So you want to become a writer…

Well, I have good news and bad news.

The bad news first. Writing your book will not be a simple task. If you are in the process of writing one currently, you understand exactly what I am referring to.

But here’s the good news. All that work could open some amazing possibilities for you:

• Getting published
• A career you love
• Impacting people
• Media attention
• Added income

This guide aims to give you an honest look at how to become an author, based on the lessons I’ve learned from working with some of the top publishers in the world for almost 50 years.

3 Steps to Becoming a Traditional Writer

The three best pieces of wisdom for becoming a writer are reading often, writing daily, and getting feedback from others.

1) Publish

Is it really the first step to publish? Isn’t that the last thing you do?

In order to become a writer, it is important to publish your work. This may seem like an obvious statement, but many books and articles about writing do not mention this fact. Instead, they simply say, “Just write!”

However, in order for somebody to be considered a writer, their work must be published and read by others.

You will not become a successful writer unless you are able to take feedback from others, deal with rejection and start earning some fans.

What keeps you from taking your writing and turning it into small pieces that can be published regularly is what is holding you back from giving it to a friend or publishing it online.

You should view self-publishing as a way to prepare for when you are able to publish with a large New York publisher. It could take some time before that happens, so you will have ample opportunity to hone your skills in the meantime.

2) Set deadlines, or better, get someone else to set them for you (and then keep them)

Most writers I know struggle with two things: discipline and focus. A good deadline can help with both of these things by inducing stress.

A small amount of stress can help you focus. Having a good deadline is more likely to make you sit down and work than being inspired, which can be unreliable.

How do you make sure your deadlines are good so they don’t just fly by?

The best deadlines are those that are set by someone else, such as an editor, freelance writing client, or even a fan.

I set a deadline to write one article on my blog daily, and I held myself accountable to my readers.

If you know that people are relying on your writing, you will be more inclined to Write regularly and produce high-quality work.

People are waiting for your writing. Hurry up and give it to them!

3) Become acquainted with boredom, and comfortable with writing-induced misery.

I’ve had the urge to quit every big writing project I’ve ever worked on, and I know other writers who have felt the same way.

I became so frustrated with my writing while finishing the first book that I put my face in my hands and cried on the floor.

I don’t want to be a writer anymore. I don’t want to do this anymore. I don’t want to feel this stupid again.

I got up after a little while and wrote a few more words. The next day I wrote a few more. A month later, the book was finished and sent off to the editor.

The moment I gave up on my book was the turning point that led to me finishing it. Every time I get frustrated with writing, I remember that moment, and it reminds me that I’m almost done.

Write even when the grammar is poor and the tense changes are awkward. Keep writing even when you know that what you are writing is not good. When you are in the middle, it does not matter if what you are writing is good or bad. Just keep writing.

Should You Self-Publish?

The best way to publish a book is to go through a traditional publisher. This is because the publisher takes on all of the financial risks, and the author gets paid royalties based on sales. With self-publishing, the author has to pay all of the costs upfront.

Although self-publishing may be more expensive, you have more control over the process. For example, you can choose how much to spend on editing, marketing, and design.

In the past, when self-publishing was known as “vanity publishing,” it was easy to tell a self-published book apart from a traditionally published book. Self-published books tended to have schlocky covers, boring titles, the word “by” before the author’s name on the cover, a misspelling of the word “foreword” or “acknowledgments,” too much text on the front and back, a sans serif typeface and interior design, and poor editing and proofreading.

Admittedly, the game has changed.

It is much easier to publish your own book than it used to be. Your book will look more professional and be more reasonably priced.

You can order as few as two or three books at a time for the same cost per book as you’d pay if you were buying hundreds, thanks to print-on-demand technology.

How to Set Your Self-Published Book Apart

When you decide to self-publish your book, you must be prepared to do your marketing and promotion. Even though you will make a profit from each book sold, after expenses are taken out, don’t assume that this will mean you make more money per book. There are a lot of expenses involved in self-publishing, and you may be surprised at how much money you need to spend before you start seeing any income. However, it is possible to make money from self-publishing.

Self-published books are not often found on the shelves of bookstores located outside the author’s hometown.

To give your self-published title the best chance to succeed, you need to invest in:

• A great cover, which will involve purchasing a photo or artwork, type design, and layout
• Inside layout, type design, and typesetting
• Editing (resist the urge to use a relative who majored in English or even teaches English; book editing is a specific art)
• Proofreading (the same caveat as above; friends and loved ones who are meticulous spellers are not enough; there are myriad style matters to deal with)

If you want to make your book look more professional, you should use each of these elements. Skimping on any of them will make it less likely that people will buy your book.

Choosing the Right Company to Self-Publish Your Book

Millions of books are self-published in the United States every year, so there are many companies to choose from. But sadly, many of these companies are not what they seem.

They will allow you to create a substandard product and tell you it is excellent.

They will say that your manuscript has been evaluated and found to be worthy of publication.

The people who run these companies will say that they are not a subsidy publisher, a self-publisher, or an independent publisher.

The company will use euphemisms to make it seem like you’re not paying for the entire service when you are.

But these things are far from the truth. They’ll try to make you believe that they can get your book in front of every bookstore owner and manager in the country, and they might even give examples of a few titles of theirs that have sold in some stores or even made some bestseller list. But don’t be fooled; this is far from the truth.

There is no guarantee that your book will be sold in any store, as it is just one title among many on a distributor’s list. Consequently, it will not receive any personal attention from a salesperson.

Publishing companies that use writers for content and pretend to have “chosen” their book are only interested in the writers’ money. These companies would publish anything the writer sends them, as long as the writer’s check clears.

Be wary of any company that:

• Doesn’t take seriously the editing and proofreading of your book
• Lets you commit embarrassing typos
• Allows the word by before your name on the cover
• Over-promises what you should expect in the way of personal sales representation, public relations, marketing, distribution, and advertising

Although many companies claim they can help you self-publish, it is important to do your research to find one with a good track record. An internet search will likely find many websites for companies that look good, but you need to go beyond that.

You should find previous customers of the company and ask about their experiences. A good company will answer all your questions plainly and without any hesitation. If you feel like you’re being sold to forcefully, you should leave.

The #1 Killer of Self-Published Books

If writers don’t have enough money to invest in their book, the quality of the book often suffers.

Although writers may understand that they are not experts in many different aspects of publishing, they tend to overrate their writing, editing, and proofreading abilities.

Therefore, they invest money into other services and save money by cutting corners on editing and proofreading.

They end up with a product that looks like a real book, but reads like a manuscript circulated among traditional publishing houses and was ultimately rejected.

In order to be successful in a competitive marketplace, you need to find a way to stand out from the crowd.

That certain something that will set you apart is what it has always been: Message quality.

Quality is recognized by readers and they will follow what they think is good.

You may be looking for a deal from a traditional publisher or you may have chosen to self-publish online in print, or both.

It is important that your manuscript is of high quality so that it can be published.

Are You Ready to Become a Writer?

They make it sound so simple, but it’s not. You might be wondering how to become a writer. Some people will tell you it’s easy, they’ll say “Just write!” and make it sound so simple. But it’s not that easy.

If you’re anything like me, you don’t just want to write. You want to write something that matters, something that will really resonate with people, something that has the potential to change the world.

That’s not too much to ask, right?

This writing style is difficult. However, if it is significant, it should be challenging.

Let’s do it together.

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The views expressed in this post do not represent the views of 90-Minute Books. The information has not been verified and should be considered opinion. You are always advised to do independent research.