Beth Greenslade's Blog, page 120

Why Having Ambition Will Boost Your Writing

Being ambitious about your writing is so important. It keeps you motivated, boosts your morale and keeps you aiming high and dreaming big. When it comes to writing always be as ambitious as you can be. Doing so actually helps you become a better writer – here’s why.

You stay organised

Having goals keeps you organised. You are more likely to have a proper plan in place, you know where you are right now, where you need to be, and what you have to do to get there. Being organised is so helpful as a writer, it will make you far more likely to stick to your writing schedule, and keep you motivated to keep going even when you hit difficult, challenging points in your work.

You keep your eye on the prize

Being ambitious means you have always got something to aim for. Without ambition, it would be far easier to put your writing on the back burner and you’ll find it so much easier to come up with reasons not to do it, or ways to procrastinate. Focusing on your goal helps you to zone in on what you really want and put your all into getting there.

You visualise where you want to be

Many people believe that the key to success is positive visualisation. Having high ambitions means you are always thinking about how successful you could be and visualising that in your mind. The more you do that, the more likely you are to get there!

You don’t give up

Without goals, it is far easier to give up on your writing altogether. If you suffer from writer’s block or your inner critic tells you-you are not good enough you may start to believe them. Goals and ambitions give you something to believe in which helps you to keep going even when times get tough.

You stay positive

All writers go through their ups and downs and if you are trying to find a publisher then you’ll no doubt suffer rejection at some point. Being ambitious will make you more determined to pick yourself up, brush yourself off and keep trying. Focusing on your end goal keeps you positive, and while rejection may still hurt, you won’t dwell on it and will soon get yourself back into a positive frame of mind. The more quickly you do that, the more likely you’ll be to get back to your writing.

You’ll never have any regrets

Nobody even felt bad for pursuing their dreams, regardless of the outcome. If you stay ambitious and keep striving for success and improvement when it comes to your writing at least you’ll know you tried and gave it your all, and who can regret that?!

Being ambitious and striving to achieve those ambitious is exciting, exhilarating and motivating – exactly how you need in order to become a prolific and successful writer. So dream big, reach for the stars and be whoever you want to be!

Bethany Cadman -author of ‘Doctor Vanilla’s Sunflowers’

The post Why Having Ambition Will Boost Your Writing appeared first on Writer's Life.org.

Get To Grips With Social Media And Sell More Books

Once your book is ‘out there’ you’ll no doubt want to do everything in your power to sell as many copies as possible and to build your fanbase.

Most authors know that when it comes to marketing your book, using social media is unavoidable. Many authors shy away from social media channels – if they aren’t used to using them regularly in their personal lives, or simply just don’t feel comfortable promoting themselves in this way, trying to increase your books saleability via these social media can be daunting.

However, doing it right can see a huge increase in the number of books sold as well as giving authors the ability to connect to a huge potential readership that otherwise they might not have been able to reach.

When it comes to social media much of it is about trial and error, and simply testing different methods to see what works and doesn’t. In all cases however, really trying to understand your audience is key.

Make a profile of your ideal reader and really get to know them. Who are they? Where do they come from? What other books do they like to read? How often do they read? Why do they like to read? Do they like to be thrilled? Do they like to get lost in another world? Do they want to be challenged? Knowing your audience will help you create successful, targeted social media campaigns that will help you sell more books.

Make connections and give your readers something they need. Promoting your work on social media is important, as without awareness you can’t expect people to buy your book. However, there is a fine line between making readers aware of your book and becoming annoying and pushy in which case you will immediately be dismissed. Doing social media right is a balancing act, you need to give your audience what they want, answer their questions, solve their problems, make them laugh, and give them information that they find valuable and interesting. Being overly promotive seems desperate and is totally off-putting.

Make sure you connect your social media accounts to your book. If readers decide they do want to buy your book they want to be able to do it fast. Make it easy for them to find a link to buy your book straight from your social media account. If you can make this process as smooth and streamlined as possible you are minimising the risk of them changing their minds.

You can use different social media channels to experiment with different ways to try and sell your book. Create a book trailer or an author Q & A on YouTube, create a targeted Facebook ad, use Twitter to tease readers with lines from your book, or create an Instagram account with pictures of what inspires you as a writer.

If you are going to choose one social media platform to concentrate on, choose Facebook. Here you can create an author page, you can set up and promote events such as books signings, you can create targeted advertisements, upload videos and pictures, and create buttons which can link to where fans can buy your book. Facebook is by far the most effective platform for selling books so if you want to get to grips with social media, this is the place to start.

