In this article you’ll discover 7 unquestionable ways on how to become a successful writer. These are the ones that get the best results, so don’t take them lightly.
1. Be willing to evolve
You’re not a model just because a friend took some photos of you on the beach that one time. And you’re not a writer just because you published an eBook, a few articles, or some blog fodder. The flat-out truth is that getting from A to Z in terms of professional writing includes a lot of hard work and personal transformation. Every book you write is like a journey, whether fiction or not. Every writing assignment, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant, is an opportunity to learn something new. Every brainstorming session and every headache endured adds to your overall wordsmithing quality.
2. Define successful in your own terms
How do you define a successful writer? For some people, it means being able to write coherent sentences to get a point across, or perhaps sell a product. For others, it means being able to pay the rent and survive on writing skills alone. You cannot be successful at anything you do not define. There are many different kinds of writers and many shades of success. Come to terms with what it means to you, and be as specific as a detective novel writer:
Money – If being successful involves getting paid for your writing, then define how much. Is successful making $30,000 a year or $100,000? Selling 300 copies or 3 million? The only limits are those you impose on yourself. Recognition – We all crave recognition throughout our lives. If writing is something you want to become known for, then study the writing of those who have already earned their place in history. Community – If you measure success by the amount of lives your writing touches, then define that as well. How many fans? How many likes on the fan page? How many “readers” will it take to reach your version of success?
3. Write until your imagination bleeds
Basically, in order to be a successful writer, you’re going to have to settle into the idea that a rather hefty word count is required. How many words do you think most aspiring writers pump out before they reach success? If writing itself is laborious to you, something you must force or strong-arm yourself through, you may want to choose something else. How often does a successful swimmer swim, or drummer drum?
4. When you’re not writing, read successful writers
Writing is the yin and reading is the yang. Or perhaps it’s the other way around. You get the idea. You can’t have one without the other. And in order to have balance, both must be equally present. For every sentence that you write, you should be reading one. Continuously expose your mind to the writing that you consider to be worthy of success. Find “successful” writers to follow and model in your niche. Speaking of which…
5. Personalized replication
You’ve got to have a writing model. It’s as important as defining success. Regardless of your niche or writing style, pick a master from within that category and attempt to recreate one single page of their best work. If you’re into blogging, go find one of the best blogs of all-time and then re-purpose it. Go buy a big circulation print magazine and re-purpose the articles in your own way and words. Every success coach worth their salt will tell you that you can study and then replicate what the masters are doing. Just make sure that when you do, you personalize it so that it’s original content.
6. Have a second or third pair of eyes
Every successful writer out there has a proofreader or editor in their lives. It’s important because writers write. Proofreaders proof. Editors edit. That’s how it goes. We may be great when it comes to proofreading other people’s writing, but not our own. Writers can bring a piece only so far and then it should be handed off to another pair of eyes that can see it from an outside perspective.
7. Establish an online presence
These days, being a successful writer involves an online presence in one way or another. No matter what kind of writer you are, set up a website and publish content for the online realm to consume. If making money as a writer is important, then be sure to set up a “freelance writer” profile. There are countless people online willing to pay you to do the research and typing for them. Furthermore, building communities of readers in the online world is incredibly wise.
Summing it up
So, let’s recap the 7 ways to be a successful writer: Of course, you will experience some challenges on the road to success, but they are just a stepping stone to your writing success! Featured photo credit: Unsplash via unsplash.com
