Make writing a priority. I felt guilty for years if I wrote before I had taken care of all my other responsibilities, and then I was sad that I did not do something I love. If writing is important to you and it brings you joy, you have the right to make it a priority.

Create a series of goal statements. The first is a mission statement to describe what you do and what you hope to accomplish. An example could be to be a successful writer who specializes in fitness writing. A vision statement describes where you imagine your writing career in the future. An example could be, I envision my writing appearing in major fitness magazines, speaking about fitness, and writing a book about health. A values statement explains why you do what you do and details the morals and standards you uphold. An example could be I am committed to being a professional who meets deadlines and provides excellent customer service and works with clients who have the same beliefs and morals.

Determine the best time of day for your writing. I write best earlier in the day when my energy is the strongest. I know other writers enjoy writing at night or early morning when it is quiet. I must find moments when the rest of my family is occupied because no matter how intent I try to look, they interrupt my writing to carry on a conversation or ask me for help.

 Have a writing space. I love my writing space. It is at the back of the house in a sunroom. I am surrounded by color and memories of everything I love, and to my left is a comfortable couch that my dog lies on, and to my right, I have a podium and a cozy couch for naps on rainy days. I do not have any doors in my space, but I think my family would ignore them anyway. If you need someplace outside of your house, consider the library or a coffeehouse.

 Keep a folder or notebook for writing documents. I recently had several books published simultaneously by the same publisher. The publisher and illustrator were emailing me questions, and I had to ask more than once which book the question was about. An example was when the publisher asked me to send a copy of the reader’s reviews, my dedication, and my ‘About the Author’ page. I had to ask which book he was talking about, and because I have everything stored in digital folders, it was easy to find them.

 Have another folder with signs of your success. In case you have a difficult day when you question your ability as a writer, have a folder with kind notes and complimentary reviews to remind yourself that what you are doing has value.

 Be consistent. I do not believe in the write-every-day rule because there are certain days when I need a break, and I do not want to force my writing. I do want to write consistently, though, and give my readers fresh writing consistently.

Help other writers. I frequently have aspiring writers approach me when I am vending my books. They often say, “I have an idea for a book.” I respond with, “Why aren’t you writing it?” Their response is usually, “I do not think anyone would read it. You do not know unless you try, so I will do my best to encourage anyone who wants to write. If you are a writer and something has worked well for you, share it with other writers.

 Know your rights. When you receive a contract from a client or publisher, make sure you know what you are signing. What rights do you have, and what is your client asking of you and guaranteeing for you?

 Manage finances. Keep great financial records. Create a budget and record both incoming money and expenses.

 Follow your heart. Everyone has an opinion about what you should write to be successful and make money. My husband finally understood that although I would love to make money writing, that is not my number one reason for doing it. I like to help people, and I think some of my words can do that. My work is not sexy and scandalous, but it is full of my heart. Do what makes you happy.

 Guard your energy. Several things can steal your energy as a writer. You will encounter people who want you to do work for free. Say no unless it is for a cause that you support. Decide where your energy should go. You may have to train your family to understand that you need your writing time. Develop thick skin when it comes to critiques. Realize the comments are valuable if the comments can help you to improve, otherwise ignore them because you do not need to waste your mental energy.

 Ignore the haters. First, let me separate someone who is giving you a valuable critique from a hater. When you send in your work for publication, a publisher may give you advice about improving your work. This is given with kind intentions, even though it is difficult to see your work criticized. A hater, on the other hand, only wants to demean you. It is not about you or your work; it is pure hatefulness. The best thing you can do is to ignore the comments and continue with your day.

 Be professional. Meet deadlines, answer e-mails, deliver your books on time, treat everyone with respect, and be a good human.

 Do not give up. We all have those days when we question whether we are expending time and effort for nothing. Keep going because you never know who needs to hear your words. When others do not support you, keep going if writing is your passion.

                       Find Your Resources

You do not have to be alone on your writing journey. There are many resources to help with whatever you need and the best part is that most of them are free. Here are a few resources to investigate. Remember to keep learning. I love reading articles or books that help me grow. Keep looking for opportunities to improve. Take classes, read, attend writer’s groups, or interact with them online. Join online writing platforms and use them to improve your craft. Do not ever think your writing is good enough. Have a growth mentality instead. Here are some more specifics.

Join writing groups. Most towns and states have writing organizations that offer support for writers. They often have guest speakers and opportunities to gain experience from other writers. Here are a few to explore.

Scribophile is an online community where writers post work and receive critiques.

