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You want the lowdown on how to get your book published…the sooner the better? Let me lay it out for you. First: Catch the writing bug. You know the one I’m talking about. The one where you can’t see yourself doing anything else and so spend your every free moment putting word to page, churning out three novels in as many years, yet coming up against rejection after rejection. Next: Experience desperation and disillusionment. Take on a mind-numbing job writing about things you care nothing about. At least you’ll have a steady paycheck, and can say that — technically — you’re a published writer. After that: Decide to do something crazy, like writing a book about writing a book, in the hopes that said book will actually be published. Swiftly realize that such a prospect is completely unwieldy, and utterly insane. And yet: Find yourself an agent, and then an editor, willing to give you a chance. Actually publish said book.

And there you have it.

Oh wait…I suppose that’s not how it’s always been done. But that’s how Stephen Markley did it.

Publish This Book is — yes — a book about writing and publishing a book (among other things). The concept is quite audacious. In fact, when I first started reading this book, I sorta hated this Markley character. It wasn’t his penchant for poop jokes. It wasn’t his potty mouth. It wasn’t his frustratingly distracting footnotes (well, it was partially his frustratingly distracting footnotes; I felt that the contents of said footnotes were written by someone trying way too hard to be funny, and I considered it somewhat outrageous and indulgent that they hadn’t been edited out). Rather, it was his seeming arrogance. (At one point, he reprinted one of his first Red Eye columns from Chicago Now, in order to point out how the editing process had left his writing embarrassingly bland; I felt as if his editors has probably done him a huge favor, and was appalled by how conceited one could be to think that he was too good for an editor’s assistance.)

But then, as I read on, I actually started — dare I say it? — enjoying myself. As a reader and a writer, I love reading about writing, and Markley’s depictions of the writerly life were dead-on.

A favorite section of mine contained the query letter he sent out to a slew of agents. I thought the query letter was brilliant and bold and completely unique…everything a good query letter should be. (In fact, if for no other reason, you should buy this book just so you can see his query letter.)

He then surpassed this bit of brilliance later on by reprinting his letter…this time with footnotes detailing how much he had embellished and exaggerated. Example: In elaborating on the line, “In addition, I publish my own column at www.stephenmarkley.com, which caters to a network if readers who have been following me since my days as a campus firebrand at a college newspaper,” he writes:

This “network of readers” essentially consists of twenty to thirty of my closest friends and perhaps a few strays who still remember me from The Miami Student. I stopped looking at the average number of hits on my website after the number became too depressing, but if I had to hazard a guess, I would say it’s no more than 200 to 400 per week.

Well, we all have to prop ourselves up a bit, right?

I wholeheartedly recommend buying this book, for his accounts of writing groups, querying, editing, writing mentors, and more. But even more than that, I recommend buying this book because — heck — it could get you closer to being published yourself. How?

Markley’s publisher — Sourcebooks — is apparently staffed by insane people and, somehow, they’ve concocted an absolutely brilliant (there’s that word again) and ridiculous promotional push that’s sure to leave them drowning in unsolicited (though I suppose that, technically, they’re solicited)* book proposals. Here’s the deal:

Purchase a copy of Publish This Book. Retain your receipt. Put together your own book proposal. (This proposal may include a one-page synopsis of your work and a sample chapter of up to 5,000 words.) Between now and May 9, submit your book proposal, along with your proof of purchase. You can find submission information here. Or you can use snail mail and send your proposal here:

Sourcebooks, Inc.
Att: “Tearing Down the Walls” Promotion
1935 Brookdale Rd., Suite 139
Naperville, IL 60563

Within two to six months, you’ll receive a 2 to 4-paragraph critique of your submission which, while not a contract, could certainly be helpful.

How cool is that!? And I’ve totally screwed myself over by receiving a free review copy of this book, rather than shelling out the cash! Ah well. At least you can still benefit.

