Last updated: May 21, 2020 at 4:46 am
A writer is anyone who is passionate about writing to the extent of pursuing it as a career, business, hobby or means of making extra money. Good writers are very much in demand in today’s world. There is so much that needs to be expressed and so few to express it. There are so many great books in the world. Yet, the world still lacks so many great books. There are so many great books that can still become greater with a few touches from a great writer. And so, the writer is still very much in demand.
Related: Merging books: the power of focus.
Related: The great need for and power of good how-to books.
Because of the potentiality for great financial gains, the notion of becoming a published writer is synonymous with wealth, prestige and fame. And as such, many people see a publisher as a fairy godmother who waves a magic wand and brings fame and fortune. As a successful writer, I’m here to tell you, from years of experience, that that mindset is “going up the wrong road.” Stop, slowly turn and look for the sign that says “one step at a time.”
Sadly, in some of the most popular resources for writers, such as “The Writer’s and Artist’s Yearbook,” you read advice articles for writers with expressions such as “would be writers.” In my opinion, there is no such distinction between a “would be writer,” a “future writer,” an “unpublished writer” and a “published writer.” In my mind, there is no distinction between “published writer,” “aspiring writer,” “would be writer,” and “self published writer.” In my mind, there are only writers. And a writer is anyone who is determined to give the world a great book or books.
And this brings us to the question. Who is a published writer? Most people think of a published writer as something over whom the fairy godmother has waved the magic wand, and brought them instant fame and fortune which comes along with their books on shelves worldwide. No sir, it is not so. Published writers are, more often than not, the ones who believe so strongly in their writing skills and potential that they keep writing even after having been turned down by multiple publishers.
And this involves going the extra mile to attract the attention of a good traditional publisher. Going the extra mile means going as far as having your book illustrated yourself, buying your own ISBN, creating your own barcode and doing the format and layout yourself. In my article, I mentioned that some of the greatest writers in the world were self published writers. They did not wait for a fairy godmother to come wave the magic wand over their books. They did not have one inkling of doubt as to the merits of their work so as to require a fairy godmother to approve it. Nor did they write and stop there. Good writers are not only good for writing. Good writers are great sellers, great entrepreneurs, great marketers and many other things. And they know how to identify a strong need and fill it.
Related: Patrick Carpen’ Guide to Self-Publishing
Related: Exploiters of Writers