Well, since you were looking for a more personal experience, here's mine: In 1996 I went to Lincoln, NE, and through a long series of happenstance, met a few people who got paid to write. I ended up being up front, and they let me know how they got into it, and sort of dragged me kicking and screaming down the path to publication. They got into games writing for TSR back in the old days, before anyone knew what Dungeons and Dragons were about. They were consistently involved in the RPGA which is pretty much the RPG equivalent of Rosity here. As they spread out and met people, they eventually got into direct contact with TSR ( back when it was TSR ) and said, "Hey, we've got some great ideas for this new product..." A few years later, that group has published 3 modules, 1 expansion, and countless adventures... But I digress to another experience... In 1999 I dated this girl whose mother was a writer of Harlequin Romance. Over dinner she mentioned that I wrote a lot, and her mother took it upon herself to tell me how to "break in..." First thing you need to understand is that most submissions editors would rather be playing golf. This is to say that if you submit a piece of slush ( meaning, an unsolicited writing ) then you'll probably waste the postage. This also means that if you spend time "following the rules" you're likely going to waste a lot of time with red tape that is designed to slow you down while the regular folks get published. First, buy the Writer's Market. It's about 40 - 60 dollars, but it's worth it. This will give you a list of everybody and everything. Ideally, you'd want to get an agent, but not everyone can, and good agents are like good editors... out playing golf. Now, with Writer's Market in hand, set about looking for everyone that might conceivably be interested in what you have to say. This is a lot easier than you think. There are publishers out there for just about anything. Make sure your work is perfect, and meets all submission guidelines, and get ready to break rules. Rule #1: Never send unsolicited material. Reality: If you call the secretary and ask if you can submit a piece for consideration, then just write "Requested Material" on the package. You're in the door and no one's the wiser. Rule #2: Never make simultaneous submissions. Reality: If it takes you 6 weeks to get rejected by one publisher, and you might have to deal with 200, this means you might get published sometime in 2340. Send it to everyone you've called and keep moving. Just be prepared to recall any other submissions if you get an offer you like. Rule #3: It's impolitic to call back and check the status of a submission. Reality: Bullshit. This is the publishing industry's way of taking its time. Just learn to be agressive without being rude and you'll be fine. Get the book "How to Win Friends and Influence People." That's not a joke, either. That book teaches a lot about how to work a conversation to influence people. ( If you've ever talked to a truly successful person, you'll notice that they always have you excited about things and happy about yourself, and they always make you feel important. Learn this trick! ) Well, beyond that, I'd suggest just writing all the time, every day, 24-7. Keep a journal. Another good technique is to set goals. I once forced myself to write 30 pages describing a brick wall without using repetitive adjectives or phrases. Shit like that will improve your work vastly. Hope this helps some. Paul