I’ve officially been an author for about 6 years now. Been writing as a life choice for probably 10.
I thought I’d share a helpful (or not) list of what it takes to be an author.
It’s simple, really. Or not.
1. Go to school and take a creative writing class.
2. Start from scratch and learn as you go through blogs, books, and tips on how to craft.
3. Take a Course from a successful author with lessons on writing, advertising, blog building, and more (I can even tell you where to find one)
4. Do none of those things, or all. It really doesn’t matter how to learn, as long as you learn.
5. Know that no one is ever done learning (this applies to everything)
6. Sink hundreds of dollars into a cover artist.
7. Buy a lesser expensive premade cover from a site.
8. Spend thousands on a top of the line editor.
9. Do your research, ask around, and find someone that will do it for less.
10. Spend hundreds on advertising before, during, and after release.
11. Spend less than $100 on advertising.
12. Spend less than $50 on advertising.
13. Spend nothing, and rely on word of mouth.
14. Before you’ve even published a book, get a street team and start generating buzz.
15. Wait until 1,2,5,10 years into your career and realize you’ve been missing out on some valuable resources and start implementing them.
16. Plot every single detail of your novel.
17. Write by the seat of your pants.
18. Get to know your characters with in depth interviews and regular check-in conversations.
19. Let those damn characters run amok and throw you for a loop on a regular basis.
20. Follow every writing rule to a T.
21. Throw those damn rules out the window, some of the best authors in the world do.
22. There is no rulebook. This list is a fallacy for no matter what you do, someone will ALWAYS tell you you’re wrong.
There is really only ONE True Rule.
LOVE THE CRAFT. LOVE TO WRITE. LOVE TO BUILD WORLDS. DO IT FOR YOU. DO IT BECAUSE IT MAKES YOU HAPPY.
Yay! Hi there, like-minded blogger!
Boy, that sounds a lot like being an artist, too! In the end, no rules. You learn from doing. Oh, I bet this applies to you too: compare yourself to improve yourself, then make sure to never compare yourself because you’ll cripple yourself and you need to do your OWN thing!
In the end, I think it just comes down to being driven to create and loving it – even when no one likes your work. Just keep on creating/writing! (Also, the market is insane. People are completely unpredictable!)
YES!! Sounds like we are in the same boat! I’ve also learned that I need to write for MYSELF…not for the money or the market or what I think everyone else wants. I don’t get the joy out of it if I put on the pressure of the rest of the world.
Welcome aboard and back to blogging! The water’s fine…dive right in. 😉