Not everyone has a best seller to their name. That’s the truth about writing. But we keep writing. Writing is either a gift that comes with your skill set or with a lot of hard, time-consuming effort. Either way, writing requires hard, time-consuming effort. You may know how to punctuate but need help with a coherent storyline. Or vice versa. No one knows everything, but everyone can write in a way that is readable and/or memorable.
My advice: join a writing club like Jerry Jenkins Writers Guild or American Christian Fiction Writers. Also, find and join a writers critique group in your community. Without the help of others who are in the professional writing industry, you won’t get the personal and skilled reviews of your writing necessary for publication.
You want to get your writing published. Don’t write and store your work in folders, in a file cabinet or on your computer, just to sit there forever. Determine to get your work into the hands of professionals, of traditional publishers. I made the mistake of starting with a self-publishing company and have spent tons of money for very little return on investment. Self-publishing is your tenth best choice. Don’t start there!
Believe in yourself, your writing, and your money. You definitely want all three to be in the hands of those who care about you and not just your money! Do as I say: get into a critique group and start hearing and seeing what professionals look for in a good story. You may not like it at first, but over time you will gain valuable insights that could propel your writing to the next level. You may even make money on your writing. Would’t that be great? Yes.
More than the money, you’ll have the satisfaction of knowing you’ve learned things about writing you can apply again and again to your next piece, and the next, and the next. Writing is a learning craft. Publishing is a learning craft. Pursue both. Be the Writer you were meant to be!
www.acfw.com
www.jerryjenkins.com