The power of social networking and using social media to promote your work is pretty huge. It takes time and dedication to become impressive and impactful when using social media, but if you are willing to put the effort in, it can be an excellent way marketing your book and taking your writing to the next level.

Bethany Cadman -author of ‘Doctor Vanilla’s Sunflowers’

The post Get To Grips With Social Media And Sell More Books appeared first on Writer's Life.org.

The Best Advice To Give Any Writer

Writing is a complicated business and there are always new ways to learn, and different techniques to try. Whatever kind of writing you do, there are some pieces of advice that hold true for every writer, and regardless of what you are trying to achieve with your work, they are well worth listening to.

Let’s take a look.

Every writer is different – do what works for you

There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to writing and the only way you’ll figure out how to become the best, most productive and happiest writer you can be is through trial and error. Some writers love getting up at 6 am when the house is quiet and getting all their writing done first thing. Others find trying to do that totally exhausting. Some writers love discussing their writing with their peers, while others prefer keeping their work secret until they think it is the very best it can be. Some writers desperately want a publisher, while others feel that self-publishing is the right way for them.

However you feel and whatever you do, if you are making choices which help you become the writer you want to be, then you know you are on the right track.

There are no guarantees

No matter how talented, dedicated and hardworking you are, unfortunately, there are no guarantees. Sometimes you just need your work to be seen by the right person at the right time, and if it doesn’t happen you might never get what you want out of your writing. While there is plenty you can do to increase your chances, it’s important for writers to know that when it comes to the writing game you can never really be sure if your big break will come.

Writing should be fun!

Every writer that takes their writing seriously is going to find it tough at times, however, for the most part, writing should be fun. Writers choose to write, and if you are making that choice then you should be getting enjoyment out of it, otherwise what is the point? Don’t let your writing get you down, don’t let your inner critic paralyse you, and don’t let rejection stop you! If you focus on the pleasure writing gives you then this will become the most important thing.

Learn from others

There is so much to learn from others so take as much of it in as you can. Reading is a wonderful way to learn from established writers and feel inspired and motivated to keep writing yourself. But also listen to what they have to say about the writing process too! Learn absolutely everything you can about your craft and then figure out which bits of advice help you. You don’t need to do everything but always keep an open mind.

Take criticism but stay true to yourself

Not everyone is going to love what you write, and even the most famous and celebrated authors don’t appeal to everyone. It’s important to listen to criticism and learn how to improve. However, if you want to remain in love with writing it is important to stay true to yourself and the stories you write. If you write about what you love and tell the stories you want to tell you’ll feel so much happier about your work, and that authenticity and passion will shine through and appeal to the readers that matter the most.

When it comes to writing the best advice to give is to find out what works for you and stick to it, but never close the door to learning more. If you do that you’ll continue to be a happy, productive writer and will always be discovering new ways to improve and hone your craft.

Bethany Cadman -author of ‘Doctor Vanilla’s Sunflowers’

The post The Best Advice To Give Any Writer appeared first on Writer's Life.org.

When Is The Best Time To Publish Your Book?

Finishing your book is a wonderful feeling, but knowing what to do next with it is often the hardest part! If you are lucky (and talented) enough to find a publisher then they will take care of designing a cover, marketing your book and finding the perfect release date for you. However, if you are on your own you need to do all these things for yourself.

Choosing when to release your book can make all the difference when it comes to how many copies you go on to sell. Did you know, for example, that a lot of major publishing houses actually avoid publishing new titles towards the end of the year? That’s because they know customers will be more likely to search for and purchase Christmas presents, so they focus on gift titles such as cookery books rather than promoting new work.

Determining the best time to publish your book depends on a number of factors, in particular, the kind of book you have written:

Romances, lighthearted novels, and chick lit tend to do well if they are released at the beginning of the summer. Ever heard the phrase ‘light summer reads’? These are the kind of books people pick up at the airport before they head off to relax on a beach for a week or two. If your book fits into that category think about publishing in early May or June, then focus your marketing around that idea.

Gritty crime fiction, historical fiction or longer epic fantasy novels are perfectly released at the beginning of autumn, when the nights get a little cooler, a little darker. This is where the idea of snuggling up with a good book and a glass of wine of an evening starts to feel far more appealing than going outside. Getting stuck into a longer and more challenging novel will be just the ticket!

