How vain it is to sit down to write when you
have not stood up to live.
― Henry David Thoreau
Through the years, I have dealt with many would-be writers. I’ve also had the opportunity to deal with a few very successful writers. Success, of course, is a vague term. Most writers view success in terms of their real or perceived audience. Many writers reach literally millions of people without collecting any money. A writer who writes to achieve fame or fortune will receive neither. A writer who writes because of an inner drive that can be satisfied no other way will view success in terms other than fame or fortune.
Would-be writers make a lot of assumptions. Here are five mistaken ones.
- If I write it, they will buy. Writing is about ten percent of the process. The other ninety percent is marketing. If you don’t develop a following, publishers won’t come knocking. If you don’t develop a following, self-publishing won’t work. How you publish is insignificant if you aren’t marketing yourself.
- I need thousands of dollars to get my writing career started. That’s just an excuse people use to justify their procrastination. You can write and self-publish without spending a penny.
- I need connections in the publishing industry before I can’t publish. I hate to break it to you, but the big publishers aren’t looking for you and me. The publishers that pursue you will offer publishing opportunities that require you to pay them. RUN! Don’t worry about connecting with a publisher. Focus on connecting with your audience.
- I can write in my spare time. You don’t have any spare time, therefore, you won’t write. You must make time to write everyday. Set a goal for writing 500 words a day. In a few months, you’ll have a book.
- Blogging isn’t writing. Wow. Don’t tell that to Seth Godin, Michael Hyatt, Dan Miller, or Joshua Becker. Many finished books started as blogs.
Maybe you need a few pointers to help get you started on the write path. Why not join my FREE Write Now Teleseminar on Tuesday, March 12 at 7:00pm (CDT)? I’ll spend 45 minutes answering some of the most common questions about writing. Just click Write Now icon to learn more.
What questions would you like to have answered during the Write Now Teleseminar?
