Indie Tuesday—Characteristics of a Successful Indie Writer
by Edie Melson @EdieMelson
Anyone can self-publish, but not everyone is comfortable the skill-set required to do it with excellence. Today, I’m going to highlight some of the things that prove you’ve got what it takes to be an indie writer. Some of these things apply to any publishing endeavor, but they’re an absolute must for self-publishing.
General Writer CharacteristicsStory/book ideas that won’t leave you alone. The one thing I hear over and over again from writers is that a specific story and/or book idea won’t leave them alone. Those type of ideas echo in our minds and won’t leave until we commit them to paper.Characters in your mind that talk to you. This is a variation of the point above. Most writers have both characteristics, but as long as you have one, you’ll be able to succeed.
Indie Writer CharacteristicsA You can’t tell me what to do mind-set.Indie and Hybrid authors are notorious control freaks. This doesn’t mean that we reject valuable professional advice. But we always reserve the right to make the final decision regarding our project.
A pioneer mindset.By this I mean the willingness to be on the cutting edge of publishing. We’re not mainstream, we’re blazing a trail for others to follow. This mindset holds that we are willing to risk failure for the sweet taste of success.The courage to try new things. The publishing industry is in a constant state of flux. This is especially true on the Indie side of the equation. That means success comes from trying things you’ve never done before. Beyond that, you have to be willing to spend the time and energyAn I’ll never give up attitude. This is vital for writers in general, but especially for Indie writers. A lot of times those authors who pursue a self-publishing course expect almost instant results. Occasionally things can happen fast, but far more often it’s a long-haul proposition. Giving up is the difference between success and failure.A love of books and the people who read them. Indie writers, especially those in the YA genre, have close ties with their readers. The most successful indie writers I meet are actively engaged with their audience.
Like everything in publishing, these aren’t hard and fast rules. The industry is littered with exceptions. But they’re called exceptions for a reason. So I’d love to know what you think. In your opinion, what characteristics are necessary for independent authors to succeed?
Don’t forget to join the conversation,Blessings,Edie
TWEETABLESDo you have what it takes to succeed as an #IndieAuthor? @EdieMelson has list to consider. (Click to Tweet)
Characteristics of a successful #IndieAuthor from @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)
Anyone can self-publish, but not everyone is comfortable the skill-set required to do it with excellence. Today, I’m going to highlight some of the things that prove you’ve got what it takes to be an indie writer. Some of these things apply to any publishing endeavor, but they’re an absolute must for self-publishing.General Writer CharacteristicsStory/book ideas that won’t leave you alone. The one thing I hear over and over again from writers is that a specific story and/or book idea won’t leave them alone. Those type of ideas echo in our minds and won’t leave until we commit them to paper.Characters in your mind that talk to you. This is a variation of the point above. Most writers have both characteristics, but as long as you have one, you’ll be able to succeed.
Indie Writer CharacteristicsA You can’t tell me what to do mind-set.Indie and Hybrid authors are notorious control freaks. This doesn’t mean that we reject valuable professional advice. But we always reserve the right to make the final decision regarding our project.
A pioneer mindset.By this I mean the willingness to be on the cutting edge of publishing. We’re not mainstream, we’re blazing a trail for others to follow. This mindset holds that we are willing to risk failure for the sweet taste of success.The courage to try new things. The publishing industry is in a constant state of flux. This is especially true on the Indie side of the equation. That means success comes from trying things you’ve never done before. Beyond that, you have to be willing to spend the time and energyAn I’ll never give up attitude. This is vital for writers in general, but especially for Indie writers. A lot of times those authors who pursue a self-publishing course expect almost instant results. Occasionally things can happen fast, but far more often it’s a long-haul proposition. Giving up is the difference between success and failure.A love of books and the people who read them. Indie writers, especially those in the YA genre, have close ties with their readers. The most successful indie writers I meet are actively engaged with their audience.Like everything in publishing, these aren’t hard and fast rules. The industry is littered with exceptions. But they’re called exceptions for a reason. So I’d love to know what you think. In your opinion, what characteristics are necessary for independent authors to succeed?
Don’t forget to join the conversation,Blessings,Edie
TWEETABLESDo you have what it takes to succeed as an #IndieAuthor? @EdieMelson has list to consider. (Click to Tweet)
Characteristics of a successful #IndieAuthor from @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)
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