Kate,
I too had that same mindset when I first started writing. Especially when I was offered payment. I thought "you want to publish this and PAY me too?" Holy Moly! I realized then I had crossed over into the relm of REALLY writing for a living. It's a great profession, I wouldn't want to be doing anything else in the world, but it is saturated with people just like me trying to make it. So, what do you do? To me the rules are simple

1) GET YOUR NAME OUT THERE - this means submitting your work, tooting your horn when given the opportunity. It means tooting it to those that you believe REALLY want to hear about it, then....then girlfriend...go ahead and take the big leap of faith and toot everywhere else! I mean it. Trust me on this one, if someone doesn't want to read your work, or is offended by it in any way, they will let you know. Keep going...toot...toot...toot.

The more you toot, the more well known you become, the more people will start asking YOU for some of your work, and complimenting you OR OTHERWISE, on your work.

It's all a growing process, and if you don't get yourself out there, how will the world know you even exist?

I think Evie hit the nail on the head when she said we've been taught to be nice, be humble, so forth and so on and it goes against our nature to say "hey world, look at me!" Of course, unless you are a natural born ham, like me. teehee....anyhooo....think of the tooting like you would any other "sales" job. For instance, if you sold cars, would you tell a prospective buyer that you just hated to tell them all the good things about the car? of course not. You would be the first one to greet them on the lot and you would be singing like a canary!

Go for it hon...and don't think of networking as "using" your friends. My guess is that your friends wouldn't look at you that way. It's all about helping one another and I for one can tell you I would not have gotten very far if my writer friends had not encouraged me, lead me to promising work, or spread the word about me. I do the same for them and GLADLY!

Hope this helps, JJ

Our Queen Jawjaw, as usual is 100% correct! I'm just starting out too and felt the same way but so far everyone I toot to, seems genuinely excited for me!
I also have a copy of the Shy Writer and find it to have excellent advice. I highly reccomend it.

Wow, there really are people out there! Thanks Evie and JawJaw and TVC for your encouragement! I'm new at this forum thing, and just forgot to check back!

I'll check out that shywriter website. I'm not shy in most other senses. I didn't start writing professionally until I'd finished raising the kids (25 and 23)and I'm trying to make up for lost time -- the selling takes too much time and I'd rather write, thank you very much! Money and fame have never been motivators in anything I've done, so I must muster up the drive -- hence the lessons needed! I believe God has a reason for the words he gives and to be a good steward I need to do my part to spread them about! I really have done some of that with my freelancing, it's the book thing that intimidates.

Nevertheless, I've put that little quote book on hold until after Christmas. I promise to let you know when I actually do it.

Thanks again for your cheery wise greetings. All the best....and I'll be back! Christmas blessings.

[ December 17, 2004, 02:57 PM: Message edited by: Kate ]

When people ask you what you do and you respond, I write or I'm an author, it ignites curiosity. People are so interested in it. My business cards are two-sided. One side is a copy of my book cover and the other side is all my contact info. Very easy way to promote.

The "what you do" question is a good one. I'm curious how do people answer it if you have a job, plus write on the side? For example, I'm an Enforcement Clerk, writing, at the moment, is more of a passionate hobby (but more involved than a hobby, so I'm not sure that's a good way to describe it)..........so, when people ask me what I do, I usually respond with the clerical job......I think business cards are a good idea.

Kate, I understand the "selling takes up too much time, I'd rather write" - I don't think people who don't write understand how time consuming researching markets, etc can be.