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Write From Home
Kim Wilson
P.O. Box 4145
Hamilton, NJ 08610
Tel: (609) 888-1683
E-mail: kim@writefromhome.com

One of the hardest tasks we face as writers is to get our start in the publishing world.

Publishing is a business, therefore editors will only consider publishing work that is saleable and will make money for the publisher. Understanding this concept is the first step toward getting published.

Whether you write fiction or nonfiction, consider the following before sending anything to a publisher:

• Will this piece be of interest to anyone else?
• Will the title draw the reader in?
• Does the first sentence/paragraph grab the reader's attention?
• Can it sustain the reader's attention for the duration?
• Have you researched sufficiently?
• Is your content plausible?
• Do you get to the point or ramble?
• Are you repeating yourself?
• Are all words spelled correctly?
• Is your punctuation perfect?

With each written piece, ensure you review your work thoroughly. There's nothing worse than sending something to an editor or even a writing competition, and finding errors later.

To combat this problem, I endeavor to finish ahead of the deadline at least a week then go back over the piece with a fine-tooth comb. I call this proving . It's a bit like making a pancake mix and leaving it to sit for a couple of hours. (This produces the best pancakes!)

Using the above formula, you are looking over your work with fresh eyes, and more often than not, errors will stand out like a Koala in suburban Melbourne.