Writing's Just a Job

Some wannabe writers seem to elevate the art of writing and the business of books to lofty romantic heights. The bottom line is that writing is a career and book publishing a business like any other.

I don’t want to sound too cynical - for some of us writing is what we do and love – and some are lucky enough to even make a living out of it.

Personally, I’ll carry on writing fiction even if I don’t have the tremendous good fortune to get my first book published.

I’ve been lucky enough to write professionally for over ten years as a features writer/news reporter and editor for newspapers and magazines, but writing fiction is an entirely new experience.

I’m under no illusion that getting your book published is like winning the lottery and there are thousands of us chasing the dream of ever seeing our work in print.

But why not start off as a true professional from the very beginning?

It seems like common sense that when approaching an agent or publisher to take on you and your work, you deliver your manuscript in its most polished form, and present yourself in the best possible light.

After all, you wouldn’t submit a crumpled CV riddled with mistakes and stained with coffee rings for any other job.