AndreaKay.com: Becoming an author

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From my new book, Life’s a Bitch and Then You Change Careers, discover how to change careers at any age. Plus interview questions to be prepared for, how others made successful career changes, if you have what it takes to make a change, how to get an offer in a new career when you have no experience and how to stay focused and motivated.

For help on negotiating alternative work schedules, researching companies that have family friendly policies, defining the environment and job you want that gives you the balance you seek, then positioning yourself on your resume for this job, see Resumes That Will Get You the Job You Want, Greener Pastures: How to Find a Job in Another Place and Interview Strategies That Will Get You the Job You Want.

Changing Careers

"Becoming an author"

Dear Andrea:

--M.B.

Dear M.B.:

It's great to aspire to being a writer and I don't want to discourage you. However, don't go quitting your job-yet. Writing and publishing non-fiction or fiction can be a lengthy ordeal--with little pay.

To publish non-fiction, you need to write a proposal. This 35-70 page selling tool outlines what you're planning to write and why. Besides convincing a cautious editor to take the plunge on your idea, it gives you the chance to prove to yourself that you really want to write the book and will enjoy working on it, says Michael Larsen, author of How To Write a Book Proposal (Writer's Digest).

Fiction is another story. You usually write your story then try to sell it to a publisher or recruit a literary agent to represent you. Check out the book 2000 Novel & Short Story Writer's Market (Writer's Digest) for information on publishers, magazines, agents and how the process works.

Attend writer's conferences (there's a list in the book) and check out local writer'groups. Another helpful tool is Writer's Digest Fiction Writer, a quarterly magazine. One more thing: I'm surprised to hear you say it's nearly impossible to get information on this subject since it's readily available in the library or bookstore. If you're going to be a good writer, you need to sharpen your research skills.

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