Thank you so much for visiting my personal website. Over the years, I have been asked by up-and-coming writers for advice on becoming an author, or for advice on building a brand as an author. To any person entering this community of writers my advice to you would be…
1. Be audacious. In an industry where you are likely to find a lot of closed doors, don’t take no for an answer. In other words, if a door slams in your face, build your own door and walk through it. Follow your heart and don’t lose sight of your dreams when faced with rejection.
2. Master your craft, even if it takes years to do it. You may not be great now, but someday you will be if you continue to work at it.
3. Don’t be afraid to try something new. Have the ability to recognize a great opportunity when you see one. You want to be the first to innovate when a new opportunity arises. Try to be a pioneer, as opposed to someone who simply follows trends.
4. Be authentic. Avoid using the same name as an already established author. An author who has already established themselves and their catalogue of books long before you, will likely overshadow your work no matter how good you are and no matter how hard you try to establish yourself. You will never have your own identity and may not be able to build your brand or reputation. Readers may even think you’re a copycat, or while searching for you, end up buying a book by the other author instead of yours. If the names are too similar, I recommend adding a middle initial or finding something completely unique. Be distinct. Your identity as a writer is critical, so it’s worth changing your name to something else if it is already in use by an established author… if you plan to take your writing career seriously. It’ s never too late to change it if you’ve already made this career-blundering mistake. The last thing you want to do is live under another author’s shadow or have your work confused with someone else’s.
4. Ignore the naysayers. Don’t expect everyone to like your book. Some people will like your work and some people won’t. You can’t win over every reader or reviewer because opinions and tastes can be very subjective. One mistake to avoid: never have your work reviewed by a critic who is not a fan of your genre. You wouldn’t take a fantasy novel to a critic who reads and writes reviews about historical fiction. Bad reviews are part of the business. If you get one, thank your lucky stars that people are reading your book and taking the time to show interest in your work. The worst review is no review at all.
5. Stay off of social media, except for announcements. Keep your private life private, which means keeping your political, social, and religious views to yourself (unless your brand is political, social, or religious commentary.) As writers, our job is to entertain, enlighten, or touch hearts.
6. Avoid gimmicks, copycat, or get-rich quick schemes. Don’t try to write the next Twilight. Write authentically.
7. If a company reaches out to you, asking to market your book, sell your book, or the company is basically engaged in telemarketing a service, 99.9% of the time, it’s likely a sham.
In the end, whatever you do…be great at it! Write for the love of writing.