Whenever I speak, someone wants to know how they can get their book or idea published. So I’ve pulled this list of stuff together and I hope it helps:

READ—If you want to be a good writer you have to be a good reader. Read books in the genre you are interested in. Read the classics and the best sellers. Study them and learn from them.

LEARN ABOUT THE CRAFT OF WRITING—Read books on writing. Read books on how to write for publication and how to prepare proposals.

BUY A BOOK ON GRAMMAR—As you write, you will have many questions regarding rules of grammar and punctuation. Keep a grammar book by your side so that you can reference it quickly and not be distracted from your work.

JOIN CRITIQUE GROUPS—Share your work with other writers and learn from their feedback. Be open to suggestions and don’t take criticism personally. If you cannot handle constructive criticism, you may not want to be a writer.

JOIN WRITER’S ORGANIZATIONS—American Christian Writers is an organization for all Christian writers. An annual membership is $49 a year. This includes a subscription to Christian Communicator, an excellent monthly magazine, as well as discounts on materials. If you want to subscribe to the magazine only, it is $29.95 for a one-year subscription. Their phone number is 1-800-21-WRITE. Their website is www.ACWriters.com

HAVE YOUR WORK EDITED—Before submitting a manuscript for publication, have it edited and critiqued by a professional editor. American Christian Writers has a manuscript critique service for their members for a fee.

If you have written a children’s story or poetry in rhythm and rhyme, then you can send it to me through the contact info on this website. I have a freelance editing service for children’s writers and poets. The editing fee is $25 per hour, with a one hour minimum charge. I work fast and promise to be fair. I also critique proposals.

ATTEND WRITER’S CONFERENCES—This is a MUST! You will learn tons of good stuff, plus you will be able to meet with editors. This is a way to get your work into the hands of a publisher. Yes, they are expensive but well worth the investment!

JOIN SCBWI—If you want to write for children, The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators is an organization you need to join. SCBWI is a national organization with local chapters. To find out more, visit www.scbwi.org

In order to be a professional writer you have to be educated just like you would for any other career. Education is not cheap and it requires hard work and perseverance. If writing and publishing were easy, everyone would do it!