I cannot stress enough the importance of the ’small print’ being read and fully understood with everything that is written now – be it in the form of a contract, written agreement (and if signed and countersigned that is in fact a contract) or by hearsay (which I suggest as I do get everything stated put into writing and signed).

No matter who or what we are we can still be caught (I have just been caught for £35-00 today) and I have to admit that was purely my own fault as a result of not reading the small print.  Being too lazy at the time not to be bothered with reading it all properly I misread the full details of the requirements.  As I said only in a recent article to Triond, the best teachers in life are own experiences and the money in our pockets.  I have just, unfortunately had the benefit of the number two teacher in that category.

The same thing applies to what in the writing trade is known as vanity publishing.  Basically it means nothing when you are asked by a publisher or publishing company to pay so much to have your article or poems printed.  My own philosophy without me trying to sound big headed or egotistical is that if your own work is not worthy of being published because of its’ own merits of presentation or work submitted then it most certainly is not worth paying one single penny in order to try and encourage people to read it via such paid for facilities.  It is very tempting especially when first starting to write.  What do they say?  I’ve been there, done that and worn the tee shirt.  Indeed it is true – I have.  Experience in writing alone can improve your work.  After I had spend a somewhat small fortune with trying to get my work published using these unethical short cuts and approaches I soon realised that the only one way and the best way to succeed with writing is the hard way.  That is to get work published ON THE MERITS OF THE WORK ONLY not having to pay for it to be published for you.

Again an answer for all people in the same boat (or on a ship even) could be writing groups.  I personally did not get on too well in the one I attended in Liverpool at the time some twenty years ago now (it doesn’t look so bad when you write the word out instead of having figures up that remind you of your age does it?) but there again that was my own fault as I am not the best of mixers at the best of times.  Now perhaps that I have had the benefit of living a bit perhaps maturing a bit more and having had at least fifteen years of writing experience I can relate a bit better to the subjects at hand.  One thing I did get was a very good friend who emigrated to Japan and with whom I still correspond to this day.  There was a major concern as to whether he was involved with the recent tsunami damage in Tokyo but thankfully I heard from him since and he was not affected at all.  He was living and working a great deal of distance away from that particular area.