Writers Need to Be Who They’re Meant to Be
How many times have you compared yourselfto other writers? Lots, I’d wager. If you write horror, I’m sure you try tomeasure up to Stephen King. Or if middle grade or young adult is your genre ofchoice to write, then do you try to be as good as J.K. Rowling or StephanieMeyers or Rick Riordan? If you do, you’ll hit a brick wall every time becauseall those authors are being who they’re meant to be and excelling at it. Sure,they’re the trail-blazers, and many times pacesetters in their genres. But if youconstantly compare yourself to bestselling traditional authors or successfulindie authors then you’ll never be happy. Stop. Doing. That.
There’s no magic bullet when it comes to acareer in publishing. What you can do is learn to use your strengths andembrace your weaknesses, and then delegate what you can’t do. Choose an authoryou admire as a pacesetter, but don’t constantly compare yourself to him orher. Learn from them. Watch what they do, and do what you can or what you feelcomfortable doing. Take risks, but don’t compromise your integrity. I’m not thegreatest public speaker (nor do I want to be). The thought of doing a schoolvisit shakes me to the core. But I’ve moved out of my comfort zone to do them.Not many, but some. On the other hand, I try to go out of my way to help otherauthors achieve their goals and dreams by tweeting or sharing their books, orhosting them on my blog. After all, there’s strength in numbers!
I read a post from Kristen Lamb about why youshould use your author name to build your brand. She shares the formula tocreate a brand in the post. So using my own name, the formula would go likethis:
Name (Sharon Ledwith) + Product (Books:The Last Timekeepers series) + Emotional Experience (the payoff readersreceive).
The more books you write and getpublished, the bigger your platform gets, and the more readers will seek youout. Think about the music industry. If say, KatyPerry (one of my favs) only had a few songs on tap and never botheredcreating a body of work, she’d never be the successful singer that she is today.Same with Adele or Justine Timberlake.One hit wonders are just that— they burst onto the scene, and then fizzle out justas fast if they don’t continue to build their brand. So don’t write one book,create a backlist.
When I first started contemplating acareer in writing I used Diana Gabaldon (who writes theOutlander series) as a pacesetter. I tried to write thick, juicy books loadedwith descriptions and character development like she did. Um. Yeah. Throw me inthe time portal now so I can unlearn that. Although I did learn many thingsfrom her style and writing, I could never be her. There’s only ONE DianaGabaldon, and that’s fine by me. I think I’ll concentrate my energies on beingSharon Ledwith, stop comparing myself to other authors, and write more booksfor my readers to escape to the past and have a blast!
Here’s a glimpse of the premises of both my youngadult series.
The Last Timekeepers Time Travel Adventures
Chosenby an Atlantean Magus to be Timekeepers—legendary time travelers sworn to keephistory safe from the evil Belial—five classmates are sent into the past torestore balance, and bring order back into the world, one mission at a time.
Children are the keys to our future. And now, children are theonly hope for our past.
Mysterious Tales from Fairy Falls Teen Psychic Mysteries
Imagine a teenagerpossessing a psychic ability and struggling to cope with its freakish power.There’s no hope for a normal life, and no one who understands. Now, imaginebeing uprooted and forced to live in a small tourist town where nothing muchever happens. It’s bores-ville from the get-go. Until mysterious things startto happen.
Welcome to Fairy Falls.Expect the unexpected.
The Last Timekeepers Time Travel Adventure Series:
The LastTimekeepers and the Noble Slave, Book #3
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The LastTimekeepers and the Dark Secret, Book #2 BuyLinks:
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The LastTimekeepers and the Arch of Atlantis, Book #1 Buy Links:
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Legendof the Timekeepers, prequel BuyLinks:
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Mysterious Tales from Fairy Falls TeenPsychic Mystery Series:
Lostand Found, Book One BuyLinks:
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Blackfliesand Blueberries, Book Two BuyLinks:
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SharonLedwith is the author of the middle-grade/young adult time travel adventureseries, THE LAST TIMEKEEPERS, and the award-winning teen psychic mysteryseries, MYSTERIOUS TALES FROM FAIRY FALLS. When not writing, reading,researching, or revising, she enjoys anything arcane, ancient mysteries, andsingle malt scotch. Sharon lives a serene, yet busy life in a southern touristregion of Ontario, Canada, with her spoiled hubby, and a moody calico cat.
Learn moreabout Sharon Ledwith on her WEBSITE and BLOG. Look up her AMAZONAUTHORpage for a list of current books. Stay connected on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, PINTEREST, LINKEDIN, INSTAGRAM, and GOODREADS.
BONUS: Download the free PDF short story TheTerrible, Mighty Crystal HERE
