Successful authors don’t just sprout up from the ground. It’s not like F. Scott Fitzgerald, J.K. Rowling or J.R.R. Tolkein came out of nowhere. They had to work hard to become what they were in the writing world – to become that successful author, making millions off of their works, even posthumously. Here are just a few tips that I have been figuring out from reading the letters of my writing hero, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and even from my own life.
1. Don't give up on writing.
You’ll get rejection letter after rejection letter after rejection letter. People will critique your work like nobody’s business. And that’s okay. That’s good, even. Just don’t let these things discourage you. Don’t give up. If writing is your passion, never let it die out completely.
2. Don't put all of your hopes in your writing.
You are more than likely not going to be making millions off of your books – especially not at the beginning when you’re just barely getting your name out there and barely getting yourself published. You need something else, besides writing, to keep you financially secure.
3. Work another job or two while writing on the side.
Especially if you’re in college and can’t exactly get to your main career yet, you should be working at other jobs. These jobs bring in money so that you can actually survive and pay off debt or stay out of debt. However, these jobs will not stifle your creativity. You can still write your novels on the side.
4. Write short stories between novels.
If you are still in the process of writing your next novel, or just barely finishing anything, I would suggest going online and searching for places that will pay to get your short stories. It doesn’t even have to be much. Just enough money to increase your finances and make you more secure than you were with those other jobs you’re working. This will help you even after you get published. Perhaps the book won’t do as well, and you need extra money. Perhaps you are in between novels and still need extra money. It is good to be prepared, and also to keep your words flowing and your creative juices going.
5. Keep supportive people around you.
If you don’t have people around you who are supporting your passion for writing and your aspirations to be a successful author, then you need to get yourself some new friends, because you will need all of the support and encouragement you can get. These people will be able to lift your spirits when you are low, encourage you to keep writing and plugging away, and give honest critiques of your books. They will praise your books where praise is due, and will gently give you constructive criticism where necessary. Your friends are sort of like your backbone to keep you sane as you try to keep your head above the insane waters of being a writer.
6. Be a wordsmith.
Being a wordsmith is not exactly a creative thing, but it keeps you writing and financially secure. This means taking up a career that you might not love, but remains within your passion of writing. This career would be one in journalism or public relations or some such thing. You could be an editor of a newspaper. This career should not keep you from writing your novels on the side, and it will help you as you grow into the (hopefully) successful author you want to be.
Keep your head up, dear writers. Your aspirations are not in vain. Even if your first novel is a complete dud, that doesn’t mean the next one will be horrible. It takes work and perseverance. That’s how the greats became the greats. That’s how famous authors became who they are today. And that is how you can become the next great American or even world-renowned author. I am not making any promises. But I do believe this is a pathway that can help you to a place of financial security and success so that you are not just a starving artist.
