Do you dream of quitting your day job? What about making money for scribbling down a few words on a piece of paper? I know it sounds crazy, trust me when I say it really does, but it’s possible.
If you make money writing, you can officially tell people that you are a writer. That’s pretty much the rule of thumb.
If you’re passionate about being Italian, just like me, why not combine the two ideas?
Wouldn’t it be great to write about being Italian, or about another great Italian, and make money? I know, it sounds too good to be true. But! I’m going to give you a step by step guide on how to support Italian American causes while writing about something you’re passionate about, and how to make a few extra bucks too!
Before you want to go and become the next Shakespeare, or should I say Scrollalanza (Yes, there is overwhelming evidence that Shakespeare is Italian), let’s start with something small first. It would be wise to start your path to a career in writing by publishing small works in magazines.
After you actually have a piece of writing to submit, you want to narrow down a few publications to submit your work. Your first submission will likely be rejected. The odds are stacked against you, especially if you don’t have any previously published works. If it does work the first time, salute!
Here are some suggestions that I have for you:
Order Sons and Daughters of Italy in America
I’m sure some of you reading have heard of a the Order Sons and Daughters of Italy in America or OSDIA for short. The OSDIA has a magazine, Italian America, that open queries for contributors and is where I started freelance writing. Italian America is an accredited magazine and is currently the most widely read quarterly for people of Italian heritage in the United States!
You could submit a variety of work to the OSDIA including feature stories and short fiction stories.
National Italian American Foundation
The National Italian American Foundation, or NIAF, is an organization that prides itself on being a resource to the Italian American community, preserving Italian American culture, strengthening ties between the United States and Italy. The NIAF is arguably the most well known Italian American organization in the United States.
The NIAF’s magazine, The Ambassador, is rich and full of information like travel tips, original recipes, Italian American news, and original photography.
If you dream is to dive into other types of writing, like screenwriting, there is a chance you can be the next great name in film by winning the Russo Brothers Italian American Film Forum Grant, which is offered by the NIAF yearly. You may have not heard of the Russo brothers, but you’ve definitely heard of their work. Everyone knows about or has heard of The Avengers movies.
Italy Magazine created an international community for lovers of Italian culture. They don’t take any posts like the two publications above, but move more along the lines of quirky articles regarding Italian culture in America and Italy.
Get A Real Job: A Guide To Successfully Self-Publishing A Novel
I’m a firm believer that every person has a novel to write, it’s just a matter of actually writing it. In a step by step guide on his blog, Italian American author, Anthony Sciarratta (That’s me), tells the world exactly how he successfully went from self-published author to a career as a novelist. If you’re ready to take the leap towards the next step, this blog is definitely the way to go.
Anthony Sciarratta is a proud Italian American and full time author. His debut novel, Finding Forever: A 1970s Love Story, was released across the world on November 5th, 2019.
Image source: Pexels – Suzy Hazelwood
