Authors are both born and made. Some people are writing as soon as they can hold a pencil and never stop. Some people just fall into writing as a way of dealing with an issue, or as a result of their primary profession. Either way, no one writes to be mediocre. A real author wants to be great. What author hasn't dreamed of a Pulitzer or other prestigious writing awards?
This profession is filled to rim with mediocre writers. Just because you may have a million people competing against you doesn't really mean that your competition is a million people. Your competition is yourself and all those who strive for excellence and greatness in writing. Believe me, that may be 5 percent, and I'm being generous. My point is you have to strive to stand out from the pack.
Standing out isn't hard. First, care about what you're doing. If you care, it will show in all that you do. That is a life lesson, a lot of which I've been learning from a dear friend, Lacresha Hayes. Secondly, give. Most people's eyes are so full of dollar signs that they are paralyzed when you tell them to give something away. Lend your expertise. Give your readers a real piece of yourself. Lastly, connect with your followers. Books are great, but you won't find people just picking up your books for the hell of it. Something has to draw them. Your publisher can't do it. Your publicist can't do it. YOU have to do it.
3 comments:
You're absolutely right, Karen. We need to make sure we're doing our best when it comes to writing our articles and manuscripts.
One thing I would add is authors who plan to make a career of their writing should brand themselves. They have to build their names and keep cranking out quality material. I heard one professional author say he cranks out about 5-7 manuscripts a year. He said the key to growing and keeping a fan base is giving them quality material on a regular basis and tidbits in between with interviews.
Karen,
You're always coming up with something that makes me think. I appreciate that.
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