Beth Greenslade's Blog, page 109

5 Elements Every Author Website Should Have

When it comes to setting up an author website many of us feel pretty intimidated. We can write stories sure, but understanding how to make a website eye-catching, well laid out, and remembering to include all the necessary information that is needed can feel a little daunting.

If you are about to set up your author website, knowing what’s typically included is a good start.

Let’s look at the 5 main elements every author website should have.

1. A kickass homepage

A good first impression is crucial. Your homepage is where most readers will land and it needs to clearly market who you are as a writer and what you are offering them. Choose a theme that represents your work - if you are a writer of horror stories, romance, comedies - make it obvious from the outset. A well-designed homepage will give your future fans a great first impression. They are more likely to think you are professional and more likely to trust that your work will be of high quality too.

Ask yourself:

When people arrive on your site would they know what kind of writing you offer from the outset? Have you set the tone and mood to reflect who you are? Can they easily navigate from the page to other parts of your website without getting confuse? Do they know how to buy your book?

2. Testimonials

Testimonials are an important way to assure your potential readers that they are buying a professional, well-written book that other people love. If you can get social proof via testimonials from other readers, the press, other authors (the more well-known the better) and even celebrities this will increase your credibility and make people more likely to buy your book.

3. A bit about you

Readers don’t just want to know about your work. They want to know about you as an author too. Make sure you include your personal story. Tell them your history, what makes you a writer, what inspires you and what kind of books you love. It’s important to make your personality come through - don’t write as if you were writing a CV. Make it funny, entertaining, engaging and interesting - your readers will feel more connected to you, and are more likely to become fans. Make sure you know where to draw the line though - readers want to get to know you, but they don’t need to know every intimate detail of your life!

Make sure you include your contact information too - an email address, a phone number (if you like), and links to your social media profiles. If you have a media or press kit make sure you link to that. Make sure it is clear where readers can sign up for email updates or your newsletter - this is so important for you so you can build a contact database and get in touch with fans about future releases and important dates.

You can also have a page detailing your latest news, and any events you have coming up too.

4 . Your blog

Every good author website has an associated blog where readers can get to know you better, hear what you are up to, read your musings, and get snippets and excerpts of your writing. A good blog is an opportunity to communicate with your readers and will showcase what kind of writer you are. If you can consistently produce interesting and entertaining blogs that are loosely themed around your writing, this will bring your readers closer and make them trust in you more.

5. Your book and other products

Of course, one of the main aims for an author website is to increase book sales. It is therefore extremely important that you make it clear how to buy your book, as well as any other products or services that you offer. Make sure you make this obvious, and make the process as seamless and hassle free as possible. Doing so will lessen the chances of a reader becoming confused, frustrated, or changing their mind.

A good author website needs to function as your brand, a place where you can communicate with your audience, and where readers can get in touch with you, and a place where people can buy your book. It’s so worth getting it right, so make sure that you do!

Bethany Cadman -author of 'Doctor Vanilla's Sunflowers'

The post 5 Elements Every Author Website Should Have appeared first on Writer's Life.org.

10 Things Every Writer Should Do Before They Start Their Book

Starting a new story is an exciting time for any writer. There is an adrenaline, a nervousness, and a tension which mark the promise of things to come. Starting a new book can feeling thrilling, daunting and overwhelming at times, but one thing is certain, before you do, you better be prepared!

Many people start books and never finish them, and it’s no wonder. Writing a book is difficult and requires lots of time, dedication and perseverance. If you want to ensure that you make it to the end, you need to do certain things before you start to give yourself the best chance of success.

So the next time you sit down to write a novel, make sure you have:

1 Managed your own expectations

It can be so easy to have a such a romantic idea of what writing a novel will be like. Dreamy days filled with coffee and creativity, long country walks for inspiration, constantly feeling like you're living the life you were meant to…

The reality however, for most, is very different. Writing is a job, it’s a commitment. It involves long hours and painful moments, times where you feel as though you don’t know what you are doing, where you don’t feel like writing at all. You need to be realistic about what writing a book takes out of you - but then do it anyway because it’s still worth it in the end!

