It’s one of my stock phrases: “The world needs more writers, and fewer wannabe-writers.” Sometimes people think I’m being the crotchety published author telling all the new independent and self-published writers to give it all up.  Nothing could be further from the truth.

Two fundamental characteristics define writers to my mind:

Writers write, wannabes dream of being writers

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If you want to be a writer, open up a word processor, text editor, or pad of paper and start putting words down in some permanent form. Now you have a copyrighted work! Develop your writing habit by repeatedly putting words down in some permanent form; every day is best, but don’t beat yourself over the head if you miss a day now and then. You won’t get better unless and until writing becomes a habit.

Writers look for readers

Wannabes who take the first step (develop their writing habit) too often believe their work isn’t good enough for others to read. Too often,  we’re our own worst critic, but let me say this as clearly as I know how: the only way to succeed as a professional writer is to get readers! You have to find — and grow — an audience for your writing.

Today’s writers have a multitude of tools and places to try out their skills, and new ones pop up regularly. If you want to hone your fictional craft, try WattPad, or enter a contest. If you just want to describe your view of the world, head to WordPress.com and start blogging. Use your Facebook or Google+ space to find others interested in the same things you are and write to them.

English: Professional writers recruit for Wiki...
English: Professional writers recruit for Wikipedia writing classes for public (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

By the way, here’s a secret: if you do any of the above, you not only have a copyright, but you’re a published writer. No longer a wannabe.  And that’s what I mean by needing fewer wannabes.

Know someone who needs help finding readers?

Build Your Author PlatformNow it’s time for the mercenary part of this post. Perhaps you know a wannabe-writer (or maybe more than one). For many folks, December is a time for remembering your friends and family members.  You know the definition of “friend,” right?

The people who know you best, and hang around with you anyway

Often you thank these people at this time of year with gifts. Have I got a great idea for you! It’s a collection of words that Carole Jelen and I wrote called Build Your Author Platform: The New Rules. It came out in May, and it will help the wannabes in your life find the audience they’ve dreamed of, regardless of what they wanna write about. It comes in electronic and paper format (the paper is easier to wrap; some outlets may even be able to wrap it up for you).

I’ve got some handy links to the book on my Books page. You can also visit the Build Your Author Platform website for even more places to order.

May you all have a wonderful holiday season, and a 2015 where all the wannabes in your life become writers.

 

buildyourauthorplatform_frontcover_3d-white-1024x10241-300x300Quick shout out: Amazon has been selling the Kindle ebook version of Build Your Author Platform: The New Rules for $2.99 for the last few days.

If you’d like to get all of our proven strategies to discover and expand the audience for your writing, you probably won’t find a better value. You don’t need a Kindle device to buy or read the ebook, there are Kindle apps for all mobile platforms, and a reading app for your computer too.

We don’t know how long this special will last (nobody tells us anything), so get moving!

Build Your Author Platform: The New Rules on the Kindle Store

Wisconsin Welcome Sign
Wisconsin Welcome Sign (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The August issue of the Midwest Book Review “Wisconsin Book Watch” said some really nice things in a brief review of Build Your Author Platform: The New Rules. Here’s the line that made me smile the broadest:

Replete with pragmatic and illustrative book marketing lessons, examples, success stories, and a wealth of tips and techniques, “Build Your Author Platform: The New Rules: A Literary Agent’s Guide to Growing Your Audience in 14 Steps” will prove to be an enduringly valuable addition to personal, professional, academic, and community library Writing/Publishing instructional reference collections. Very highly recommended to writers aspiring to become successful authors

Based just outside of Madison, Wisconsin, The MBR is oriented toward independent authors and small presses. Editor James A. Cox looks especially to help independent booksellers and librarians of all kinds find the best books that don’t always get the marketing push of the Big Five. Thanks!

Go read the whole review (and the whole August issue).