16 responses to “How I Became Published & Resources”

  1. Lisa Carter

    So, Jan, am I right that you weren’t published at all two years ago and now you have this incredibly long list of publications? That’s incredible! Congratulations… You have inspired me that I can accomplish something similar as I branch out from translation into publishing my own writing as well.

  2. Lisa

    Neat story, Jan. We all have to start somewhere, right? How awesome that you’ve achieved so much in such a short period of time. And, of course, FLX is an excellent resources, too.

    I completed many writing courses during my media-focused university degree so that was a good start. But, my first published “clip” was an article on About.com. After that I was hired as a guide for a popular parenting web site and then I set goals: first print clip, first national consumer clip, first trade pub clip, first American national consumer clip, etc.

    It’s hard work and takes creativity, persistence, love, attention, and business-savvy but it’s absolutely attainable as you so carefully explained in your post!

  3. Kate @ Teaching What Is Good

    Jan, I’m more and more impressed! I would love to write for publication and will definitely be investigating the resources you mentioned! My problem is that I am a FLOP at promoting myself. Well, maybe flop isn’t the right word. I guess I’m unclear about how I feel God is directing ME in this area. I’m still praying about that.

    But I’m so excited for the things you are sharing here and am very grateful.

  4. Tia

    Great resource! Thanks for posting. I’m definitely going to look into some of your suggestions after Blogathon.

  5. Tia

    Oops, forgot your question. My mom is a writer, and she was as encouraging as I was interested. And I met some wonderful people at my college newspaper. To me nothing is more helpful in your writer self-esteem than surrounding yourself with writers!

  6. Liz

    Fun to read the story, Jan. So glad to have seen all of your hard work pay off in these few years! You are an inspiration. Lisa, love what you said here: “It’s hard work and takes creativity, persistence, love, attention, and business-savvy but it’s absolutely attainable as you so carefully explained in your post!” I agree.

    My start? Sitting at my computer one late night, I found LiteraryMama and the Writer Mama at about the same time. Both inspired me to jump back into the world of writing. So grateful to have found those resources!

  7. Michelle Rafter

    I earned a journalism degree in college and have been writing ever since. I’m publishing a post on my site called “8 crazy things I did in college that helped my writing career” in early June that goes into how I got started writing in more depth. That was a long time ago and many things about the media business have changed since then. But some fundamentals haven’t: start out small, get assignments that give you good experience if not good pay and hopefully the opportunity to work with experienced editors, be diligent about making deadlines, turning in clean copy and pitching innovative, unique ideas, and slowly – or not so slowly – work your way up.

    Michelle Rafter

  8. Tammy Ellingson

    Jan, I love your tips on this. Thank you also for telling me about the Blogathon. I now need to take your advice this summer and get the show on the road. I also have wanted to Join the Willamette Writers group, but haven’t had the courage to go yet.

  9. Trish

    Jan,
    I’m so proud of you and proud and blessed to be you friend. You are amazing!

  10. Julie

    Thanks for the resources! Those are great and ones I didn’t know about. As for me, I began writing in college. A communications major, I took several writing courses before I took a feature writing class. It was the professor who taught this course who convinced me that I had a skill and to keep writing, and I’ve never really stopped since. Well, I took a brief hiatus for a few years when I tried my hand at fundraising sales, but I eventually found my way back. It’s funny how you always return to what is natural.

  11. Kerrie McLoughlin

    I got my start just like Jan, about 2 plus years ago. I now have 60 publishing credits … it just takes time. Then once you have a nice body of work, your stuff keeps getting picked up year after year and turns into passive income. It’s like a work at home scheme, only it’s not a scheme! Jan, thanks for listing my ebook … you have been my biggest fan, and I love you for it! What you told the mom who teaches 8 kids is true … you can do this … I do it homeschooling “only” five kids and with no college degree or training at all. Good luck, everyone!

  12. Kerrie McLoughlin

    Not even a year later I’m at over 100 published clips … YOU CAN DO IT! I feel like God is telling me to take some of my stuff and rewrite it as queries for nationals. I have to remember my own advice: it’s a numbers game. I can’t just send one query and sit around and wait. I have to send 50 queries and then wait for my $1/word assignment to roll in. There are markets for EVERYONE … essayists, nonfiction, photogs, artists, fiction and poetry. I heart you, Jan. Thanks AGAIN for this post!

  13. Jennifer Fink

    For the most part, writers are an incredibly giving, supportive bunch. Jan, you happened upon a book by a fabulous writer, which led you to other fabulous writers, which led you to FLX, which led you to this post — where you are now paying it back in the most fabulous way.

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