Writer pal is an online group where writers join small group circles for feedback.

Fictionary is an on source for free writing groups.

Facebook has many writing groups, and they offer the chance to ask questions and see what other writers are doing. Here are a few you can explore.

Writers unite                           The Write Life Community        Writers helping writers

I have used Facebook groups countless times. You can ask for advice or information, and experienced writers share their expertise.

Find the writing books that can answer your questions.

Writer’s Market is a book that also has a list of publishers and information that can be helpful. You can find everything from writing a query, controlling finances, finding a literary agent, how to blog, and how to use social media.

The Christian Writer’s Market Guide will give you publishing information for more faith-based publishers.

Book Market’s Guide for Children Writers is good if you are a children’s writer.

1001 Ways to Market Your Book by John Kremer is wonderful if you always need help with marketing like I do.

Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg is one of my favorites as well as Stephen King’s On Writing.

There are so many more terrific books on writing, so enjoy reading.

 Find the right editor or publisher. There are several diverse types of publishers. You can do self-publishing through a company like Amazon, there are vanity presses which do the publishing while charging you a fee to do it, and there are traditional publishers who do not charge you except when you order books from them if they are print on demand. Do your research about which publisher will be the best fit for you.

Use feedback as a resource but learn to filter it. After years of reading responses from editors and publishers, I will tell you that some advice is amazing, some is difficult to hear, but helpful, and some can be put aside.

I am grateful to the people who took the time to tell me why they were rejecting my work, and some of the advice helped me grow as a writer. There is a certain point, though, when it is okay to be true to who you are as a writer, so when an editor tells you to only write a certain way, you do not necessarily have to listen. I received a nasty rejection that was brutal telling me that in his opinion my book would not be published. My friend said, “Jen, that is only one voice. You can choose not to listen to it.” I listened to the criticism and made the changes that allowed the book to be published, but I appreciated the support from my friend, and I do believe that an opinion is only one voice.

Online resources

You can use Grammarly for free to edit your work. Ask other writers what online programs they use. One of my favorites is Canva that I use for newsletters. Listen to podcasts and reels for great ideas.

Research writing software Here are some ideas for software that writers use.

Scrivener This is good for long-form writing projects where you want to organize chapters, scenes, research, and notes. Some users think it is complex to use at first.

Ulysees Writers on Apple devices who want a clean distraction free writing space can use this. Writers can use this for blog posts, and shorter works.

Microsoft word   This is good for standard word processing and collaboration with comments and track changes.

Google docs This is good for collaborative writing.

Atticus Authors who want both writing and formatting can use this platform.

Grammarly  There is a free and premium version that you can use to check your grammar.

Asking for help is a sign of intelligence because it means you want to learn. Most people are honored when someone asks them for help. Asking for help is a chance to collaborate on something great.

Pay attention to the successful writers.

I originally titled this ‘Pay Attention to Veteran Writers,’ but a fresh voice from a new writer can also help us. Listen to the advice the successful writers share and adapt that advice to your writing. Why are they successful? What are their readers saying? Do research about what makes some writers successful and do what you can to adapt those ideas to your writing.

I owned a bookstore at one point, and my town had a mentor program for small business owners. You were paired with an experienced business owner who could walk you through everything you needed to know about starting a business. Check to see if that is a resource where you live.

Learn from other creators.

Ask questions not only of other writers, but of other creators. Ask them what works well, where do they find inspiration, what creative ideas have helped them with marketing, and what advice they would give to other creatives. When I am vending at our local craft market, I am doing my best to sell my books, but I am also observing what the other venders do that works. I have borrowed and implemented many ideas.

Ask editors and publishers for advice. I am blessed that I found an amazing publisher who has helped me to grow. He has told me kindly when he does not think an idea will work, and he helped me learn how to write children’s books. He brainstorms with me, offers advice but tells me I do not have to take it, and supports me as I enjoy my passion.

Sometimes editors or publishers will offer you some advice. Often that advice includes ways you can change your writing to be more attractive for publication. Don’t be offended because an editor suggests changes. Ask yourself if the advice will help you grow and if it will then thank the person for the advice and make the changes.

Listen carefully when a publisher gives you a second chance. I sent in a book hoping for publication and the publisher found quite a bit wrong with it and wanted to also change the format, but he gave me a second chance to send it back in for another look. He also said he understood if this would be too much work for me. I decided I was going to do my best to change my book for the better. 101 Tips to Lighten Your Burden is now the book I hand to someone when I know they are struggling, so I am glad I was willing to accept help and put in the work.