11 Awesome Success Tips for Writers
To be a successful writer, it is not enough that you have a way with words. You must also have the right attitude to last in this competitive and a bit fickle industry. With that said, here are 10 tips to keep you on the long-term success track:
- Be prepared to work for free to get your foot in the door. This applies especially if you’re new in the industry and networking your way for clients and projects. Nobody can resist a free sample or a free anything, so why not volunteer short writing jobs to prospective clients, gratis, and know that they’ll remember your skills and good attitude when a project comes.
2. Work hard, but don’t take yourself too seriously. Learning to laugh at your mistakes will help you last in this competitive industry.
3. Do the most difficult things first so you can enjoy the things you like doing more later. Just think about it: if you finish those difficult freelance writer jobs on existentialism and space theories, you’ll have all your sweet time starting on your first book or blogging about your favorite topics.
4. Explore and discover. A curious mind makes for wonderful writers.
5. Surround yourself with professionals who are your equals, or better yet, with people who kick your ass. It’s a good way to constantly challenge yourself.
6. Relax, read books of your favorite authors on your favorite chair, and if it’s possible, wake up to birds singing.
7. Hunt for a mentor. It’s always nice to have someone critique your work, not to mention bounce your ideas off to someone whose reputation you admire and respect.
8. Get inspiration from the people you look up to. They may be celebrities or media personalities like Peter FitzSimons, who is an Australian journalist and author. It is essential that you have one or two famous people whom you consider as motivation to reach your goal.
9. During work hours, be able to tell the difference between what is really important and what is merely distracting. First drafts for a copywriting project or internet surfing, you choose.
10. When something goes wrong, don’t resort to whining, complaining, and making excuses. Brainstorm for solutions.
11. Think outside the box. Writing is a competitive industry. If you want to be a good business, you must constantly offer something unique, fresh, and wildly engaging.
Writing can be a pain sometimes, but it’s a wonderful experience. Keep on writing and reach for your goal. You’ll never know if you’re going to the next Neil Gaiman or J. K. Rowling. Strive hard and keep going.
