where do I start?

[pitstopbunny]

I have been off work for over 2 years through illness but feel I need to start taking back control. Working from home would be great but so much of this type of work seems to be a con. I'm intelligent but not trained in anything in particular. Several friends of mine have read some articles/blogs that I have written and suggest that I look onto trying to get them published, but where do I start? Any ideas on wither of the above options much appreciated.

[redhead23]

hi ,
a lot of home work is a con , but mabye you should ease urself back into workl by doing some factory work , or something behind the scenes , whilst publishing may sound good in theory , it will take a long time to start receiving money off that so i would suggest that you find emplolyment ,in even a small bakers or something . good luck it will all come together soon enough x

[boojp]

You could send your work off to publishers and see if you get anywhere, keeping things in perspective and not expecting too much to come of it. Does a career in journalism sound appealing to you? If so would you be eligible to apply to relevant university courses? What are your qualifications and what experience do you have that you can build on?

Whilst researching these areas it would be a good idea for you to seek some work to get additional skills under your belt as a previous poster said and build up confidence. If you cannot stand working in a bakery or factory though how about applying for work as a bookseller in your local Waterstones or other major booksellers?

I presume that by working from home you are meaning freelance editorial work? etc?? I have heard that people who succeed in this line of work are former editors etc or big wigs in publishing late on in their career who have a strong professional background and have many contacts in the publishing world. Without this type of background, you might find it hard to get much work coming in at all and therefore it cannot be a reliable source of income for you.

Please update the boards and let me know your thoughts so far! Good luck.