2 Done your research

You might find that things come up as you write your novel that require you to go away and research some more, but if you can get the bulk of your research done before you write your story you’ll feel so much more confident when you begin.

3 Created an outline

Writing without a plan works for some writers, but for the majority having a plan and chapter outlines in place helps them to have their novel mapped out. This way they know their story works and are less likely to get stuck or suffer from writer's block halfway through.

4 Gotten yourself in the right frame of mind

Try to banish that inner self-critic before you begin. He isn’t going to help you get your novel finished and you need to stay positive and believe in yourself - have a mantra, listen to energising music - do whatever it takes to get yourself pumped and ready to get going!

5 Made time to get to know your characters

Before you start your book your characters should already be alive and well and living in your head. Make time to get to know them and they’ll come across as well fleshed out and interesting from the outset.

6 Have a conflict and a resolution in mind

All stories should have some sort of conflict, and by the end of the novel, the conflict should have been resolved. Know what yours is before you begin and centre your book around it.

7 Have identified your genre rules

It's always a good idea to understand which genre your book would sit it, and then learn the rules of that genre to make sure you follow them. Read lots of other work in that genre too to get some much-needed inspiration.

8 Can completely picture the world you are trying to create

Know your world and you’ll make it believable from the outset. Creating a world is all in the details and it’s only by really knowing and being able to see it in your mind's eye, that you’ll be able to tap into these details and express them on the page.

9 Made a writing schedule

A realistic writing schedule is so important. Create one you know you can stick to before you begin your novel, and then do everything in your power to keep to it!

10 Created the perfect workspace

As you type those first few words, make sure you are doing so in a writing space that works for you. Creating a beautiful writing space can really help you focus and get creative, so give some thought as to what you’d want in yours and then try to make it happen!

These 10 things will put you in the right frame of mind to right, make you feel organised and prepared and already help you to know your story intimately - so you’ll find the story flows more naturally.

What things do you do to prepare when writing a novel? Let us know!

Bethany Cadman -author of 'Doctor Vanilla's Sunflowers'

The post 10 Things Every Writer Should Do Before They Start Their Book appeared first on Writer's Life.org.

How To Find Out What Your Readers Want

Why are some books so successful and others simply fail? Well, there are plenty of complex reasons for that, but one of the most obvious is that some books appeal to their readers, while others miss the mark entirely.

If you want your book to do well, one of the most important things you can do is have an audience in mind. Once you do, you should take them on your writing journey every single step of the way, and always ask yourself, ‘is this what my reader would want to happen?’

If you don’t bother thinking about your reader, you run the risk of writing a book that doesn’t really appeal to anyone. Even if you are writing a mainstream fiction novel, you still need to ask yourself the questions: who would buy this book, and why?

If you understand what your readers want, not only will you write a book that appeals to them, you’ll also stand a better chance of persuading a publisher exactly why readers would want to read this kind of book, and when it comes to devising a marketing strategy, you’ll have a much clearer idea of what you have to do.

So how can you get to know your reader better, and find out exactly what they want?

Research your genre

By having a clear idea of which genre(s) your book sits in you can begin your research. Understanding the rules of the genre you are writing in is important. That’s because readers of that genre will expect certain things. If you fail to deliver these things, you’ll leave them feeling misled - they will struggle to enjoy your book, and no longer trust you as a writer.

Become one

To really get to know your readers you need to step into their shoes. Create a profile of what your ideal reader would be. Don’t scrimp on the details. Ask them all sorts of questions until you feel as though you know them inside out, in fact, until you feel as though you could morph into them yourself! If you can instinctively know what your reader would choose, what they would want, and how they would act, it will make writing for them so much easier.

Ask them!

Of course, the easiest way to find out what your readers want is to ask them. Create a survey, get in touch with them on social media, or use your contacts lists to communicate. Think of clever, insightful questions that will really help you make decisions about your writing and use their answers to guide you.

Learn from the successes and failures of others

Look at which books and writers are the most successful in your genre, what do they consistently do? Also look at the mistakes others have made and try not to follow them!