*While Markley does have an annoying habit of utilizing a shit-ton of footnotes, I’ve just realized that I have a just-as-annoying habit of injecting a shit-ton of parenthetical phrases within parentheses.

Related: Job Hopping for Word Nerds: An Ebook-in-Progress, Breakneck Book Report: How To Become a Famous Writer Before You’re Dead

It was a long time coming, but I’m finally comfortable with telling people I’m a writer, rather than someone who just “writes on the side.”

A famous writer, however? Perhaps in the eensiest of eensy weensy circles. Obviously, it was time I read Ariel Gore’s How To Become a Famous Writer Before You’re Dead.

When I first dove into Gore’s book, I expected a lot of the typical how-to material…the stuff I already knew about writing query letters, researching markets, and more. And there was some of that. But I soon learned that the real guts of the book embodied getting published…by any means necessary.

Because the narrator of this book is a DIY-er. A zinester. A guerrilla book tour guru. And she knows how to get shit done. So in between the interviews and the homework assignments — stuffed in between the chapters on how to find an agent, and how to put together a book proposal — was the lesson that it’s not necessarily about who you know…it’s about who knows you.

So how are you gonna get the word out?

I was fascinated by Gore’s fierce loyalty to print publishing, especially when it comes to zines. In fact, there were only five short paragraphs on blogging throughout the entire book. Do you feel that zines still have a place in society, or has everyone simply taken to the blogosphere?

Gore is also a proponent of self-publishing, if that’s what it takes to get the job done. How do you feel about building a portfolio based upon zine clips and self-published books? Do you feel that these types of clips are considered relevant by editors?

And what about money? If you’ve read this book, do you feel that the tactics described within are more suited to beginning writers? Do you feel that more seasoned writers have something to learn in these pages? Or — especially considering the brouhaha surrounding content mills and embarrassingly low rates — do you feel that some of these more unconventional means of getting published could actually be detrimental to writers?

I’d love to know your thoughts. Gore’s enthusiasm was infectious, but it’s interesting to consider how her methods relate to writers’ stances concerning fair payment and the like.

Related: Better Than Money

I wanted to read this book for the same reason I am always wanting to refresh my Twitter feed every three and a half minutes, and for the same reason my Google Reader is filled up with other writers’ blogs, and for the same reason I love lit events, though I could easily enjoy a book in the comfort of my own home: I love connecting with other writers. It makes me feel less alone.

Stephanie Dickison’s The 30-Second Commute is not a self-help book or how-to manual. Lord knows I have enough of those. Rather, it’s a portrait of the artist as a young freelancer. A meandering, manuscript-length account of Dickison’s days, assignments, and niches.

Why did I enjoy it so much?

Not only did it act as a perfect snapshot of my own life, but it showed that a freelancer can sustain oneself by concentrating on the subject matter he/she loves.

It forced me to think of the things in my life that I love…those untapped subject areas…things like cats, amateur cooking, and bizarre exercise classes. It made me think of new areas I could explore, and new markets I could break into. It reminded me that a career can be built around a life — and be based upon life experiences — rather than the other way around.

If you’re looking for a how-to, this book wouldn’t be for you. But if you’re looking to connect with another freelancer…someone who gets what you’re doing…pick this one up.

Related: Home-Schooled: 20 Books To Build Your Freelance Life Upon

I spend the bulk of my hours on my computer, and the bulk of those hours on my Google Reader, scanning through the 146 blogs I’m subscribed to. Among those: Lifehacker. The blog’s posts are rich with tips and web apps guaranteed to make my life easier.

Though I can easily search through my Google Reader for the answer to any problem — assuming it’s already been answered in a previous post — there’s just something about holding a tangible reference manual in your hands…

Which is why I was curious to read Lifehacker founding editor Gina Trapani’s Upgrade Your Life: The Lifehacker Guide to Working Smarter, Faster, Better.

