What can you tell me about a writing career?
Is there anything you can tell me on the subject of having a writing career? If there's any advise you can give me to become a fiction writer.
#Any advise would be helpful
#Thank you very much #journalism #online-journalism #writing #writing-and-editing
4 answers
Quality Service’s Answer
Susan E.’s Answer
Elena’s Answer
Do you want to write for your own pleasure or to make money? If it's the latter, know that that fiction is a *much* harder sell than nonfiction--you really have to work at it on many levels. That means not just having a top-notch book that appeals to a wide range of readers but building an audience through things like Goodreads, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, email lists....
As an author (under a pseudonym) I've published both types, and the nonfiction books are what pay the rent, even though I honed my novel for three times as long and did all the "right" things. Whether you go through a traditional publisher or self-publish, learn as much about marketing as you can--it counts just as much as if not more than the writing itself.
Seth Godin is a genius at marketing and his book Small Is the New Big is a gold mine of tips (focused on businesses but as a writer, the more you can treat writing as a business, the more successful you'll be). Also, the Independent Book Publisher's Association is a hugely valuable resource for self-published authors, with articles and webinars that get to the point and really help.
Julia’s Answer
Then you may want to check out Joseph Campbell’s book, The Hero with a Thousand Faces and/or Christopher Vogler’s The Writer’ Journey (which is based on Campbell’s works).
Lastly, if you want to understand the writer’s life read Annie Dillard’s The Writer’s Life.
Then begin to network and get on LinkedIn to join some writing groups.