Written a self-help or self-improvement novel? January is the best time. This is the time of year where people want to start over and make positives changes in their lives. Compelling memoirs can often do better at this time of year as well.

Of course, if you want to get more specific why not think about particular dates that you could centre your marketing plan around?

If you’ve written a horror novel, why not release it on Halloween? An epic love story? Try Valentine’s day. There are days to celebrate almost anything from lizards to doughnuts so you’ll easily be able to find something relevant to your book, no matter how niche or obscure.

Be clever and start to connect with these communities well in advance via your social media accounts – let them know when your book is coming out, try to build up some hype.

The great thing about self-publishing is you get to decide when your book should come out, and you can be totally flexible about it too. So before you hit the ‘submit’ button and release your book into the world, do a little research around when the best time might be to do so – it could make all the difference.

Bethany Cadman -author of ‘Doctor Vanilla’s Sunflowers’

The post When Is The Best Time To Publish Your Book? appeared first on Writer's Life.org.

Why It Pays To Be Business-Minded

If it’s time you took yourself and your writing career seriously then it’s time to get your head out of the clouds. Yes it may be beautiful up there, and where all your most imaginative, creative ideas come from, but without dipping into the business world from time to time it’s going to be pretty difficult to make a success of yourself.

The idea of making a business plan for your writing might make you cringe but doing so can give you direction, cement your goals and aspirations and give you the building blocks needed to make them come true.

Now is the time to stop resisting the idea that you can avoid the tedium of admin, of strategy and marketing and all the other corporate things that you need to do, and be, as a modern author.

A solid and strategic plan in place will be your guide which demonstrates what you hope to accomplish and how you plan to get there, as well as what it will mean to you financially if you do.

Being business-minded about your writing will help you clearly visualise what you want from your writing career. It will help you become specific. Rather than having a vague aspiration to be published someday it will help you define clear actions, prioritise those actions and understand exactly what you need to get them done.

Writing a business plan will help you to gain clarity on what exactly you need to do in order to succeed. It is so easy to get distracted, and waste time and energy focusing on things that don’t help us move forward. A solid business plan will mean writers can solely focus on these actions which will help them to reach their goals.

Being business minded will also help writers to stay ahead of the game. If you know you’ll need a certain amount of money in order to do something, for example, pay a professional book designer to design your cover you will be aware of that expense, know when you will need to have the money and therefore you can plan for that expenditure well in advance.

You will also be far more organised, you can plan ahead for your book launch, integrate a marketing plan and manage your time -thus making you a far more productive writer, and this way you won’t let things get on top of you or spiral out of control.

When writing a business plan there are certain things you should consider:

What is your mission statement? Spend a moment thinking about why you write and what you hope to deliver and achieve through your writing and what unique things you bring to the table.

Who is your target audience? Be clear about who you wish to reach through your writing and how you intend to reach them.

What is your author brand? Every business has a brand – what’s yours? Think about your message, what you want readers to experience when they connect with you, what purpose you have or the message you are trying to convey.

What are your goals? Be very clear about what you want to achieve and make sure that you are willing to do what it takes to succeed. Goals should be actionable and measurable so bear this in mind when you are thinking of yours.

Timing – if applicable you should be able to come up with a comprehensive schedule to stick to. Include everything from the number of words you will write in a day and when to release your book to how you’ll manage your social media accounts.

Competitor research – who are your main competitors? Find novelists, authors and influencers who you can identify with and see what they are doing – how are they engaging with their readers?

Finances – can you afford to invest the money needed for your writing business to be successful? Be specific with your costs and if necessary save the money you need before you put your business plan in action.

Being business minded and creating a solid business plan for your writing can really pay off. It may not be your favourite task, but remember, your business plan can be developed over time, it may feel like a little overwhelming at first but even getting down the basics will help you feel more clear and confident, ready and able to achieve what you have set out to achieve!

Bethany Cadman -author of ‘Doctor Vanilla’s Sunflowers’

The post Why It Pays To Be Business-Minded appeared first on Writer's Life.org.

Why Writing Makes Your Life Better

Often articles focus on how difficult writing is, and all the struggles that writers have to overcome, and while we are not going to disagree with the fact that writing is tough and challenging at times, let’s stop for a moment and think about how incredible it also is, and the true joy that it brings to many people’s lives.

It’s challenging

Writing challenges us. There are always things to learn, new methods to try, and ways we can improve. It’s a constant learning curve that keeps our minds fresh and active. Challenging yourself is always a good thing, and if you keep on pushing and driving yourself forward you’ll reap the rewards at the end.

