Amelia asked Ron Scheer:

If I wanted to become a writer/author, what steps would I take?

Ron Scheer The easy answer to what to do to be an author, is WRITE. but that doesn't help at all does it?
I'm assuming that you're looking at this as if it were a career. There is no easy path to becoming a writer. There are classes you can take to further your understanding of the writing process. (I took some, and I'd highly recommend them if your serious) But ultimately, if you want to be paid for your work, you've got to be willing to edit. The worst mistake any writer can make is to think what they've written is "good enough" to get published. It never is. It might be good enough to be accepted, but I promise you, an editor can and will find a way to make it better. Editors make money on your work, so when they suggest a change, and they will, listen to them.

so now your asking me: How do I get my book in an editors hands/how do get my book published?

That's the hardest thing to do in writing. You may have spent months, maybe years, writing your book, and now you feel like the only way you can get someone to look at it is to kidnap a publisher and starve them until they agree to read what you wrote. (please don't do that)
There are publishing agents out there that you can contact to promote your work, they are just as hard to convince as publishers, but don't give up.
Also there are a few publishers who still look at unsolicited manuscripts (no agent) These are usually smaller houses, (like mine) but that doesn't mean they aren't credible.
Whether submitting to an agent or a publisher always follow the submission guidelines to the letter. (Actually, I've found that most submission guidelines a very similar so once you've done one, it only requires minimal changes to do another)

hope this answers your question, but if not feel free to ask me a more detailed question. I'll help if I can.

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