FINAL DOs AND DON’Ts

And now. This is the final you must do.

	Do get a web site where editors can see your clips, your resume, and anything else relevant to your writing. Not only does this save you postage (an added bonus), but editors love the fact that there’s less paperwork piling up on their desks.
	Don’t ever throw away research. So many writers learn this one the hard way. Lucky for me, I’m a pack-rat, so I didn’t have to learn this the hard way. Why should you save something you doubt you’ll ever need in the future? Here’s an example: A few years ago, I did some writing for my local newspaper. My articles were assigned (meaning that I had the option of either accepting less-than-thrilling assignments and paying rent that month or passing on the assignment). One article was on home heating. Did I care about this topic? No. Did I think I’d ever need any of the research or interview notes? No. A year or so later, I was going through old files to see what new angles I could find among my clips when I remembered a news segment about winterizing your home. Next thing you know, I’ve recycled and updated the material into a new article for a new publication.
	Do get a lawyer and accountant—especially an accountant. A lawyer is basically for reviewing your contracts. I have a friend from college who’s a lawyer now review mine. She’s not an expert in publishing law, but she knows more about contracts than I do and can raise a red flag if there’s something seriously wrong. Remember that contracts are written by publishers, so they favor the publisher over the writer. (If you don’t think you need an accountant, then I hope you’ll write an article for the rest of us that explains how you know what you can write off, what you can’t, and why we should take the time to learn about taxes.)
	Don’t burn bridges. Yes, this should be common sense. It’s never a good idea to burn bridges, but it’s especially dangerous when you’re young. You have years to have it come back to bite you in the butt. And remember the point earlier about pitching ideas to assistant and associate editors? Well, they’ve got years ahead, too—years to not hire you at any publication they work for. Publishing, albeit a huge industry, is also a small one. Magazine editors know other magazine editors. Book editors know other book editors. They talk. Don’t let it be about you.

ARE YOU READY?

Let’s face it: You’ll never be 100-percent ready, whether you’re leaving a day job or starting fresh from college. If not for the financial stability of a day job, there are the health benefits, the 401K, the discount movie passes…all the perks that come with the stress and restrictions of an office job.

There’s nothing like setting your own schedule and charting your own course, though. Before you know it, you’ll have too many assignments, too many ideas you want to develop into articles, and not enough hours in the day. Your age doesn’t matter. In fact, I think it’s to your advantage. Jump in and get started. Good luck!