Essential Tips for Aspiring Authors: Key Strategies for Turning Your Writing Dreams into Reality

Everyone wants to write the great American novel, but (percentage of people who finish a book). Let’s face it, being an author is really hard, and the work can be daunting. This is why a lot of people are using A.I. to generate books, but as I always say, A.I.-generated books are like unseasoned chicken. Writing a good book and building your readership is going to take time, effort, luck, and perseverance.

And it’s okay to feel overwhelmed. God knows I did when I made the decision to be a professional author six years ago. I went into writing romance books with nothing, and as someone who is a bestselling and award-nominated author, I can now look back at the things I did that got me where I am today.

1) Have An Open Mind

I hate to sound like a multi-level-marketing hun, but mindset is really important here. You have to go into your writing journey with a willingness to listen. If you come into this with a chip on your shoulder, thinking you already know everything you need to know about writing, you are not going to be able to hone your writing style. And as a beginning writer, the most important thing is to make sure to grow and sharpen your skills.

2) Practice Makes Perfect

Embrace the suck and write. When you are first starting, your writing is going to be cringe-y and you just have to accept it. It’s like any skill you set yourself to learning. You have to start at zero and work your way up. Another thing you have to learn is that it’s going to take time to be good. Your first book is going to suck ass (I know mine did), and you just have to keep trying. Finding a consistent writing schedule is a good way to do that.

3) You Need Feedback

You are going to need consistent feedback. I know it’s hard to put your reading out there and get feedback. You are going to find the courage to do it. You won’t be a good writer if you never have consistent feedback on your work. What a lot of folks don’t know is that your writing style can deteriorate or go stale if you stop getting feedback. There are big-name authors out there who think they are above editing, and you can tell by the writing. Writing is something you never master. You have consistently strived to grow and to hone your writing style.

4) Read Within Your Genre

Oh, I have gotten so much flak for saying this. But another way to keep your writing style fresh and honed is by reading books within your genre. As a writer, keep up with your genres and the ever-evolving genre conventions, but also, a great way to learn about writing is by reading. I am always learning something new from other writers (and I often highlight and make notes in my ebooks). Read good books, read bad books, and take notes on the patterns or similarities you find in those books. In my opinion, there is no better way to learn the craft of writing than by reading books.

5. Take Your Time

It took me two years to publish my first book, even though I was desperate to publish. It takes a long time to get to a point where you feel comfortable enough to publish, especially if you are starting from zero. Give your book and yourself time to get to their full potential. Learn to trust the process and enjoy it. Your story will be done when it’s done and not before. This is something that I had to learn the hard way.

And those are my five writing tips for aspiring authors. What would you do if you could start your writing journey all over again? Let me know down in the comments.

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