A Career Author’s To-Do List
It all begins with a book. But it doesn’t end there. For those who write professionally, there’s that pesky, little task of building a career around that book. Here are the to-do list items of career authors:
1. Writing
Career authors are first and foremost writing (and probably downing copious coffees and/or teas, but I digress). Writing should be consistent and daily. It’s the number one priority, but it isn’t the only priority.
2. Reading
Authors are readers of their genre. Other published authors are the best people to study when an author is studying the craft. By reading the polished, edited stories others have written, an author learns tricks of the trade such as building character arcs, ways to finesse backstory, when to build the climax—all kinds of things.
Not only do authors study their genre, they read non-fiction books about the craft. Reading online and other published books, authors brush up on things such as how to build characters and various tropes in their genre. Authors are life-long learners, constantly pulling in techniques and building upon what they know. When someone asks me what my favorite book that I’ve written is, my answer is always, “My last one,” because it showcases my most recent learning. An author’s learning is never done.
3. Editing
Career authors write regularly but they are also editing and revising their work, looking for pacing issues, inconsistencies in their stories or characters; they might be building on character traits or enhancing setting. They might be working on the structure of their story or making revisions at the line level, such as eliminating repetition and focusing on word choice. The author could be focused on grammar and punctuation as well as spelling or they could be proofreading their work. All are necessary steps in the process. Published authors have many, many edits to get their book ready for publication.
4. Promoting
The career author is hard at work on branding and building their online presence. They’re updating their websites, sending out newsletters, visiting bookstores or online groups, participating in Q&A’s, chatting on podcasts, and posting on social media. They’re busy networking with other authors, readers, their editors, agents, and publishing professionals. Building both a loyal reader following and relationships in the business is crucial for long-term success.
5. Planning
A career author is always thinking of that next book. Usually, an author will have one book she’s writing, one in editing, and one in development at all times. One of the keys to career success is publishing regularly to keep readers coming back for more. Career authors are hard at work to make that happen.
Best of luck!
Jenny
(c) October 2023