 |
| (Credit Link: Bright Meadow) |
As I usually say, a writer needs readers. A serious wordsmith thrives from this loyal support. Typically, an audience for a particular genre of writing would hang on to every word and relish the essence of the ideas skillfully crafted by the literary artist.
How can one master this art and earn more loyal readers and increase one's finances?
Here are some helpful tips:
First: Don't punish yourself if you can't get the perfect word or sentence to complete an article or story.
True, that first draft doesn't usually come out right. I know. I've experienced that for countless times.
But that's not a reason to give up. And that is definitely NOT a reason to berate your abilities. That situation - no matter how many times it would happen to you - just goes to show that we have the power to revise, edit and proofread our work before sending out that masterpiece and hoping that it gets accepted and published by the right market.
Second: Subscribe, buy, or borrow Freelance Writing Books from nearby bookstores, online stores, and libraries.
Sure, it's simple. But does anyone do it at all? Perhaps a few. Why not join that small group and start making a difference?
Third: Check out what's already out there in Writing Magazines and other publications.
This would give you a working knowledge on what's hot, what's not, and what's missing. Concentrate on the latter. It would give you that golden opportunity to know what to offer when you make your pitch.
Fourth: Before you send out that manuscript, get a 2nd Draft Critique Service from those who know and understand how the market works.
Don't practice self-praise and raise that level to the highest heavens when you are not sure of what you are really saying. Don't show it to everyone and claim that it was a really good write-up and you are just so darn exceptional. lol! I don't know about you but I have to admit that this act would merely be making others sick. And it would truly look pathetic. Besides, that would merely distort your mental abilities in really seeing your written work's true worth and substance.
One more thing: Don't just ask anyone!
Well-meaning friends, family and colleagues may tell you it's good, but is it worth publishing? Sure, they may even show their support by clicking on the LIKE button a million times if you post it on facebook or any social networking site. But are you sure it would sell like pancakes? If not, get a second opinion from a seasoned pro.
I've been writing for a couple of years, and I'm happy to have a short list of published works. But it doesn't mean that I don't have setbacks. I do.
You see, it pays to work on things over and over again.
As I usually tell myself, "Don't be a professional for one day. Be a professional for the duration of your chosen passion. If this is your passion, then work at it until you see your ideas become a literary masterpiece that would be loved by many."
Learning the art is a step-by-step process. So work on the things that need your attention.
Good luck!
I'll see you next post! ;-)
7 comments:
I agree that we need to work on our drafts over and over again. However at the same time, I also bear in mind that I can be my own worst critic. So I try not to take myself all that seriously and may take into account what others say. If it is good enough, I may go ahead and publish my work. I guess I don't like the idea of letting my internal critic take control. I will just try again and again and learn from my mistakes.
Thank you so much for sharing your views, Evelyn. It's so nice to hear from you.
I can be my own worst critic, too, and I've gone through lots of mistakes. ;-)
I still commit mistakes, though.
I guess, the process of growing and learning never ends. It just makes a writer's life more beautiful and more fulfilling.
Thanks for dropping by, Evelyn! All the best! ;-)
Thanks for sharing us !!
A very educative and inspirational post. I do believe that writing is an art that nobody can teach . There is practically no specific ways of writing anything.Any book on writing can give one an idea of presentation, some general rules. That's it. Even then, your post really inspires those who wish to become a writer and asks them not to lose heart when their endeavor is not being appreciated or coming as per their expectation.
Philippine Wedding Information: Hello there! You're most welcome. ;-)
And thank you, too. Thank you for the blog visit and for leaving comments for two of my posts. I hope you'll drop by more often. ;-)
Samrat: Thanks for sharing. I understand your views.
You are a very good poet. With poetry, anything goes.
But with other genres of writing, there are specific ways of working at it although the idea and words are the author's own. Typically, these are included among the general rules for that particular genre.
I'm not trying to get my articles publish, I'm just trying to blog. Nevertheless, this post will certainly polish my writing skills. Thanks for sharing.
Hmmm... if you don't mind my asking, Lawrence, is your blog available to the public? If so, that's part of online publication, and your articles are published and indexed or crawled upon by certain SEO sites. If it's private, that's another story and it warrants what you've said here in your comment.
Post a Comment