You Can Avoid This Rookie Writing Error

One of the most common mistakes I see new writers make is trying to start their careers with a book.

Why is that wrong?

Because starting your writing career with a book is like starting your education in graduate school when you’re five years old.

I’m not trying to discourage you; I just want you to get real.

Start small and learn the craft so you can enjoy the journey. Write for the joy of it, to see your name in print, even if you’re giving your work away or being paid in copies.

Why? Because there’s a lot to learn!

You need to work countless clichés out of your system, build and tone writing muscles, and learn both the business and the craft. Simply wanting it is not enough.

Sure, it’s easier than ever to get something printed.  But there’s a big difference between being printed and being published. What do you really want—to show off a mediocre book with your name on it, or to sell a manuscript to a company that will turn you into a legitimately published author? That should be your goal.

Companies everywhere will take your check and put your written words into published format, making them look like a real book—print or electronic. But that doesn’t mean you’ve been published. That means you’ve paid to be printed. 

If you’re serious this and want to be legitimately published, where you’re not paying but someone is paying you and taking all the risks because your writing is valuable and worth such an investment, there is work to be done, there are mistakes to be made, an education to be earned, a level of fitness to achieve. Then come the rewards, I promise.

No one can guarantee bestsellers or big royalty checks, but it should be obvious that being legitimately published is way more fulfilling than paying to be printed.

Starting points:
Study the field. Learn everything there is to know about how to submit your material.
Start small. Write for local publications, and when you have clips to show, try regional magazines, then national. You may be rejected occasionally, but you’ll learn. You’d be surprised at how many submissions magazine and online editors get from people who don’t even know to format their submissions or what subjects are appropriate for which publications. Just doing your homework in advance will set you apart from the competition.
Blog or guest blog. The online world is hungry for good writers. Now is your time. Getting published—consistently—online is a great building block for your career. Explore the type of blogs you like and could see yourself writing. Zero in on one, study its distinctives and its audience, then craft a few ideas and pitch the editor about writing a guest blog or two. If you can’t find a good fit, start your own blog. Reader feedback will prove invaluable to guide your future writing.
Articles before novels. Approach magazines, e-zines, and newspapers to gain experience before tackling novels or nonfiction books. Become your own toughest critic.
Develop wisdom. Avoid tackling issues beyond your grasp—like writing a memoir while still in your twenties. You need years of reflection before you can make sense of your life and present it so it will have a real impact on readers.
Know your limits. As a magazine editor, I once received a query letter from a teenager proposing a 1,500-word, first-person piece titled “The Meaning of the Universe.” That’s akin to my trying to write an essay that would solve the conflicts in the Middle East.

 

Are you laying the groundwork for success in your writing career? What’s your next step?

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