Aspiring writers who dream of publishing a book or articles of their own should be prepared to work hard and not give up if success does not arrive immediately.

Robert D Richardson, Program Chair for New Voices at the Key West Literary Seminar, told the Wall Street Journal that talent is not the only prerequisite that will lead to a thriving writing career - patience and determination are imperative.

He explained that would-be authors should devote themselves to producing as much copy as they can, then "take every opportunity that comes by, electronic or not, to get the stuff out there".

In addition to writing as much as possible, those looking to break into the sector may want to consider specializing in a particular area, which could make them more marketable.

Good computer skills and knowledge of an online environment are also becoming more important, as more publications move to the internet.

There were 360,000 jobs in the sector in 2006 and employment opportunities are expected to rise by ten per cent by 2016, according to the Department of Labor.