Sony Cybershot that used floppies as storage devices (long time ago).

MS Publisher software is cool for creating edocuments, although with Google Docs you don't necessarily need to buy software.

Sean Kinn, master of brevity cuts to the chase with 10,000 words detailing new royalty-like math associated with selling edocuments directly to readers. Is there an “Edocster” relationship between the new download-music-industry and a forthcoming freelance writer renaissance involving simple consumer convenience? Heavy on anecdotal past freelance writing efforts—Kinn provides the answers—in toto.

A crafty freelance writer could build an edocument sales platform and subsist while breaking into screenwriting.

If you enjoy sitting in your Dilbert stall, that's fine. I'd rather visit the planet.

I'll eventually buy a satellite phone, although for the near future my plan is to rid myself of my pesky house cordless telephone and go with pure cell phone calls from a very small number of people who have my number. Regular cell phones with digital still- and video-cameras contained within are cool tools, regardless.

Thars gold in them thar hills! — Mark Twain (Samuel Langhorne Clemens), 1835–1910 (many people believe Yosemite Sam coined this phrase; not true)

This guy is a genius.