If you’ve got a knack for writing, then nothing can stop you from getting published as a newbie writer. You must develop a plan according to your specific skills and routine to publish your first book faster.
Here are twelve simple but proven tips that will allow you to hone your writing craft and ensure you publish a great book within twelve months – keep reading!
Choose Your Favorite Genre
Not knowing about the genre you will choose as a writer won’t help you get published. To ensure you don’t waste your time and energy, pick the literary genre you like the most. Doing so will allow you to focus on your thoughts and energy and ensure you get published faster.
Start by rethinking your childhood and the preferences you had as a child. Then analyze how your likings changed during your teen years. Find out what topics and ideas have been “common” throughout your life, so you can pick the right genre for writing.
Do Research About Your Audience
Once you identify the genre you will write about, you need to identify the target readership of that specific genre. Knowing the readers’ preferences for a specific genre will help you write better and faster.
It’s better to boost your reading skills by exploring famous works in your genre. Ensure you also find information about “subgenres” so you don’t miss out on important details when writing your book.
Understand the Publication Process
The three common strategies for getting your book published include:
- Traditional publishing
- Assisted publishing
- Self-publishing
As a writer, it’s your call to decide which publishing path you are going to take. Making a proper choice according to your specific needs will ensure that you can publish without problems.
You don’t necessarily need to spend years finding relevant information about the publishing process. Online guides can make it easier to find tips and guidance on how to get your work published. For example, you can read this guide on how to find a literary agent if you choose the traditional publishing route.
Build a Writing Routine
Writing will always be difficult for you if you don’t follow a proper routine. Instead of sitting down to write whenever you feel like writing, you need to stick to a schedule that can help you achieve your writing goals faster.
Building a writing routine doesn’t require you to be strict with yourself. You can follow a routine without dictating every minute of your writing routine. Create a basic sketch of how you will spend time writing to ensure that you don’t focus on irrelevant activities when writing.
Avoid All the Distractions
Getting disturbed all the time won’t help you write better and faster. When you sit down to write, you must ensure that you are not interrupted by anything in your surroundings. Doing so will allow you to focus on your work instead of worrying about something that doesn’t matter.
Find a quiet area where you can write without getting disturbed. Turn the “Airplane Mode” on to easily ignore all the notifications on your smartphone. Avoid listening to music if it doesn’t let you focus on your writing goals.
Improve Your Writing Skills
Poor writing will never allow you to build a deeper connection with your readers and get recognition as a writer. You need to be on the lookout for any writing mistakes that can make your writing boring to read.
Instead of trusting your “gut feeling” when writing, you need to ask for writing advice from seasoned writers.
The best way to seek advice is by enrolling in a writing course. If you cannot join in-person writing classes due to a strict daily routine, you should take an online writing course to learn new things faster.
Boost Your Vocabulary
The usage of jargon will make your writing stale and boring. You must be careful about the words you choose when writing your book and avoid using technical words at all costs.
Expanding your vocabulary is a simple way to improve your word choices. The more simple words you know, the easier it will be for you to engage your readers. You can start reading an online thesaurus to boost your vocabulary quickly.
Start With an Outline
Following an outline is the best way to avoid wasting your time and effort as a writer. An outline allows you to concentrate your thoughts on a single topic and ensures you don’t mention stuff that won’t intrigue your readers.
You don’t need to be a perfectionist when developing your outline. It’s better to keep your outline simple, so you can get started on writing and add more details to your outline when needed.
Finish Your First Draft
Completing your first draft according to your outline will allow you to feel confident about your writing pace and also give you plenty of time to tweak your manuscript. Set achievable writing goals so you can finish your first draft faster.
Ask for Proper Feedback
When you’re done with your first draft, you need to get it reviewed by skilled writers and editors. The feedback you get from writing professionals will allow you to fix your book’s logical and grammatical mistakes.
Reach out to the writers and editors in your network so you can get actionable feedback about your book in no time.
Learn About “Book Marketing”
Creating a marketing plan is the only way to get recognition as a writer and sell more copies of your book. Allocate some time from your daily routine to learn how famous writers have marketed their books in the past. Try learning digital marketing skills, so you don’t have to hire professionals to market your book.
Don’t Forget About Your Health
Focusing on your goals of getting published as a writer can affect your health. Instead of falling ill, you need to take proper care of your health to ensure that you can achieve the goals you set for yourself instead of ending up in a hospital.
