Education · 1 of 5

The path

There is no qualification and no gatekeeper except editors. What you need is finished work, which is harder than it sounds.

1. 1

   High school

   Grades 9 to 12

   English and history. Read far more than is assigned. Write things and let people read them.

2. 2

   Learn the craft

   0 to 4 years

   A degree in English or creative writing, a college writing program, workshops, or a disciplined reading and writing habit on your own.

3. 3

   Publish small

   1 to 5 years

   Literary magazines, anthologies, online outlets. Small credits are how an agent or editor first takes you seriously.

4. 4

   Finish a manuscript

   1 to 4 years

   The step almost everyone stalls on. A complete, revised book is the thing publishers can say yes to.

5. 5

   Agent and publisher

   1 to 3 years of submitting

   An agent pitches your book and takes about 15%. Canadian literary publishers also accept direct submissions.