agreed on all points above, especially the less pleasant ones. it's not an easy job. too many people do it and too many people do it badly. however, it can be really rewarding. first of all you will need to write things, then you'll need to keep writing things. do not expect to make any money for quite a long time and make an effort to get better and better as time goes on. this kind of maturing as a writer only comes from doing it a lot, learning by your mistakes and getting more comfortable. always be honest. ethically speaking, don't try to make the facts fit your worldview at the expense of accuracy and truth - this happens far too often and never makes for good reading. practically speaking, don't just throw pieces together if you can avoid it - regardless of how much you need the money. don't dabble, either. do it properly, either as, or with a view to it becoming, a real career. alternatively have other work to live on and write periodically about things that you know an awful lot about and really care about. do not bother with books, one-week courses advertised in newspapers, websites or anything like that. they will be a waste of time and, in the case of websites and courses, probably scams. it's not a complicated process anyway. you have an idea, you pitch it to the relevant editor of AN Other publication, they either like it or don't. you then either write it or don't. you don't need anyone to tell you about that. just do it. the more you try, the easier it gets.
