Build a platform
Everything I was told is true. Do it. It will make your life easier. Don’t know how to begin?
b) Go to conferences and attend sessions about promoting
c) Seek advice from professional such as My Write Platform
Don’t whine
This sounds really easy, but I see it often on social media. If you’re a writer, don’t complain about the dark, dirty side of writing, like editing. It doesn’t matter how many times you make a pass through a book, your reader’s don’t need to hear you gripe.
Network — Online or In-Person
You’re an introvert? Suck it up. Get your adrenaline pumping, then get out there. You never know what opportunity is waiting for you to fall into, which you can’t do if you’re stuck in your writing cave.
Read
This seems like a no-brainer, but after I published my first book, I limited my fiction reading due to time, instead I focused on books/blogs/websites about craft and promoting. And after a while, I was burned out. There’s no better way to gain inspiration than to read a book you love. One of the ways I make sure I keep up with my reading is to judge contests annually—it’s part of my way to give back. One contest is critiquing manuscripts from unpublished writers—I hope to be a cheerleader for all that’s wonderful in their story, and maybe impart some of what I learned—and the other contest is to judge published novels.
Set Goals
They’re critical for success. Specific, measureable, attainable, realistic, timely, and don’t forget the REWARDS. Find ways to enjoy the little successes along the way. Rewards don’t have to cost anything: an afternoon at a museum or a botanical garden, a long soak in the tub, a nap, an extra glass of wine.
Remember, no one understands a writer’s journey better than another writer. Get connected. Give back. Now, get going!
Linda Joyce is an award-winning author writing about assertive females and the men who can’t resist them. Her Fleur de Lis series is set in the south, mostly. Her Sunflower Series features Kansas. She penned her first manuscript while living in Japan, the country where her mother was born and raised. Now she lives in Atlanta, Georgia with her husband and four-legged boys. www.linda-joyce.com
One surprising and good thing I am learning is that writers are very supportive of one another. I don't know if this is my honeymoon period when I don't know what I am doing. However, I think my instincts are right.
ReplyDeleteI have been building a platform. It is not very big but more importantly it is getting me use to putting myself out there. These are some good points for all of us newbies.
Your instincts are right, Ann. Writers are very supportive of other writers. That's what SWA is all about. Thanks for your great comments!
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