I haven’t posted anything here in some time because I’ve been too busy writing books for actual money…nice problem to have, eh? So, this begs the question: How did I get a full-time writing career going? I won’t lie: there is a large measure of luck/timing involved, i.e. being in front of the right person at the right time. However, PUTTING YOURSELF OUT THERE is something that is totally within your control. If you’re not engaged in the vast and varied writing community, if you’re not making the effort to connect with people and let them know your work, you’ll labor in obscurity.

In today’s world, putting yourself and your work “out there” means ONLINE. There’s no way around it. The days of the hermit in a bathrobe slipping 400 pages of manuscript in the mail are OVER. I doubt even Stephen King or Nora Roberts do that–if they ever did. Disabuse yourself of the notion that you can have a real writing career without the internet. The vast majority of work is submitted–and found–online. DEAL WITH IT. Even if you find a publisher somewhere that still accepts paper copy, your research sources and job listings have gone electronic.

So, if you’re a Luddite, take a deep breath and get yourself a how-to book, or better yet, get out and take a class at the community college, and get an online presence. That’s where everyone ELSE is.