Few things are as rewarding or as difficult as a career as an independent writer.
Whether you work full-time writing, pen novels on the side, or are an aspiring writer hoping to make a name for yourself, you’re likely striking out on your own to build some type of writing life.
You’ve declared your independence (even if only in your head), and that can be a freeing, empowering step. But before you know it, you’ll be facing the difficult parts of the journey.
You may experience writer’s block, receive a string of rejections, watch your newly launched book languish unnoticed on the web, or find that you can’t get a byline to save you.
That’s when you realize that being an independent writer has its downsides. You are on your own with this—you don’t have a team or a company to pick up the slack.
So what do you do to get through the tough times and emerge stronger on the other side?
The key is to develop the skills you need to succeed in the writing life. After being an independent writer for over 20 years, I’ve found five steps that are most important to securing your future.
Independent Writer Success Tip #1: Keep Going and Finish Your Projects
When I started out writing novels, I left a lot of them unfinished. I would start with enthusiasm, but then when I encountered difficulties around the middle of the story (which is extremely common), I would assume something was wrong with my idea, scratch it, and start over again.
It was years before I realized my mistake: I couldn’t learn how to finish a novel if I didn’t push myself to finish it! It wasn’t the ideas that were bad—it was my inability to follow through.
So I signed up for some workshops and got some editing help, and before long I was able to break through on one novel, then another, and another.
The only way you can build a career as a writer—any type of writer—is to keep going and learn how to get through challenges and finish your projects. The more that you complete, the more experience you’ll gain, and the more you’ll have to show for your efforts.
An unfinished project means nothing. You can’t do anything with it. Finish the project, even if you think it’s horrible. It will then serve as a stepping stone to the next one and the next. (For more help in finishing the projects you start, see our course!)
Independent Writer Success Tip #2: Know What Motivates and Inspires You
As independent writers, we have only ourselves to rely on. If you’re lucky, you’ll have a partner, friends, or family members that support you, but no matter what, you must be able to pick yourself up when you’re down, push yourself over difficult obstacles, and drag yourself through to the finish line.
That means you have to look at yourself as your own employee. Take a third-person point of view and ask yourself:
- How can I motivate this writer?
- What gets this writer going on a project?
- How can I inspire this writer and bring out their most creative gifts?
- What activities will help this writer to work through plot problems, or get through difficult times?
It’s your responsibility to schedule activities and events that refill the creative well and rekindle your love of writing. It’s also up to you to know when you need to use a little tough love to get yourself back to work.
You can get some help with this from our other post, “Discover Your True Motivation for Writing.” Also, consider taking some personality tests (like the Myers-Briggs test) to find out more about yourself and how you can work with your strengths and weaknesses to succeed.
Then make sure you follow through by regularly taking yourself out on writing/creativity dates, creating a writing nook that inspires you, and charting your progress so that you don’t give up.
Independent Writer Success Tip #3: Recommit to Writing as One of Your Top Three Priorities Every Day
Let’s face it: Life happens. Just when you get into a strong writing routine, something comes along to mess it up. Your boss changes your hours, a loved one falls ill, or your health requires a routine change.
Rather than allow this type of thing to keep you from writing, get in the habit of recommitting to writing as one of your top priorities every day. If you can’t write during your usual time, squeeze it in at another time, even if that’s only for 10 minutes. Some writing is always better than no writing.
Examine your to-do list every day, and make sure that “writing” is one of your top three priorities. Expect that emergencies will occur and that your day could be derailed by unexpected events. Be willing to let go of those things on your list that you won’t care about in 10 years, and replace them with writing.
When you’re holding that published novel in your hands, you’ll be glad you did. I’ve been amazed more than once when signing a book publishing contract that all those hours I spent alone wrestling with a story culminated in such a happy result. It just confirms that I made the right choices when putting writing at the top of my priority list time and time again.
Independent Writer Success Tip #4: Allow Yourself Time to Grieve
This may seem like an odd tip to have on this list, but it’s an important one for a couple of reasons.
First, it’s necessary for those times when you are knocked down. After working forever on a story that you finally thought you got right, it can be very difficult to receive your 30th rejection, or to have an editor tell you that you need to start over.
After applying for a writing workshop and getting in, it can be humiliating to have your story torn to shreds during class. Losing a writing contest, experiencing a lackluster book launch, and getting stuck on a story can all result in a similar level of discouragement and fatigue.
Allowing yourself some time to grieve helps you to honor yourself and your emotions. You’re accepting that your writing life means a lot to you and that what happens with it affects you deeply. Going through a grieving process can also give you the time you need to re-evaluate the potential reasons for the difficulties you’re having so you can regroup and try again.
Second, simply being aware of the fact that you will need time to grieve helps you accept that the writing life will have its share of difficulties. New writers often expect that the journey will be all rainbows and teddy bears, so when the difficult times come along they may experience a shock that threatens to derail their writing career completely.
Don’t let this happen to you. Do your best to prepare yourself to face tough times and you’ll be much less likely to be blown off your course when they arrive.
Independent Writer Success Tip #5: Make the Decision
By this I mean, make the decision to be a writer, no matter what.
This is easier said than done. You may say, “I’m a writer,” but do you feel it, deep down in your bones?
Most writers go through periods of self-doubt. Many wonder from time to time whether they should keep going, or quit. It’s a rare writer who doesn’t consider alternate paths when a published book fails on the market.
All these symptoms of indecision make it harder for a writer to succeed because they hinder confidence, motivation, and creativity. Most writers simply go through it until they can figure it out. That’s what I did. I spent years in painful indecision while still working hard as a writer.
I offer an easier option in my book, Your Writing Matters. In it, you’ll find some answers as to why book marketing is so difficult, why you may feel you have to justify the time you spend writing, and how to determine once and for all whether you truly have a writer’s DNA.
However you go about it, deciding that you’re a writer, no matter what, can give you new strength that you didn’t know you had, and you’ll probably enjoy your writing career more than ever. It’s worth it to spend some time reflecting on the question, to see what answer you come up with.
What do you think the keys to success are for independent writers?
Featured image by Karolina Grabowska from Pexels.