Congratulations!  You have decided to become a writer.  Whether you decided to jump in with both feet and make this your primary source of income or you are just testing the waters, there is a small, but important, investment you need to make in your new career path.

As far as investments go, the upfront costs are minimal as compared to other career choices, but it is important to understand what you need as you get started:

A dedicated writing area

Some new writers expect that they can sit at the kitchen table and grow a writing career there.  The problem is that the dishes in the sink, the dirty toaster and the laundry will soon call to you.  Not to mention the sticky syrup from your son’s breakfast that gets on your elbows.

Find a corner, a desk or even an office in the house where you can set up shop and call it your own.  It is not only important to have a space to go to, it is critical that you can walk away from it when you need to as well.

You’ll need a table or desk, good lighting, a supportive chair, and shelving for supplies, reference materials and files. Dedicated space can also be tax deductible—check out the requirements at www.irs.gov.

Laptop

In today’s age of electronics, you will need a decent computer to communicate and work with:

·         Going with laptop versus desktop means you can take it with you to appointments, the coffee shop or on vacation if you have a pressing deadline.  If you like the comfort of the desk top, for less than $100 you can invest in a docking port and wireless keyboard that will allow you the best of both worlds.

·         Invest in decent software as well; you want the ability to calendar appointments, produce documents formatted in the most recent versions are well as accept documents from others.  This means Word, Adobe PDF, and Outlook.

·         Don’t use the family computer and don’t let the kids play with your laptop.  It only takes 1 virus to lose weeks of work! 

·         Wireless internet access goes without saying.  Keep current with the most efficient system for your pc and your home.  Make sure your provider is reliable too.  A day without internet access can be a wasted day for the writer doing research!

·         Printers vary in performance and cost.  Do your homework and remember that ink can be more expensive than the actual printer.  An all-in-one system can provide you with fax and scanning capabilities as well.  Color lasers are best, but can be pricey. 

Communication tools

A dedicated email is absolutely necessary, and your address should be professional.  For free accounts you can try Yahoo, Hotmail or Gmail.

It is well worth the investment to have a dedicated phone line. No editor wants to call your home and hear your daughter’s voice, no matter how cute she is.  Also, you don’t want to miss that all-important phone call.  Make your cell number your business line and always answer it professionally.  Or you can invest in a pay-as-you-go cell for just $20.00 per quarter that will allow you to have a dedicated line.

Resources

Yup, you need to invest in these too.

·         Writer’s Market is the best for finding markets.  Period.  You can get the hard copy or upgrade to the online service with some additional tools.(www.writersmarket.com).

·         Books on writing will help you immensely. See what is out there.  You may want to invest in some or just get from the library.  Amazon also does a great job with used books that you can get for a fraction of the new price.

·         Office supplies like paper, pens, file folders, envelopes, notebooks, postage are essential.

·         Copy machine (all-in-one) and fax can also be great to have.  I use an all-in-one printer for copying and for faxing I use an e-service.  For about $25.00 a year MaxEmail will provide you with a dedicated fax number and the capability to send and receive faxes through your computer (but you will need the scanner to input hard copies). 

·         Business cards are necessary.  Invest in professional looking cards with your contact information including your fax number.  You can get great cards for almost free at www.vistaprint.com.

The editor of this fabulous site, Melissa is also a freelance writer serving a variety of audiences.  She tries to take her own advice, but finds she often has the attention span of a beagle.  Learn more at http://www.mtdwrites.com