From Hobby to Profession - Part Two | [Original Page Build: 2024-05-08 13:56:03] [Content Updated: 2024-05-24 17:18:09] |
In the other blog , I shared my research for taking writing from a hobby to a profession. Based on that blog, this is how I have evaluated myself in each of the categories...If you want to be a writer...write a lot
I would say I have had a lot of practice, both fiction and non-fiction. I write something often, whether capturing notes for a project, journaling, or a work of fiction. Writing every day is not always possible. And, face it, sometimes my brain needs a break. Even trainers know to take breaks from exercising, or focus exercising on different areas.
As for being professional? I do not hire an editor for every blog, newsletter, or update, but these go through rounds of self-editing. Of the works I sell, these have been peer reviewed and professionally edited before released to the public. The short stories I share are more like the blog with rounds of self-editing. When, and if, these short stories are to be sold, they will go through the same professional editing as the longer works. Even with editing, I have caught mistakes and remedied the aituation as soon as I can, equivalent to software developers issuing updates and patches.
If you want to be a writer...read a lot
I do read, but not a lot. I have friends and family members who are more voracious readers than me. They consume books like competitive eaters consume hot dogs. Me? I like to read a bit to relax at the end of the day.
While I do not read a lot quantity-wise, I have read a variety of books, not just the ones I gravitate towards. I have learned more about characters from reading a friend's romance novel. Stephen King and Terry Pratchett are both excellent at developing characters, and each have different approaches. I have learned from some authors who are excellent world builders, and noted caution areas where others leave gaping plot holes. Exploring a variety of authors has helped me develop my writing voice. Reading a variety of authors has shown me different perspectives.
Overcome your what holds you back
In my youth, most of my writing had only been shared with teachers until I shared an original short story with a group of other writers at a writing workshop. That environment did wonders to my writing ego. I loved hearing praise from others, and I learned a lot from my peers about how to improve my writing. I have learned more from my peers than my teachers from school. I suggest finding a good writing workshop or peer critique group. If there are none in your area, please reach out to me and I will share my notes on how to start your own.
Also, I have been part of some of the toughest peer writing groups where the feedback could be more destructive. The way some of these writers went about trashing the others' works did not seem all that good. However, when I paid attention to the underling message (without all the venom), there were nuggets to learn from. In fact, I have also learned from listening to feedback on other people's works, too.
Treat it like any other vocation
I suggest treating your writing profession better. In fact, I would amend the suggestion to be "Treat it like any vocation you take pride in". If you have worked a job just to earn a paycheck, you probably did not treat the job well, and the job probably did not treat you well, either. However, when you have worked on a project you are proud of, even when the work environment is toxic, you put up with a lot more, because you have poured a lot of yourself into that project. Build the work environment you would want to work. Surround yourself with people who will help you, and avoid (as best you can) those who tear you down.
I treat my writing in a professional manner. I love writing. There are other areas of self-publishing, especially marketing, where I have not been as professional as I should be. And, because of that, these areas slip.
Respect the profession and the Industry
I respect others I work with in all aspects of self-publishing, and I try to express my appreciation for their input.
For the peer writing group, I respect my peers by offering constructive criticism. Plus, I am not the peer who only shows up for my own feedback and absent for other's feedback.
Sometimes, I encounter people who look down on my choice to self-publish. I remain respectful to them, but I try to explain why I chose the self-publishing path over the traditional path. I hope they listen and respect my decision.
I may not always give the perception I treat my own work with respect, but I do take writing humorous fiction very seriously.
Don't quit your day job!
The number of times I have left my day job is small compared to the number of times my day job has left me. I know day jobs can take a lot out of you. It can be difficult finding balance between what you need to do with what you want to do. When I have worked eight-hour days, I have made time to continue working on my own projects. I used to get up a couple hours earlier to work on my own projects before working on everyone else's. Like that reinvesting suggestion in the other part of the blog, I worked out a deal with my wife to take a small portion of my paycheck to invest into my writing business. Those small amounts added up for me to hire my editors.
Maintain your network!
Like marketing, I am not always good with maintaining my network. I do what I can to help support other writers by running a peer writing group and offering various writing tools on my website. I do not mingle as often as I should when there are book-related events in the area.
One problem I face is connecting with humor-related writing peers. Other genres have established groups for horror, romance, mystery, historical fiction, and so on. Humor is sometimes attached to these other genres, but are not always considered its own genre (even though bookstores have a Humor section). What I need to do is connect with these other genre groups to connect with those who add humor within those genres.
Focus. Set Goals.
I get way too many ideas. I have made the mistake of letting one project slip while I focus too much on another project. When I make better plans and know what to focus on, I get a lot more accomplished. One problem I often face is being one person wanting to work on many projects. I cannot afford to hire others to do the work, and often it is work I enjoy doing. It takes focus and determination to bring projects to a satisfying completion.
As much as my wife teases me about over-planning, working off outlines and checklists helps maintain a project's focus for me. I may set (and miss) my own deadlines. This all touches back on how much respect I show the project. I plan each week to know what projects to focus on, and at the end of the week, I hold myself accountable for not sticking to the plan.
Create a writer's website
My website is both a tool and another creative outlet. It is a creative outlet, because I figure out what I want to present on the site and program it myself. The site is more of a Swiss Army knife of tools for different tasks. I blog from it. I showcase my written works. I present tools, like the review writer or the writing prompt generator, for myself and others to use. I offer suggestions for books that have helped my writing. It offers a lot for a variety of reasons.
Build up a portfolio
I have built up a sizable portfolio over the years. I have shared over fifty works, including short stories, a novel, poetry, fan-fiction, and so on. Between my writing, gaming and archived older blogs, I have posted over 200 blog entries. Even my freelancing portfolio includes over fifty items of a variety of technical and creative documents. The gaming website might not be much at the moment, but for my author site, I have written thousands of lines of code and content. All of this is a vast portfolio demonstrating what I am capable of and what I have accomplished.
Look for opportunities
I am hit or miss when it comes to opportunities. I have a list of ways I could promote my book, some I have explored deeper, and others I have had to table, either because of insufficient funds, not finding help in the right places, or focus needed elsewhere.
However, I have taken chances with some success. When I released Spilt Milk, I reached out to a local bakery to host a Milk and Cookies book release party. I did something similar for Yertle the Fried Egg. Some chances pay off, some don't. I learn, adjust, and move forward based on both the good and the bad outcomes.
Conclusion
Where do I stand on the writing spectrum? I'd say I am well beyond hobbyist, but not quite to the success of professional. My successes I contribute to enjoying what I do and sticking to it, even when things are rough. As for my failures, I strive to learn and grow from my mistakes. And, I try to push myself to be better in my weaker areas, like marketing. Also, I could do much better improving my network. Going through this list was a great exercise, and has contributed to the list of ideas and projects to keep moving to higher and higher levels.
Related Content:
From Hobby to Profession - Part One (blog)
Bardic Knowledge (blog)
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