Study the trends

Stay ahead of the game by looking at what kind of literature is popular right now, and what seems to be gaining momentum. Tailor your book to fit then trends and you just might have a bestseller on your hands!

Know what has been done to death

If a book has become immensely popular - think Harry Potter, 50 Shades of Grey, The Da Vinci Code etc, it’s best to steer clear of going down a similar story path with your own book. Readers aren’t stupid - if they can see that your story is just a poor imitation of a bestseller, they’ll be less than impressed. Always try to be unique, fresh and original when it comes to your work.

By following the above tips you can really connect with your readers, understand them and use this knowledge to write a book that they simply cannot resist!

How do you get to know your readers better? Share with us here!

Bethany Cadman -author of 'Doctor Vanilla's Sunflowers'

The post How To Find Out What Your Readers Want appeared first on Writer's Life.org.

How To Think Positively As A Writer

While there are some writers out there that seem to give off an air of quiet (or not so quiet!) confidence whenever they talk about their writing, for most of us doing so turns us into shy, stuttering fools.

The same often goes for how we talk to ourselves about our writing. We can be our own worst enemies, putting ourselves down, knocking our own confidence and, in the worst cases, bullying ourselves into stopping writing altogether.

It’s funny to think about the things we’ve said to ourselves, things we would never, in a million years dream of saying to our fellow writers who instead we support, egg on and big up in any way we can.

So how can we turn this around? As Aristotle said:

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.”

We are, therefore, in some ways, a self-fulfilling prophecy. If we repeatedly tell ourselves we are not good enough, we might never be. However, if we repeatedly tell ourselves that we are, we might just be!

So how do you stay positive as a writer? Here are some ways to do it!

Keep your compliments close by

Whenever you get a good review or receive a compliment about your work, save it, write it down, make a little box of them. Whatever you want, but keep them close at hand and when you are suffering from the writer's blues take them out and read them over.

Get a thicker skin

Writing involves being tough and brave. Tell yourself you are both these things, act like it, and don’t let anyone, including yourself, get you down. Be fierce, pushy and totally committed to your writing. Think of yourself as a warrior and be proud of your battle wounds!

Let yourself daydream, and believe

When you were a kid you believed you could do anything. Writers need that childlike sense of ‘anything is possible’ to stay positive. Really imagine yourself getting what you want, feel it, get excited about it, dare to believe!

Remember rejection happens to everyone

A rejection is just a sign that you are a real writer - remember that! Don’t let your rejections get you down, it just means that you’ve got to the stage where your book is ready for publication - so many people don’t get that far, so be proud of yourself instead!

Know the best is yet to come

If you haven’t achieved all your dreams and goals then your best writing days are still ahead of you - how great it that?!

Write down and repeat these positive affirmations

Writing satisfies my soul

I know my readers, and I know they will love my book

My desire to write will always overcome my self-doubt

Writing fills me with joy

My imagination is wonderful and magical and I am so grateful I get to use it every single day!

I am a great, undiscovered writer, one day my time will come!

Each day I write I get better and better and closer to achieving my dreams!

I am committed to writing, and I’ll never give up.

Writing is all about staying positive and having the passion and the confidence to truly believe in yourself - don’t waste any more time feeling negative and uncertain about your writing, it gets you nowhere! Stay positive, keep working and you’ll be staying true to yourself - what could be better than that?

Bethany Cadman -author of 'Doctor Vanilla's Sunflowers'

The post How To Think Positively As A Writer appeared first on Writer's Life.org.

How To Use Your Emotions In Your Writing

Writing is not only a wonderful way to use our imaginations and tap into our creative selves. It can also be an extremely cathartic process and an excellent way of channelling our emotions and making sense of the world around us.

Drawing on our emotions to fuel our writing can help make our characters more believable, our stories more dramatic, and can help us craft beautiful, risky, moving pieces - ones that really connect with our readers.

Whether you are overjoyed, furiously angry, utterly heartbroken, peaceful and in tune with the world or feeling anxious and scared - capturing the rawness of your emotions and using them in your writing can be extremely beneficial.

