Are you in need of a course correction in your writing career?
It’s not always easy to tell, but here’s a thought for you: You may need it more often than you think.
Why You Need a Course Correction More Often Than You Think
I read one of the last stories in Rachel Naomi Remen’s My Grandfather’s Blessings the other day, and it got me thinking about course corrections. (Read more about this great book!)
She told about the Concorde, the British–French turbojet-powered supersonic passenger airliner that operated from 1976 until 2003. At Mach 2, it could cross the Atlantic in less than four hours. Because it was so fast (and human reaction time not fast enough), its course had to be maintained by two computers.
The first computer took a course reading every few seconds, and if the plane was off course, fed this information to the second computer, which would make the needed correction.
As to how often this needed to happen—the plane was off course about 99 percent of the time.
Yet it always arrived when expected.
Remen acknowledges that she’s not sure of the validity of this story, as she heard it from a VIP passenger. The point is that it reveals a truth we sometimes forget: When we need a course correction, we’re not “wrong.” Course correcting is a normal, beneficial thing to do as frequently as necessary.
“Once we stop demanding of ourselves that we be on course all the time,” Remen writes, “we might begin to look at our mistakes differently, giving them an impeccable attention and a frictionless response.”
In other words, accept that you’ll go down the wrong road now and then and don’t blame yourself. Simply make the required course correction and off you go again.
5 Times a Writer Needs a Course Correction
Below are some examples of times you may need a course correction. You may have many more in your writing life. Stay positive and look for the right path and it will reveal itself.
Course Correction Time #1: You’ve amassed a pile of rejections.
It makes sense that if your work is getting rejected, it may be time for a course correction. The difficult thing is determining just how many rejections qualify.
Here’s a general rule of thumb: probably more than you think. In most cases, writers give up too soon.
You may think that after receiving 10 rejections, it’s time to get some help. You can hire a book doctor to polish up your manuscript or an editor to help you create a better query letter or synopsis.
Keep in mind, though, that it can take 20, 30, and even 40 or more rejections before a story finds its home. Use your gut to determine the right answer for you. If you think your story, query letter, or synopsis could use some improvement, don’t hesitate to get some help, then start your submission process again.
Also, consider that your course correction may need to apply to how you’re researching and submitting. Make sure your story looks like a good fit for the publisher you’re sending to.
Course Correction Time #2: You haven’t gotten many new subscribers lately.
Email marketing continues to reign supreme when it comes to building your author platform. Marketing experts will tell you that no matter what happens to various other tools (social media, book sale sites, etc.), your email list is yours, and consists of people who are truly interested in what you have to offer.
That means you should be consistently working to build your list of email subscribers. If you’re not getting many new ones each month, it’s time to course-correct. Put up a new freebie to attract readers, advertise it on all your social media platforms, and make sure you have sign-up forms in convenient and visible places on your website.
If that freebie doesn’t work well, try another one. Remember to think about how you can help your readers when creating it. (For more help on finding your author platform niche, see Writer Get Noticed!)
Course Correction Time #3: You’re not getting your writing done.
You’ve been thinking about writing, planning to write, and scheduling time to write, but still the writing is not getting done. Weeks go by and your word count stays the same.
It’s time to course-correct and get serious about jumpstarting your writing practice. Realize that “thinking about writing” isn’t writing, and can keep you in a cycle of inactivity.
Try sitting down with your calendar and finding just 15 minutes to write twice a week. Anyone can do that, right? Make sure it’s a time when you won’t be interrupted. Give it a try for a week, then examine your results and adjust if you have to. Gradually increase your time as you can.
(Get more tips on finding time to write in Overwhelmed Writer Rescue!)
Course Correction Time #4: You’re burned out.
If you’re not sure whether you might be burned out, check for symptoms like these:
- You’re suffering more aches and pains.
- You feel drained and unable to cope.
- Your writing feels dull and forced.
- You’ve become cynical about your writing career.
Symptoms like these may indicate you’re suffering from burnout. This could be because you’ve been burning the midnight oil on your writing career, but it may also suggest you’re piling too much on your weekly schedule.
Take at least a half-day off to re-examine what you’re doing. See if you can find some activities that you can let go of for now. Maybe you can delegate some tasks or hire some help. Then, schedule a time each week to relax and regroup.
Take yourself on a walk through the park or to an afternoon movie. Indulge yourself in some real “me-time” and allow your energy to naturally return.
Course Correction Time #5: You’re frustrated with your marketing efforts.
Sometimes it helps to step back and remember: Marketing isn’t easy!
Realize you need a whole different set of skills to market your work. Consider taking some classes or workshops (if you haven’t already), and remember that if you want to be successful, you need to be doing some sort of marketing activity each week.
That may include running a book giveaway, creating some Amazon or Facebook ads, blogging and guest posting, interviewing on podcasts, sharing your work on social media, and more.
Here’s a tip for you: Keep experimenting with a variety of marketing techniques until you find something you enjoy doing. If you don’t like to blog, for example, you may enjoy producing videos instead. Or if you don’t like doing ads, write some guest posts instead.
Keep trying, and course-correct as many times as you need to until you reach your destination!
How do you know when you need a course correction?