When I decided to turn my dream of becoming a freelancer into reality, I was a little bit scared and a lot overwhelmed.  I knew there were lots of things I needed to learn about running a business.  As a former librarian, I have a pretty good idea how to find information.  I had already read books on the subject, but I wanted to talk to people who are doing it and learn from them.

I had started utilizing LinkedIn and connecting with anyone I could, especially those who had ties to people I might want to connect with.  I was meeting once a month with a handful of women who wanted to talk about publishing, and I also attended a meeting of the NW Association of Book Publishers (NABP).  I was meeting and greeting in every way I possibly could.

In late April, I met Lori Anne Chance (http://loriannecoaching.com/) through a mutual friend, and we got together for coffee at Starbucks.  She is an author coach/editor.  I asked her about the path she took to get to where she is and I asked her every question I could think of about running a business.  She even brought her laptop so I could see how she did her paperwork.  She seemed so confident, so put together, and I longed to be like her.

After we left Starbucks, she contacted me to suggest I get a job coach through MicroMentor.org.  I ran with that suggestion, and I got hooked up with Elge Premeau of Mercy Corps.  For 3 hours a month for 3 months, she will mentor me through the steps of starting my own business.  It was Elge who talked my son, Jamey, and me through how to start this web site and blog.

A week ago, I also met with Mel Gurtov who edits a scholarly journal.  Mel is a semi-retired university professor and the journal he edits includes articles from Asia.  More importantly, Mel is the husband of a good friend of mine, and he took time out of a very busy schedule to meet with me and talk about what he does.

I am grateful for all those who have responded to my countless questions, and I pass this information on in the same spirit that it has been offered to me.  Go forth and learn from everyone you can.  And if I can help you with the business of writing, I would be happy to do so!