Being a writer isn't all glamour and glitz. It requires persistence and discipline, not to mention effort; a lot of effort. And, let us not forget, a fairly thick skin.

A Rite of Passage By Trina L.C. Sonnenberg Copyright 2009

Being a writer isn't all glamour and glitz. It requires persistence and discipline, not to mention effort; a lot of effort. And, let us not forget, a fairly thick skin. First you must choose a topic to write about, research it, then write something different than what you've read. Find a way to retell the information that makes it interesting and factual, without plagiarizing. That's the hardest part. Here's a little trick I use to avoid being a copy-cat: Read the information thoroughly, and then pull the facts from it and make a list on a sheet of paper. Write around the list you've just made. If you've got a book on your mind, outline your ideas, characters and scenes before you start creating a story. This makes it much easier for you to keep your details straight. You don't want your blond heroine to become a red head in chapter four, unless she went to the beauty salon first. But, writing your novel is just the beginning. Once you've gotten it finished and have had it edited and made it through your re-writes, then you must decide what to do with it. Will you self-publish your work, or seek out a mainstream publishing house? Self-publishing, in my opinion, is fine for those who have the time and inclination to market their own work all by themselves. I self-published a book of poetry and photographs and the finished product was impressive, but sales have not been quite what I'd hoped for. I've recently written a novel and have decided to go with mainstream publishing, but it is more difficult than self-publishing. First, there is the need to find an agent. There are three reasons for hiring an agent to get published this way: 1) Many publishing houses won't accept unagented submission. 2) Agents understand the legal ins and outs of publishing contracts. 3) Good agents work on commission, which motivates them to get you published. This is the part that I am stuck on at present; finding an agent. I've queried many and have gotten many rejection responses. I find this to be quite depressing, but I am told that it is a rite of passage into the world of published authors. Yes, even literary giant, Stephen King, has had his share of rejection letters. If you don't believe me, just read his book, "On Writing". Just because you've gotten rejection letters is no reason to give up. Rejections are not always an indication of your writing ability. I've gotten one because my submission was 20,000 words too short. The rest have been due to the fact that the subject matter was not what the agent was looking for. Look at it this way... A rejection letter means that you have something completed. You don't get rejected if you haven't got something to submit. At least, that is how I am trying to look at it. Keywords: writer, writing, publishing Online Advertising Provided By Ads-On-Q.com