Author Guest Post: Bethany Ramos

Earlier this week I reviewed 5 Stages of Grief by Bethany Ramos as part of the CLP Blog Tour (you can read my review here). Bethany was kind enough to write a guest post for Books Etc. I hope you all enjoy it!

Can a Ghostwriter Make It as a Novelist? How to Create Instant Street Cred as an Author

If you have always had a dream of writing a novel - as so many people profess to have - the best way to get your foot in the door in the world of writing is to establish an online presence. 

Develop Your Writing Credentials 
I have worked as a freelance writer/ghostwriter on Elance.com for a little over three years. In this transition into the writing world, it didn’t mean instant success for me. It did mean hard work, a willingness to take on less than desirable projects, and having a good work ethic to get my name out there. All of those factors are pretty much no-brainers when it comes to how to succeed in the career of your choice, and it shouldn’t be any different for a writer. 
If you do have a dream of writing a novel, I encourage you to start out with a job in the writing world. This gives you a bit of street cred when you shop your work out to agents, so that you aren’t just another writer in a sea of writers with brilliant ideas. 
The truth is that anyone can have a brilliant idea. But you have to be willing to do the hard work years in advance to make your idea have weight and seem attractive to the right agents and editors. 


Start Your Own Blog
If you are passionate about a particular topic, whatever it may be, start a blog right away. But don’t stop there. Anyone can create a blog for free, but it takes a person who is committed to writing to post on the blog several times a week - especially when you aren’t getting any comments. 
I currently have a chick lit review blog at http://chicklit-books.com/. I started this blog to support my chick lit writing career and to give agents and editors more information when they Googled me. I make a habit of posting to this blog several times a week, rain or shine. 
But the purpose of this blog isn’t to gain popularity and get me noticed as a chick lit reviewer, although that would be nice. The purpose of this blog is to support the work that I have already done and show any interested editors that I am committed as a writer. 
So, whatever genre, topic, or interest you may be passionate about, blog on it regularly. This is not only a great way to exercise your writing muscles, but it will create a Google trail with your name on it. The next time that you submit your manuscript, and a literary agent decides to do their homework on you, they will find a fully functioning blog with fresh posts to support your writing credentials. 
All of your work can be used to support any novel that you write and prove that you are worthwhile for a literary agent or editor to take on as an unpublished author. It worked for me!

Bethany Ramos is the author of the chick lit novel 5 Stages of Grief and is under contract to publish her children's book Lions Can’t Eat Spaghetti. She also reviews chick lit books on her blog ChickLit-Books.com.