Want a professional writing secret? Build your writing inventory. Unless you have an inventory, you have nothing to sell.

Artists and photographers happily build up their inventory of works. Artists paint and draw, creating works which may sell next month, next year, or in 20 years. Photographers, even when they're working on commission, shoot images for stock.

Writers want to get paid. Right now, if not sooner. This is fine, but if a writer is not working to build her inventory, selling takes longer, is more fraught with problems, and the writer loses confidence. You avoid problems if you remember to build your writing inventory.

Your inventory is your cash in the bank.

The only writers who don