Never believe that if you write it they will come. That only happens in movies. Being an author is equal parts marketing to equal parts writing. And never for one moment believe that any of it is easy. Most best selling authors had a marketing strategy long before the book hit the shelves.
Another misconception is that everyone will love your book. Wrong. Not everyone reads the same thing. Of course, you love your book because you wrote it. Just because you love your work doesn’t mean everyone will love it.
As authors, lovers of reading or movie fanatics, we know what’s supposed to happen and when it’s supposed to happen in a story and the same exact formula is everywhere. Putting it into your own story is sometimes not quite as easy as reading an already formulated novel.
Writing is a technical skill. A craft. You can argue that storytelling is an art and art emerges from good writing. But you will still need to know how to communicate. And, you need to learn the laws of this maddening land. I’ve seen too many authors want to jump ahead of the skill and just start telling stories
There are two big traps:
- either you think everything you write is golden or
- you think everything you write is garbage.
Your loved ones will tend to overpraise your work because they like you but not everyone is going to love your creation – nor will everyone hate it. Everyone makes mistakes but don’t let that hold you back. And everyone should have an editor.
Overcome the traps by:
- studying the art of writing,
- taking classes,
- reading books,
- practicing writing,
- getting a degree
5 writing tips:
- Find your internal drive – internal motivation.
- Make every word count. Good writing is about communicating something powerfully in the fewest number of words possible.
- 3. Know your audience. I suggest starting with one or two audiences or publications you wish to write for. Then do your homework. Read a number of their articles so you gain an understanding of their editorial needs. Become familiar with what your readers want.
- Discover your voice. Your writing voice will leave an impression on your readers; be it quirky, direct, vulnerable or upbeat.
- Just write! Carve out some dedicated time to put words on the page.
So, what are you waiting for? Tell your story. Start writing.
“Linda has published fifteen books. She blogs about the publishing world, posts useful tips on the challenges a writer faces, including marketing and promoting your work, how to build your online platform, how to get reviews and how to self-publish.”