So how can you channel your emotions in this way?

Try free writing

Freewriting is a great way to start any writing session. This is where you allow yourself to write down whatever you want, completely uncensored. It is an exercise many writers use to clear the cobwebs and get those creative juices flowing before they get back to their work, but can also be used if you are feeling a particularly strong emotion. Sometimes when we are overwhelmed with a feeling we struggle to describe it. Freewriting allows us to write whatever we want without judgement. Try doing it for five minutes or so, and when you look back over what you have written you may be surprised by the little gems you find within it!

Keep a notebook with you at all times

You never know when an emotion might hit you hard, and if you wait until the moment passes it may be difficult to accurately capture how you felt at the time. By keeping a trusty notebook with you at all times you can write things down as they strike you which will ensure the emotions are fresh and accurately described as they hit the page.

Keep a diary

A diary is a great way of exploring your thoughts and feelings, safe in the knowledge that these will not be shared with anyone else. If you write in your diary every day, you’ll soon get used to it and can use this as a way of trying to tap into how you really feel.

Use memories

Try to remember the angriest/ saddest/ happiest/ most frightened you have ever been. Think back to that time. What thoughts went through your head? How did you physically feel? Remembering when you felt these emotions most intensely and then trying to write them down could lead to some powerful descriptions and images.

Read something, watch something or listen to something that makes you feel a certain way

You can always jostle your emotions into action by reading something powerful, watching a movie that inspires you or makes you weep, or listening to music that brings back particular feelings. When you do this, make sure you have your notebook ready, and then try to capture exactly how you feel.

Always come back and reflect later

Writing our emotions isn’t just about capturing the raw essence of them, it's also about how we feel afterwards. So always revisit these feelings after they have subsided, reflect on them and see what shifts in perspective you have. Write these down and use them to influence your writing too!

Using the above tips can help you really tap into and capture your emotions. Doing so will not only be cathartic for you but will improve your writing too!

Bethany Cadman -author of 'Doctor Vanilla's Sunflowers'

The post How To Use Your Emotions In Your Writing appeared first on Writer's Life.org.

How To Feed Your Creative Self

Creativity is an essential part of being a writer. But let’s face it, sometimes when we try to write it seems as if our creative souls have packed up and gone on a little vacation without letting us know.

Creativity is a strange thing, even in the most creative and inspiring writers, it seems to come and go, to sometimes flow steadily or come gushing forth, at others to trickle teasingly, and just as often, to dry up altogether.

The problem is, this really doesn’t work well for us writers. We would much prefer our creativity to be a constant and powerful light, burning within us, or end endless well, always available for us to tap into.

The good news is that there are things that we can do in order to give our creativity a boost, and help us find it again when we feel as though we’ve lost it.

So next time you are feeling creatively weak, don’t despair! Try these 10 different ways to feed your creative self:

Free your mind

Don’t put too much pressure on yourself. The more you ‘try’ to be creative the harder it may be. Try free writing or doing mind maps or word association - there are loads of writing exercises that can help free your mind and tap into your creativity - why not give them a try?

Explore the world

There is a big wide world out there so don’t stay cooped up and hunched over your desk all day. It could be as big as booking a travelling adventure or as small as going for a walk, but getting out there and interacting with the world around you will inspire you for certain.

Do something exhilarating

Sometimes you need to shake up your boring old routine and do something that pushes you, challenges you or even scares you a little bit. Doing this will release endorphins, make you feel powerful and proud and boost your creativity no end - the new experience could even lead to a whole new story idea!

Show off your talents

Sometimes compliments will get you everywhere. A lack of creativity can mean you start questioning your ability and talents and mean that you lose confidence in your writing abilities. Share your work with your biggest fan, get some positive feedback and you’ll soon start to feel differently.

Listen to music

Music can have a profound effect on our mood, so next time you are feeling creatively challenged put on a motivating playlist, listen to something beautiful or search for inspiring playlists to keep you motivated.

Read something amazing

We all get ideas and inspiration from other writers, so keep devouring every book you can get you hands on and you’ll soon find something sticks with you and helps you to develop a new idea in your own work.

