Carla Young's Key Ideas from You Are a Writer (So Start Acting Like One)
by Jeff Goins

Many writers get discouraged while struggling to find their place in the endless sea of emerging writers. Their mistake is that they are waiting for other people to discover them.

Don’t wait to be picked. Instead, pick yourself by creating your reader platform and launch yourself into your career as a writer.  

Before starting your journey as a writer, you should ask yourself “What do I have to share with the world, and what makes me uniquely equipped to deliver this message?” The answers to these questions will help you determine where your readers are, and the medium you can use to reach them.

Look at your previous writings and try to figure out what they have in common. Perhaps you are an inquisitive writer - always looking for facts, asking questions, and answering them. Perhaps you see the world from a unique perspective.

Every writer needs a platform to showcase their work, and the internet, with all its glamour and ego-centric clutter, is today’s world stage.

Just because you are a writer does not mean you should only produce written content. You can also use audio (podcasts) and video as long as you keep providing value to your audience.

• Gaining Experience: Before having your platform it’s best to learn as much as you can from an authority in your field. You can try guest posting or do some freelancing.
• Set the Stage: Once you have an idea, the next step is to build your social presence. You can do it on the side at first. Never lose sight of how your platform will help you in your writing career.
• Generating Buzz: Start by participating in forums and social media groups and helping other authors and artists with their work. Professional karma and unique content will start getting people interested in you and what you have to offer.

People often associate ”brand” with a fake persona. When they do, it simply means that the brand failed. Your brand should be an extension of you. It will never represent all of who you are. However, it does represent how readers remember you. It is important to feel comfortable in your brand to keep it consistent.

When choosing your brand’s name, you have to ask yourself two things: Is this name unique? Is this name memorable? For some people, it can be as simple as using their first and last names. For others, it might be more effective to have a pseudonym.

Do your homework. Check if the name you chose is already used, especially in your field. Remember that your name must be the same on all your current and future channels.

You might think that an author’s looks are not important for their success as writers. However, your brand is the sum of many factors – looks included. These factors come together to create a voice that readers can trust to deliver books that they love.

Choose a style that is suitable for your persona and content. It doesn’t matter if it’s elegant, authoritative, or goofy. What matters is that you stick with it. Get some professional shots and use them across all your platforms.  

The most crucial aspect of your brand as a writer is your voice. This includes the voice you use in your books, your social media posts, your website, interviews, etc.

Most writers don’t get to choose their voice. Again, it is important to keep your voice consistent. After all, your voice is the reason why readers keep coming back to you. You can draw inspiration from all your favourite books and movies, but never try to imitate or copy another voice.

Once you’ve established your platform, designed your brand, and figured out your niche, it’s time to think about how to get people to come to you. Remember that no matter how relevant and important your writing is, it’s your job to connect people to your content through channels.

Become active on Twitter and Facebook and give your readers a chance to sample your brand. Go to conferences and events related to your niche. Write an email newsletter to give your readers a regular update on what is going on in your field and with you. 

• The professional shows up every day, ready to do the work.
• Do a document search for all uses of “that” and “very”—kill as many of them as possible. These words are rarely needed.
• Reread the piece. Cut as many adverbs as possible. These are words that typically end in -ly (like ‘typically’).
• Look for complex sentences using lots of ‘ands’ and ‘buts’—try simplifying some of them. Reread them and see if the meaning is more clear.
• Destroy weak phrases like ‘I think’ or ‘in my opinion’ that corrupt your argument. Say what needs to be said, or don’t say it at all.