Dear Chrys,
Do you need a degree in English Literature to get
published?
Dear Degree-less Writer,
First, I’m going to say that any degree can help a writer.
For example, a degree in Criminal Justice could be valuable for a mystery
writer. And a degree in English Literature can teach you a lot about literature
and even influence your style.
A degree in English Literature is something nice to add
to your bio as well as your resume when you query, but publishers don’t look at
this as make-or-break. Granted, some might check to see if you have one, but
it’s not a requirement. There are countless authors out there who are published
and don’t have a degree.
For some reason, many writers just starting out (with
nothing more than a dream) believe they need a degree to get published or to
get noticed by a publisher. This is false.
I do not have a degree of any kind. As a matter of fact,
I don’t have a traditional high school diploma. I have a GED. But guess what?
I’m published!
I don't believe you need a degree to be an author. Your
writing will speak for itself. A writer could write positively beautifully and
not have a high school diploma, while another could write horrendously bad and
have a degree. If you have the talent then it won’t matter if you have a degree
or not.
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| Image from Pixabay. |
What
Degree-less Writers Can Do:
1.
Practice.
Write as much as you can and re-write if needed.
Re-writing a story is a great learning opportunity.
2.
Read
Look for books on the writing craft and study them. Pay
attention to what these authors are telling you, take note, and try it for
yourself. You may agree or disagree. That’s all part of learning.
3.
Challenge Yourself
I created a 30 Day Writing Challenge. Check it out, it
may inspire you.
4.
Read
Yes, I listed this twice. On top of reading books on the
craft, you should be reading in your genre and even outside your genre. Not
just for pleasure, but to learn how the authors you enjoy get you to relate to
their characters, how they describe scenes, etc. Even read blog posts about
writing. There is so much information out there just waiting for you to find
it.
5.
Beta Read
Beta reading for others and having others beta read for
you are two ways to learn a lot about
writing and editing.
6. Workshops
Taking classes and workshops can also help. I’ve never
done either of these. Yet. But I know they can aid a writer greatly.
So, remember, you can get published without a degree. But
if you want a degree because literature is your passion then by all means...go
for it!
XOXO,
Chrys Fey
QUESTIONS: What do you do to learn about
writing/editing? Do you have a degree? Do you believe having a degree is the
only way to get published traditionally?
Have a writing-related question? Leave a comment and I may turn it into a post right here!