It’s creative, and so much fun!

Writing is lots of fun. When else do you get to let your imagination run completely wild? When you write you are the puppet master, and you are in charge of absolutely everything that your characters say and do. You can control nature, fate, life and death. You can make pigs fly, make fish rain from the skies! OK so it might sound like we are on a bit of a power trip, but why not? Writing is where you can explore the very depths of your creative mind – what’s not to love about that?

It’s satisfying

Is there any greater feeling than when you’ve finished writing? It could be a chapter, a short story, a whole novel but that glow of satisfaction you get, that little inner high five you give yourself, that feeling that you did something good and productive and worthwhile -it’s a feeling that’s certainly worth having time and time again.

Gets things off your chest

Writing can be an amazing way to express yourself. It is actually hugely therapeutic. Whether you are ranting about your neighbour in your diary, writing a hard hitting memo about your whole life, or creating a character just like your horrible old school teacher who then meets a terrible fate – writing can be an amazing way of unburdening yourself, exploring thoughts and feelings, and learning things about yourself you never even knew.

It’s exciting – that lottery feeling

If you write you’ve always got that feeling that you might be onto something great. It’s kind of like having a lottery ticket and not yet knowing whether you have won! You never know what might be around the corner, and where your writing might take you, and that is a pretty awesome feeling!

It gives us things to read

Reading is one of life’s great pleasures. It entertains and inspires us, and, in some cases, it changes our lives. Without writing we wouldn’t be able to read – so we should always be grateful for that!

So, whether published, trying to get published, or just doing it for fun, writing really does make your life better. If you are writing or thinking about writing then just go for it – it really can make you feel lighter, happier and more fulfilled!

Bethany Cadman -author of ‘Doctor Vanilla’s Sunflowers’

The post Why Writing Makes Your Life Better appeared first on Writer's Life.org.

Should You Use Bad Language In Your Book?

Deciding whether or not to use bad language in your book may actually be a bigger decision than it first appears to be.

Of course, using bad language in your writing is a choice, and if you want to do so then you should – it is your writing after all!

The important thing to remember however is that using swear words in your work will evoke a reaction from your reader, and making sure that the reaction is the one you want will influence your decision, and perhaps make you think twice about using bad language in difference contexts.

Here are some things you might want to consider:

Is it gratuitous?

Don’t use bad language just for the sake of it. Done right and swear words can be used to enhance your book, and to create more tension and drama. However, if every second word from each character’s mouth is a ‘bad’ one then your book becomes difficult to read, and the reader will tire of this very quickly. It may suggest to them that you simply can’t think of another way to express what you are trying to say.

Is it appropriate for your audience?

This is the big one. If you want your book to be read by people of all ages then you need to pay attention to your language. YA fiction, for example, might contain some milder swear words here and there but they will be few and far between. Even if you know that most 15-year-olds probably use bad language, you have to remember that it’s their parents who still monitor what they read, and if your book is X-rated when it comes to swearing then they probably won’t be too happy about their darling teenager being influenced by it.

Will your audience expect it?

Using swear words is fine, as long as your audience expects that your book is the kind of book that would have bad language in it. If they aren’t expecting it, the swear words will jump out at them and seem awkward, interrupting your flow and potentially making the reader feel uncomfortable as well. Of course you can use swear words unexpectedly to shock your audience, or to make them laugh – as long as it is done in a way that makes them see that – but do be wary of going against people’s expectations – it’s like swearing in a job interview – if you aren’t sure, it’s probably best to play it safe.

Think about your genre

Some genres are more likely to have swear words in them than others. Conventional romance novels, for example, could be treated the same as YA, a few milder swear words every now and again is fine, but if you litter your prose with them you may run the risk of putting your readers off. The same goes for non-fiction, strong language is generally kept out of non-fiction work – that doesn’t mean you can’t use it to surprise and engage your readers, you just need to be clever about how you do so.

What’s your gut telling you?

At the end of the day, only you’ll know whether it feels right to use bad language in your book. If your gut feeling is that you shouldn’t, it’s probably best to leave it out. On the other hand, if you feel you lose something by removing or replacing bad language, just go with it!

Bethany Cadman -author of ‘Doctor Vanilla’s Sunflowers’

The post Should You Use Bad Language In Your Book? appeared first on Writer's Life.org.

How Do You Know What To Cut Out Of Your Novel?

Some writers get really excited about the editing stage of their novel. Others completely dread it. Whatever your take, editing your work is simply part and parcel of being a writer, and so it’s a good idea to try and get as good at it as possible!

