THE TOP FIVE WAYS TO BECOME A SUCCESSFUL WRITER
(ACCORDING TO TESS)
I've been wanting to write a blog for some time now about the changing world of Publishing. This isn't it. Well, not exactly. This blog is all about how aspiring writers can become successful writers. Here are the first five WAYS TO BECOME A SUCCESSFUL WRITER! And don't laugh because I am dead serious about every one of them! Get ready to adjust your sails! (unobservant peeps see pic to the left)
1. MARRY SOMEONE RICH
Nope, I'm not kidding. One of the things that makes many a writer give up is lack of financial support, worrying about how to make ends meet while pursuing his/her dream. I know many, many people who work full time jobs and also write books, but let's face it, if all you had to concentrate on was writing, learning your craft, attending conferences, etc., wouldn't your chances of being successful increase? I think so.
Plus, in today's Indie publishing market, which is growing by leaps and bounds, advertising/marketing is all important, and if you have unlimited money to spend on ads and book tours, etc., you're going to have better sales. So get out there and target that rich millionaire or prosperous businessman/woman! You can do it! It doesn't matter if that person is old, ugly, or gnarly! Just get that dough! Worry about actually writing after you have the ring on your finger!
Okay, I'm kidding. Sort of. But financial concerns are a big obstacle in the life of a writer just getting started. Making it paycheck to paycheck is stressful, and with that stress comes guilt and feelings of selfishness. After all, your kids could have a better home/clothes/food/horse/fill in the blank if only you weren't pursuing your dream, right? Well, as Lauren Bacall once said, it's just as easy to fall in love with a rich man/woman as it is a poor man/woman.
Kidding. Really. Sort of.
girl with money picture by © Andres Rodriguez | Dreamstime Stock Photos
Nope, I'm not kidding. One of the things that makes many a writer give up is lack of financial support, worrying about how to make ends meet while pursuing his/her dream. I know many, many people who work full time jobs and also write books, but let's face it, if all you had to concentrate on was writing, learning your craft, attending conferences, etc., wouldn't your chances of being successful increase? I think so.
Plus, in today's Indie publishing market, which is growing by leaps and bounds, advertising/marketing is all important, and if you have unlimited money to spend on ads and book tours, etc., you're going to have better sales. So get out there and target that rich millionaire or prosperous businessman/woman! You can do it! It doesn't matter if that person is old, ugly, or gnarly! Just get that dough! Worry about actually writing after you have the ring on your finger!
Okay, I'm kidding. Sort of. But financial concerns are a big obstacle in the life of a writer just getting started. Making it paycheck to paycheck is stressful, and with that stress comes guilt and feelings of selfishness. After all, your kids could have a better home/clothes/food/horse/fill in the blank if only you weren't pursuing your dream, right? Well, as Lauren Bacall once said, it's just as easy to fall in love with a rich man/woman as it is a poor man/woman.
Kidding. Really. Sort of.
girl with money picture by © Andres Rodriguez | Dreamstime Stock Photos
2. MARRY SOMEONE WHO WANTS YOU TO BE SUCCESSFUL
Forget what I said in Number One, because it doesn't matter how much money you have if the person you're living with doesn't care whether you succeed or not. Even worse is the scenario where he/she is jealous of your goal to be a writer! If you don't have the support of your significant other, you will eventually be weighed down by guilt, frustration, and anger. All the money in the world can't buy the joy and satisfaction of having your husband/wife/whatever in your corner, cheering you on, just as determined as you are to see you succeed as a writer!
And if that person isn't your biggest fan/cheerleader, well, time to re-evaluate that relationship. (I'm just sayin').
If your significant other doesn't support your dream, sit down with him/her and ask why? Maybe there are underlying fears that you'll become so famous your S.O. will be left behind. (At this point in the conversation laugh hysterically and say, "Who do you think I am, Stephen King? Nora Roberts? You'll get this joke later). Help your S. O. understand that this is your dream, that it isn't a hobby, that you're serious about being a published writer. That your success means financial success for both of you, and your family.
Then reassure him/her that becoming successful writer doesn't mean leaving the people you love behind. In fact, you'd like to become so successful that your S. O. can live in the lap of luxury with dancing girls (or men) as a daily reward for their support. This argument always works.
two people picture by © Bevd@l | Dreamstime Stock Photos
Forget what I said in Number One, because it doesn't matter how much money you have if the person you're living with doesn't care whether you succeed or not. Even worse is the scenario where he/she is jealous of your goal to be a writer! If you don't have the support of your significant other, you will eventually be weighed down by guilt, frustration, and anger. All the money in the world can't buy the joy and satisfaction of having your husband/wife/whatever in your corner, cheering you on, just as determined as you are to see you succeed as a writer!
