In case you missed the earlier parts of a writing series published in Eagle Peak Quarterly, we are running re-edited excerpts here. First is how and where. From Part 2 of that series. Maybe you know much (if not all) of this already. If you do, look at it as a refresher. If not, use it as new perspectives to help you on your quest.

You want to write. Books, short stories–whatever. You’re ready to get started. Maybe you already have. You fire up your computer or your tablet, or you pick up your pen or pencil. Maybe you’ll end up like Hemingway, writing at a desk in Kenya.

Sure, you can just jump right in. You can start a blog, if you don’t already have one, on Blogger or WordPress.com. You can post your poems, your short stories or whatever thoughts may occur to you on Google +. You can find many sites on the web to submit flash fiction—the really short bits of writing that are much less than the typical short story. You can submit feature articles or stories to print or online magazines. You can even go to Amazon and create a Kindle account to upload your work to publish an eBook. Or you can use CreateSpace on Amazon to create a print book. There are plenty of other options for self-publishing as well–Kobo, Smashwords, Lulu and many others.

Should you? No, not right away,

Why not? Because you want to make sure what you write is of a quality that won’t embarrass or short circuit eventual success at attracting readers or selling your work in whatever market fits what you are writing. If you surf the web, you will find countless complaints (rants even) about the “crap” that can be found among eBooks and on websites. You have probably seen some of it yourself. What should you do? Learn more about writing well and before putting something out there in print or as an eBook make sure it has been edited. Take your chances on blogs and social media if you like, but remember—nothing ever leaves the web, it will be discoverable forever. OK, enough of what not to do; read on for how to get there. Continue reading Learning How to Be a Writer; Thinking About Where →