Create a career exit plan (by becoming a subject matter expert)
If you are interested in publishing, act like someone interested in publishing.
This means networking with industry insiders, keeping up with trends and news about the industry, perhaps even blogging about it. Volunteer with professional circles and find a few mentors.
You should study various jobs inside the industry that appeal to you and figure out how much of those skills are hard (like learning certain software, knowledge sets, etc.) versus soft (negotiation skills, being a “people person” etc.).
Cycles don’t break overnight, but change can be like magic
Transitions happen slowly, there is no exception when it comes to changing careers.
Finding a new career is fraught with rejection, false starts and misunderstandings. It’s the beauty of the learning process.
And, the relationship with our career (or job) is best described as the relationship we have with ourselves. We can’t take it too seriously or think it is beyond reproach or change.
We have to give it simple definitions but realize that those definitions are not binding. Have respect that it exists and someone saw a need for it. Enjoy it for what it is now, but always appreciate and strive for something new.
This is how change can seem to come over night, but in actuality, has been a long, toiling process in which the effort you put in is its own sweet reward.