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By Author Nat Lockett
It’s funny how, as artists who seek to tell imaginative stories that break the mold, writers long for a formula for success when it comes to the business side of things. I’m no exception to this. I wanted a checklist, an equation that would amount to something after all of the work had been added up.
If I just wrote the perfect book. If I just wrote the perfect query. If I just had a more impressive bio. If I just, just,just–
Each new just–and adjustment when that failed–brought hope, then disappointment, then a consuming tidal wave of helplessness and self-doubt. What if I’mjust not good enough?
But good enough for what, exactly?
Recently, in an interview on Freakonomics Radio, Kevin Kelly, the executive editor of Wired Magazine discussed “103 Bits of Advice” he wishes he’d known, saying, “Maybe advice isn’t the right word. Maybe instead, ‘stuff that worked for me and might work for you.’”
Here are some of my favourites:
- The biggest lie we tell ourselves is, “I don’t need to write this down because I will remember it.”
- Habit is far more dependable than inspiration. Make progress by making habits. Don’t focus on getting into shape. Focus on becoming the kind of person who never misses a workout.
- Be a pro. Back up your back up. Have at least one physical backup and one backup in the cloud. Have more than one of each. How much would you pay to retrieve all your data, photos, notes, if you lost them? Backups are cheap compared to regrets.
- Art is whatever you can get away with.
But this stood out most:
“The only productive way to answer ‘What should I do now?’ is to first tackle the question of ‘Who should I become?’”
When I was at the rock bottom of my querying journey, I wrote myself a letter from my future self, the writer and human I wanted to become. I’m still not fully her yet, but through that exercise I gained some of her wisdom and creative peace.
“You already are,” she told me. You already are a writer. You already areenough.
I learned then what I continue to teach the writers I have the honor of working with: the metrics by which we measure creative success are often beyond our control, based in luck, not labor. This becomes more and more true as the industry continues to shrink and shift.
You are not in control of publishing outcomes. But you are in control of you.
So how do you become the writer and human you want to be? How do you create a measurement of success that is as fulfilling and rewarding as your dream of seeing your book on a shelf?
Unfortunately, you’ll have to answer that yourself. But I’m going to take a page out of Kevin’s book, sharing 40-ish bits of “advice” I’ve learned along my path in hopes of helping you along yours. Take what you need, leave what you don’t.
12 Tips for Writing and Being a Writer
1. Write
Idea generation like curating Spotify playlists and creating Pinterest boards for inspiration is a function of writing, but it will not finish a book.
So, write. The more you write, the more you’ll grow as a writer.
2. Explore ideas that scare you
3. Try different mediums
4. Don’t be afraid to make a mistake
5. Don’t try to write like someone else
6. Embrace doubt
7. Heck, embrace all your emotions
Crying means you’re probably on to something. Look into places where you feel you’re running away from emotions and examine that. But also take care of yourself.
8. Don’t discount the importance of ergonomics
9. When you feel stuck or behind or unworthy, remember you already are a writer
Just by virtue of writing. If you need a little extra momentum, picture your future self–the author who has achieved what you want–and make a list of their habits. Pick one to start today.
10. Get fresh air and sunlight
11. Remember: writing and publishing are not the same thing
12. Know there is nothing wrong with your collection of unused pens and notebooks
4 Tips for Revising
1. Trim the fat
2. Editing and revising are not the same thing
3. Read the whole book
4. Collect feedback
Be specific about the kind of feedback you’re looking for. Ask specific questions. Collect feedback in one place; look for patterns; document your thoughts.
If you are marginalized and concerned about getting feedback from individuals who don’t share your identity on those elements of the text, specific questions are a great way to avoid comments that may inflict psychic damage.
7 Tips for Querying
1. Put your best foot forward
2. Don’t submit to agents you wouldn’t be happy to work with
3. Embrace your inner entrepreneur and artist
4. Consider working with a new agent
New agents with good mentorship can be wonderful partners for writers who need or want more one on one attention.
5. Creating a separate inbox for querying is self care
6. Check. Your. Spam!
7. Cut to the chase
5 Tips for Working with an Agent
2. Stand up for yourself
3. Create a revision plan
4. Cultivate the art of patience
Getting an agent is not the end of your days watching an empty inbox. Submission takes a long time for many writers.
5. Take breaks
It’s okay and even advisable to take a break during the querying and submission process if you need it. You are not broken or lazy if it feels like the words won’t budge. The more you try to force it or the more you allow guilt to take over your life, the longer it will take to refill your well.
4 Tips for Building Your Author’s Platform and Writing Community
1. Set boundaries
2. Be generous
3. Choose your platform
4. Don’t be a jerk.
Finally, a last piece of advice, or rather a reminder, for those who’ve made it this far:
All you have to do to be a successful writer is write. So, just write.
About the Author
Natalie “Nat” Lockett is an author, essayist, podcaster, and editor/coach. Her podcast,Write Away with Nat & PJ has welcomed guests like Charlie Jane Anders, Erin A. Craig, Jeffrey Somers, and many more. Nat’s work has been featured inBrevity Blog,Heart of the Story,Herstry, andAcross the Margin. Her novel length fiction is represented by Tara Gonzalez at Erin Murphy Literary Agency.
Through her companyKey Words Coaching & Consulting, Nat works with writers to tell their best stories and build their careers. She is a member of ACES the Society for Editing and the Editorial Freelancers Association. She is currently completing her practicum to be certified as a fiction and nonfiction book coach through Author Accelerator, a program that trains coaches to empower writers through every step of the writing and publishing process. In 2021, she createdRogue Mentor, a volunteer-run mentorship and community building program for writers.
Twitter: nat_lockett
IG: nat_lockett
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