In the end, there just wasn’t enough to hold my interest. I felt as if I was reading an extended Billy Mays pitch…the sort in which problems are created in order to sell the solution. I’m a creature of habit, and it seemed that merely learning how to be “smarter, faster, better” would cost me more time and effort than it was worth.

Still, there were a few tips I found interesting:

Hack 2: Decrease Your Response Time:

In Hack 2, Trapani gave a multitude of tips for decreasing your e-mail response time, such as processing messages in batches, and the one-minute rule. I already do some of these, and it’s the reason my inbox is usually empty. Definitely worth a look if you’ve been buried under a mountain of incoming e-mails for months now.

Hack 12: Instantly Retrieve Files Stored on Your Computer:

In this hack, Trapani explores a number of downloadable search apps that are guaranteed to make searching all the files on your computer much easier.

Hack 14: Instantly Recall Any Number of Different Passwords:

I don’t want to give away the big secret here but Gina: You are one clever chica.

Hack 17: Organize Your Digital Photos:

I’m a sucker for organizational tools, and I’m a sucker for personal photos. Which is why I immediately downloaded Picasa — a free photo organizer by Google — upon reading this. After having it search all the images saved on my computer, I sheepishly erased all the porn, and then spent a good amount of time captioning and tagging photos, and placing them into albums. I believe that, over time, I will harness the true potential of Picasa.

Hack 22: Make Your To-Do List Doable:

The tips here are just common sense, but it helps to be reminded. Break down items in your list into actionable tasks. Use active verbs. Include all necessary information. Etc. Following the tips in this hack will keep you from feeling overwhelmed on a daily basis.

Hack 24: Map Your Time:

I like this hack because I like spreadsheets, and this hack involves using color-coded spreadsheets to schedule out your day. It even mentions a downloadable Excel time map template if you’re not up to making your own.

Hack 51: Batch-Resize Photos:

This one is self-explanatory, and helpful when you’ve just uploaded a bunch of high-res images from your digital DSLR.

Hack 58: Poll Groups of People with Doodle:

I’ve been on the hunt for the best polling site, and I’m liking the looks of this one. Perhaps I should set up a poll in order to get your opinion?

Hack 69: Manage Your Documents in a Web-Based Office Suite:

A nice alternative to carrying around a flash drive, I’m not quite sure why I haven’t gotten on the Google Docs bandwagon yet. In this hack, Trapani includes the pros and cons of using a web-based office suite, and then gives multiple options for word processors, spreadsheets, and presentations.

Hack 97: Rescue Your PC from Malware:

I haven’t tried this myself yet, only because I don’t trust myself to not accidentally acquire even more malware in the process. There’s already a shady file on my computer that I’ve been unable to get rid of. But perhaps it would be worth it. Trapani mentions tools like Lavasoft Ad-Aware, Spybot Search and Destroy, SpywareBlaster, and Windows Defender. Anyone have any experience with these?

…

You get the picture. If you’re interested in checking out more of Trapani’s tips and hints, pick up the book. Otherwise, I highly recommend searching through the Lifehacker archives for specific problems.

Related: Home-Schooled: 20 Books To Build Your Freelance Life Upon

Back in April, I posted a monster roundup of the 20 books I built my freelance life upon. Readers (and writers, obvs) were quick to point out that I had made an egregious omission by not including Anne Lamott’s Bird by Bird.

The truth is, I had plumb forgot about it because, long ago, I lent my copy to someone else, and it was never returned.

Recently, I bought myself a new copy, and immediately fell in love all over again.

Bird by Bird is meant primarily for fiction writers, but the lessons one learns upon reading it can be applied to just about every type of writing (not to mention many aspects of life).

Among them:

Don’t rely upon publication for career satisfaction.

“I believed, before I sold my first book,” Lamott writes, “that publication would be instantly and automatically gratifying, an affirming and romantic experience, a Hallmark commercial where one runs and leaps in slow motion across a meadow filled with wildflowers into the arms of acclaim and self-esteem. This did not happen for me.”

