You
first must decide what kind of material you are most capable of and
most excited about writing. What ignites your passion? Set a target
for what you want to write during the next 3-5 years. Be specific as
far as the types of writing—books, feature articles, children’s
fiction—and about the topics you are most interested in and
qualified to write. Today, more than ever, publishers are demanding
that authors have appropriate credentials or have paid their dues by
establishing a reputation as a writer who can produce a certain type
of writing or who is recognized as an “expert” in their chosen
field of writing. Your goal should be to develop the kind of
credentials or reputation in your field that brings the editors to
you with assignments for articles or books. Focus on your specific
writing topics and goals.
I
run into first-time authors all the time who are attempting to start
out by writing a book. I always recommend they go back and begin with
articles or other short pieces. There is a lot to learn about writing
that is best learned by creating and polishing those shorter pieces.
It also allows you to begin developing your reputation and
credentials for writing those books in the future.
Give
some thought, too, to who you are going to write for. Many of the
topics you might chose to pursue can be written to a variety of
audiences, so don’t limit yourself to just one. Most publications
target a specific age group or demographic. If you try to write for
too broad a market—such as adults—you may miss hitting any
target. If the publication is geared to adults 20-40, they aren’t
going to be interested in an article on retirement—unless it is
geared to starting your retirement plans early. Look at your topic
and come up with a list of all the potential age groups or audiences
that might be interested and hone the material to fit their specific
needs.
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