There are no golden rules to turn you into a published author. Nobody can force to become one, if you don’t write. If writing is what you are passionate about, then give wings to your passion by jump-starting the writing process. How do you become a published author if your heart yearns to write? Here are a few tips:
1. Write
The first rule is to write. Writing is an activity that needs you to be focused. You may have a million ideas in your head waiting to give your characters or your plot an outline. Develop these ideas by writing. Think for some time. Let your ideas flow into a structure and then pen them on your laptop or notebook. Forget proofreading initially. This helps you to jot your ideas down continuously. Make it a habit to allot some time daily for writing. Choose the time when your mind is most conducive to writing. This could be early morning or late evening. Make silence your muse and write!
2. Identify the right markets
Once you have set the ball rolling, the next step is to identify the best markets for your writing. Do some research and find out where your style of writing will sell the most and to whom will it appeal the most. Participate in forums or discussion boards where you are likely to get tips from established writers and editors. Use these tips to advance your writing career.
3. Learn the business of writing
Writers need to be good marketers. This means you need to equip yourself with strategies that help promote your work. Decide what kind of publishing you are interested in. Do you want to get into self-publishing or do you prefer traditional publishing? Once you decide that, then you can choose the appropriate path. Leverage the power of social media to promote your voice and your work. Facebook, Instagram, Maptia and many more social media tools are ubiquitous.
4. Find a reliable agent
If you’re going to publish through the traditional route, an agent can be helpful. There are many agents out there, but only a few of them are legitimate. Your task is to do a proper research and then touch-base with a reliable agent. Many so-called agents are there to make some quick money. Never pay an agent up front. Query Tracker is a useful database to find legitimate agents according to literary genres. It also has forums where you get some sound advice from good writers.
5. Find your muse
Do some kind of a self-discovery and find out what inspires you the most. Some writers love songs or films; this means the lyrics, the feel of the song or the scenes in a film appeal to their creative side. Some love anything that is visual or aesthetic. This could be photographs or pictures. These are your creative aids that help in triggering your words. Hoard these visual aids safely. When you feel you are out of ideas or you have a writer’s block, revisit them. This probably will rejuvenate you and reenergize your distracted muse. Pinterest boards are a great way to find some amazing visuals.
Image credit: Sarah Reid 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.