Want to know what sets apart the writers from the authors? I talked to several of my amazing author friends, and this is what I determined they ALL have in common!
1) Write Consistently.
Consistently is the keyword. I have never met a single author who isn’t writing consistently. Granted, “consistently” can mean different things for different people. Skye Warren is very vocal about the fact that she will batch her marketing and publicity together into days or even weeks and then write for days or weeks. But, what you’ll notice is that she releases books CONSISTENTLY. Her readers know and trust she will have a certain amount of books coming out each year.
As for me, I’m a daily consistent writer. I write every day, Monday through Friday with a word-count goal I set for myself. This is sometimes adjust based on if I’m in the editing stage of a book or if it’s a release week, but I am consistent that I will write every day.
Need help increasing your daily word count or showing up consistently to your laptop? I recommend this book to help! 2k to 10k: Writing Better, Writing Faster, & Writing More of What you Love helped me immensely in my productivity! Granted, I”m not writing 10k a day, but that’s another story!
2) Don’t Dwell on the Rejections
Look… we have ALL dealt with rejection. We have ALL dealt with bad reviews. It is an unfortunate part of this industry. Even some of the top-selling authors in the industry have story after story about how their books were rejected by agents and publishers. But the most successful authors I know don’t dwell on them. They don’t hold onto them and let them fester inside of them.
Breathe in the good, breathe out the bad.
And if you need to feel a little better, go check out one of your absolute favorite books reviews. You’ll see some 1-star reviews that you will fundamentally disagree with and be reminded that we all deal with that.
3) Be Open to Critiques
There is a big difference between not dwelling on rejection/bad reviews vs. not being able to take honest critiques. Being critical of our writing, our story-telling, our dialogue, our character arcs is how we grow as writers. Even authors who are at the top of their game still ask for critique partners and beta readers and editors to review their work before it goes live.
Be open to the critiques, even when you disagree with them at first. Sit on them for a day or two or ten. Let them sink in. Not every critique is one you have to make or change, but you should certainly listen and absorb them when they come.
4) Embrace Change
This encompasses SO MUCH. Look, sometimes as an author, you put a book out and the sales just aren’t great. But there is always a reason for this. You could dig your heels in, cross your arms and refuse to do a damn thing about it. OR you could do a little digging. Is your cover not right for the niche genre? Is your blurb a little disjointed? Is the title not strong enough or too close to another author’s title that came out that month?
Bottom line, successful authors embrace change. They will change their covers if needed. They will rewrite their blurb. They will re-edit the book if they need to!
And this extends beyond just our books. Successful authors embrace change in the industry. Social media. Algorithms shift. Publishers come and go. Trends surge. Being adaptable and ready to change and learn and grow is a huge part of success in this field and any field.
5) Have Accountability Partners
Almost every successful author I know has a friend in the industry who helps them stay accountable. For some of these authors, that person is their assistant or publicist. For others, it’s a group of friends that they go to yearly retreats with. For others, they are a part of a secret Facebook group where they can reach out and ask for help when needed. Avery Flynn and Kimberly Kincaid have the cutest author friendship I’ve ever witnessed! They get together and have brainstorming sessions and girls nights out together! Rachel Hollis put together a week-long retreat with Amy Porterfield and Jenna Kutcher.
Writing is a solitary career. But we can’t live (or write) in a bubble. Which for most of us introverted writers (myself included), this is TERRIFYING. But it is a necessity for success and sustainability.
6) Persevere
Successful authors DON’T GIVE UP. The biggest difference is they keep writing. If one book doesn’t have as successful as a launch as they’d hoped? They write the next one. Stop thinking of FAILURES as the end. Think of them as LESSONS. Because as long as you can pick yourself back up and keep going, it’s not a failure. And the darkness hasn’t won!
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