I want to be an advice columnist, how do i go about becoming one?

Question

I want to be an advice columnist, how do i go about becoming one?

Answer 1

How ironic that you should choose an advice column for information on how to become one. Start by knowing your subject, then write or perhaps follow an advice column and answer the questions before reading the response.  

Answer 2

People who write columns in the paper are generally from a journalism background. That gives them the ability to put together an interesting, well-written column that the paper's readers will want to read. (And readers wanting the column is the reason a newspaper prints the column in the first place!)

An advice columnist adds common sense knowledge and researched answers to the column. The folks who send in their questions will usually address a specific problem, and the advice columnist needs to use both common sense and knowledge as well as research capabilities to get solid answers to print.

One of the cautions is that the answer you print is pretty much out there for everyone to see, and will be available via electronic media for decades to come. So the answer you give has to be correct. It can easily damage your reputation if you publish an obviously wrong answer, and that can cause the newspaper to cancel your column.

So, care, research, common sense, journalism skills and a host of other things are what you'll need.

Good luck.

-Stuart