not job, career!

There is a lot of information on the web. And usually in public libraries in the US, but I don't know about yours. I believe you need to arm yourself with some basic knowledge about how publishing works, what writers can expect, how writers should behave, and so on. For instance, just last month my spouse received three fiction submissions to his mag that doesn't publish fiction. Worse, two of the submissions had no stamped, self-addressed envelopes. Then a lot of very ignorant Americans apply for copyright, not realizing that copyright is inherent here from the moment the work is created. Waste of time and money, and shows lack of professionalism. I have read singled-spaced submissions, a no-no. Handwritten. No way. These days a big problem is writers sending unsolicited mss. as attachments to editors who simply are not going to open that unknown e-mail. So learn how a professional writer handles himself/herself.

A prior classic way to start a life as a writer was to find magazines and submit articles or article proposals to them. Of course 100 years ago, the mags carried lots of fiction, and that was a way in for fiction writers as well. Today, there still is a flourishing sf short story market, but most of the other action for fiction beginners is on the web. Various epublishers are looking for shorter pieces. They also are publishing entire novels that frankly are not all top notch. The trick with them is not to pay them, but make sure they pay you. Same deal with agents. Lots of beginners get rooked into thinking they should pay for editorial or agenting or publishing services. No. Those are scams. Investigate the rep of anyone to whom you're thinking of submitting.

Then, there's deciding if you want to work in publishing while trying to write. If so, you want to get proofreading or copyediting skills, or electronic page makeup skills, or web content skills. Html, and so on. Because to get a career job, you need skills.
The nice thing is that they can all be self-taught. You already have some computer skills from your soul-sucking CSR job and running the register at the video store. And some sales skills. You might want to work in a bookstore (although, doesn't everyone?) to learn more about publishing, and if so both of these experiences will get you a hearing at one.

Everything you need to learn about serious job skills is on the web, and then all you have to do is use them so they become a part of you. Since presumably you are young, there is also the possibility that in your country you can volunteer to do writing or editorial work, or get an internship, a temporary job in the industry. Do a local newsletter. Or a hobby newsletter. These are ways to build up some firsthand knowledge of how things work, and of the people involved. You might find that you want nothing to do with the types of people who gravitate to publishing, and just want to write in a cave.

And then there is blogging or starting your own website. This can lead directly to success without having to go through any of the steps mentioned above except self-teaching. It can also give you discipline. You start a blog, decide you will write to a particular concept, pick a schedule of posts, and stick with it. It becomes a published oeuvre for future employers, and an easy addition to a resume. (Which I believe you may call a CV. Here, we only use CV as a term for academic posts.) And a way of building your confidence and your writing skills. By blogging I don't mean just riffing on how your day went, but writing essays about topics, or putting up whole stories or chapters of them, or the like. A skill-building advertisement for your skills. And that includes the design of your website.

Are you exhausted or not interested in the details I have described above? Then maybe you want to look for some other kind of employment to give you a decent living, and just write in a pure vacuum. Nothing wrong with that. I hear that insurance can be steady work. Banking doesn't sound like a good idea right now. Real estate is all sales. Manual labor will make you too tired to write in your off hours.

Good luck!

I have no experience in trying to make writing a career, but there are a few things i do know.

1. As much as you hate your current job your going to need them as a source of income until you publish.

2. Sadly more than likely wont become rich off your first book or even make enough to live for more than a few months. Something like 70% (i think its higher) of novels fail to make back the price it cost to produce them.

3. You will more than likely have to publish a multitude of novels before you have enough of a fan base/your writing improves to a level that you make a reasonable income from publishing.

4. i suggest you make sure your novels are 300+ pages since its more likely you'll get a publisher

Sorry if this depresses u.

thanks for replying you guys! thats some really good stuff there and all of it's useful so you both earn hugs! *crunch* sorry I only have bear hugs left, but i appreciate the posts! much as I want to get out there and go like a speeding bullet I know it'll take time, but here's hoping I can at least make a start by the end of the year! *crosses fingers, toes, legs and eyes*

et tu brute?
liar you et four!

It also depends on the kind of writing you want to do, too. You won't get rich quick writing novels. But there's also article writing, web content, technical writing, copy editing.... The writing and editing field is pretty broad. If you like writing, consider expanding beyond fiction.

The good news is that you don't need a degree to become a writer or editor. At least I never did, here in the US. You don't actually need any formal education in it at all. You have to know how to write (and/or edit) and be able to produce examples of it. Building clips can be tricky. This is about the only time I'd advise writing without pay, just so you can build up some samples. Even if you don't have anything published, create a couple writing samples just so you have something to show. Write a short job aid on how to get cash from an ATM or how to transplant a tomato plant into the garden. Just something that will show that you have the ability to write.

