It's not easy being famous. All those red carpets to walk, goodie bags to rummage, tabloids to sue.

Scratch that. Flashbulbs in your face aside, the perks definitely outweigh the hassles. But how do you get there?

Just look to New York Post Page Six columnist Paula Froelich, who's got it all figured out. In the upcoming It! Nine Secrets of the Rich and Famous That'll Take You to the Top (Miramax Books, $21.95), she gives wannabes tips on making it big. Here are five:

1. Little helpers: How is it some people are constantly in the news? The world knows them by first name only -- Paris, Britney, Diddy -- and is privy to where they vacation, where they park their cars and how they take their coffee. Are they so special? Not particularly, says Froelich.

''Stars are made and not born,'' she writes. ``There is a whole machine behind every single person -- whether it is a team of people or the person runs that machine on their own.''

2. Find your `one thing:' It's not just the PR pushers that propel your station in life, however. Every bold-facer has something that sets them apart -- Diddy's got marketing savvy, Britney has dance moves and Paris has her partying.

Even if your skill is as trivial as making amazingly gooey oatmeal raisin cookies, work with it, Froelich recommends. ``Need I remind you of the success of Heloise, Martha Stewart and the various domestic divas out there, cranking out books and TV shows making a fortune?''

3. The three P's: No matter how much ''It-ness'' you have, always keep in mind: professionalism, punctuality and personality. Practice these, Froelich says, ''or you will stall out of the starting gate.'' Keep in mind that tantrums are for toddlers, so don't be difficult (remember Marilyn Monroe got fired from 1962's Something's Got to Give for being late to work). ''If there's an issue, figure out a calm, collected way to work it out.'' No matter how giant you are, bad behavior won't fly in the long run, she says.

4. The restaurant metaphor: What comes around goes around. Karma. However you put it, just treat people well. ''Never be mean to waiters,'' Froelich advises. ''I have used this rule over and over again in my life. The older I get, the more I realize it's a small world, and those you treat badly will come back to bite you!'' So watch what you say. Today's peon could be tomorrow's CEO.

5. Sleep when you're dead: Especially when first starting out. ''Sleep is a luxury,'' Froelich writes, citing Amy Sacco, the indefatigable owner of two of New York's hottest clubs, Bungalow 8 and Lot 61.

``In addition to manning her clubs every night, she also goes to two or three social events. She knows that when she sees people out, she is not only a walking billboard for her clubs, but she can also wrangle everyone back to her places to spend their hard-earned cash.''