5 Things Every #Author Should Know! #RRBC #RWISA

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Today, I’m going to feed you a little author stew…a little of this and a little of that, but all of it comes from the helpful tips department.  Here goes…I’m going to ask you 5 questions and I just need really simple answers – so let’s begin.

1.  Did you know that you only have one chance to make a great first impression?  That’s right, only one.  This is the #1 reason that you should ensure that your book is really good and ready to hit the shelves BEFORE you publish. Why?  Well, once it’s out there and someone gets their hands on the first copy, the words that come from that mouth regarding your book, could spread a fire so wide, you couldn’t even imagine putting it out.  One chance…that’s all you get.  So make it good the first time out of the gate.
2. Did you know that nobody cares about all your degrees?  What does it matter that you have an MA in writing if you can’t even string two sentences together?  Let me answer that question for you…IT MEANS ABSOLUTELY NOTTA…NOTHING!  The only thing that matters is “Are you a good writer?”  {Let me give you an example of touting degrees and how much weight they carry in my world.  I have a friend who has a daughter with 3 Masters Degrees.  She’s healthy, young, married with children, and yet, she lives off government assistance.  She can’t even afford medical insurance on her children…but, you always hear the family boasting about how degreed she is.  I have constantly said to them…“Why do you boast about that when she lives the way that she does?” Again, what good is that piece of paper, if what you put out into the world, reflects poorly upon you?}  But, this is all about writing so let me get back to that.  I’ve shared that little story just to say, before you go touting your extensively impressive educational background, your writing (or your life) better be superb.  (By the way, I have no degree in writing)
3. Did you know that in my world, if you can’t write an email, you can’t write a book?  Oh, I know some of you will debate that (please do it in your mind, though)…but it’s true.  This goes back to stringing those two sentences I mentioned above.  But, seriously, here’s the thing…if the email messages that you send are jumbled and mired with confusion, an astute reader will hit the delete key faster than you can say “THANK YOU” after you’ve been sneeze-blessed.  If someone feels this way about your email, do you really think they’re on Amazon searching for YOUR book?  (I wouldn’t be, just so we’re clear).  Let everything you write be a reflection of your actual writing, down to the text messages you send from your cellphone.  When I send text messages, my friends always say,  “I knew it was you, because no one else takes the time to type this perfectly in a text message.”  Don’t take the lazy route just because it’s easier.  You’ll thank me later.
4. Did you know that being a good/great writer is hard work?  Of course it is!  If it wasn’t, we wouldn’t have so much junk flooding the literary horizon, and everyone would be a Louisa, Maya, Stephen or Toni (Alcott, Angelou, King, McMillan).  It’s not easy ensuring that everything that we put out in written form is properly edited;  it’s not easy taking the time to go back and proof after the proofreader;  it’s not easy having to fork over all that money to ensure that you are not contributing to Amazon’s ‘Pay-to-Play’ policy, because that’s all it is.  As long as they get a cut of your money, you’re allowed to publish ANY kind of book you want, be it class or trash.  A word to the wise, though,  just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.
5. Did you know that your online reputation is just as important as your off-line one?  Just because you sit hidden behind a keyboard, in no way means that people aren’t taking note of your behavior.  The same way you make friends in your real world, is the same way you make them here, by being nice, kind and showing people that you’re a decent person.  On the other side of that coin, when you are nasty, rude and your online behavior dictates that you have the morals of a cat, people tend to stay far away from you…the decent ones, that is. Be careful of what you put in email, and breathe before you post anything heated to social media.  If you don’t wish to be labeled negatively, I’d say watch yourself.  The world is watching intently and the internet has a long memory.  Unfortunately, some things just can’t be erased.

There you have it, in a tiny nutshell…five of the most important things I think every author should know.  I hope this information has helped you in some way, and if it has, please share this post on all of your social media forums.

Thanks for dropping by today and we’ll see you here again soon for another inspiring and helpful post!  Before you go, do share a comment with us below!

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