So when does one turn into a 'real' writer, and do I even have the right to be giving advice on how writers may get their work published for fun or profit?

Even though I've published three books, numerous pieces of creative writing and articles by now, successfully, and have been moderately well paid for it, I'm still not sure. After all, I'm not exactly Shakespeare, Steinbeck, Rilke, or Stephen King (especially not Stephen King, as I'm sure he's made the most money).

The fact is, and you need to remind yourself often--you are a writer if you are writing. Being published is the business end of things, and a whole other ball game. One that I have learned a bit about through trial and error. Learned enough that I have some tips that may help you. And if not literally help you, then help you cope with the stuff we all go through as writers.

1. GET YOUR WORK OUT THERE.

Yeah. That means you.

This is the most important piece of advice I can give anyone, so listen! Of course, attention must be paid to the craft of writing. Of course workshops of your work is important. Creative writing programs ARE helpful, even if they seem in the short run to give you a complex from everyone critiquing your work or that you learn a lot of theory. In the long run, you'll begin to incorporate all this stuff into your writing--even though you had natural talent to begin with. And added complexity is usually a good thing.

That being said, GET YOUR WORK OUT THERE.

This is my most important rule, since I myself spent my graduate school years thinking perfection, perfection and having other published writer friends read my stuff and critique until I truly believed it wasn't good enough to send out.

As it turns out, this is sooo wrong to do to yourself. In essence, I'm saying believe in yourself and your writing to trust your instincts as to if it is 'good enough,' and once you know that, send your work out to be published.

So, there is the philosophical portion of this tip. Then there is the physical labor. Make a pledge to yourself to physically get your manuscript out the door a set number of times a week. In example, my goal was to submit a creative writing piece to one new journal per day.

The mistake most writers make is literally, not making enough attempts to be published. You know those stories about writers who became famous after their manuscript was turned down 20 times? Well, they are ALL true. The simple fact is, the more you get your work out there, the more likely you are to be published.

Please note this does not mean you should blindly approach publishers without researching your markets first. Nothing good comes of that...which segues quite nicely into my second point. But suffice it to say, keep a goal of what you can do in your mind--"I will send my novel manuscript out 4 times a month," and stick to it. You will be surprised at the results of your targeted behavior.

2. Present yourself professionally at all times.

That means in everything you do, from the beginning query letter, your e-mails to publishers, your letterhead and envelopes, grammar and spelling--everything. If you don't take yourself seriously, why should a prospective journal, editor or publisher?

Just like in other jobs, image is important.

Some basic tips: Find out the editors name, and always address correspondence to him or her. Use basic business letter format, with date, address, etc., even in an e-mail (or at least a suitable truncated version). Spell check, spell check, spell check. Have writing samples available, preferably pieces that have been published before, but only give these out to legitimate editors or publishers.

Adopt the editor's writing style in correspondence (ie, if he or she is friendly and casual, you be the same. If she is more formal, keep our tone more formal). Do NOT, like a friend of mine, who did not get the job, query and query by e-mail and phone after an editor has told you the status of your manuscript once. As in any situation, that would be annoying. They may tell you in school that persistence works--but in reality, subtlety and respect for even editors feelings works.

When a prospective client or an editor you are communicating with on e-mail writes to you, do your best to write them back as soon as possible, answering all their questions. Have a writer's bio handy for when one is asked of you. Have a writer's photo available when they ask for a pic to go along with our bio. Keep copies of your work as back ups, maybe on a USB device, so you don't lose the writing you worked so hard on, say if, your computer dies and everything on it is irretrievable.

3. Be aggressive.

That means consider approaching publishers, businesses and journals without their solicitation. You solicit them.

This does work. In fact, almost all the freelance work and successful contracts I've received started out with me approaching the business, editor or publisher. The most recent of these being a feature story with photos for a magazine based on a query letter I sent telling them what I'd like to write for them.

Scope out publications you enjoy or would like to contribute something to, brainstorm ideas, and tell them what you can do for them. If this short sentence is about as clear as mud, learn how to write a good query letter. See the book available to the right.

Persistence IS good in this instance. If at first you don't succeed, move on to the next publication (careful, though! You could end up with more work than you could handle!).

4. Underpromise, over deliver.

An old advertising/journalism phrase. Or, in other words, MEET YOUR DEADLINES.

You will thank me for screaming at you like that some day.

Don't do what yours truly did with her third little book. That is--even though there might have been some good reasons for it--missed her deadline for the final manuscript, and then did not hear back from her editor again.

Now. There is (kind of) a good ending to this story. As it turns out, the editor had just got a new job at a publishing house that put out big 'ol textbooks. But the moral of the story is that the writer worried about missing her deadline for a year, and thought that it must of been the reason for never hearing back from the editor again. It may, though, be the reason why, when she tried to get another contract and another editor at the same house, why she heard nothing. Blank in-box (incidentally--that is common in the publishing world. They don't tell you that you suck, they just never contact you again). The writer may never know, which is kind of sad....

But! Back to being persistent. Yes, don't let those valleys bother you--forge ahead. It's good advice for everyone.

5. Never underestimate the power of networking.

I know. This is starting to sound like a seminar at Microsoft. Nonetheless, I stand by it. Create a group of contacts in and around your field that can act as information sources for you and you for them. This almost always pays off, no matter what field you are in.

The publishing world is like anything else. Sometimes it IS who you know. More often, it is a combination of how good you are AND who you know. Writing friends are interested in the same things you are, and so are often fountains of good tips. I've found that they are often more useful in this capacity than as critics of your work, say.

The bottom line is, at least in my experience, that maybe half of all my jobs were achieved in such a fashion. It doesn't usually mean you HAVE the job by knowing someone or networking with others. It does mean you have a foot in the door, sometimes. And everybody deserves a break like that once in a while.

Of course, this can get over done, and sometimes results in unfairness--like deciding the winner of a poetry contest, say, before the contest is held, just because a judge "knows" what the writer's work is like. (Wow, think that might of happened somewhere, sometime?).

No. What I'm talking about is keeping your eyes and ears open. You visit a book store and talk to an author who has just published a children's book. She recommends the publisher to you....remember it, follow up. As a matter of fact, one of my best contracts came from a tip a guy I worked with had to contact his sister, an editor. I wasn't going to--figured the job was kind of out of my league, but I couldn't have been more wrong. Don't let those opportunities get away.

In the end, keep all of this in perspective. These are, after all, the business concerns--not the profession--and that is good to keep in mind. Keep writing. That is always the best guarantee of success.