Pushing and Publishing

“You gotta straight-up hustle!”

Shockingly enough, that’s not a quote about the life lessons learned from HBO’s “How to Make it in America,” (it could be, though). Rather, it is a proclamation from author Liz Funk, who spoke at Boston University’s Women’s Resource Center on Thursday. Funk, who has been published in numerous publications, including Today, Newsday, and the Washington Post, recently published a book on the 21^st century, overachieving young woman: “Supergirls Speak Out: Inside the Crisis of Overachieving Girls” and led a discussion on the topic. Earlier in the day, however, she conducted a workshop on how to get published as a young writer.

Given the aforementioned resume, you might be surprised to learn that Liz Funk is only in her early 20s. As a junior in high school, she began freelance writing for small newspapers near her home in upstate New York, gradually published articles in larger and more high-profile magazines and newspapers, and eventually landed a book deal. Now working on her second book, she still finds the time to contribute to various publications and travel and speak to students. Not bad for a twenty-something who’s relatively fresh out of college.

As an aspiring writer, I’m tempted to keep the mounds of information I gleaned during the workshop to myself because you might be by competition. Rarely have I been to an event that could more aptly be described by the title “What You Wish You Learned in School,” at least if you’re trying to get published at some point in life. Out of the goodness of my heart, though, I’ll spill the basics.

First, don’t be afraid to get a copy of “Freelancing for Dummies” and/or “Getting Your Book Published for Dummies.” It might feel like a cop-out, but apparently they’re incredibly helpful. Also, start small. Don’t think that the New Yorker is going to pick up your op-ed if the last time you were published was in your high school yearbook. Local newspapers are good credential-builders. Networking is also huge. Have the courage to contact local writers whose work you’ve enjoyed; invite them to coffee or lunch (always offer to pay). Initiative like that led to Funk’s book deal. Funk also delved into the art of pitching (nonfiction and fiction), getting a literary agent, etc., the details of which wouldn’t fit here. Overall, writing takes effort beyond the piece you hope to get published. You have to be carefully aggressive, motivated, constantly writing, and confident enough to take initiative and shoulder criticism. You have to, well,

hustle.