As with many careers, writers are often faced with some life-changing decisions: How much of our time and hard-earned dollars are we willing to invest? What kinds of sacrifices are we ready to make? How should we market ourselves? What will our “brand” be? How do we effectively build a platform? Will these decisions involve stepping out of our comfort zones?
I can only speak for myself, but here’s what I’ve learned so far:
- To be successful, be prepared to invest ALOT of time, and know up front you will incur expense. How much expense depends on your personal budget and your monthly goals.
- There will be sacrifices. I’ve, personally, had to limit free time, phone calls, social get-togethers, hobbies, and fun activities. I’m not saying I’ve given them up completely–I’ve just had to place a cap on much time I can allot to those things for now.
- If you write and your desire is to be published, then begin developing a marketing plan early on. Think about ways you can network. Attend local writing conferences, join writers’ organizations, and establish yourself within your community as a professional. Talk about your work, seek speaking opportunities, and be creative when getting your name “out there.”
- As far as “brand” goes, what’s going to set you apart? What do you write? Have you thought about a tagline? It should be something that you’re indeed comfortable with and will let folks know what you’re about and what they can expect from you and your books. For instance…I write “Heartfelt, homespun, contemporary Christian romance novels.” Obviously, male readers’ taglines and brands may be different (although I think there are some male authors that do romance quite well!)
- To build your platform, realize that it’s going to take time. Lots. Tons. More hours in a day than you thought possible. You’re going to learn new things, make faux pas, wonder if you’re doing things “right”, compare yourself to others, and think it’s a wasted effort. Let me assure you: that’s normal. Even the big-leaguers will tell you that in the beginning they didn’t know everything there was to know about writing. Sometimes we learn best through the “School of Hard Knocks.”
- Know that you WILL step out of your comfort zone. If you’re typically a wallflower, you won’t be for long! Facebook, Twitter, and a personal blog won’t be “just for fun.” They’ll be musts! I’ve only been doing each of these now for a few months, and I’ve come to realize that although they are fun, they’re also necessary! Stepping out of our comfort zones is work. Hard work. But it’s also about stretching ourselves, pushing toward our goals when we’d rather just have success fall sweetly into our laps.
Equipping ourselves with tools of the trade will give us confidence. We’ll persevere when we’d rather not. We’ll be courageous when courage seems in short supply. We’ll step up to the plate when we’re tired, afraid, and defeated. And we’ll know success when we’ve beaten the odds and pressed on toward the prize.
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What “tools of the trade” are you utilizing as you pursue your life goals?
Comments 13
Thanks for sharing. Ive dabbled in freelance writing and now realize part of my failure was in the lack of planning it like a business. This post gives me some new solid ideas to maybe try again.
Author
Good for you!
Yes, as with almost any career, we have to treat writing as a “business” first. Now, when we combine our genuine love for our craft with our desire to take it to new heights, that’s when the real fun truly begins!
Blessings to you in your endeavors, and thanks for your comment.
This post is a must read for any and all writers out there, whether they are currently actively seeking publication or not, for it offers a whole heck of a lot of sage advice.
The lady who posted this blog is one of the wonderfully talented and shining stars amongst the WordPress firmament and is also one that I am very proudly subscribed to and have been for some time. Her blog, http://cynthiaherron.wordpress.com/, is well worth a visit, both for current posts and past ones.
Other stars that shine and share the light of their wisdom, guidance, tips and just plain sense of companionship, acceptance, guidance, advice…and most of all, caring, are Stephanie of http://bekindrewrite.wordpress.com/ and Sonia of http://doingthewritething.wordpress.com/.
Both of these women have blogs that are not only wonderful, they can be very informative.
And this is to you, Cynthia, you are indeed a bright and shining star in the WordPress heavens and I hope you continue to shine for a very long time to come.
Wishing all mentioned herein and all who might read this peace, luck, joy, and always and forever a lifetime surrounded by love,
marantha jenelle of http://1wordywoman.wordpress.com/ (GHOSTWRITER)
Author
Thank you, Amber, for your kind words. I’m truly humbled.
Blessings to you as you continue to step out of your “comfort zone.”
Thanks for the great post, Cynthia. 🙂 What a great reminder. I’ve been
doing the online thing, but I’ve kinda forgotten about local networking.
I really want to build report at my local library, but whenever we go,
my 20 month old thinks pulling all the books off the bookshelves is
some type of fabulous game. I probably should just go anyway. I
wonder if he’d stay put in a stroller… things to think about.
I’ve thought of a brand, “Dreaming up adventurous tales for young
minds with big imaginations.” I’ll have to work on “stepping out of the
comfort zone” as I have an aversion to public speaking or spotlights
of any kind. :/
Thanks again for the gentle reminder of the tools we aspiring authors
should be utilizing! 🙂
Author
Ahhh, “public speaking” and “spotlights.” Yikes! Those can be daunting for everyone at one time or another. I’m still working on getting in that groove myself.
A good icebreaker is to engage your audience right at the outset. Jot down ideas as you go about your day–in your case, you could start by relating some humorous story about nursing (minus actual names, of course 🙂 )Humor is a fantastic way to kickstart a topic. Pass out colored notecards (inexpensive and eye appealing) and have your audience pen a line or two about something humorous that’s happened to them. Leave the cards unsigned, gather them in a basket, have each person draw out a card, and attempt to guess whose humorous quip they have. Be creative; think of fun ways to relate your writing expertise. In the beginning, until you’re comfortable with public speaking, encouraging guest intereaction is a fantastic tool. A lot of people like to talk and share. Also, bring something of value to the table–tip sheets, genre info, etc. guests can take home. And plan to have a couple of giveaways/freebies. (These don’t have to be expensive either!)
And about going to the library…I guarantee that almost anyone who has had children fully understands inquisitive minds and fingers. Begin building rapport with your local library team with, “I so love the pleasant atmosphere you instill here, and as you can tell, so does my little “Johnny.” You don’t have to be eloquent–you’re planting a seed. 🙂
Wow! Thanks for all the great tips. I appreciate your advice.
I take all the advice I can get! 🙂
Some tools in my writerly tool belt have been added over the years as I’ve traveled on my journey from first story to first contract: patience, a sense of humor, resiliency, and realistic expectations to name a few. Pursing publication is not for the faint of heart. 🙂
Author
You’re absolutely right, Keli, on all counts! I whip out a few of the “tools” you mentioned each and every day. 🙂
Great list, Cynthia! I’ve found that self-motivation and persistence are musts in this writing journey. It’s a somewhat solitary job (when we log off all our social networks), and we have to dig deep to persevere and just write.
Author
So true, Sarah! It would be nice if we had our own personal cheerleader seated beside us each day as we write, but alas, it’s just us and our trusty keyboards. The pats we get on our backs are sometimes our own when we’ve completed our daily mission–to write. And when we’re sick, tired, tending to family, or engaged in other hat-wearing modes, following through on our task at hand certainly deserves a big cheer!
I appreciate your helpfulness and eagerness to share the side of writing that usually goes unseen, Cynthia.
Author
God has blessed me with so many “helpers” along the way, Patti! I want to “pay it forward” if I can.