I like to imagine that becoming a professional writer would be an artistic adventure where I publish a bestseller on my first try and get compared to all of the great authors. However, I know that this is a naïve dream. Because of this realization, I found myself agreeing with a most of what Steve Salerno explained in his article “Welcome to the real world: 10 things college writing classes don’t teach you about the writing life—but should.” To become a well known writer, you need to start at the bottom and work our way up just like in a business because, as Salerno explains, writing is indeed a business of its own. And like with any new employee in a business, you may be forced to take on tasks that you may not want to do. Salerno emphasizes to young writers that “You won’t be writing cover stories for The New Yorker” and “There is such thing as a service piece.” In other words, you will probably have to write a piece you don’t like for a company you don’t like. Although annoying, this could open up opportunities later on that may be worth your while. In my opinion, writing an uninteresting service piece seems like a small price to pay after going through college. Higher education makes its students write a variety of papers on topics they couldn’t care less about, which, inadvertently, is good practice for the real world. College can also help students fulfill Salerno’s advice of “You write to fit—the market, the publication, and the format, whatever.” In most classes, students are expected to meet whatever format their professor has assigned them. You can write a beautiful paper but if it doesn’t meet the format, the professor may not accept it or may give you a failing grade. Getting every little detail of the format perfect can be frustrating, but, again, the process can provide practice for writers who are looking for jobs. All of the tips I have mentioned (#1, 4, 5 & 7) are, in my opinion, the most important pieces of advice given in Salerno’s article. The other points are important as well, but I feel that those four are what a writer needs to keep in mind when looking for a job. Maybe this is premature considering I am still a student, but the advice I highlighted seems to make the most sense for myself and anyone who wants to get into the professional world of writing.
Salerno, Steve. "Welcome To The Real World: 10 Things College Writing Classes Don't Teach You About The Writing Life—But Should." Writer (Kalmbach Publishing Co.) 119.2 (2006): 26-29. Academic Search Premier. Web. 4 Sept. 2013.
Salerno, Steve. "Welcome To The Real World: 10 Things College Writing Classes Don't Teach You About The Writing Life—But Should." Writer (Kalmbach Publishing Co.) 119.2 (2006): 26-29. Academic Search Premier. Web. 4 Sept. 2013.