From Writers Helping Writers:
Every author starts out as a hobbyist. We write as kids, for fun. As we get older, we write when we have free time or the fit takes us. For many, that’s as far as it goes, and there’s value in that.
But for others, over time, our writing passion grows. Chances are, if you’re reading this blog, you’re looking to take the next step and become a professional author. Here are 8 changes you should make, in no certain order, to level up your writing to pro status.
1. Make Writing a Priority
This one is kind of a no-brainer, but it’s hard to do because we have other responsibilities and activities that are important. Paying the bills (working a day job). Parenting. Developing friendships. Bingeing Stranger Things for the third (fourth?) time.
Life is busy, full of non-negotiable duties and fun stuff that steal our time. But the truth is, we make time for what’s important to us.
Pros prioritize writing. This requires a reshuffling of our To Do list. It may mean jettisoning some things completely. Because only when writing is a priority will it get the time and attention needed to take you to the next level.
2. Practice Patience
The fact that you’re reading this post shows that you recognize the importance of honing your craft and acquiring new skills. Research, learning, application…these all take time.
But once you decide to pursue writing as a career, there’s a natural temptation to escalate the process. After all, this isn’t like other jobs; no one’s monitoring your progress and deciding when you can take the next step. There’s no hierarchical ladder that must be climbed. It’s just you, your computer, and the Publish button.
Patience is a defining characteristic of professionals because they recognize that becoming really good at something doesn’t happen over night. They know that positioning themselves for success takes time. So don’t just focus on the end result of publishing the book or hitting a certain sales milestone. Dedicate yourself to growth and improvement. Respect the journey, and resist the urge to skip steps along the way.
3. Seek Out Criticism (and Be Able to Take It)
I’ve got an eighth-grade son who loves music. He plays multiple instruments but is focused mostly now on the bass clarinet. Recently, he entered a Solo and Ensemble competition, where students perform a piece of music for a professional adjudicator and are given a grade of Superior, Excellent, Good, etc.
I sat in on his performance and was able to listen to the judge’s feedback. I thought Dominic had done very well, so I was surprised to hear the judge offer so much criticism. I kind of wanted to punch her.
Walking out, I said to D that he’d unfortunately pulled a tough judge, and we would just hope for the best. I got my second surprise of the day when my son said he was happy to have gotten this adjudicator because her helpful feedback was going to make him a better player.
Sure, the score mattered (he got a Superior, by the way), but D recognized that if he wanted to become a premier player, he needed to improve his areas of weakness. And he couldn’t see what those weaknesses were. None of us really can. It takes other people to point them out.
If you want to become better as an author, you have to get helpful feedback. Critique partners and beta readers, writing coaches and editors—there are so many knowledgeable people in the industry who can help with this. But they won’t come to you. To become a superior writer, you’ve got to seek them out and be willing to take their feedback.
4. Become a Perpetual Learner
Becoming a pro takes time because there’s always more to learn. New writing methods and techniques, emerging technologies and software (A.I., anyone?). Marketing, bookkeeping, business strategies . . . Pros know that writing, as a career, is always in flux. If you go into it with the mindset of a lifelong learner, you’ll be able to adjust and won’t get steamrolled when things change.
5. Approach Writing as a Business
This is one of the toughest mindset shifts to make because we love the writing so much. We have this image of ourselves as successful authors, sitting in our office typing or scribbling away day after day. And while I would argue that writing is the most important thing, there’s so much more to becoming a pro.
To get there, we have to view writing as a business. Yes, success requires researching and drafting and revising. But it’s also setting up a bank account and ordering checks, filing annual taxes, building a brand, marketing our products, hiring people to do the things we can’t or don’t want to do, creating and maintaining a website, figuring out which distributors to use to sell your books and familiarizing yourself with their platforms…
Oi.
It can be overwhelming because we don’t want to do all that stuff. We. Just. Want. To. Write. Can’t we just write?
Well . . . no. Professional writers do plenty of writing, but they’re also building a business. And all the other stuff is part of that.
This goes back to #4. Broaden your mind and accept this fact: to be a professional, you will have to learn all the things. You don’t have to become an expert; just look at me doing Angela’s and my finances (/shrieks). It’s not easy. It’s definitely not natural, and sometimes it’s not pretty, but I do it because it has to be done. Embrace the lifelong journey of learning these tasks (or learning to
Link to the rest at Writers Helping Writers