As well as carefully going through your manuscript to pick out spelling, grammar and punctuation errors, a big part of the editing process is trying to cut out bits of your writing that aren’t actually enhancing your story. Most first drafts tend to be longer than the finished piece, and while no author should cut out parts of their book just for the sake of it, it is inevitable that there will be some bits that you wrote that can be removed without affecting your story.

It can be difficult to cut parts out of your book. For some it may just be the odd sentence here and there, for others it may be entire chapters. When you have spent so many hours crafting and shaping your story, letting go of certain scenes, and sometimes even characters can feel pretty painful.

Often writers worry that they have read and re-read their work so many times that they could end up removing parts of the story that were actually quite good, but they’ve become so close to their own work, and simultaneously so critical of it that they can’t tell what’s working and what needs to go! The last thing any author wants is to edit their work so much they end up ruining it (this can happen, believe me)!

So how do you know what to cut out of your novel? Here are some ways you can tell what needs to go.

Are you bored by reading it?

There are going to be parts of your book that make your heart race or sing with pride. The parts that get you all fluttery and excited and thinking ‘ this book is actually pretty great.’ Then there are the bits that make your attention wander, that you find yourself skimming over, that make you yawn a bit. If you find yourself a bit bored by what you have written, or skim reading it to get to the next heart-fluttery bit, then really focus on how you can either change what you have written to make it better, or if you could actually cut these bits out altogether. If you are bored reading it, chances are your reader will be too.

Does it make a difference?

Is this sentence, scene, or chapter actually helping to move your story forwards? Does it effect the action in any way? If you took it out would it make any difference to the story? If the answer is no then you know you need to cut it out. Also, look out for where you have painstakingly described a character’s actions, i.e. every movement from one room to another – readers don’t need to know everything a character sees and does, so sometimes it’s a good idea to spare them the details.

Is it overwritten?

All writers are guilty of overwriting at some point or another. Look out for this when you go back to edit your work. If it feels too wordy, if the language is too flowery and descriptive, if it’s taken you four paragraphs to describe a teapot – you know you could probably find a more succinct way of getting your point across.

Can you use one word instead of two?

Though this can be a rather slow process, many authors carefully re-read their work to look out for instances where they could use one word instead of two. Often it’s easy to add and an extra descriptive word which actually means the same thing, for example, ‘He was a huge, giant of a man.’ Here there is no need for the word ‘huge.’ Going through your manuscript and cutting out words that aren’t necessary will tighten up your prose and make your book altogether more readable.

Is this what your character would really say and do?

Look out for instances where characters go out of character! It can be easy, when in the writing ‘zone’ to forget that Jim is actually a very mild-mannered man and suddenly have him fly off the handle because someone left the bathroom light on. Make sure that your characters always speak and behave in a way you would expect them to, and if they don’t either rephrase or cut it out altogether.

The best way to understand what to cut out from your novel is to take a step back from it. Leave it for a week or so, get some breathing space and go back to it with a fresh pair of eyes, a difference perspective and ruthless determination to make it the very best it can be.

Bethany Cadman -author of ‘Doctor Vanilla’s Sunflowers’

The post How Do You Know What To Cut Out Of Your Novel? appeared first on Writer's Life.org.

Find The Perfect Balance For Your Author Blog

Many authors find the idea of writing an author blog daunting, or perhaps just plain annoying! However, doing so is a good way of communicating with fans, building your readership and marketing your work.

When it comes to finding things to write about for your author blog, however, getting the balance right can be tricky. If you are too ‘niche’ you risk alienating potential fans, if you are too vague you risk not having enough of a hook to get anyone interested in the first place!

While some authors feel that sticking to a very specific, narrow topic will help them capture a particular demographic, there are plenty of very successful blogs which cover a far broader range of subjects that do equally well.

So how do you find that perfect balance for your author blog?

Pick a few topics that you are passionate about and feel you can write confidently on. If you love writing but are also a keen gardener then why not combine the two? You can overlap by writing short stories about what you find in the garden, or poems about nature.

People have a wide range of interests so there is no need to focus solely on one topic. Just because you are a writer doesn’t mean your posts only have to be about your writing, or the struggles of a writer, or what it’s like to be a writer. Fans like to know more about the author themselves so combine posts about your work with more personal posts about your home life or where you go on holiday, what you like to read or the other things you like to see and do.

However, going too broad can be detrimental, and authors must be wary of this.