In short: Be sure you’re writing for the right reasons.

Don’t begin a writing assignment with preconceived notions, or force your piece to bend to your will.

“E.L. Doctorow once said that ‘writing a novel is like driving a car at night. You can see only as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.’”

Upon starting a piece, I’m often amazed to discover that the story I’m telling is far different than the one I set out to tell. Allow your writing to take you into previously unforeseen directions.

I also love how this lesson can be applied to your career path. What I’ve wanted has shifted many times over the course of the past 10 years. Each experience I have tells me more about what I do or don’t want to do with my life.

Don’t let perfectionism slow you down.

This one is a doozie for me, as I’m constantly self-editing my work as I go along. As a result, my speed of productivity is about the same — as my dad would put it — as poop rolling up a hill. (My dad is gross.) Allow yourself to fly through a “shitty first draft.” There will be time to edit and polish afterwards.

Be inspired by life.

It’s tough to consistently generate new story ideas when I barely leave the house. Good ideas come from experiences and observations and personal questions. If you are inspired by something, or find yourself with a question to be answered or a problem to be solved, chances are someone else will be similarly inspired, or grateful for the answers and solutions you find.

Don’t tiptoe around your topic.

Lamott writes that you should “write as if your parents are dead.” A former professor of mine made a similar assertion, and I believe it’s good advice. When you tiptoe around your topic, afraid to offend or reveal too much, you’re doing both your readers and your subject matter a disservice.

…

Of course, Lamott also goes into great detail on character development, scene-setting, plot, and the like. All meant for fiction writers, but applicable to nonfiction as well.

And the way she captures the writing life in her book is so…real and hilariously true (no one does neuroticism and distraction like a writer).

So I can’t recommend this book enough.

It will remind you why you’re writing.

Related: Home-Schooled: 20 Books To Build Your Freelance Life Upon

When I first cracked open the cover of Pamela Slim’s Escape from Cubicle Nation, I wasn’t sure I’d find anything new inside. After all, the title makes it clear that the book is for those still lost in the cubicle jungle.

After remaining lost in its pages, however, for a long weekend trip, I had to acknowledge that there was a wealth of information therein that all of us could benefit from.

Slim first asks readers to create a picture of their ideal life, providing a handy-dandy list of questions to use as a guideline. Reading through it only made me realize how I was from the ideal work environment, the idea balance between work and life, the ideal level of income, the ideal at-home business… It’s nice to be reminded that, even when you escape the 9-to-5 grind, you should constantly be reevaluating your situation.

Slim then walks readers through the business of…developing a viable business plan, including a close look on how to tell if your idea is a good one, where to tighten your belt so you can make it work, and even providing a chart of all of the items that typically appear in a business plan. She even makes figuring out annual revenue targets seem simple, which is quite a leap for someone who hoped she’d never have to do math again once she finished that required course in college.

There’s a lot more to this book but, basically, it is as an invaluable guide for going from dreaming about to planning to making your business dreams come true.

Related: Reevaluating Your Life, Home-Schooled: 20 Books To Build Your Freelance Life Upon

I’ve already written in the past about the importance of being prepared. A huge part of that for me has been the greedy consumption of books: how-tos, self-helps, career guides, etc.

I’ve read so many that I think it’s about time for a roundup. After the jump, the 20 books that helped me build my freelance life…and that could very well help you too!

1. Your Money or Your Life, by Joe Dominguez and Vicki Robin:

money, finances

Idealistic and quite…intense…this book opened my eyes to the wastefulness I’d allowed in my life. It brought back all of the buyer’s remorse. While I didn’t go all the way with it, the mere act of tracking my purchases on a day to day basis made me more mindful of my spending…more thoughtful about the things I chose to spend my money on. It’s a good thing to have a handle on when you’re about to leap into self-employment.

