Editor’s note: This is a submission from Jacqueline Arroyo, a student from Youngstown State University, for her capstone project.

Thomas Welsh always dreamed of writing a book but didn’t check it off his bucket list until years later. Before writing his first book, Welsh spent 10 years working in journalism. He then worked for English-language newspapers in Cambodia and Korea before returning to school to pursue a doctorate in the Foundations of Education.

His first published book was his dissertation, completed during his doctoral program. The publishing process was unique because, as part of his program, he worked with a committee that supported his goal of creating a dissertation suitable for publication without needing significant revision.

Welsh began writing in a historical style, aiming to produce work that blended scholarship with engaging storytelling. His book the “History of Jewish Youngstown and the Steel Valley” was a collaborative effort with a co-author, as he felt it was important to include the perspective of some who grew up in the community. During the writing process, they had to determine the lead author, decide which aspects of the community to include and revise the manuscript to shorten it.

As a crossover academic, he wanted readers to feel immersed in the story, even with the presence of research and theory. Through the process of writing, publishing and editing his book, he has learned valuable lessons.

The first lesson is that individuals must learn to write for a wider audience. Without that ability, their writing may fail to capture the reader’s interest. When writing, Welsh kept two things in mind first: He recognized that he developed a writing style shaped by his journalism background, second, he reminded himself that he was a graduate student with prior writing experience.

“There were two schools of thought about my background in journalism when I went back for my doctorate,” Welsh said. “One was that I had probably fallen into habits that would make me a superficial writer…most people when they go to publish their dissertation, they have to reinvent it because it’s a very dry academic document.”

His extensive writing background allowed him to turn his dissertation into his first published book in 2012 without having to reinvent it. Since then, he has worked on multiple projects, some of which have been published while others are still in progress. Over the years, he has learned-and now wants to share-that being an author can’t typically be a full-time job.

He explained that he has started many projects he thought would succeed but eventually lost interest due to various factors, including the intricate details of writing and the financial required-not just for the book itself, but also his career as an author.

“You have to find a way to be employed, and it probably shouldn’t be a job that’s gonna demand so much of your energy and creativity that you have nothing for writing,” Welsh said.

For first-time authors, most publishers want proof they can successfully complete a book before offering a contract and advanced payment. However, once an author has written a manuscript or published a book, marketing becomes just as important.

Welsh said a book can only attract attention if it is effectively promoted, whether by a publisher or the author. Authors should take advantage of free marketing opportunities, such as Facebook, LinkedIn and media contacts to maximize their reach.

“You need to present yourself as an authority on something,” Welsh said. “You need to find your niche, you need to find publishers who are interested in that topic, and you need to make sure the public is interested in that topic.”

Although Welsh has primarily written in the historical nonfiction genre, he recommends that anyone looking to break into fiction should get a literary agent. He said having an agent provides access to the most influential publishers.

Fiction author Christopher Barzak, on the other hand, published multiple short stories before writing his first book and establishing himself. Like Welsh, he furthered his education by earning a Bachelor of Art in English with a minor in creative writing, followed by a Master of Arts in English a few years later.

Also, like Welsh, he spent time overseas in Japan, where he worked as a marketing consultant and translation editor for a publishing company in Tokyo.

During his time in Japan, Barzak sold his first novel which was well received. Since then, he has written three more books and earned multiple awards, including a Stonewell honor from the American Library Association. One key step he took to gain exposure was securing a literary agent, which helped him work with major publishing houses.

“Those large corporate publishers have no mechanism for an agent-less author to even approach them with a manuscript,” Barzak said. “The agent is necessary in order to get into big publishing, now with midsize or small presses you really don’t need an agent, and you can be your own agent.”

For midsize and small presses, it’s easier to send inquiries and pitch a book to gauge their interest. He said his experience with publishers varies-large corporate publishers typically control the cover, leaving the authors with control only over the text. He also noted that major publishers tend to focus on novels when acquiring fiction.

Like Welsh, Barzak marketed himself by hosting a book launch party where local artists read his work and created pieces in response. Barzak emphasized the value of reaching out to bookstores to host events and leveraging social media, which plays a major role in building an author’s presence.

One key piece of advice Barzak offers aspiring authors is to always be proud of their work, regardless of others’ opinions. His book “Wonders of the Invisible World” was placed on a banned book list in Texas, with claims that it could cause students discomfort, guilt or anguish based on sex or race.

“I’m proud. I never expected that either, I don’t think anything that I write about is in any way something that most people would find, I need to ban this, right, the book that was banned I think is really tender and sweet,” Barzak said.

He believes there is nothing controversial in the book aside from the fact that the narrator is gay and, at times, kisses or holds hands with someone. He argues that lists like these contribute to division and stigma in communities, by targeting groups of people they generally disfavor.

Ultimately, he says, it doesn’t matter what critics think is wrong with the book-what matters is its impact on readers who relate to his work.

Both authors emphasized the importance of being open to feedback, reading widely-even outside one’s preferred genres-and not expecting it to become a bestseller right away.

“It’s a long haul, right, like it’s a marathon life, it’s not like a sprint boom and now I’m an author,” Barzak said. “It takes commitment, and you have to identify as an author to become one, you have to identify as a writer.”

Lastly, authors should consider workshops and events in their community that can help them achieve their goals.

The Youngstown community offers a variety of opportunities, from courses at Youngstown State University to programs from Lit Youngstown, a community-based literary nonprofit for writers, readers and storytellers.

A writer’s work is not defined by time, thought and creativity invested in capturing the audience’s attention-not by the potential for money or success. Writing has the power to shape generations through storytelling and visualization.