Have a plan

While you might think planning goes against the idea of being creative, a well researched and thought out plan can actually be very beneficial. Doing so will help you to rest assured that your story will work out and stop you from getting stuck halfway through.

Take a break from your laptop

Sometimes doing things they old fashioned way is best! Try writing using paper and a pencil instead of typing directly onto your laptop. It might take longer but there is something creative and relaxing in the process, don’t you think?

Create an inspiring writing space

Creating your perfect writing space can really work wonders when it comes to boosting your creativity. You might want something calm and minimal or a bustling space where the walls are crammed with pictures, timelines and notes - whatever works for you! Make sure you have a comfy place to sit and work though, being uncomfortable can be really distracting and can diminish your creativity and take away from the joy of writing altogether.

Don’t give up!

Even when you feel as though your creativity will never return, try to keep writing and rest assured that it will. The more you write, the quicker you will find your creative self again, so just keep going, however tough!

Boosting and channelling your creativity can be challenging at times, but if you keep practising and use the methods above you’ll find it comes much easier, helping you to become a more productive and inspired writer as a result!

Bethany Cadman -author of 'Doctor Vanilla's Sunflowers'

The post How To Feed Your Creative Self appeared first on Writer's Life.org.

How To Make Your Writing Life Easier

Let’s face it, sometimes writing can be hard. We might do everything right; make sure we’ve done our research, create a realistic but motivating timetable, read everything we can get our hands on and do lots of writing exercises to keep those creative cogs turning. But sometimes, no matter what we do, it just seems like we are struggling up a never-ending hill - the words won’t come out the way we want them to, we get stuck at certain points in our story and can’t figure out where to go next, or our writing just seems flat, unoriginal and disinteresting.

All writers go through these tough patches where things don’t go the way we want them to. But wouldn’t it be great if there was a way to make everything just flow? To reduce these instances or know exactly what to do to shake ourselves out of them when they occur?

Well, while there might be no miracle answer, there are certainly some things we can try to help make our writing lives easier

Never give up on your routine

You made that writing timetable for a reason, so make sure you stick to it! We know how horrible it can be to force yourself to write when you are not in the mood, but the more you stick to your writing routine, the easier it will be.

Give yourself regular breaks

Writing is a job and it’s hard work. Just like any other job you need regular breaks where you get up, move away from your desk and do something else. If you don’t it is easy to lose focus, get distracted or start to feel tired. Giving yourself a break may feel as though you are wasting your time, but you’ll actually be doing yourself and your writing a huge favour.

Stop when you’ve still got more to say

Always end a writing session on a high. Don’t write until you are completely out of steam. If you end when you’ve still got more to say just write down a few brief notes of what you want to happen next, and then when you come back to your writing you’ll be able to easily pick up where you left off.

Start by free writing

If you are feeling stuck why not dust off the cobwebs by free writing for 10 minutes before you continue to work on your writing project? This way you can loosen your mind and get rid of all the random cluttered thoughts before you begin.

Plan as much as you can

Being organised is half the battle for any writer. If you make a plan and do your research thoroughly you are so much more likely to feel confident that your story will work and less likely to get stuck halfway through.

Use creative writing tools

There is a wealth of creative writing apps and programmes available to writers nowadays and making the most of them can really help keep us motivated, easily pick up where we left off, note places we need to come back to or do more research on, and generally improve our writing overall.

Don’t write when you are tired, preoccupied or likely to be distracted

Be sensible and realistic about when you choose to write. If you know you’ll have kids and partners barging in on you every five minutes demanding your attention or you can barely keep your eyes open, try moving your writing sessions to a time where you can have some peace and quiet!

If you try to follow the above as much as possible you’ll soon find that the instances where writing feels sluggish and difficult happen less frequently. You might still have moments where you feel like this - all writers do, but you’ll be equipped with the tools and knowledge to start back up again and not let this hold you back for too long!

Bethany Cadman -author of 'Doctor Vanilla's Sunflowers'

The post How To Make Your Writing Life Easier appeared first on Writer's Life.org.