It may be different in Britain. I hope it is, for your sake! But the bad news is that now is not a good time to look for writing/editing jobs. Writers are often the last hired and first fired. People think that if they have a computer and Word, they can be a writer, too, so why actually pay a professional to do it? I've been a tech writer and editor for 20 years, and I haven't worked since last October despite desperate searching because there simply aren't that many jobs out there.

I'd also advise reading some good books on editing and writing. At the top of your list should be THE ELEMENTS OF STYLE by Strunk and White and THE ELEMENTS OF GRAMMAR by Shertzer.

Good luck!

2005: In Back of the North Wind (urban fantasy) -- WINNER!
2006: Leopard's Paw (mystery) -- WINNER!
2007: The Old Straight Track (urban fantasy) -- WINNER!
Origami cranes completed: 42

"The night was moist." -- (Throw Momma from the Train)

Full disclosure: I have telemarketed. Much as I hate sales, I became good at it. I tried to find the common ground between the real needs of the person on the phone (even if it meant letting them get back to American Idol) and the needs of the company which had hired my call center to represent them.

I am astonished to discover that this stint in purgatory made me a better writer.

If my goal is REALLY to get published (REALLY? Is it REALLY?) Then writing can be a personal catharsis for fun, but it has to meet real needs of customers as my job. I'm not just cynically learning a formula and reproducing it. But I am STUDYING the formula to determine the extent to which it effectively meets the needs of people who buy this kind of book. The question I'm asking myself is, Do I really have something to offer these people, and if so, why does it meet their needs MORE than everything else that's already out there?

Tsark, you are probably a long way from these questions. Right now, the main question you probably ask yourself is "Isn't this COOL??" (Answer: "YES! It's SO COOL!") And I promise you that unless I'm not rediscovering that question every time I sit down to write, I have NOTHING to offer any reader, publicist, editor, or agent. Nothing at all.

But trust me: at some point when you begin to do this for a living, you'll take that living breathing artwork and child of your heart and look at it with the jaundiced eye of a cold-caller and ask yourself, "Why should Mary Jane Pevensey of Puddleby-On-The-Marsh pick THIS off the shelf and give it to her grand-niece for Christmas, instead of the hundred thousand other books in the store?" And you'll be glad you worked in a call center.

If you use the call center paycheck to buy things instead of the credit card, you'll have a happier life while you write; trust me on that also.

Pardon my maternal attitude...my birthday is this week and that always makes me feel like giving well-intentioned advice to the younger generation.

crzsabas

I was a telemarketer for two weeks as my first job after high school. I was in the college prep course in high school. Then my mother told me that no way was I going to college. I just had to find some rinkydink job to tide me over until I got some guy to marry me. Then I'd have to quit work, anyway.

I was a lousy telemarketer. I didn't know how to sell, frankly didn't care about it, and felt bad about bothering people. That's why it only lasted two weeks.

Many, many years later, I worked in a call center calling people up for surveys and opinion polls. I didn't enjoy it. I'm not that social a person, and I hated cold calling. But I was actually quite good at it. When I quit because my technical editor position went full time, they were actually sorry to see me go.

It was doing corporate, web, and technical writing that taught me about pleasing the customer. If someone doesn't find something to pique their interest on a web page after a several second scan, they click away and you've lost them forever. Same thing with writing. You've got maybe half a page to get an agent, editor, reader interested.

2005: In Back of the North Wind (urban fantasy) -- WINNER!
2006: Leopard's Paw (mystery) -- WINNER!
2007: The Old Straight Track (urban fantasy) -- WINNER!
Origami cranes completed: 42

"The night was moist." -- (Throw Momma from the Train)

you've all been really helpful and even if it depresses me slightly now i know its all for the good so none of you worry about that side of things! and guess what?

*drum roll*

the local library started advertising for a new assistant and I'm due to hear from them soon with regards to an interview!
It can be done! just one very teensy step at a time, but this would be definitely in the right direction if only I can get it!

wish me luck!

et tu brute?
liar you et four!

That's great!

Libraries are wonderful places to work because you can learn so much at the same time. I hope it works out for you.

JOYFULNESS ABOUNDS!!! I went to review a play at our local theatre (well, three plays in one, plus they gave us pudding after which was the major impetus for me!) and sent it off to my local newspaper where I was told IF they liked it and IF they didnt edit it beyond what I had written I may just be lucky enough to get it printed, next issue, there's my article!! all untouched apart from the font and a wierd little symbol my computer can't do and my name's in it as well!! a definite first step made!

et tu brute?
liar you et four!