Do You Dream Of Being Published?

Do you dream of being published? To not just be a blogger or a freelance writer, but to have a book? Author - it's a title many of us dream of adding to our resume. But if you’re anything like me, you don’t have a clue what it takes to become a published author. All you know is it sure sounds fancy! You dabble in writing on the side and admire "real writers" from afar. But a little part of you always wonders if you too have what it takes. Do you possess the talent? For close friend and fellow blogger, Jenny Blake, the answer is yes! She just landed her first book deal with Running Press for Spring 2011. While her dream of becoming a published author is now a reality, it's not too late for YOU to see your name in print as well! Because Jenny wants YOU to be a part of her new book! Here's how...

First off, for those of you who don’t know who Jenny Blake is, shame on you! She’s a magnificent creature and to know her is to love her. Google girl by day. Life Coach by night. Triathlete on the weekend. Not sure where she fits the time in to write a book, but she does. Incredibly smart, multi-talented and sweeter than cupcake frosting. Her blog, Life After College, provides simple, practical tips that help you focus on the BIG picture of your life...not just the details. And because there is no manual for the real world, adjusting to life after college can be a very confusing and challenging time! So that’s where Jenny comes in with all sorts of invaluable information regarding life, work, money, happiness, personal growth, productivity and even love. And this is where YOU come in because Jenny needs your help.

The book is a compilation of tips, quotes, advice, exercises and recommended reading for every area of someone’s life after college. And every chapter of the book will contain crowd-sourced wisdom from college grads. So if you're a college grad (of any age) and would like a shot at seeing your name in print, all you have to do is answer 10 short questions.

Also, be sure to sign up for the LAC Book Project Newsletter to follow Jenny's step-by-step journey and discover what it really takes to become a published author. It's a process few writer's talk about, with plenty of ups and downs, tears and triumphs.

While I often find myself "in aww" of writer's, Jenny isn't much different from you or me. She's just a girl who had a dream and chased it.

Thoughts that once only existed privately in her own head. Feelings that once only existed privately in her own heart. She shares them on little scraps of paper. Jotting down notes in Moleskines, scribbling on the back of cocktail napkins, inking words into the palm of her hand. She hops out of the shower, dripping in lather, just to etch a phrase into the foggy mirror. She wakes up in the middle of the night to pour over pen and paper. Wherever and whenever the creative bug bites, she itches it. And somehow after months of writing small pieces here and there, it all begins to fall into place. It snaps together like a jigsaw puzzle. Like a work of art. Her tiny, little masterpiece nears completion. Her ideas, stories and experiences bound together. Ready for public display on a bookshelf. She’s writing her first book. And it’s nothing short of beautiful.

Congratulations Jenny. I couldn’t be prouder and happier for you. Come Spring of 2011, you can add "author" to an already very impressive resume.