Successful writers are those who do not give up on writing. They manage to find time even in the midst of their hectic schedules. If you have the passion to write, then you will definitely find time to write. Successful writers do not always wait for inspiration to strike them; instead they write in a timely manner and do not lose focus. So, what kinds of behaviors will you not see in successful writers? Read on.
1. Being unprofessional
Successful writers know that they are professionals and so they behave like professionals. They will be careful to not to indulge in any questionable acts with anybody face-to-face or online. When they are about to perform anything that is questionable, they ask themselves if the act is a professional act. Successful writers know that anything and everything is under scrutiny these days. Hence taking part in questionable acts will only lead to lesser popularity among the readers.
2. Engaging with negativity
Writers write and there are readers to read or comment on what they have written. Some readers will like your writing and write good reviews, and there are other readers who will write negative reviews. Successful writers will not take all this personally and vent out negativity. They will not engage in negativity and nor will they let it affect them. A successful writer will just leave it alone and stay focused. They know that praise and criticism is part of life, and they just move on and continue writing.
3. Writing without editing
“An editor is someone who separates the wheat from the chaff and then prints the chaff.” ~ Adlai Stevenson, American politician and diplomat
This is exactly what all successful writers do. They make sure that their works are edited and are free from grammatical errors or typos. A successful author will not ever publish his or her book without proofreading the book. Some writers may edit their own work in the end, and others may give their work to an editor. What matters is editing. All aspiring writers should ensure that their works are error-free.
4. Annoying editors or agents
Editors and literary agents receive a lot of submissions day in and day out. Successful writers do not approach them to annoy them. There may be writers who inundate agents or editors with many e-mails or manuscripts. However, a successful author knows where to draw the line and will not go overboard.
5. Plagiarizing someone else’s work
Writers may be inspired by other writers. This doesn’t mean they can copy words from another writer and use them as his or her words. Great writers do not resort to plagiarism. They write in their own words and style. We are what we write. Individuality matters. Your voice matters. In case writers want to use some author’s exact words, then they will use quotation marks and credit the source.
Successful writers will not send their manuscript or articles without thoroughly reading the submission guidelines. They know that the guidelines are there for a reason, and they adhere to it.
Image credit: Enokson on flickr and reproduced under Creative Commons 2.0[
I’m Smitha Abraham. I love traveling in my flights of imagination and use these flights to craft short stories and poetry. I am a budding writer from India. My passions are reading, creative writing, listening to music, learning new languages, meeting new people, getting acquainted with different cultures and traveling. Authors like Isabel Allende, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Carlos Ruiz Zafón, genres like magic realism, historical romance, and writing styles that are imaginative and flow effortlessly fascinate me. I love to unwind with a book curled up on a sofa or by gazing at the stars by the sea shore. I am a nature lover and spending time admiring the sunset and sunrise is relaxing for me.