Anyone who writes books knows it’s not a sprint, but a journey. Here are some tips for staying on the path:
Allow Yourself Time
No matter where you are in your career, allow yourself time to write. Making time may be especially hard before you start seeing income from your work if for no other reason, because someone paying you to write is a form of validation. But the more you persist, the greater your chances are for success.
Take Yourself Seriously
If you’re still at the stage where your writing is a hobby, that’s fine. It’s even a natural part of the process. However, this is one hobby that you must treat as a job if you want it to blossom into a career. Once you’ve allowed yourself the time to write, stick to it. If the reason for not writing wouldn’t hold up with your supervisor at a traditional job, then don’t let that reason excuse yourself.
Commit to the Relationships You Need
You’d make friends at a traditional office, right? Spend some of your time forming meaningful friendships in our industry. This is one instance where social media is a great thing!
Decide on a Budget
Being self-employed has its freedoms but it also means a company won’t cover expenses such as conferences and office supplies. You don’t have to be wealthy to write, nor is it imperative for you to go to conferences to be published. But do go through the process of deciding how much you can spend, and where best to spend your money to further your career. This is one place where an agent can advise.
Ask Your Tax Advisor
Transitioning to a new tax situation can be tricky. I recommend consulting a professional at least one or two years to help you learn how to pay taxes as a self-employed person.
Call Yourself a Writer
Putting a label on yourself is the scariest part. However, who will take you seriously as a writer if you never call yourself one? Soon, the label will feel natural – and wonderful.
Your turn:
What advice can you offer writers?
What commitments have you made to yourself as an author?
Two Kinds of Writers in the World
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I almost choked on the words, “I’m a writer,” as I exchanged casual conversation with an acquaintance. At the time I was published, but couldn’t find the courage to label myself.
With a few more successes in my credit list, I confidently declare, “I’m a writer.”
Thanks for the tips.
Tamela,
A few years ago a magazine published a devotional I submitted. Even after that, I found it hard to call myself a “writer”. (I felt as though someone was going to say,” You, a writer?! Yeah, right!”) But I decided to practice calling myself a writer, and now it’s easier. I have a blog, follow some writers, some writers follow me, and I learn from blogs such as this one and from online courses.
Being a writer enables me to talk about something other people find interesting. My day job has nothing to do with writing and very little with creativity, so when I talk about writing, it gets people’s minds off of the problems at work.
Being a writer also helps me. I don’t carry work problems home to the degree that I used to do. Now, I think about subjects for blog posts, appropriate photos for the posts, and the short story I’m working on.