It’s my three year anniversary of becoming an author.
I’ve been a writer my whole life—first journals in middle and high school, then papers, articles, and many short stories—but deciding to publish is a different experience. You’re not only writing, you’re actively sharing your words with readers. You’re not only drafting stories, you’re hoping perhaps to make enough money to pay for lunch.
I’m a research-oriented person and I walked into authoring with my eyes-wide open, but there were some lessons that took time to sink in and others that never occurred to me.
Here’s some of the things I’ve learned since becoming an author:
1. Ideas are plentiful. Not all of them are worth a year of labor.
2. Don’t be so precious about your writing time. You can write when you’re busy, tired, or have yet to acquire your dream writing desk.
3. Take walks twice a day.
4. Don’t write for validation. It’s not that important, which is good because it’s not coming any way.
5. But when you do hear from a reader who connected with your book…the world sings.
6. Journal every day.
7. It’s okay to invest in your work. Don’t try to build an empire on a shoestring budget.
8. You’ll get pickier about the books you read as your editorial eye strengthens. Some guilty pleasures will be no more.
9. Learn what a Cute PDF is. It will save you one awfully late night.
10. Ask for help. People want to help you.
11. Connect with writers who inspire you.
12. Yes, apply to the thing! (Don’t self-select out of what you want.)
13. Ignore trolls on the internet.
14. Write a detailed business plan. Update that every year.
15. Don’t feel guilty for experiencing the world instead of working—it’s all story fodder.
16. Rest.
17. Practice an elevator pitch for your books and for you as a writer.
18. Somethings take time. Others will happen very quickly. Loosen your control.
19. You don’t need anyone’s permission.
20. Write. Submit. Repeat.
