BEFORE YOU BECOME AN AUTHOR: Hard Truths About Writing
So you want to be an author.
Being an author is something a lot of people dream of, but not everyone is successful. To be called an author is easy. Be dedicated to your writing. I call myself an author even though I haven't published anything. Am I successful? By most accounts, no I am not. To be fair, I've just begun my journey, so I still work and hope.
That said, I've been writing for a number of years, though struggling would be a better word. Writing is hard, and writing full time is something I'm yet to achieve.
I'm sure we've all dreamt of earning millions or billions of money, going on talk shows and imaging our movie or TV show adaptation. I definitely have. But even with all the talent and resources in the world, success isn't guaranteed.
What I've learnt in those years where I've stopped being a writer and become an author are things they don't tell you in schools. They were huge eye-openers as I floundered in my stories and dreams, so that's what I'm going to share with you today.
Let's get to!
1. It will take a lot of time and effort
A typical author takes around a year to write and publish a book. Some authors write and publish three books a year. Guess who I'm talking about.
This doesn't happen in an instant. When you first start, your writing muscle is going to be relatively weak. Exhibit A: my first few posts on this blog. With time and practice, it will grow stronger. Writing is like any muscle. It won't improve unless you exercise.
The average word count for a novel is around 50 000 to 110 000 words. For this illustration, let's say you're writing a 1k word novel. That's close to 300 words a day or nearly 2000 a week. The average word per minute count is approximately 40. Keep in mind that this is heavily affected by how fast you type and how fast you can come up with words, so the amount will greatly vary.
2000 words divided by 40 words is 50 minutes, fingers crossed my logistical maths is right. (I was never the best at maths and I don't even know if that's its name, haha.) That's close to an hour a week. But that's not all. You'll spend time getting into the flow of writing and thinking of what you're going to write next. Ideally, that would be around two hours spent writing a week.
Two things here: you need to set aside time for writing and building your muscles. Everyone's schedules are different, so you may not have a specific time for writing. Some authors work best like that, while some prefer binge writing. You should be writing as often as you can, doesn't matter what specifically. As long as you write. Building your writing muscles will take a long time. Months at best, years being realistic. That's already a huge chunk of time, and that's just the writing.
Time and effort are also spent in planning and editing. If you want to self-pub, there's also the design and marketing factors. There's no calculations to set benchmarks because every author's process is different. It can vary from a week to ten plus years.
If you want to go full time, you ultimately want to be publishing at least one book per year. If you don't think you can plan and write in one year, that's something you can work toward. Especially if you're starting out, you might want to expand your time frame.
As you write more and more books, you'll be able to grow more and more proficient with your writing process.
I know I've struggled with a ton of ideas. I've had two major WIPs and a couple minor ones. None of them have passed the planning stage. I'm a huge planner and enjoy the process, so the problem wasn't the ever popular planner vs pantser debate. It was that I didn't know what I was doing, despite having read about it.
It wasn't until mid last month that the pieces finally clicked for me. I started a new WIP and scrapped my other ones. Because I spent so long absorbing story structure, character arcs and what-not, the plot just bloomed in my mind. Just sayin', I've got a good feeling about this story and you've got something to look forward to. If you want to, you know.
The point of the story? Practice doesn't make perfect, but it does make progress. And practice takes time. And effort. And a ridiculous amount of chocolate.
Writing isn't easy. It will take years to hone it. If you want to start, the sooner you write and plan, the sooner you will get your story out.
2. You're in charge of your cheerleaders
When it comes to writing, a lot of what you do will be done alone. That's not saying you won't ever have to socialise. Spoiler alert, you will. I can almost feel the introverts groaning. Oh wait, that's because I am.
This can be a double edged sword. Some authors will find that they feel most positive without other people. Some authors will feel most determined with people cheering them on. The majority of authors need both outside and internal validation.
Facing hardships is inevitable. No, not just in writing. Identifying yourself as an author will sound unbelievable to the majority of people. Almost every job in the entertainment world is laughed off as "not a real job". You might even believe that yourself.
At the end of the day, you're in charge of your cheerleaders. You're in charge of who can encourage and discourage you. Building a solid mindset will help you keep on track with your goals as a person and an author.
 |
| Source: Tenor |
In this aspect, I'll point you to personal development and mental health advisors. They'll give better advice than me, haha. But what I can say is this.
- There will always be someone better than you. Cliche, but true. You have to accept that you'll never be the best. This is not to say that you should fall into the comparison trap. Rather, when you find someone who is better than you, take inspiration. Learn from what they do and apply it to yourself. If you find someone who isn't doing as well as you, take notes and avoid doing whatever it is they're doing wrong.
