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contacts you. "We're creating a series on children in European countries and we'd need someone to write about Belgium. Would you be interested?"

The correct answer is, "Yes!" so long as you're sure you can meet the deadline, which is often short. Don't know much about Belgium? Not sure it's even in Europe? Not to worry. Here's where the rule of, "Write what you know," becomes, "Write what you CAN know." The first writing assignment I received was a request to write a 3000 word book on the Blue Angels. I had six weeks in which to do it. After agreeing to the contract, I hung up the phone and thought, "Let's see, the Blue Angels, they're with the Navy, right?" Within days, I'd found great reference books on the Blue Angels (the U.S. Navy's flight demonstration squadron), found videos showing how the pilots train, and had contacted Blue Angels fan clubs and an official representative of the Blue Angels themselves to get interviews and information. By the time I had amassed the information, the book practically wrote itself, and several of my contacts helped fact-check the manuscript.

The publisher should provide you with a general format, or even a detailed outline of the book, as well as style sheets to guide your writing. Ask if there are books in the series already, even in manuscript form, that you could see. This will help assure that your book fits with the style of the series.

You'll put your research skills to work to find out the information you need. Use the adult section of your library, article databases at the library, and the internet to collect information and find expert contacts. Access to a university library is helpful for more arcane knowledge. Get to know your research librarian by name, since this is the person who can show you all sorts of sources for information. Be sure to cross-check EVERY fact.

Keep a calendar of all deadlines and strive not only to meet them, but to beat them. Be ready and eager to do any editorial changes. If all goes smoothly with the first book, chances are good you'll be assigned a second - and more!

Learn more about this author, Karen Bledsoe.
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