The advent of today's technology allows all writers to pursue their wildest dreams of becoming published.  Gone are the days when you have to impress an agent or an editor in order to have your book in print or e-book.  With online presses like Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing, Nook Press, Smashwords, and various other outlets where you can publish your work, all you have to do is spend your time writing and proofing your work (though there are other key processes that I highly recommend in addition).

With self-publishing, anyone who is willing to pay the physical publishing cost and possible other fees demanded by a particular publisher can get published independently.  

Though these back doors into the industry are not nearly as glamorous, they still can serve a purpose.  Late best-selling author, Vince Flynn, became discovered by a traditional publisher in this manner.  And the rest is history with his name -- bigger than life -- on the Best Sellers List many times over!  So who is to say that you and I cannot do it?  

Overall, the biggest thing I have learned is that writing a great story is the least of a new writer's worries!  Sure, you need to have a good and solid story that hooks your readers.  But I've so far found that getting my name out in the reading community is the overwhelming obstacle to becoming a best-selling author.  

It is not until you achieve your fame and fortune from your first best-selling novel, that you no longer have to come up with so many different creative ways to get your name out there, allowing you to focus on what should be the most important part of being a writer:  your writing!

But the reality is cold, hard, and ugly and has most likely scared off many would-be writers and possible best-selling authors out there:  Beginning writers need to be just as strong or stronger in marketing finesse as they are in writing talent.

Some beginning writers who read this may automatically begin to think about running for the hills, abandoning their dreams of writing.  But the simple fact is that best-selling authors do not give up, and most likely never did.  If they did, then how would they have ever become successful in the first place?

So, don't abandon your dreams!  Instead, step up to the plate, and knock the ball out of the stadium in the area of writing.  When it comes to facing the readers, agents, and editors, simply be sure that you are already prepared before you ever speak your first word.  Study everything you can about marketing using great resources like the local library or the internet.  A good writer normally researches his subject matter before setting pen to paper.  In this case you need to add the subject of marketing to your list of research items.  Before long, you may just realize that there are easy and inexpensive ways to get your name out there after you have published your book.  

Most important of all, I must conclude by saying:  "Never quit!"