| |
| |
|
Writing Information |
|
|
|
The Authors Life: 14 Hints on Creating a Career Plan
1. Remember publication is a business; writing is an art. Get those confused at your peril. Treat publication as you would any enterprise--as a professional. Meet deadlines, learn about the industry, and grow in your craft. 2. Know your market. You wouldn't sell meat to vegetarians, would you? Yet so many new writers don't know where to send their work. If you write mysteries, find a market that buys mysteries. It takes time but saves you the aggravation in the end. Check the recent Writers Market or similar books. Or look at your bookshelves. Which companies published authors you like or have similar stories to yours? 3. Know what you want. Do you want to be published in hardcover or paperback? Do you want an agent or literary lawyer? Do you want to work full-time or part-time? Knowing this will help you develop a roadmap to your chosen destination. You have to know what you want to get it. Remember to write it down. This will prevent you from going off track. 4. Set concrete goals. That means goals that are measurable. "I want to make the best-sellers list" is not a concrete goal. "I will write five pages a day/ one new query letter week/ an article a month" is. 5. Be realistic. Lower your expectation of making $800,000 on your first book. Build up to that. So what if some fifteen year old got a million-dollar deal? In all likelihood that won't happen to you, so don't be disappointed. Keep writing. 6. Learn the rules then make them work for you. Follow or fudge them. You can pitch a novel you haven't finished, just be prepared to write like a lunatic when they want to see the book right away. 7. Keep submitting. Every salesperson hears the word 'no'. You're selling your work so you will hear it too. Every no gets you closer to yes. 8. Think about quality control. Use a trusted reader, agent, critique partner, friend or spouse to go over your work. They'll help you keep your work in top form. 9. Forget the market sometimes. Between moneymaking projects write what excites you. It may eventually come into fashion. Aside from that it keeps your brain active. 10. Recognize frustration. You'll get frustrated and that's okay, it's part of the industry. A story that was rejected for being "too hard to sell" makes the bestseller's list for a new author. Your agent has stopped returning your calls, your editor leaves, your book sells poorly, or gets a nasty review or letter. Your writing friends are getting better deals than you. It is a competitive market fraught with obstacles, and there will be times you'll want to give up. Don't. Frustration will be a part of your career but it won't last forever. 11. Believe that you will succeed. Half asserted efforts will show. You don't need to be super confidence. You don't even have to think positive, but you do have to believe that you're worthy of success. You do have to write the best books you can. You do have to believe in your stories. Success is your birthright. Stay away from those who think otherwise. 12. Remember that you're enough. You don't need to change. If you can write coherently in your chosen language, you can write whatever you want to. So begin. You improve only by writing. That's it. There's no short cut. You can secure the biggest New York agent in the business, you can get a Ph.D. in literature, you can become best buddies with a best-selling author, or know all the booksellers in your neighborhood. That will not sell your book or make you a writer. Writing does. 13. Forget about luck. Those people we consider lucky did something to receive their so-called luck. They went on the job interview (didn't know they would be hired on the spot) played the Lotto (didn't know that they would win) went on the blind date (didn't know they would meet their match) or wrote the book (didn't know that it would be a best-seller). I'm not saying luck doesn't exist; just that luck follows action. The more you do the luckier you'll be. 14. Have fun! Write without caring about what anyone will say. Remember the joy of creating. Dara Girard is the author of three novels and a member of Romance Writers of America and Novelists Inc. You can find more articles and links for writers at her website: http://www.daragirard.com
MORE RESOURCES:
Writing - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Write Strategy: Think, Believe, Attack Think of writing like karate.. You Can Be An Author "You should write a book." For years, I had been hearing this comment. Top 10 Common English Goofs by Web Authors In reviewing and browsing web sites over the years, I have compiled a list of the most common misuses of English by web authors. Here they are in Letterman (reverse) order. Learn How To Write Poetry! A poet isn't born; you must work at crafting your art. If you have the desire to write, you can learn how to write poetry or simply improve your writing. A Book Note Vs a Book Report IntroductionSince our early days of elementary education we have been familiar with what a book report entails. But do you know what a book note is? Good question you say? Great! Read on and together we can explore the relationship between the two. Gaining Writing Experience GAINING WRITING EXPERIENCE Some Catch-22, huh? In the writing business, you can't get published until you have some experience. If you can't get published until you have experience, how do you get experience? How do you get publishing clips to show all those publishers who want to see "previously published clips"? It's almost as if Lily Tomlin's telephone operator character came up with this: "Is this the party to whom I'm speaking? Are you the unpublished writer who has published clips I can look at? (Snort, snort!)" What's an unpublished writer to do? Get published, of course! I'm not being flippant; I'm serious. Write With Passion: 4 Steps To Emotionally Charge A Nonfiction Article You have just completed a draft of an article. It seems flat, even to you. Discover the Magic of the Most Beautiful Words in the English Language 'Summer afternoon - summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language.' Henry James. How to Write Words Worth a Thousand Pictures Our Image-Driven SocietyWe live in a new image-driven society. It can be hard on writers unless they learn to connect with today's readers. Writers Block is No Longer a Problem "If you're like me, than I'm sure you're pretty familiar with the well-known writer's block.From time to time, when you have to start writing something, be it an article, an ebook, or just a letter, there is that moment when you just stare at the blank sheet of paper (or at the vibrant colors of your monitor) and nothing seems to come out from your mind. Write a Letter, Make a Difference Today I took the dog for a walk and realized that there is a letter that I must write. Near our house, we walk up a once paved road that is now mostly rock and mud. Get Your Writing Reviewed by Major Publications for Free All Writers need the press, especially new writers. As a new novelist, I know I need name recognition. Freelance Writing: How Many Regular Clients Should You Have? This is a tough question for every freelance writer. For me, the worst working scenario is when a few weeks go by and all my work comprises one-off jobs for small clients who never become repeat customers. Ten Ways to Get Cheap (and Free) Magazine Samples 1 - Join a reading or writing group. Ask members to bring in their already-read magazines and have an exchange. Learning How To Write As a student of Spanish, my goal was to think in Spanish. Skip the word-by-word translation so I'd have the necessary speed to speak and listen. Write Your Way To A Better Brain Boost Brain Power Through WritingHave you ever noticed what happens to an idea once you express it? Just talking about it or writing it down causes you to clarify it in your own mind. How can you use this to increase your brain power? Start writing. Writing - Copyrights and Trademarks Protect You When most people consider writing a book, they don't think about Trademarks. However, I highly recommend that you leverage your writing for multiple purposes, and that's why registering a Trademark for your concept is a good idea. Tips For Better Writing It is certainly true that we don't get a second chance to make a first impression. As the impression we make on the Internet is almost always with the written word, is it unfortunate that there is so much poor writing bouncing around in cyberspace. Tips On Writing A Killer Sales Letter Writing a sales letter doesn't have to be that difficult all you need is the right writing style and some tips to knock out a killer sales letterBenefits The first thing you need to do is focus on the benefits the reader will find useful. Tell the reader what's in it for him. Letter Writing Journaling When you read a letter from someone, we are immediately transferred into their world, experience, and physical reality. You can capture the same feeling by writing letters to yourself or about other people in your journal.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |
