Blogging, Writing, and Publishing

Recently a friend shared her dream to get into “publishing”. I listened intently as she described her desire to write articles and becoming a published author. I’ve read her work in some of our locally published magazines and have no doubt that she would make a great writer. I also recognized that she was where I found myself a few years back; full of ideas, but nowhere to publish them. The first inclination is to do what many budding authors have done; purchase a copy of the bestselling writer’s reference book. The book is a great place to develop ideas and sell articles. It also provides a good service with great details on which publisher is purchasing which articles and for how much. However, the reference cannot guarantee that you will have the platform to actually sell an article. After a few years of buying these books, I recognized the growing trend of many magazines not taking on new authors and paying less than ever before if they did buy an article. Why? Because of the cha...

Chances are that you are already gainfully employed and are involved with other life matters. You are probably considering following both your dream of writing and owning your own business. You’ve probably explored both, but hesitate because it really doesn’t make sense to take on another job while spending 40 hours a week of your life being miserable. So, do something you love in your professional and personal lives. The same goes for the business you want to start. Passion is hard to define, so I’ll draw up a scene from what got me started: “I have a great idea that will help other people earn the certification!” I exclaimed to my wife, almost immediately after telling some great news. “Wait a minute, let’s get back to the certification,” my wife replied, redirecting the conversation. “You passed the exam?” Her smile demonstrated how happy she had been for me. “Thanks. Sorry about changing the subject,” I replied. “I know that you...