2. The Money Therapi$t, by Marcia Brixey:

money, finances

After getting a handle on how to spend my money today, Brixey’s book helped me to get a handle on the mess I had already created for myself in my past. I learned about the files I should keep or toss, my credit score and the things that affect it most, and more. In addition, the worksheets throughout the book helped me to realize how much I was risking in my future for the pleasures of instant self-gratification.

3. One Person/Multiple Careers, by Marci Alboher:

business, career

This is the book that made me feel vindicated in my multitude of interests and goals…all of the things my husband said made me unfocused. It advocated job juggling, and tackled the tough questions, on establishing credibility, maintaining balance, and more.

4. The Boss of You, by Lauren Bacon and Emira Mears:

business, career, entrepreneurship, self-employment

Thinking of starting your own business? This book is the definitive how-to, from A to Z. In this book, I learned how to figure out my start-up costs, draw up a budget, make my business legit, build relationships with clients and customers, handle invoicing, and more.

5. & 6. The Well-Fed Writer and The Well-Fed Writer: Back for Seconds, by Peter Bowerman:

writing, copywriting, business writing, freelance writing, freelance, business

Though I’ve never been much interested in corporate copywriting, these books taught me the importance of setting quantifiable goals, cold-calling, marketing materials, rates, and more.

7. The 4-Hour Workweek, by Timothy Ferriss:

career, business, entrepreneurship, self-employment, work/life balance

There were many things about this book that I didn’t agree with but, I have to admit…it was definitely food for thought. Despite our differences in opinion, I loved Ferriss’s willingness to bring us back from the brink of fear as a means of moving forward. I was also intrigued by his committment to outsourcing.

8. Career Renegade, by Jonathan Fields:

business, career

This book fired me up more than anything else, renewing my motivation when I needed it most. I also loved its chock-full-of-resources content. More than any other book I’ve read, this entire book was like a giant resource section…the kind you find — quite abbreviated — at the backs of other books.

9. The Renegade Writer, by Linda Formichelli and Diana Burrell:

writing, freelance

This is a book I read way before I ever left corporate life. I used it as a guide at a time when I was slipping personal essay-writing and magazine pitching into the cracks between work and sleep. Its pages are dog-eared in a number of places, reminding me of a time when I was new to query letters, writers’ contracts, editing processes, online portfolios, and more.

10. The Anti 9 to 5 Guide, by Michelle Goodman:

career

I developed a major freelancer-crush on Michelle Goodman as soon as I opened her first book. It was the impetus to my leaving full-time book publishing, and it taught me about developing action plans, the possibilities of the patchwork paycheck (whether through telecommuting, job sharing, temping, etc.),  researching your target market, drawing up a business plan, low-cost publicity tactics, and more.

11. My So-Called Freelance Life, by Michelle Goodman:

career, freelance, self-employment

This followup to Goodman’s first book takes the next step, diving fully into a full-time freelance lifestyle. It’s the book I wish I had when I first made that particular move. In it, I learned more about targeting my dream clients, the various permutations of the home office, making your business legit, naming your price, and accepting or rejecting projects.

12. The Art of the Interview, by Lawrence Grobel:

writing, journalism

One of the more niche books on my shelf, Grobel’s book taught me about self-confidence, preparation, and just about anything else I’d hoped to know about interviewing. It taught me to enjoy the interviews I conducted a whole lot more…to treat them like interesting conversations.

13. Work It!, by Allison Hemming:

career, employment, job-hunting

My husband bought me this book for Christmas. I didn’t take it personally. It reminded me that I couldn’t allow myself to get lazy about finding new work, I couldn’t get lazy about keeping my resume updated, and I couldn’t get lazy about any of my business correspondence…most especially my query letters. It also taught me how to close the deal.

14. Ready, Aim, Specialize!, by Kelly James-Enger:

writing, freelance, business

While, by this point, so much of this books seems no-duh, it forced me to think about where my knowledge lay, and then showed me how (with resources) I could break into specific areas of writing.