Acknowledgements And Dedications In Your Book

There are some parts of the book creation process that many authors don’t think about until it is time to publish, and whether to include any acknowledgements or dedications is usually one of them.

You spend so many hours focusing on getting your story finished, and then many more hours editing and redrafting your book to make it into the best shape possible to publish, that often authors forget about people they’d like to thank or someone they’d like to dedicate their book to.

This naturally can be frustrating, as making changes to your book once it’s in the public domain can be tricky and expensive.

While writing a book can be a solitary task, it also, in some ways, involves many other people. Those who assist you with research, who help you with editing, or who simply support you and cook you hot meals through those long hours where you can’t quite tear yourself away from your work!

Taking the time to thank these people when your book is published is a good way to acknowledge the hard work, love and care of others that have helped make your book possible.

Acknowledgement or a dedication - what’s the difference?

Many authors chose to dedicate their books to a special someone, a partner, their children, a dear friend. A dedication is usually just a simple line explaining who the book is dedicated to, but could be an opportunity to write a heartfelt message or say something witty. Dedications can be skipped over by the reader, but can also help make the author seem more human, and endear the reader to them before they’ve even begun the story.

An acknowledgements page is a more lengthy affair. This can be a few pages long and go into more detail explaining who you would like to thank and why. This provides the author with an opportunity to show their gratitude as well as give credit where credit is due. Depending on what kind of book you have written you may have relied heavily on help from someone else, or many others, and it is important that you make this clear - if nothing else it means in your next book you may find people are more than willing to help you again!

Who should be acknowledged?

Typically, authors mention friends and family members who have supported and guided them throughout the book crafting process, their sources, editors, illustrators, mentors and, if they have one, of course, their publisher!

What should be included in an acknowledgement?

This really is up to you. You can keep it very simple or can go into more detail. However, it is important to try not to go too overboard - authors can get the fear they will leave someone out and don’t know when to draw the line - you don’t need to thank every person that ever did anything nice for you in your life - try to keep it short and sweet. It can be a good idea to get someone to take a look before you make it set in stone. This way you can be sure it reads well doesn’t go on for too long and you haven’t left anyone crucial out!

A dedication and an acknowledgements page is a nice way to finish the book creation process on a positive and humble note. Let's face it, it’s rare that an author gets to the publishing stage completely by themselves, and thanking those who helped you along the way will fill everyone with that warm, fuzzy feeling - and they’ll probably all buy your book too!

Bethany Cadman -author of 'Doctor Vanilla's Sunflowers'

The post Acknowledgements And Dedications In Your Book appeared first on Writer's Life.org.

How Much Does Writing A Book Really Cost?

Starting to write your novel can be a truly exciting feeling for any author. The knowledge that you’ve got a book inside you just waiting to be written, the excitement of the story that’s waiting to burst forth, and the anticipation of the highs and lows to come can all be thrilling.

However, something that many novice writers don’t consider is how much it costs to write a book. It’s easy to think that you won’t have tp spend any money crafting your novel, but in reality, this is far from true.

The facts are if you want to write a novel that sells, while there is much you can do to that you won’t have to pay for, there are some inevitable costs that are well worth considering before you commit yourself to the mammoth task that is writing and completing a book.

So what are the costs that every writer should be prepared for?

Your time

OK, so technically there is no reason why you can’t write a book in your spare time and continue to keep your day job as a way of paying the bills. However, it takes a great deal of effort and time to complete a novel - and your time is precious. While you can’t pay yourself for your writing until you start selling your book, or get a publishing deal, it is worth considering how much time you can spend writing your book, and how much that time is worth.

Professional editing

If you want your book to sell well you need to have it professionally edited. There are different kinds of editing services out there, from a simple spelling and grammar check to a hugely in-depth analysis and critique of your novel. At the very least your book should be well-written and error free before you can expect people to buy it, and even if you are eagle-eyed when it comes to finding mistakes, it’s always better to employ the services of a professional for ultimate peace of mind.

