Act Like a Professional
AKA Common Sense
People within an industry treat each other with respect. They are there to do business, which, when done well, benefits all parties involved.
you canEven before you officially become involved with the publishing industry, it can only help you to act as if you were part of it. Treating everyone with professional courtesy shows you are serious about what you are doing and that you are someone existing professionals will want to do business with at some point.
This attitude of professionalism is important in person, and even more so online. Whether you are responding to an email, having a conversation in a public or private forum, or commenting on a blog or social networking site such as Facebook, MySpace, or Twitter – be courteous and polite. As many people as are taking part in the conversation, even more are watching it.
Every now and then there is a small implosion as an author rants publicly against an agent or editor. It never reflects well on the author and from what I have heard, is never forgotten by the agent or editor.
You don’t know who you are going to work with in the future. People often change jobs and sometimes even careers over the course of their lifetime. Someone you meet at the next conference or book signing could be someone that makes a difference in your writing career.
The only way you will know is to act like a professional and treat everyone with respect.
James Bond: Call it professional courtesy.
- GoldenEye
Dec 3, 2009
Categories: agents & editors & publishing | marketing / promotion | social networking
2 Responses to “Act Like a Professional”
Just one question though. Have you made writing this blog as your profession or do you do this in your spare time?
This currently a spare time effort. I still have a day job (40+ hours a week) because it is my primary source of income and I like living in a house, having electricity, eating out, and immediate access to lots of hot water. Once I can replace that income with more passive streams of revenue, I will spend *many* more hours a week writing.
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