15. Test-Drive Your Dream Job, by Brian Kurth:

business, career

I was way excited when I first came upon Brian Kurth’s Vocation Vacations site, and then even more excited to find that he had a book in which he shares generously his test-a-dream-drive tips. In the pages therein, I learned how to find a mentor (or at least score an informational interview), and I also learned of the tough questions I needed to ask myself before considering a change in career.

16. The Forest for the Trees, by Betsy Lerner:

writing, publishing, book publishing

This one’s another oldie (but goodie). An editor’s advice to writers, Lerner eloquently pinpoints the great paradox of writing (“the great paradox of the writer’s life is how much time he spends alone trying to connect with other people”), while letting writers in on the secrets of the editing process…from pitch to publish, as it were.

17. What to Charge, by Laurie Lewis:

business, entrepreneurship, self-employment, freelance

Home stretch guys! I bought this book in order to answer the one question I always had trouble asking of myself: How much am I worth? Lewis taught me that there are many ways to arrive at an answer.

18. Spunk & Bite, by Arthur Plotnik:

writing, style

I’ve never been one for style or grammar guides (I simultaneously chafed at and loved Stephen King’s On Writing, but that could have been merely because I loved Stephen King), but my love of language, and the ways in which words can be strung together to create something beautiful, led me to love this book. Within these pages, Plotnik reveals “the secrets to attention-grabbing, unforgettable writing.”

19. Get a Freelance Life, by Margit Feury Ragland:

freelance, writing

I bought the book because I loved the site (Get a Freelance Life was put out by mediabistro). It didn’t let me down. It contained helpful interviews with other freelance professionals, tips on setting up your home office, networking advice, writer-specific tips, and more.

20. ProBlogger, by Darren Rowse and Chris Garrett:

business, blogging

Finally, we have ProBlogger, actually the secret catalyst behind this post. His blog taught me everything I know about blogging, and his book taught me even more. I used it to launch Freelancedom, and I still have yet to make use of its sections on monetizing your blog. It’s a resource I’ll always have use for.

…

Any books I’m missing here? Any I should definitely be reading? Let me know!

New: Breakneck Book Report: Pamela Slim’s Escape From Cubicle Nation

Despite gaining momentum in the writing realm, with assignments from TONY, Babble, Lemondrop, and Nerve, I’ve had other career-related plans on the back burner for months, with no clue as to how I could possibly move forward with them.

Then, Jonathan Fields‘s Career Renegade got me excited, and thinking that it was time to take another risk.

After the jump, the 4 reasons I loved Career Renegade.

1. While Fields’s book has its share of inspirational anecdotes, it is also rich in cold, hard resources for getting the job done. The book itself requires no resource section or appendix. It is a collection of resources and step-by-step instructions.

2. Career Renegade gets me thinking about what I really want to be doing by bringing up the “power of flow.” Aside from hooping dancing and classical singing, I realized that there were things I should be incorporating into my career plan as a means of achieving greater career satisfaction. What activities help you achieve flow?

3.  Fields helped me to think about information gaps in my industry, as a means of finding new sources of income. In Career Renegade, he suggests various ways to harness this knowledge, such as e-books, premium content, marketing yourself on your blog/site, and e-newsletters. He then lists resources for putting all of these plans into action.

4. Again with the resources. Fields lists tangible ways in which you can establish yourself as an expert in your field.

Obviously, this isn’t everything. There are chapters on teaching, building community, marketing, and more. But this is the content that got me thinking. Intrigued? Pick up a copy!

Reading Timothy Ferriss‘s The 4-Hour Workweek was like being on an emotional roller coaster.

I’d read a line like “Most people will choose unhappiness over uncertainty” and think Man! This guy knows where it’s at! Then I’d read about his empty and meaningless kickboxing win due to manipulated technicalities, or his distaste for reading, and want to throttle him.

Is he a genius? Or is he just plain ridiculous? Perhaps a bit of both. After the jump, I explore the aspects of his book that made me think.

