Monte Burch is one of the nation's leading writers. He works in many different genres and is both a book publisher as well as a magazine writer. Monte is one of the most widely-read and prolific freelance writers in the nation.

QUESTION: How many books have you written?

ANSWER: I have written about 71 books. I've published about 12, and the others have been published by other publishers.

QUESTION: What are the secrets to becoming a successful freelance writer?

ANSWER: Use as many of the materials you have as often as you can. Once you have one article, that's one article you can change around and sell in several different markets. Learning to write several articles off the same subject and material is a key to being successful. You must be versatile. Many writers in the outdoor business write a lot about one subject and are very good at it. For instance, they may be deer bowhunters and only write about bowhunting.

QUESTION: For how many different markets do you write?

ANSWER: I write for several different markets, including consumer-product markets in fields other than the outdoors. I write in the hunting, fishing, boating, camping and natural- history markets and sell photographs in all of these as well.

QUESTION: What would you tell someone who wanted to become a writer?

ANSWER: First, study what you want to write about. If you want to become a novelist, read every novel you can. If you want to be an outdoor writer, read all the outdoor magazines that you can. All the outdoor writers I know and admire have read articles by writers they have admired through the years--maybe even when they were kids. They've emulated those writers. So, study what you want to do.

Check back each day this week for more from Monte Burch...

• Day 1 - In The Beginning
• Day 2 - Becoming Successful
• Day 3 - Writing For Magazines and Books
• Day 4 - Advice And Earning A Degree
• Day 5 - Life's Treatment
• Writer's Page