Going Pro

Welcome to the newest writers roundtable. This week, we're going to talk about what it means to go pro as a writer. So I looked up three of most "pro" pros I could think of, Bill Craig, Derrick Ferguson, and Aaron Smith. 
 

 

What does it mean to you to "go pro" as a writer? What are the criteria to consider oneself a professional writer?

Aaron Smith: I started to consider myself a pro when I began to have opportunities to make money with my work, even before the money started to arrive. There was a certain moment when my attitude shifted and writing went from being a hobby to being something I took much more seriously. I think the difference is mainly one of attitude.

Derrick Ferguson: I considered myself to be a real professional when I had people seeking me out and offering me money to write for them. I felt like I had turned a corner and had reached a level where people knew my name, had read my work and trusted me enough that they were willing to say; "hey, here's a chunk of change... come write something for me."

Bill Craig: To me it was when I started making money from the things I was writing. That meant I was reaching people and telling the stories that they wanted to read. The fact that people look for my newest book and are willing to pay for them mean I have arrived as a professional writer. As far as number.

How does a writer make the step from amateur to pro?

Bill Craig: You make the step from amateur to professional when you acquire a fan base that searches your work out.

Aaron Smith: When writing becomes an important part of one's life and that writer works hard at it and treats it like a real job, whether he's able to do it full time or it's just a supplement to his day job income, when one acts professionally, takes the job (and all it's other factors, like promotion and editing and submitting) seriously, and, yes, chases opportunities to profit from it, he's made the jump from amateur to pro.

Nugget #32 -- Professional Writing

One can write part time or full time professionally. 

One can write as a sole income or as a supplementary 

income. To call either merely "writing for fun" or "writing 
as a hobby" demeans the effort put into writing sellable 

product and the effort put into trying to sell it.

The Writer Will Take Your Questions Now (#38) -- What Is Professionalism?

In your opinion, what does it mean to be professional in the writing field?

Ah. Professionalism. Reading this post by Gail Simone started me thinking about what it means to be professional in your writing endeavors -- from the writing itself, to your business etiquette, all the way to the way you treat people at conventions and other networking events.

A few specifics sprang to mind:

1. Meet your deadlines.
2. Honor editors' and agents' time when you have their attention.
3. Honor editors' and agents' schedules when they tell you they don't have time to look at your work.
4. Use the appropriate submission methods that you find on the company's website.
5. Hone your craft.
6. Don't blame your shortcomings on a company's inability to recognize your genius.
7. Separate your fandom from your professional interactions.
8. Listen to and apply criticism. Don't throw up a wall of "they just don't get my style."
9. Communicate in a professional manner. Don't call when an email or mailing is requested. Don't call just check on the status of your pitch or submission if the guidelines don't give you that option.
10. Act professional online. Don't get into flame wars or snarky comment battles on Facebook. Anything you type can come back to haunt you.
11. Never speak ill of a publisher unless it is to protect other creators. Even then, be sure your comments are grounded and documented. Don't squabble.
12. Don't speak ill of other creators. You never know who might sign your paychecks one day.
13. Play within the parameters you are given for the job. Don't turn a sonnet into an epic opus after you sign the contract. Write the best sonnet you have in you.
14. Be golden. As in the rule. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. That's advice that never, ever goes out of style.