by DiAnn Mills     @diannmills

Remember the children’s story Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina about the peddler who wore so many hats? This delightful story reminds me of writers and all the hats we wear. Maybe you haven’t considered a writer’s varied roles, so let me remind you.

Dreamer Hat

Writers dream. We can’t deny it, and neither should we. Our writing projects, fiction and nonfiction, are birthed from hours of thinking about the subject matter, focus, characters, plot, and the countless details about how the manuscript should be written. Dream big and dream often.

Editor Hat

We writers may have a valuable critique partner or critique group, but we don’t want to ask someone to clean up our messes. So we plop on our editor’s hat and dive into making our best better. Text to voice software is a great solution.

Marketing and Promotion Hat

This hat is fitted long before our book is released. We wear it to form relationships with others online, create spreadsheets for organization, blog posts, interviews, physical and online events, form contests, and whatever else is needed to share our book.

Mentor Hat

This is the pay-it-forward hat. Another writer saw we were serious about learning to write. That person invested time and effort to watch us grow into professional writers. Now’s the time to plop on your Mentor Hat and help a serious new writer.

Reader Hat

We can’t compete in the market if we aren’t aware of what is being published. Writers must read. It sharpens our skills. Reading is entertaining. Reading inspires us, and it encourages us no matter where our writing is headed.

Research Hat

Every writer dons a research hat before, during, and sometimes after a project is completed. Whether a manuscript is fiction or nonfiction, a writer’s details must be accurate. Do the work. Complete authentic research and wear the hat of a researcher.

Student Hat

We are always learning the craft. We do this by studying highly respected blog posts, attending conferences, participating in writer groups, and reading the how-to books about how to thrive in the publishing world.

Zeal Hat

If a writer doesn’t have zeal, often called passion, for the writing project, no one will either. My belief is if my book doesn’t keep me awake at night and consuming my thoughts during the day, then I need to explore the problem and find the solution.

Unlike the peddler in Caps for Sale, we aren’t giving up the many hats needed for a writer to be successful.

As a writer, what hats do you wear?

DiAnn Mills is a bestselling author who believes her readers should expect an adventure. 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. Library Journal presented her with a Best Books 2014: Genre Fiction award in the Christian Fiction category for Firewall.

DiAnn is a founding board member of the American Christian Fiction Writers, a member of Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, Suspense Sister, and International Thriller Writers. She is co-director of The Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writers Conference and The Author Roadmap 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.