The chances are, what you know about someone isn't the full story. You only see the diamond after it's been dug out and cut. Not everyone will tell you all the work that went into it. The blood, sweat and tears, you know? Each author goes through different experiences. What works for them might not work for you, and vice versa. So take heart. You'll find what makes you special. - You'll face criticisms. Another cliche advice, but it's also true. Everyone will meet someone who doesn't like them, doesn't like what they do. Sometimes they have reasons. Sometimes they don't. Even your favourite authors face this. Even your favourite YouTubers face this. Seriously, go read one star reviews and the comment section. You get lovers and haters alike.
The moral of the story is that you have to grow a thick skin. Haters will be haters, so ignore them. There's no reason to listen to people who live for making you miserable. When it comes to a negative review, take to heart criticisms that are valid and make your next story better. Most people aren't out to hurt you. In general, people are really nice and want to help you.
Being an author ain't easy. You don't always get to choose who or what you listen to, but you can choose who and what affects you. You're the boss.
Side note: When the going gets tough, eat chocolate.
3. Finance is a factor you need to consider
Believe it or not, you need to consider your financial situation. Unless you're underage or living with someone else, you're responsible for paying bills and stuff. (Articulate, I know.) Money is a kind of a taboo subject to talk about, but it's a very real thing you need to be aware of.
If you're the sole breadwinner, particularly if you've started a family, you're probably not going to be able to quit your job. Not for a long time, if at all. You probably won't become a full time author unless you can write consistently for a large, dedicated fanbase. Even with YouTube and/or blogs on the side to make extra cash, it might not be enough. Some famous authors haven't quit their day jobs yet. Take what you will of that.
The blessed ones out there have someone to fall back on. Your spouse, for instance. Your super cool parents maybe. Your pension. The support of this person or people is invaluable. With their help, you could quit your job to write full time. Sure, you may have to cut down on some costs, but the extra time you get working on your story should be worth it.
Take your lifestyle and financial situation into account. How much money are you earning and how much do you need to live comfortably? Maybe you can quit some of your obligations to dedicate more time to writing. Maybe you can't. Either way, writing is not for the faint of heart.
That said, don't write for money. Whatever cash you get out of your books should definitely be appreciated, but don't make it the only reason you write. Because the truth is, you probably won't get much.
The average cost of decent living in Australia is around $2200 a week. An average book costs around $20. If you go down the traditional publishing route, you'll get around 10% royalties. Approximately $2 per book. That's at least 1100 books sold a week. Self pubs get around 50% royalties, so $10 bucks a book. That means 220 books.
It's a lot for debuting authors. Most of your book sales will happen within a year of its release. A popular book may gain more and more book sales each year. Point is, writing isn't a way to earn quick bucks. If anything is a labour of love, it's writing.
4. Your connections matter
Authors, here's a secret. Socialise with as many people as you can. What? The horror! But here's the thing: without connections, your chances at breaking out is slim.
Your connections are important for so many reasons. First and most obviously, you need to connect to readers. Because, duh! They're the ones who you'll be selling your book to. You also need to connect with other authors, agents, editors, publishing industry workers.
Publishing houses will often look at your connections. Which do you think has more chance of success? An author no one has heard of or an author with a significant following, who is also friends with popular authors and one of the upper hierarchy of the house? Obviously the second one. There's a reason author influencers promote getting an agent. It tells the publisher that hey, there's people who will vouch for the story.
There are some authors who are brilliant at writing, but they don't see success because they don't have the connections. Despite their amazingness, they may never make it out of the slush pile because no one reads them. If you're going self published, your connections are even more important. You don't have a team helping you promote your book. You have to do that yourself.
How do you form relationships? Attend networking events. Reach out to other authors. Reach out to readers. Social media, blogs and YouTube make this so much easier than it used to be. You won't always get a response, but sooner or later, you will. It's almost impossible for everyone to miss your message.
If you tell six friends about your book, and they tell six different friends each, you'll find that you can reach the whole world. The six degrees of separation theory and all that.
 |
| Source: Tenor |
~
Let's finish with two final thoughts. Authors pour heart and soul into their books, making them as best as they can be. To be an author, you must find time to read and write. They're the staple foods of writing. If you're not willing to do any of these things, reconsider if being an author is right for you. Maybe you'll find you enjoy writing as a hobby more.
Authors, tell me if you find these same things challenging. Which one do you struggle with the most? Which one do you find the easiest? Are there any other hard truths that aren't on this list? Until next time, happy writing!
Related Posts:
Writers vs AuthorsDon't Quit Writing Says Richard Bach
Are You Writing's Prey?
Writing Is A Real Job! An Author's Purpose
12 Quotes To Nurture Your Author Mindset (Part One)
12 Quotes To Nurture Your Author Mindset (Part Two)
Comments
Post a Comment