In this video I cover the 5 Essential Elements for Writing Success
1. Don’t treat writing like a hobby
- Set up a time to write and write consistently at that time, no excuses
- Here are some links to tools that help keep you from being distracted:
https://freedom.to/ or for mac users there’s a free version at http://visitsteve.com/made/selfcontrol/ Another good one is https://www.focusboosterapp.com/
Put your writing schedule on your calendar to make sure you carve out that time.
Perhaps you set aside an hour a day, or maybe you reserve all your Saturdays like best-selling author Phillip Margolin did while working full-time as an attorney. Set your time up and then respect that time as much as you would any other appointment.
2. Be open to learning how to write better
Enroll in English classes that teach sentence construction, point of view, or proper use of tenses. Having worked in the publishing industry for years, I can tell you poor knowledge of grammar is the #1 problem I’ve seen with manuscripts. Here’s a free course to get started: https://alison.com/courses/English-Grammar-Tenses-and-Sentence-Structure
Have a professional book editor look at your first two or three pages so you can see what you can do to improve. If you want my editing link, click here: https://thepublishingauthority.com/editing-services/
3. Be open to learning how to market your books
Too many writers throw up a Facebook post and think that’s all they need to do, or they don’t even do that, they just put their book up on Amazon and then can’t figure out why the book isn’t selling.
4. You must be willing to engage with readers
If you’re shy, you can do that through the written word, but maybe you can also make videos or get out in public. However you do this, engaging with readers is one way you develop loyalty so readers will want to buy everything you write. This is so important. You don’t want to have to start building a following every time you have a new book to offer.
5. Treat writing like a business
Sure, let creative juices flow through you as you’re writing, but after that, you have to change hats and become a business person. Learn how to market your work so you can create income and visibility from your work. That doesn’t have to be a pain in the butt. You can learn more about book marketing by signing up for Evergreen Book Machine.
You can also learn more from this free tip sheet if you don’t already have it:
7 Essential Profit Keys for Writers. There’s a ton of valuable information inside that you probably won’t hear anywhere else. For example, do you know why you might want to avoid using free book cover creators? Don’t hesitate, go there now so you don’t forget.