this is what I though.
Reading books doesnt teach you anything. Its learning by doing.
I agree that if you want to learn to swim you have to get wet but there are some very good books about editing (both practice and theory) that will help you progress faster. Why reinvent the wheel when you can just read about how to make a wheel?
If you just go out and start doing things (even with peers) it's just the blind leading the blind more often than not.
You are either a born editor, or you are not.
I think most people have an inspirational 'ah-ha' moment (sometimes it's when they are young, sometimes it's when they are older) that lets them know what they are passionate about. For example, when I was younger books like The Hobbit and Fahrenheit 451 inspired me start writing. By chance I stumbled upon editing (which is very similar to writing) in college and knew that's what I needed to do. I've been editing ever since.
The only thing I worry about with this career change is the uncertainty of future success which everyone feels. I keep asking myself, "I'm 24 now, should I take the risk in the career change to video editing?"
I'm going to assume you are unmarried, have no kids and no mortgage. Now is the perfect time to do it because you have nothing to lose. The longer you wait the harder it will become and the less likely you will risk it.
The best thing to do, IMO, is find a work at a post facility in your area (even if it's an unpaid 'internship' schlepping cables for the local TV news station). Learning how things are done in the 'real world', gleaning info from people more experienced than you and creating your network to other working professionals are all invaluable things that are significantly harder to do on your own.
Still do your own thing on the side (short films with your friends, 48hr film fests, etc.,) but getting real world experience can help separate you from the millions of other people making movies with their friends on the weekend.
Also, make short, medium and long term goals for yourself. For example, in 10 years what do you want to be doing with your life (that's a long term goal). Once you answer that question then work backwards to develop a career road map.
For example, when I left college my goal was to move to Los Angeles and support myself full time as an editor before I was thirty. I researched editing, editors, post houses, etc., and the typical food chain at a post house seemed to be PA/unpaid intern, runner, working in the vault, assistant editor, editor. So my first goal was to move to LA and get an entry level job at a post house. Every work related decision I made was viewed through the prism of "Does this get me closer to editing?" If the answer was 'yes', I took it. If the answer was 'no' I didn't take. And sometimes I had to say no to better paying jobs, which is hard when you are so poor that your food budget is $11/week (no, I'm not exaggerating), but a better paying job that's taking me in away from my goal is a step in the wrong direction.
Ultimately things worked out, so far, although at one point I was literally flat broke ( $0.00 in my bank and living off my credit cards) and had to move out of Los Angeles but that was just a temporary setback.
Oh, and you have to be tenacious and never give up. Tenacity, not talent, wins (at least in places like LA). I've seen lots of talented people give up leave (or just flat out under achieve) because they couldn't take the grind anymore.
