Why Most Writers Quit Writing in the First Year
But there is a way around it
The path of building a writing career is filled with challenges. Rejection, self-doubt, and procrastination — all these quickly derail progress.
But one issue in particular leads more aspiring writers to give up than anything else: lack of visibility.
All writers crave an engaged audience who appreciates their work. Without any visibility or platform, your writing feels pointless.
When months pass, and your articles or stories fail to gain meaningful readership, discouragement sets in fast.
This lack of eyes on your words can devastate motivation levels. You begin to question your talent and potential. The deafening silence of zero reaction to what you’ve crafted leads many writers to quit trying.
But gaining visibility takes tremendous work.
Whether you’re posting content online or pitching to publishers — exposure is brutally competitive.
Your writing — no matter how superior, does not guarantee an audience will naturally find you and take notice.
Most great writing never gains traction simply because visibility relies on active marketing.
But many writers resist or resent self-promotion. They want the work to speak for itself. But passive promotion guarantees failure.
Writers who gain visibility do so strategically and intentionally. They recognize that developing an audience requires a convergent approach:
1. Relentless Output
Consistency and volume help.
The more content you publish, the more opportunities someone might stumble across your work.
Aim for regular output — maybe one piece a week or daily micro-content. Consistency breeds exposure.
2. Targeted Outreach
Get on people’s radar by directly pitching your writing to your ideal audience. Email relevant lists with tailored pitches. Reach out to podcasters or publications that align with your niche.
Be bold and persistent.
3. Leverage Social Media
“If the work isn’t in the right place at the right time, it has no chance to thrive.”
— Seth Godin
Promote your writing proactively on social platforms. Share posts in relevant Facebook groups, run ads and post snippets on Twitter.
If those will be effective, though, you need to first build a strong personal brand on those platforms. Create content, engage with other creators, collaborate and participate in conversations within your niche community.
4. Build Partnerships
Partner with influencers or brands that can amplify your work to their followers. Guest posts on popular sites. Get interviewed on podcasts. The credibility boosts your visibility.
5. Optimize Discoverability
Make your work easy to find online.
Have a search-friendly website, solid SEO, and meta descriptions that sell your content. Publish content on platforms optimized for search traffic. SEO works on platforms like LinkedIn and Instagram.
6. Set a Long-Term Goal
When starting a writing career, give yourself a 10-year timeline to succeed. I have found out that usually, it often takes far less time to get huge result when you have such mindset.
When I launched my online business in 2020, I told myself I wasn’t going to give up until I have tried my hands for at least 10 years. It’s barely four years and I have achieved amazing results.
People quit too soon. Play the long game. Approach this as a marathon — not a sprint.
I learnt a very lovely framework from Justin Welsh earlier today for goal-setting.
- Goals - Decades
- Strategy - Yearly
- Tactics: Quarterly
- Effort: Daily
The bottom line is — one year is too short a timeline to give up on any career.
Wrapping Up
Visibility relies not on wishful thinking but on concrete marketing steps woven into your routine.
Avoiding these actions out of discomfort with self-promotion will kill your writing aspirations faster than anything.
You owe it to yourself and your audience to actively build visibility as an integral part of your writing career. The rewards of cultivating a robust readership who resonates with your work make the effort worthwhile.
Take it from me. After years of writing in obscurity without traction, intentional marketing to increase visibility changed everything.
My work finally found its audience, which fueled my passion. And a whole world of opportunities opened up.
Don’t let lack of visibility defeat you. Commit to proactive exposure efforts, and your writing will finally flourish.
Need help on how to build a profitable writing business and the lifestyle of your choice? Hop on a free 15-minute clarity call with me.
I hope this helps you. If it did, be sure to clap me a thousand times (joking, a few tens would do), leave me a comment (it will encourage me a lot), and share this with someone (sharing is caring). For more of such valuable content, click the follow button and subscribe to get email notifications.
Related reading: “How to Promote Yourself Shamelessly As A Writer”