And if that person isn't your biggest fan/cheerleader, well, time to re-evaluate that relationship. (I'm just sayin').
If your significant other doesn't support your dream, sit down with him/her and ask why? Maybe there are underlying fears that you'll become so famous your S.O. will be left behind. (At this point in the conversation laugh hysterically and say, "Who do you think I am, Stephen King? Nora Roberts? You'll get this joke later). Help your S. O. understand that this is your dream, that it isn't a hobby, that you're serious about being a published writer. That your success means financial success for both of you, and your family.
Then reassure him/her that becoming successful writer doesn't mean leaving the people you love behind. In fact, you'd like to become so successful that your S. O. can live in the lap of luxury with dancing girls (or men) as a daily reward for their support. This argument always works.
two people picture by © Bevd@l | Dreamstime Stock Photos
3. TRAIN YOUR FAMILY
Yes, that's right. Train them. Like dogs or cats. Well, not cats. You can't train a cat. Sometimes you can't train a family, but you can sure give it a try. You've got to respect what you do before anyone else will. If the time you have scraped out to write is constantly interrupted with demands of such paltry things as making supper, doing laundry, or creating Halloween costumes, then there's no one to blame but yourself.
I exaggerate. Never let your children starve. That's what cookies are for. Your family will complain at first because that's what families do, but eventually they will quit kicking and screaming and go watch TV and drink a beer (this is the husband I'm talking about, not the kids. Hopefully.)
Stick to your guns, or if that doesn't work, threaten them. (Usually works better with kids than husbands. Don't try it on wives!) What's that old rule--do something for 28 days and it becomes habit? Sequester yourself for an hour a day to write and in 28 days, your family will be used to it and then you can possibly expand that time. If you aren't institutionalized yet.
YOU DESERVE TO BE NURTURED TOO--and your nurturing comes from your family respecting what you're doing. If they don't/can't, then respect yourself and keep on keeping on. When you sell your first book and buy them expensive trifles, they will change their tune. Or you can buy a new family.
cat © Wen-ho Yang | Dreamstime Stock Photo
Yes, that's right. Train them. Like dogs or cats. Well, not cats. You can't train a cat. Sometimes you can't train a family, but you can sure give it a try. You've got to respect what you do before anyone else will. If the time you have scraped out to write is constantly interrupted with demands of such paltry things as making supper, doing laundry, or creating Halloween costumes, then there's no one to blame but yourself.
I exaggerate. Never let your children starve. That's what cookies are for. Your family will complain at first because that's what families do, but eventually they will quit kicking and screaming and go watch TV and drink a beer (this is the husband I'm talking about, not the kids. Hopefully.)
Stick to your guns, or if that doesn't work, threaten them. (Usually works better with kids than husbands. Don't try it on wives!) What's that old rule--do something for 28 days and it becomes habit? Sequester yourself for an hour a day to write and in 28 days, your family will be used to it and then you can possibly expand that time. If you aren't institutionalized yet.
YOU DESERVE TO BE NURTURED TOO--and your nurturing comes from your family respecting what you're doing. If they don't/can't, then respect yourself and keep on keeping on. When you sell your first book and buy them expensive trifles, they will change their tune. Or you can buy a new family.
cat © Wen-ho Yang | Dreamstime Stock Photo
4. GET A DEGREE IN MARKETING
I used to say get a degree in Business, because almost every successful writer I know is business-minded. But in today's publishing world, Marketing is what it's all about. Okay, you don't have to actually get a degree in Marketing, but you've gotta learn about Marketing. Authors have always had to do their own marketing--unless their names are Stephen King or Nora Roberts. Truth is, even if you sell to a New York publisher, it's unlikely that you're going to get an advertising/ marketing budget (unless your name is Stephen King or Nora Roberts). So, yep, it's up to you.
AND if you land a contract, most publishers are starting out authors--new or otherwise--in the ebook market, and then if they do well there, they MIGHT produce a print book (Unless your name is Stephen King or Nora Roberts). So it's even more important than ever to know how to market your book.
In the olden days that meant putting some ads in magazines like Romantic Times and The Writer. It meant doing booksignings and having bookmarks made up with the cover on it. It meant one-on-one bookselling. But in today's techno world it's all about Social Media, and if you want to be successful, you'd better learn how to promote yourself on Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus, MySpace, and whatever the flavor of the month in new Media happens to be, unless your name is--oh forget it.