Your blog should have a theme, something unifying that ties it all together. If it is completely random and each post feels as though it has been written by a different person it’s going to be hard to build an audience. If a reader likes your post they will come back for more. But if the next post they read is around a completely different topic, with an unfamiliar tone and style they could end up feeling let down and then not bother returning a second time.

A narrow niche can mean more work for you. If you chose a topic that is very specific it will be far harder to continue to come up with interesting and insightful ideas for blog posts. No matter how passionate you are if you find yourself really scraping the barrel when it comes to thinking of ideas, or simply regurgitating your old posts over and over again your readers will quickly become bored and turn elsewhere – and it won’t be much fun for you to write them either.

The best way to find out if you have the right balance for your author blog is to test the water. Experiment with different posts and slightly different styles and see what works best, there is no harm in reaching out to your readers and asking them to tell you what they’d like to see more of either – that way you’ll know what they love to hear and can tailor your blog posts to suit them.

There is no right answer when it comes to how you manage your blog, simply make sure what you write about is what you are passionate about while also writing with your reader in mind. If you do that you can’t go too far wrong!

Bethany Cadman -author of ‘Doctor Vanilla’s Sunflowers’

The post Find The Perfect Balance For Your Author Blog appeared first on Writer's Life.org.

How Being A Technophobe Is Holding You Back

Any writer who wants to see their book become successful knows that simply writing it is just the half of it. These days getting your book finished is the tip of the iceberg and, once it is complete, there is so much more you need to do before it is actually ready to be shown to the world.

Many writers wish that they could simply hand over their work to someone else after they’ve decided it is ready to be published. The technological side of things, as well as the marketing, can feel hugely daunting and is something writers would prefer to leave with a professional – one with loads of experience who knows exactly what they are doing.

Unfortunately, for most of us, this is just wishful thinking, and learning how to use new technology to advance your book is all part and parcel of the job.

Getting familiarised with and feeling confident about different types of software and programming can be time-consuming and confusing. If you refuse, however, you can’t expect a publisher to look at your work, and you won’t be able to get your book to a good enough standard to self-publish either.

Here are just some of the programmes and pieces of software you’ll have to get to grips with as an author:

Microsoft Word – most publishers and agents ask for manuscripts to be sent as Word documents.

Email – many publishers and agents request you send your work to them via email. Getting to grips with e-mail is also a great way to start communicating with fans via e-newsletters and so on.

Social media platforms – this is often the biggest bugbear for writers but understanding how social media works, and using it to your advantage can make all the difference when it comes to publicising your book.

Website management – creating an author website and being able to manage this, add new pages, upload new blog posts and monitor comments is very useful. Knowing how to do this yourself will save you huge amounts of money in the long run!

If you baulk at the idea of sending a tweet or find the notion of self-publishing through Amazon totally stressful, you need to take some steps to try to remedy your fear of technology. If you don’t, you won’t reach your potential audience, and your book may not even see the light of day – what a pity that would be!

Here’s what you can do:

Stop putting it off – start learning about technology now – the longer you leave it, the more difficult it will seem. Make time to learn. Even if you have to set aside some of your writing time to do so.

Know that you are in control – computers won’t do anything you don’t ask them to! Take your time, and try to stay calm if things don’t go the way you planned – almost everything is fixable, so take a deep breath and try not to get frustrated.

Ask for help – if you have a friend or relative who is a bit of a computer whizz ask them to sit down with you and show you the basics. Even better, get them to write down simple step by step guides so you don’t forget. There are also a huge number of online resources you can tap into to help you understand how to do things. Simply Google what you want to learn and you should be able to find instructions and even video’s showing you what to do.

Take it one step at a time. Don’t do everything at once – learn one thing at a time. Get to grips with one piece of software and feel confident with it before you move onto the next.

Don’t go overboard. Know what you need to know and learn only that. Sure there are many weird and wonderful things you can do to make your website look amazing but if you just want to understand how to add new blog posts and images, just learn that. Don’t make life harder for yourself by going from a place where you aren’t really sure how to build an email list, to attempting to learn about coding (unless you want to of course).

Remember, learning about new technology is tough, and you are bound to make some mistakes as you do, but so does everyone! Try to keep persevering and you’ll soon feel such a great sense of achievement as you see how much it helps your writing.

Bethany Cadman -author of ‘Doctor Vanilla’s Sunflowers’

The post How Being A Technophobe Is Holding You Back appeared first on Writer's Life.org.