moi?
if you're referring to my response to your earlier post and the subsequent deletions and private message, i did not call you names, and i certainly didn't say (or imply) that you couldn't make it. in all instances, i wished you luck and success.
that said, the keys to freelance writing, in my experience, are diversity in writing style and subject matter, a lot of research (both topical and market), and building as broad a network of contacts as possible.
most scientific writing is done by either professional or academic scientists, though there may be some opportunities in lay publications. technical writing cuts a pretty wide swath, from writing instruction manuals to writing how-to articles and the like.
assuming you're kicking off pretty much from scratch, it's going to be difficult to make a lot of money right away. the variables of acceptance times, pay cycles, etc are tough to gauge.
there's a lot of information available on the web just by googling "freelance writing". that would be a good start. you really should also consider ms. glatzer's book.
if you're not interested in articles and advertising, what is it you see yourself happy as doing? fiction is certainly not (at first) going to get you that middle class income. payment is negligible in the smaller magazines one most likely has to break into.
anyway, if i offended you earlier, i apologize. if there's something i can do, feel free to email or send a private message.
best of luck in your endeavors.
-william