Your book cover

Unless you are a professional designer, creating your own book cover spells disaster for your book. It immediately looks unprofessional and readers won’t want to spend their money on it. A professionally designed cover gives a good first impression and means your book is far more likely to be accepted by the trade too.

Getting an ISBN

ISBN stands for International Standard Book Number and is important if you intend to sell your book in print form and want to get it into physical bookshops and libraries etc. If you only want to produce an electronic version of your book you don’t need to have an ISBN, but otherwise, you do need to purchase one.

Printing and distribution costs

You may wish to pay a professional printer to print copies of your book and then distribute them yourself, or you may wish to use a print on demand service so the costs are covered by the sale price of your book. Either way printing costs are important to factor in when you are pricing your book and setting sales goals.

Marketing your book

If you have self-published your book you need to do everything you can to get it noticed. There are a huge number of options and services out there to help you market your book, from businesses who will promote it on social media, to buying advertising space on popular, relevant websites. While you can do a lot of marketing yourself, a professional will have a huge range of contacts which means press pickups, social media hype and even radio interviews are possible - all of which will help to get your book noticed and increase sales.

Of course, there are huge variations in terms of what level of service you choose when it comes to editing and cover design, as well as how much you are willing to spend on distribution. However, it is important to be aware of the costs of creating your book - and, while throwing lots of money into marketing won’t necessarily make it a bestseller, the bigger budget you have the more avenues you can explore, and the more likely you are to get your book noticed by a wider, more interested audience.

Bethany Cadman -author of 'Doctor Vanilla's Sunflowers'

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Great Side Jobs For Every Writer

While we love being writers, it can be hard to make writing a full-time career. However, trying to fit writing around a 9-5 office job also doesn’t appeal.

So is there a balance? For many writers, the idea of being able to manage our own time, be our own bosses, have creative freedom and control and have the time to write whenever we want is the ideal situation. But most jobs won’t allow for that and can bore us, tire us and drain our creativity.

Writing takes up a lot of mental energy and some serious hours too. If you have a demanding and stressful day job to juggle alongside this it is all too easy for your writing to constantly be pushed to the back burner until you realise you never actually get round to it.

The solution is finding the perfect side job - one which is flexible, keeps those creative juices flowing, and allows you plenty of time to write - while also paying the bills too of course.

So what are some great side jobs you could try?

Bar work

Bar work is easy shift work that pretty much anyone can do. You’ll probably have to work many of your hours over the weekends which means your social life might have to take a hit, but then the weekdays are freed up to concentrate on writing full-time!

Charity work

There are plenty of charities nowadays who are always on the lookout for new staff and happy to pay them to drum up support. Call centres offer flexible shift work and as long as you work a minimum number of hours each week, the days are up to you!

Freelance writing

Article writer, proofreader, copywriter, editor - there are literally thousands of writing jobs out there and plenty that are either one-off gigs or are hiring on a freelance basis. These are jobs which will have deadlines, but as long as you stick to them and produce quality work you can do them at 5 am or 11 pm - it’s up to you. This frees up lots of time to get down and concentrate on your own creative work.

Teaching

If you’ve got a writing qualification or lots of experience and feel like you could help others, you could share your knowledge by setting up a teaching course. Alternatively, if you’ve got a university degree or other qualifications you can set yourself up as a private tutor and work as much or as little as you like.

Cab driving

Cab driving is a great way to earn some money and you can choose your hours and work when you want. You need a licence, an insured and registered vehicle, but the rest is up to you.

Food delivery

Food delivery is another great side job. It won’t earn you megabucks but you will mostly be working at night, it’s massively easy and you are completely autonomous. You could even take a dictaphone with you and dictate some of your book into it while you drive!

Security/ night work

Night work is great and jobs such as security might not be for everyone but if it sounds like your cup of tea, it will pay the bills and free up your days for writing. You can even do some writing on the job!

So while these may not be your dream jobs - if you aren’t making as much money through writing as you need to at the moment, these side jobs can help you make ends meet, while still giving you plenty of time to write - and what’s not to love about that?!

Bethany Cadman -author of 'Doctor Vanilla's Sunflowers'

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