Before becoming a successful author, you need to answer one crucial question. What does success look like to you? As an author? For your book?
Is it significant book sales? Is your expertise being recognized? Being covered by the media? What about praise from those who have heard you speak? Getting a call from a New York publisher interested in your book? Having a book on the New York Times Best Seller list? What?
We’ve all imagined what literary success might look and feel like. Here are seven rules for author success to help you get where you want to go in your vision:
Spend time with other authors.
If it seems simple, where are they? To begin, refrain from performing the writer/author recluse dance. Many authors are self-conscious about who they are and how they promote their books. Immerse yourself in groups where authors sell their books, whether through traditional or indie/self-publishing. You want to be where the action is, engaging with others who share your dreams and worries but yet moving forward.
If fiction is your thing, think series.
Let the reader world know that your book is part of a series. Commit to creating a backlist of books—instead of making the 150,000 first masterpiece, is there a natural split that would automatically kick off your book #2? Launch it in six months—meanwhile, write-write-write.
Keep on writing.
Your books are the infrastructure of your publishing empire. Your blogs, articles, any spinoffs, and all things social media are generated from them. Writing keeps your ideas and creative juices flowing. Don’t stop.
Help other authors out.
I’m a huge believer in mentoring. Just showing up at conferences and being present; working one-on-one with a few that you connect with, guiding through the publishing maze; sharing tips—ones that work and those that you thought were so awesome and bomb—are significant guideposts for authors in every stage.
Speak on your book, on your expertise.
After publishing 18 books with New York houses, I broke away and started my own indie publishing house. Learning the business and knowing that the dramatic changes in traditional publishing are generating less and less in royalty payouts, I’ve never looked back.
Learn how to market your book and yourself.
Authors need … no must … get over the “I would rather be writing” syndrome that so many embrace. Writing is a small fraction of your book’s success—the marketing will seed it, fertilize it, and accelerate its growth. Yes, you may be a superb writer. Do you know how many beautiful books have been written that quickly died before a single shoot could surface? Too many to count.
The individual we have chosen for the readers to take the example to get motivated if they want to enter the writing business and become known for their masterpieces is Steve Wollett.
He has had many tragedies and setbacks, but he overcame, adapted, and improvised his way out of them and created a better world. His books include Gods Assassin, The Gorgons Lament, etc.
