By W. Terry Whalin @terrywhalin

Each of us as writers sits at our keyboards alone and moves our fingers to create words and stories. Yet we are not alone in learning more about this business and improving our craft. We have a multitude of resources to help us—if we use them.

Read How-To Books

Jane Friedman is an experienced editor and writer and a keen observer of the business aspects of publishing. She has seen firsthand what is working and what is not. With The Business Of Being A Writer, Friedman pours her insights into the pages of this well-crafted book.

Many writers ignore the business aspects of publishing—to their own detriment. As Friedman writes in the introduction: “Here’s the biggest danger, if there is one: Business concerns can distract from getting actual writing done and can even become a pleasurable means of avoiding the work altogether. No one avoids writing like writers. Producing the best work possible is hard and focusing on agents, social media marketing or conference-going feels easier. Writers may trick themselves into thinking that developing their business acumen, they improving as writers—but all the business acumen in the world can’t make up for inferior writing.” (Page 10-11) The Business of Being A Writer is packed with insights. I highly recommend you get this book, read it—but more importantly apply the information to your writing life.

As you can tell from reading this article, one of my favorite ways to learn about the writing craft and market is through reading how-to books. I have purchased shelves of these books over the years—and they are not just for appearance. I know some people buy books and do not read them. On a consistent basis, I read these books, mark them and take action from the suggestions inside the pages. Another one of these books that I recommend would be Just Write by James Scott Bell. I’ve known Bell for many years, admired his work and his commitment to the craft of writing. I do not write fiction but have spent most of my writing life in the nonfiction world (yet I acquire fiction and read fiction).

Whether you write fiction or nonfiction, you need Just Write to learn from this skilled teacher and bestselling novelist. Every chapter of this book is packed with insights. I encourage you to read with a yellow highlighter. The book is broken into two sections: Unforgettable Fiction and A Rewarding Writing Life. Each section has four chapters. Whether you have written numerous novels or never written a novel, you will profit from Bell’s instruction.

Writers cannot depend on their editor or literary agent to fix their mistakes. If you believe this statement, it is a myth. Editors and agents have large volumes of submission material coming their direction. They have limited time to read any of this material. If it isn’t perfect, then they reject it. In some rare cases, if the material is 80% to 90% finished, the editor or agent will not reject it but put it into the consideration process. If your work isn’t ready to show to an editor or a literary agent, I encourage you to hire a freelance editor, so your work is in the best possible shape before it goes to the professional.

Join a Critique Group

Discouraged about your writing? Wonder if you are ever going to get anything published? How do you learn to write? Admittedly, any kind of writing requires work and effort, but joining a critique group can move you in the right direction.

A critique group is a small group of writers who encourage each other and provide regular help to each other. Joining a group is not something to be taken lightly. It means a commitment to write something each month, polish the writing and then share it with the group. Also it’s a commitment to carefully critique the other members’ manuscripts and come prepared to help others.

“Sounds wonderful,” you think. “Where do I find one?” Follow this link to read my article about how to find or create a critique group.

Attend a Writers Conference

Another place to find insight on your writing is to attend a writer’s conference. I have a detailed article about Why A Writer’s Conference Is Important. At the bottom of this article, I have a link to a list of conferences. I encourage you to find the right one for you and your writing life. I’ve made amazing relationships through attending writer’s conferences.

The Hard Part of The Process

The challenging part of the process for every writer is to apply the information you learn into your writing and life. As bestselling author Bodie Thoene told me. She works at her computer hitting the keys with two fingers and may work until 10 p.m. to reach her goal–at least five finished pages. “No little elves come out of my closet to write 650 manuscript pages,” Bodie says. “Some mornings I don’t feel like writing, but I do it out of obedience to God.”

Each writer has a plethora of possibilities to improve our writing. It doesn’t happen through osmosis instead each of us have to spend the time reading, absorbing then applying it to our writing life. It is definitely a process and something I’ve been doing day after day for a long time. Here’s the good news: if I did it, you can do it too.

W. Terry Whalin, a writer and acquisitions editor lives in Colorado. A former magazine editor and former literary agent, Terry is an acquisitions editor at Morgan James Publishing. He has written more than 60 nonfiction books including Jumpstart Your Publishing Dreams and Billy Graham. Get Terry’s newest book, 10 Publishing Myths for only $10, free shipping and bonuses worth over $200. To help writers catch the attention of editors and agents, Terry wrote his bestselling Book Proposals That $ell, 21 Secrets To Speed Your Success. Check out his free Ebook, Platform Building Ideas for Every Author. His website is located at: www.terrywhalin.com