Now that you have the basic idea of how to start writing, it’s time to learn how to become a professional writer. Whether you want to publish full-length novels or short stories, there are plenty of tips and tricks in this guide on how to become a professional writer—from developing great storytelling skills to using your voice effectively, there’s something in here for all types of writers! Best of all, you’ll learn how to get paid as an author without giving up your day job in the process.
Step 1 - Find your niche
Choose a topic you're passionate about, or at least one that interests you. It's much easier (and more fun) to write when you really care about what you're writing about. Whatever topic you choose, make sure it's something that there are likely to be at least some readers interested in reading your thoughts on (not everyone will be interested in all topics). Step 2 - Choose your publishing platform(s): After finding your niche, make sure you choose the right publishing platform for it. For example, if your niche is WordPress development tips and tricks, look for another site like Medium or Sina Weibo.
Step 2 - Write every day
Writing is a skill, like playing an instrument or juggling, that improves with practice. Without practice you’ll never get better at it—no matter how talented you are. So write every day if you want to be better at writing. When I started writing for my company I made an agreement with myself that I would write every day for at least 15 minutes. It doesn’t have to be anything long or fancy; start small and make it consistent. You’ll be surprised how quickly your skills will improve if you stick with it and eventually, one day, soon after you notice some improvement, people will ask about your experience in writing professionally!
Step 3 - Get feedback from people who are in the industry
You don’t have to write every single word in your first draft, nor do you have to be completely perfect. Once you have your first draft done, show it off and get feedback from people who are actually in your industry or know more about what you’re doing than anyone else. If they see something wrong with it, they will let you know – at least that is how I operate. The gist of blogging is just as important as writing well, so make sure that everything on your site makes sense and provides value for others before sharing it with them. If you can keep up with getting good content on your site that people love reading and sharing, then there is no reason why you won’t become a successful blogger!
Step 4 - Invest in quality writing tools
Spend some money on decent writing tools. No one expects you to break out your cheque book for Mont Blancs, but if you’re serious about improving your writing—and becoming a better writer overall—it’s important that you invest in quality. Investing in high-quality pens, notebooks and desk supplies (like an ergonomic mouse and memory foam keyboard) will make writing more enjoyable and improve your overall output as well. Having good stuff makes you feel more inspired (even if it doesn’t actually improve your output). I have long been partial to Levenger products, which offer sturdy construction and nice aesthetics without going overboard with their prices. But there are plenty of other options available online or at your local office supply store. Just don’t go cheap!
Step 5 - Join an online community
Being part of an online community helps you gistablog, or write about what's on your mind. By posting even when you don't have an audience, you're building trust and making relationships that will come in handy when it's time to promote your work. If you aren't able to join a local writing group, there are many forums and communities online where writers gather—Facebook is full of them! Just search for topics like writing help, online writers community, or make money writing. You'll be surprised how quickly you can find groups that help get your writing career off the ground. (Bonus Tip: Make sure you pay attention not just to what other people are saying but also how they're saying it.) Step 6 - Find Your Voice: A lot of beginning writers try to copy their favorite authors' styles. Don't do that! Finding your own voice means developing a style all your own, based on who you are as a person and writer. One great way to do that is by reading widely—and then letting go of everything you've read. Forgetting what everyone else has written lets you see things from new perspectives; it opens up new ideas for expression; and it encourages creativity. So forget about everyone else's opinions as much as possible (but don't forget about their methods). The best way to develop your own voice is by finding something that inspires you and expressing yourself honestly through writing.
Step 6 - Get in front of the camera
Practice talking about your field and demonstrate how you would provide value as an expert. Now that you’ve gotten everything organized, it’s time to do a video screen test—and there are two ways to do it. You can either create an outline of what you want to say on camera and then practice saying it—with real cameras running—or you can just sit down with one or more video cameras (including your phone) and talk about whatever comes into your head for five minutes or so. The point is simply for you to get comfortable speaking in front of a camera before going live.
Step 7 - Learn SEO skills
Search engine optimization (SEO) is the art and science of influencing how websites are presented in search engines. There are lots of good reasons for wanting your site to rank highly in organic search results—including traffic, brand awareness, lead generation, conversion rates, and even sales. But if you're hoping for any of those things, chances are you already know what SEO is and have either experimented with it yourself or hired someone to take care of your site's SEO needs. What you may not know, however, is that search engine algorithms are constantly changing. It doesn't matter whether you're marketing a business or selling products online; developing an SEO strategy will help ensure that your site's potential customers can find what they need quickly and easily when they visit your website.
Step 8 - Follow trending topics on social media
Social media is a wonderful way to build your brand, connect with your audience and establish yourself as an expert. When you’re just starting out, it can be difficult to find topics that are relevant for your niche. Fortunately, social media also makes it easy for you to keep track of what’s trending in your industry or even across several industries. If you want an easy and effective way to expand your knowledge of potential topics for posts and articles (and who doesn’t?), take advantage of social media newsfeeds that show trending stories from popular sites like Reddit, YouTube and Twitter. Not only will you see what other people are reading about, but you may also have some great insights on how you can integrate these topics into future content.
Step 9 - Treat your blog like a business
Start an LLC? Spend money on advertising? If you don’t have much of a business sense, or don’t feel comfortable spending money on something that’s just an idea right now, then skip these steps for now. But if you think your little side business could grow into something bigger, you may want to consider making it official by creating an LLC (Limited Liability Company). With an LLC, your business becomes its own separate entity from yourself.
Step 10 - Become an influencer yourself
If you have already put in years of hard work into establishing yourself as an influencer and have thousands of followers and subscribers, that’s great! If not, don’t fret. It might be more realistic for you to start off by writing an eBook (just make sure it’s relevant and unique) that you can give away for free in exchange for an email address. You can then use your list to promote other offers that are related or complementary to your eBook. This way, you would warm up your audience with useful information first. Since people love FREE things, chances are they will check out any other products or services you offer too.
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