And just HOW are you supposed to learn Social Media? There are classes online, but the best way is to ask your twenty-something son or daughter to give you a crash course, and if you haven't got one of those, borrow someone else's. The one pictured above is mine. You can't have him.
I used to say get a degree in Business, because almost every successful writer I know is business-minded. But in today's publishing world, Marketing is what it's all about. Okay, you don't have to actually get a degree in Marketing, but you've gotta learn about Marketing. Authors have always had to do their own marketing--unless their names are Stephen King or Nora Roberts. Truth is, even if you sell to a New York publisher, it's unlikely that you're going to get an advertising/ marketing budget (unless your name is Stephen King or Nora Roberts). So, yep, it's up to you.
AND if you land a contract, most publishers are starting out authors--new or otherwise--in the ebook market, and then if they do well there, they MIGHT produce a print book (Unless your name is Stephen King or Nora Roberts). So it's even more important than ever to know how to market your book.
In the olden days that meant putting some ads in magazines like Romantic Times and The Writer. It meant doing booksignings and having bookmarks made up with the cover on it. It meant one-on-one bookselling. But in today's techno world it's all about Social Media, and if you want to be successful, you'd better learn how to promote yourself on Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus, MySpace, and whatever the flavor of the month in new Media happens to be, unless your name is--oh forget it.
And just HOW are you supposed to learn Social Media? There are classes online, but the best way is to ask your twenty-something son or daughter to give you a crash course, and if you haven't got one of those, borrow someone else's. The one pictured above is mine. You can't have him.
5. WRITE EVERY DAY
Okay, I know, this is the advice every aspiring writer gets from every published writer in the world. But unfortunately, it's the truth. WhY? Why, why, why, why? Why can't you just write every couple of days or on the weekends or two nights a week? Well, you can, of course. And sometimes that's all people can manage. No, wait, that's a cop-out. How do I know? I am the queen of copping out on writing every day. The reason it's important to write every day -- especially when you're first honing your skills, is that When You Write Every Day, (hereafter referred to as WYWED) you'll find that:
a) your words come more easily because WYWED your writing will begin to flow as you become more comfortable with your characters and storyline.
b) you begin to find your style, your voice in writing, which as any editor will tell you, is one of the most important things they look for. What kind of style or voice are they looking for? Who the heck knows.
c) you don't have to go back and read your entire manuscript in order to refresh your memory on what was going on in your story, and again, you'll have a better flow WYWED because there's no writus interruptus going on.
d) the more you write, the better you will write. This cannot be said enough. THE MORE YOU WRITE, THE BETTER YOU WILL WRITE. Someone (I never remember his/her name, which is sad because it's really profound) once said, you don't really know how to write until you have written ONE MILLION WORDS! As someone who has written about 900,000 words and had them published, and probably two or three million more that haven't been published, I have to say THIS IS THE HONEST TO GOODNESS TRUTH! So get to writing!
picture of girl at computer by © Abdone | Dreamstime Stock Photos
All pictures free stock photos @ Dreamstime.com except for the one of my son, Jordan Mallory in Step 4.
Okay, I know, this is the advice every aspiring writer gets from every published writer in the world. But unfortunately, it's the truth. WhY? Why, why, why, why? Why can't you just write every couple of days or on the weekends or two nights a week? Well, you can, of course. And sometimes that's all people can manage. No, wait, that's a cop-out. How do I know? I am the queen of copping out on writing every day. The reason it's important to write every day -- especially when you're first honing your skills, is that When You Write Every Day, (hereafter referred to as WYWED) you'll find that:
a) your words come more easily because WYWED your writing will begin to flow as you become more comfortable with your characters and storyline.
b) you begin to find your style, your voice in writing, which as any editor will tell you, is one of the most important things they look for. What kind of style or voice are they looking for? Who the heck knows.
c) you don't have to go back and read your entire manuscript in order to refresh your memory on what was going on in your story, and again, you'll have a better flow WYWED because there's no writus interruptus going on.
d) the more you write, the better you will write. This cannot be said enough. THE MORE YOU WRITE, THE BETTER YOU WILL WRITE. Someone (I never remember his/her name, which is sad because it's really profound) once said, you don't really know how to write until you have written ONE MILLION WORDS! As someone who has written about 900,000 words and had them published, and probably two or three million more that haven't been published, I have to say THIS IS THE HONEST TO GOODNESS TRUTH! So get to writing!
picture of girl at computer by © Abdone | Dreamstime Stock Photos
All pictures free stock photos @ Dreamstime.com except for the one of my son, Jordan Mallory in Step 4.