Writers today search for tips to help them move forward in the craft. The following are 40 ways to sharpen your writing tools.
- Pray for your writing ministry
- Read in the genre you are writing
- Read a craft how-to book each month
- Read a marketing book each month
- Study the bestsellers like a text book
- Study daily a blog about the craft
- Study daily a blog about branding, social media, marketing and promotion
- Establish a daily writing schedule and stick to it
- Establish goals for every area of your writing career and analyze quarterly
- Analyze your career quarterly and make changes if necessary
- Participate in a writer’s group, either online or face to face
- Invest in a professional writer’s conference
- Invest in time and knowledge to raise your visibility in the publishing world
- Invest in text to voice software
- Invest in techniques to learn effective speaking
- Learn your genre and be an expert
- Learn Facebook and post regularly
- Learn Twitter and post regularly
- Learn how to blog effectively and do it
- Learn how to Instagram and post regularly
- Use your knowledge and expertise on social media to help and encourage others.
- Use the 80/20 rule in posting on social media.
- Use a scheduling tool for social media posts
- Use an app to check grammar on all writing projects
- Mentor a serious writer who needs assistance
- Edit everything you write before pushing Send.
- Follow social media experts online
- Follow writers online and post to them
- Follow editors and publishing houses online
- Develop a data base for libraries
- Develop your brand
- Schedule events not book signings
- Visit bookstores and introduce yourself to manager or PR person.
- Request permission to take photos with store owners and librarians. Post and tag on social media
- Create a spreadsheet for blog posts
- Create a social media library for all platforms
- Create a street team.
- Give back more to your street team than you expect from them
- Remember your agent and editor(s) on special occasions
- Remember your marketing and promotion team on special occasions
There you are! 40 tips to help you move forward in your writing career. What tip can you give that’s not mentioned above?
DiAnn Mills is a bestselling author who believes her readers should expect an adventure. She is a storyteller. Her titles have appeared on the CBA and ECPA bestseller lists; won two Christy Awards; and been finalists for the RITA, Daphne Du Maurier, Inspirational Readers’ Choice, and Carol award contests.
DiAnn is a founding board member of the American Christian Fiction Writers, a member of Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, Mystery Writers of America, Suspense Sister, and International Thriller Writers. She is co-director of The Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writers Conference and The Mountainside Marketing Conference with social media specialist Edie Melson. She teaches writing workshops around the country. DiAnn is active online and would love to connect with readers on any of the social media platforms listed at www.diannmills.com.
Follow DiAnn on Twitter: @DiAnnMills
The Conversation
DiAnn, This is a great list. I’m printing it and making it a checklist. I hope to see you at Blue Ridge.
Thanks, DiAnn. Just what I–and, no doubt, others–need to know and use to check up on ourselves. Though I’m not sure what the following numbers mean: 30 “Develop a data base for libraries” and 36 “Create a social media library for all platforms.” Would you please explain?