I?d like to present three easy steps to getting published. Well, I?d like to, but there?s usually more than three and they are never easy. Many aspiring writers I encounter believe if they can just get their article to an editor the editor will see the value in the work and want to sign them to a contract of some sort. Now, this is rarely verbalized by the author, but the dream-dashing is very evident when they receive their first rejection slip. There?s almost an innat...

Maybe you?ve seen online advertising that reads something like, ?You too can make money in your spare time as a writer.? It sounds inviting until you discover that some of that writing need includes writing a 400 word original article for one dollar. If it takes you twenty minutes to write an article that would mean you could make $3 an hour. You might think that?s ridiculous, but there is a reason why these mini-contracts are being awarded. Some find this work ?accepta...

How long does it take to get a book published? On the average about a year. Six months to write a nonfiction book or revise a novel after a publishing contract has been signed and six months for production from editing the manuscript to finding your book in a bookstore. Why does production take six months? The actual production process of revising and editing, copyediting and proofing the galleys could be quicker. But enough time has to be allowed for obtaining endor...

Applying for A federal job requires you to take a different approach and adhere to a different set of rules and techniques. Unlike private sector recruitment, the procedures followed in federal recruitment goes by certain criteria and rules. The basic idea here is to provide every applicant an equal opportunity. Of late, the OF-612 form, or Federal Resume, is the accepted resume form for federal jobs. Here are 10 key tips to writing a Federal Resume that works: 1. Don?t fo...

A nemesis to all writers is an imposed deadline. Whether that deadline is from a publisher or as part of a writing contest or challenge the deadline screams at us to hurry up while our muse is certain the story just isn?t quite right yet. As you develop your writing career or writing business you will likely find deadlines come more often and from a variety of sources. Let me paint a scenario? A client has requested 10 content articles for their website and you have ...

I enlisted the help of several authors who knew something of fame in their work, yet surprisingly had much to say about failure. In truth, these authors aren?t answering the specific questions I pose, but their wisdom in the field of writing is worth considering. We will start with a question writers will often ask themselves or others about their craft and then review an applicable quote from a noted author. Just the thought of submitting my work to a publisher makes m...

?The only one who doesn't make mistakes is the one who doesn't do anything.? -- V. I. Lenin The first key to success in writing is to actually begin to write and submit material for publishing consideration. If it is true that you learn from your mistakes then you need to make a few in order to ?maximize your learning potential?. ?Try not to become a man of success, but rather a man of value.? -- Albert Einstein ?To achieve great things requires that we become great ...

I suppose it is the dream of every writer to have a book published with a major publishing house, well known and well respected in the industry. With such publication one might encounter fame and perhaps a bit or fortune. If you could land such a publishing contract perhaps you could find time on major radio stations, television stations and reputable podcasts to share the wisdom you have to share. Newspaper and magazines might contact you for interviews and photo opportuniti...

I will routinely advise new writers to make sure their cover letters are professional in tone. All additional correspondence with an editor should be similarly professional. There are a few other details regarding a cover letter that may be of interest. For instance, if you can't say what needs to be said in one page, you need to say it again. It is bad form to send a cover letter that is longer than one page. The person you are sending the cover letter to may make a judge...

Your initial manuscript is complete. Maybe it's even been shelved for a period of time. You may have sent the manuscript to a publisher, but it never really went anywhere. You really believe in the book, but are tired of hitting the roadblock that reads, "No unsolicited manuscripts". Maybe what you need is a literary agent; one who believes in you and your work and will represent that belief to appropriate publishers. You conduct an online search and find several agents an...