6 Tips for Building a Successful Writing Career

by Laurie Pawlik-Kienlen @ Quips And Tips

Building a successful writing career isn’t all about luck or good timing (though that counts). Finding success as a writer involves specific strategies, which anyone can master.

Before the tips, a quip:

“I hear people say they’re going to write. I ask, when? They give me vague statements,” says successful writer Natalie Goldberg.

“Indefinite plans get dubious results. When we’re concrete about our writing time, it alleviates that thin constant feeling of anxiety that writers have – we’re barbecuing hot dogs, riding a bike, sailing out in the bay, shopping for shoes, even helping a sick friend, but somewhere nervously at the periphery of our perception we know we belong somewhere else – at our desk!”

Some of the following home-based business writing tips are from one of my favorite books:The Portable Writer’s Conference, edited by Stephen Blake Mette. Click on the book for more info, and read on for specific tips for building your writing career…

6 Tips for Building a Successful Writing Career

1. Think in terms of career, not hopes and dreams

When I first started freelance writing (I’m The Adventurous Writer!), my husband Bruce kept talking about my “writing career.” That freaked me out at first, but then I began to think about my writing that way…as a career, not just a dream, goal, or way to pay the bills. It changed how I organize my workday, what I focus on, and what types of assignments I accept.

2. Keep records of every move you make

I’ve learned to keep track of everything I do! This includes recording when I pitch book query letters or article ideas (Tracking Your Article Pitches and Submissions), when I invoice editors (A Freelance Writer’s Invoice for Magazines, Plus Invoicing Tips), when/if I was paid, how I created a button for my WordPress blogs, and where I found all types of info. This tip for building a successful writing career is just part of running a healthy, organized business.

3. Think about outsourcing in the future

“Build systems so you’re not constantly reinventing the wheel,” said Sue, on my How to Successfully Change Careers article on See Jane Soar. “If there’s a task you expect to have to do more than once, document how you do it. Ultimately you may be able to outsource it – and by having the documentation done, it’s a lot easier to train someone to help you.”

4. Balance your long and short-term writing goals

“Successful entrepreneurs are those who are able to maintain a dual focus on short-term goals and long-term vision,” writes Terri Lonier in “Quit Your Day Job?” (a chapter in The Portable Writer’s Conference). “They keep their sights on what’s at the end of the road, all the while dealing with the day-to-day details in front of them.” My long-term writing vision is to become a published author; my short-term goal is to write three sample chapters for a publisher, at their recent request (and boy, am I procrastinating!).

5. Forget the muse

When I attended the Surrey International Writers’ Conference, I heard a successful published author (I think it was Bob Mayer) say that he can’t afford writer’s block and he can’t afford to wait for the muse. He’s got bills to pay, kids to feed, and a wife to take care of – he doesn’t sit around waiting for inspiration to strike. To build a successful writing career, you need to be strategic, disciplined, and focused about your book and article ideas.

6. Make life easy for editors and publishers (your clients)

“The key quality [of a successful writer] is being reliable,” writes Lonier. “This means turning assignments in on time, with no factual or spelling errors. Be as helpful as you can. Track down or offer ideas on accompanying visuals. Give suggestions on how an article might be expanded or slanted to fit their readers’ interests, Send in materials clearly marked, all at one time, so editors don’t have to scramble to locate all the pieces of your work.”

Building a successful writing career isn’t about daydreaming about writing, talking about writing, or wishing you were a writer. It’s much more boring than that! Writing success comes from setting small, achievable goals and working every single day to achieve those goals.

What have I missed? I welcome your tips for building a successful writing career below…