nothing but possibilities.

[stephanieann]

of course, the title of my post sounds a bit more positive than i actually feel.

it's been a fairly direct path thus far.

i've been a booktard since kindergarten, and have dreamed of being a writer for just as long. i initially went to school for journalism, but then transferred schools to study writing, literature, and publishing. i have experience with copy editing, online editorial writing, online marketing writing, newspapers, new media, book publishing, etc. at the moment, i am a full time editorial assistant at an academic book publisher, and am writing online ny hot spot reviews on the side. i had thought that i wanted to eventually become an acquisitions editor at a small press. now i'm not so sure of my path, and i don't know where to go from here.

there are so many possibilities i can think of for the future, though i'm not quite sure how to switch tracks so abruptly.

i'm already good at copy editing/proofreading, and this is something i could do, though i find it tedious at times.

i'm interested in publicity, but have no prior experience, and don't know how to get started.

i think i'd be happier in magazine publishing but, again, don't know how to make the switch from books to magazines.

and on and on and on...

is it wrong to seek out informational interviews at attractive publications/publishers if i have no intention of leaving my present job for at least seven more months? just to learn more about my options? i feel as if i've hit a dead end where i'm at.

[Bugsey34]

I think you should definitely start exploring options now. Don't wait until you are going to make the job change, because by then you will be rushed. Now you can take your time, explore while you have something giving you an income now, and learn about the possibilities. That's my favorite thing about being young is that the possibilities are endless. You could go anywhere, do anything, be anyone. :bigger:

[wordsmith]

It's always appropriate to keep an eye out for better options, job-wise. If you wait until you're desperate to leave, you run the risk of jumping at the first remotely appealing thing that comes your way, which isn't necessarily a good idea.

As someone who also has a deep love of all things literary and does the writing/editing thing for a living, I have to say...no matter how much you love it, sometimes it's just a job. Sometimes it's an unappealing chore. Sometimes it's tedious. That's just the way it is. But I'm still glad I get to put that skill set and love to work.

[shimmer728]

I agree that it's always a good idea to keep your options open. You never know what might pop up.

I have loved reading and writing for as long as I can remember. In fact, when I was in fifth grade, I even convinced my neighborhood friends to help me start a neighborhood newspaper. :D I did go on to study journalism in college and now write for a newspaper in central PA.

[Kitty]

Why 7 months? If you're not very happy and want to do other stuff, why are you waiting so long?