Fear of the Unknown Can be Overcome:

This is something I’ve always known inherently, and have tried to explain to those who see me as a spur-of-the-moment risk-taker. Ha! My jump from full-time to freelance was the product of years’ worth of planning, research, education, and more.

Ferriss tries to move readers past their fears with some well-chosen questions, forcing them to consider their worst nightmares and then acknowledge that they would not signify the end of the world…they could be dealt with.

“Doing the Unrealistic is Easier Than Doing the Realistic”:

So many of us choose not to try something, simply because we believe that it can’t be done. We aim toward being average, rather than outstanding. Ferriss points out here (and rightly so, I believe) that so few people are aiming for the tippy-top that…well…there’s a whole lot less competition up there.

What have you accomplished, despite not believing you could?

Your Work Can Be Done in a Fraction of the Time…Especially If You Outsource:

Ferriss devotes a good amount of his book to the benefits of outsourcing, pushing readers to make twice the money with none 0f the work. I’m reluctant to consider outsourcing (at least on this scale) for two reasons:

1. I have trouble letting go. When my name is attached to something, it should be no one’s fault but my own if there’s something wrong with it. I have high standards, and tend not to trust others to be able to meet them.
2. I am proud of the work that I do. I want to be able to deliver something that is solely my own.

Still, I wouldn’t mind having someone around to conduct research for me, find sources, transcribe interviews, etc. Think of all that I could get done if I wasn’t wasting my time on the nitty-gritty! (Transcribing is torture.)

Ferriss includes a good number of resources in his book for those looking to investigate outsourcing agencies for themselves.

…

Of course, there is much more to found in The 4-Hour Workweek – finance resources, tips on convincing your employer to allow you to work remotely, challenges designed to push your comfort levels — but these are the things that struck me as the most interesting.

I have a feeling that many readers have experienced the same feelings of conflict when reading Ferriss’s work.

Have you already read it? What were your thoughts? I’d love to hear some different perspectives!

Check out this book my husband bought me for Christmas!

(I decided not interpret it is as a commentary on the fact that he’s supporting me, as it was on my Amazon Wish List.)

Allison Hemming — founder of the Hired Guns — wrote Work It! as an antidote to the times…times in which an increasing amount of people are losing their jobs, or are at least worrying about the possibility.

While the majority of the content in her book is aimed at those in the full-time, corporate work force, I found that the lessons therein — especially as they pertained to resumes, networking, and correspondence — were applicable to anyone looking to make money.

And the number one lesson I learned from reading Work It!? It’s never too late to review the basics.

Other lessons learned:

- Don’t be lazy about looking for work, as easy as the Internet makes this. Take advantage of targeted job alerts and industry job boards, but also check out trade associations and corporate alumni sites.

- Revisit your resume. Especially if you’re still using the same old one-sheet you put together on your college graduation day. Using the tips in Work It!, I reformatted my resume, tweaked some of the phrasing, added some new info, and embraced the idea of a customized resume for every possible job, client, or employer.

- Don’t let Internet-speak — or other forms of lazy writing — creep into your cover letters or other correspondence. I’ve always been pretty proud of my cover letters, but this section of the book reminded me that it doesn’t pay to cut corners on such things has finding the correct person to address your missive to. It also made me realize that my opening lines are not as snappy as they used to be. Hemming also has some great ideas for making your thank yous, and other follow-ups, stand out from the crowd’s.

- I’ve always struggled in interviews. I get nervous, so I talk to fast…stumble over some words…forget others…it’s a mess! Work It! contained a good primer on acing that interview, one I was all too happy to revisit.

There’s lots more, of course, but you get the picture. Be sure to check out this book if you want to get back to basics. Chances are, we all have an area or two we’ve gotten a bit lazy with.

…

Related: How To Write Your Way Into the Best Darn Jobs Ever, Work 2.0: The Deterioration of Professional Decorum