My name is Prioleau Alexander, and I am a writer.

I've been writing professionally for about 20 years, but last year, I struck the validation vein every writer strives for: I actually got a book published.

It started when I landed a gen-u-ine New York literary agent.

Then he sold my book to a New York publishing company.

Next, I got an advance.

Then, they assigned me a publicist.

And that's when things got weird.

You see, I thought that was where a writer was supposed to begin the "happily ever after" part of life. You know, a second book deal and an agent who becomes your sidekick and a semi-reliable stream of income emerges-- right?

Not so much.

As an exercise to keep my writing skills sharp, I carefully chronicled my Rookie Year as a first-time author. It was quite an adventure. And that's what this blog is about-- answering three questions that haunt every struggling writer:

1) "What's it really like to get published?"

2) "Is it worth all the work, pain, and rejection?"

3) "Should I pursue it, or go with a print-on-demand option?"

I confess from the get-go that this was written to be published as a book, not a blog. It became a blog. A book and a blog are very different.

But, at the end of the day, they pay the same.