Many people have the ambition to become serious or freelance writers, but for most- the trouble is not that they aren’t good enough, it’s the simple fact that they don’t know where to begin getting their work out to the general public.
A lot of people get sucked into phony writing contests, or others may steal their pieces. If you are trying to get poetry published, do not go to any contests that want you to pay a fee to enter and charge you for other miscellaneous expenses. Some places that ask for an entry fee, are in fact legitimate, but be sure to do your research before entering these. Also, be sure not to give out personal information such as your credit card number. You could become the victim of identity theft.
Make sure that you have other people proofread your work before you submit it. Publishing companies and contests look for this type of thing. You don’t want a lot of grammatical/spelling errors to occur. This makes you look very unprofessional. Also, make sure you don’t use words, if you do not know for sure what they mean. It makes you look like an idiot if you use a word in the wrong context.
One of the most important things that you can do is to never stop writing. Take constructive criticism from your peers and co-workers. This can take your writing to a whole new level. You won’t get published or accepted every single time, but every time that you submit a piece, you are working towards the day that you finally will become an accomplished writer. Don’t get all frustrated when you don’t get accepted. There will be other opportunities.
Don’t harass the publishing companies. It is fine if you call every once in awhile to check on your work, but don’t hassle the secretaries. They are only doing their jobs. They need to get paid as well.
No matter what, it is important to keep your hopes up and not give up. There is no such thing as writers block. It is only the writer giving up on himself.
