A lot of hate going on for those trying to break into it.
I'm relatively new *prepares for onslaught of DONT DARE EVEN TRY LITTLE GIRL! replies* but I have a good friend, not sure maybe I'll get to call him a mentor at some point, who has been helping out. His assistance has been invaluable. He recently decided to pull out of the MX Graphics industry and focus more on car wraps, which means we aren't in competition with each other making the relationship easier.
We worked on several print projects before, and when I was strictly freelance during university he sent me over flow work on several occasions (mostly Pro posters and thank you plaque work, but still, work!)
I think that would be the one suggestion I -can- give: get a mentor, specifically one out of your area or one looking to transition to another type of design. You can benefit from his/her experience and chances of them acting like a bag of dicks is considerably lower. Naturally, you need to have something to offer them, lunch perhaps? A few pints or cups of coffee can go a long way.