6 Attitudinal Shifts to Jump Start Your Author Career
Do you like to write? Do you feel you have a message inside that needs to get out? Have you thought that maybe there is the potential to transform this inner calling into a career? If so, you have arrived at the right place, we are going to discuss six attitudinal shifts you may need to do to really start your author career without fear.
Attitudinal Shifts for Your Your Author Career
What is the best way to make the transition from Writer to Author? Start with these 6 Attitudinal Shifts to start your author career.
1 – Start taking the act of writing seriously!
That means taking the time to write, watch videos, or take creative writing courses and, of course, exchange experiences with other writers. It may sound silly, but if you do not make the time, writing will end up becoming something you wanted to do, but there is never time.
Create a reasonable working plan which works for you. You can start with two hours once a week and increase as you can. Many people prefer to wake up earlier to start writing and get the creative juices flowing.
Also, take the time to learn about writing. There is a lot of free material on the internet on the subject to get you started and many other online and in-person courses. You can and should invest in yourself.
2 – Start Taking Part in Writer’s Groups
Facebook alone has a few million of them. Some groups are more focused on dissemination, others on the exchange of experiences.
Be aware of the rules and start interacting with other writers.
You will see that many have the same doubts and the same problems as you. This exchange of experiences and tips can be useful. You will start to become part of the literary medium and meeting other people in the same place as you who share your dream of being a writer is good. One of the great things about a community of writers is that most of them don’t see themselves as competition. On the contrary, they tend to support and encourage each other: “a high tide floats all boats” type of philosophy.
3 – Start Publishing Your Work.
You need to show your manuscripts, your articles, and op-eds to the world. Otherwise, you’ll just be a writer’s drawer. It is okay that they are not yet your best texts but think about a publishing strategy for them. You either can make a website, or you can use any of the various free platforms for posting articles. Here are three of the more used ones today.
Wattpad – This is a particularly good one if you write for teenagers and young adults. The key to success on this platform is to post chapter by chapter and keep the frequency of your posts. You will also have to interact with other authors to ensure more audience. It is a great social crowdsourcing venue.
Medium – This is great if you want to write about everyday life, like chronicles. You can share impressions, reviews, opinions, and even interviews. It is easy to get started and you don’t need to know anything about websites or HTML code. It is simpler than making your own blog and you can also enjoy the audience that already circulates there.
Instagram – Good for those who write poetry and/or short stories, but it is worth remembering that the urge is focused on image, so you will need to develop a visual content strategy, as well, that takes this into account.
4 – Start Publicizing Your Work
Nobody will read what you wrote if they don’t know it’s available to read. You need to promote it. With all the noise on the internet, it is hard to stand out when you are in the development stages of your Author’s Career. On platforms like Wattpad, Medium, and Instagram, you start by interacting with other writers.
Think about how you are going to publicize yourself to the people who already know you. It is worth making that smart post to your Facebook profile with an image and an excerpt from the text. Your friends and family can be great supporters at the beginning of your writing career. Enjoy this wave. Later, when you are feeling more confident, create your own Fan Page and start promoting it there, but it is always worth sharing on your personal profile too, as this greatly increases the reach and that is what you want at this moment.
5 – Start Paying Attention to Writing Contests
There are a lot of writing competitions out there. Be aware of this but pay close attention to the rules and values because, while some are legitimate, others are just there to collect your money.
You will want to limit yourself to taking part only in serious contests which can add to your experience as an author and enrich your brand. Only take part in real contests that have legitimate standing and bring you more audience.
6 – Participate in an Anthology
Many budding authors dream of writing that “next big novel”, but in today’s publishing environment, few publishing houses are willing to bet on a first-time writer. Probably the very best way to make the leap from Writer to Published Author is to participate in one or more Anthologies and join with a cadre of other influencers in your genre. Some Anthologies will also lead with a well-known and successful author for you to partner with, and link your Brand with, in the book. The best Anthologies, such as those with iSpirit Media, are crafted to target a specific section of the market, guaranteeing not only success with the book but exposing your work to a waiting audience hungry for what you offer and building your personal audience and Brand.
These 6 Attitudinal Shifts to jump-start your author career will help you to break through the noise out there, help you pierce the bubble of friends and family and be exposed to new readers, and, most importantly, transition you to your dream of being a Published Author.
You should also read 10 Valuable Tips for the New Author
