BecomingWhoYouWantToBe

You’re finally going to do it; become a writer. A successful one. What will make you a success? It’s a term you need to define and then strive to achieve.

Is a novelist a “success”? How about a local newspaper reporter? A syndicated columnist? If you’re published on-line are you successful? Is success measured in bylines or by the size of your paycheck? Once you figure that out, you can take steps to achieve your definition of success.

Now that you’ve defined what success means you can take the steps necessary to achieve it. Regardless of which pinnacle of success you choose, here are some steps to reach that summit:

1. What is your forte? Are you a natural born storyteller in a particular genre and do you dream of writing a novel? (keeping in mind that publication of a novel can be a long process) Do you have a knack for decorating? Are you the go-to person when it comes to your particular industry? Are you the king or queen of the grill? Where do you want to see your work? Newspaper, magazine, on-line, company newsletter?

2. Study the market. Read what you want to write about. You can’t send an article off “blind” or the editor will spot you as an amateur immediately. If you submit an article on Top 10 Tips to Lose Weight and the magazine published that topic one month ago, the editor will know you haven’t done your research. Want to get your words out on the worldwide web? Pull up Google and do a search on the topic on which you want to write, go to the sites and see if they accept submissions. Be sure to check out article writing sites as a source for your submissions as well.

3. Once you’ve found the publication in which you want to see your byline, the deep research begins. In what format does the editor accept submissions (hard copy through the mail, electronic); do they accept queries or will they only consider complete pieces? Check the publications’ website or a “Writer’s Market” type book to determine how the editor accepts submissions. Don’t bypass the submission guidelines – they are there for a reason and the editor expects them to be followed.

4. Read and re-read your query or article before submitting. If you’re sending a query, will it grab the editor? Have you shown the editor why you are the best person for this assignment? Tease the editor with a great opening line, interesting facts. If the piece isn’t written, let him or her know when you could have the piece complete once the assignment is given.

5. Submit, submit, submit. The most-published writers out there get that way because they are constantly researching new markets, sending off queries and articles. The more you submit, the higher your likelihood of being published.

You want to achieve writing success? Then write, submit and write some more. Success comes to those who work at it.