Shows beginning writers how to use their personal experiences to create salable articles and books. No other book on the market seriously discusses how to market and sell the personal essay -- they're too soft or literary.There are more markets and sales potential for personal essay than nearly any other genre. Personal essay has tremendous flexibility as a form, since it can be about nearly any topic (from cooking to spelunking to bungee jumping), and it can be targeted to nearly any type of magazine market. That's why so many beginners start out by writing personal essays.Author is a well-known celebrity interviewer who teaches online classesMake It Personal shows beginning writers how to mine their own life for story ideas that will captivate and offer editors a fresh perspective. A writer's life experiences, educational background, ethnic background, failed relationships, health status, triumphs, and weird and wonderful habits are all invaluable assets and fertile ground to root around in for saleable feature ideas. Readers will learn how to reach beyond the personal essay to sell stories that blend reported fact with opinion and experience. In today's voyeuristic climate, where the popularity of reality TV, blogs and confessional memoirs grows daily, being self-centered in your writing is a good thing. The market is wide open to subjective, highly personal features that showcase a person's unique voice and life experiences.