Tags
There’s lots of ‘How to’ posts on WordPress, and so I thought I’d add my own. If you can think of any more to add other than what’s on this list, please feel free to do so:
- Check your KDP stats just once per week. If one person buys your book then you’ll be happy when you check at the end of each week, rather than feeling disappointed on the other 6 days.
- If a more experienced writer suggests a better way of writing a paragraph, then accept gracefully and make the change rather than having a hissy fit. In this way your content will improve and you may have more sales in the long run.
- Write with the aim of pleasing a certain percentage of readership rather than the whole 100%. You cannot please all the readers all the time.
- Write for the majority of the day and then check social media for the last couple of hours rather than the other way around.
- Write as a hobby and don’t expect to make a living from it. In this way you won’t be disappointed if you do not sell many books.
- If you get a one star review, suck it up and move on. The next review might be five stars (see number 3).
- Write when you want to rather than making yourself write because you think you should write something every day in order to be a writer (see number five). In this way you will write something worth reading.
- Totally ignore any bad reviews on Amazon rather than getting into a war of words with the reviewer (see number six).
- Expect no sales at all, and then if you get just one sale it will be a bonus (see number five). If you expect nothing, then you will definitely not be disappointed.
- Ignore claims by the majority of fellow authors that they are best-sellers. They are not. One day they probably sold a few books listed in an obscure category. Best sellers have books in popular categories that ride the top of Amazon charts for weeks on end.
- Most of all, enjoy what you’re doing. If writing has become a chore, then stop doing it for a while and do something else.
- The last tip is from one that knows…. to switch to drinking water or decaffeinated drinks. If you keep drinking strong coffee then you’ll get into the vicious cycle of having a permanent withdrawal headache that needs more coffee in order to keep the headache at bay.
Happy writing!
dgkaye said:
Pretty sound advice Stevie. Kind of glass half full expectations, lol. Here’s my motto – ‘Never expect, so you don’t get disappointed.’ 🙂 xx
LikeLiked by 1 person
Stevie Turner said:
Absolutely. x
LikeLike
dgkaye said:
xx
LikeLiked by 1 person
petespringerauthor said:
I like all of your points, Stevie. You’ve got the right approach. However, one that I would never do is (#2) to offer someone unsolicited advice. I’m not an experienced author, but I wouldn’t offer advice unless someone asked for it.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Stevie Turner said:
I was thinking along the lines of an ARC reader, beta reader or editor making suggestions, but of course it’s up to the author whether they act on them.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Geoff Stamper said:
Really good advice. Thanks. I enjoyed A Rather Unusual Romance and The Pilates Class.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Stevie Turner said:
Thanks Geoff. ‘His Ladyship’ will be published in September. I’m just waiting to hear whether it has reached the finals of a writing competition.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Pingback: How to be a Happier WriterHow to be a Happier Writer by Stevie Turner – DEEZ – News about Art, Books & more
Stevie Turner said:
Thank you!
LikeLike
Stevie Turner said:
Thanks for adding my post. I can’t see on your blog where to add a like or a comment. Is it possible?
LikeLike
jowensauthor said:
Reblogged this on Jeanne Owens, author.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Stevie Turner said:
Thanks for the re-blog, Jeanne.
LikeLike
jowensauthor said:
You’re welcome 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Pingback: How to be a Happier Writer (reblog) - JamieAdStories
JamieAdStories said:
Perfect advice. Really worth taking on board.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Stevie Turner said:
Thanks for your comment, Jamie.
LikeLiked by 1 person
robertawrites235681907 said:
This is a great list, Stevie. I more or less do this but it is good to be reminded by someone like you who I look up to as a writer.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Stevie Turner said:
Thanks for your comment, Robbie.
LikeLike
Phil Huston said:
I like number 10. I have no idea what constitutes “Best Seller”. Three? Five? The length of time is takes to get to the cutout bin? There are many proclaimed best selling authors on Amazon, yet I can’t their books in the library, the book stores… I’ve read a few and I know people aren’t keeping them as cherished artifacts. Enough –
you’re always better six months from now, but sooner or later you have to finish. So stop trying to turd polish and get on with it.
Our work is not our children and it is perfectly acceptable to whack and thump our work into shape and to allow others to do the same.
If you’re serious, avoid cliches and derivative protagonists concoctions like the plague. Competition is heavy enough without starting in a hole.
Try to get better with every sentence you string together, don’t write just to say “I’m writing” or playing Barbie and Ken with a word processor.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Stevie Turner said:
Great points, Phil. By the way, how do you play Barbie and Ken with a word processor?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Phil Huston said:
Read, among myriad others, PJ’s librarian series.
LikeLike
Darlene said:
All good points. I might add, Don’t worry if some of the stuff you write is rubbish, even well-established writers have bad days.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Stevie Turner said:
Very true. Thanks Darlene.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Pingback: How to be a Happier Writer by Stevie Turner – DEEZ – News about Art, Books & more
Stevie Turner said:
Thanks for the link.
LikeLike
OIKOS™- Art, Books & more said:
Thank you very much, Stevie! That are the points, i hope to remember for all other writing purposes too. Have a beautiful weekend! xx Michael
LikeLiked by 1 person
Stevie Turner said:
Happy writing, Michael! Have a good weekend too.
LikeLiked by 1 person
OIKOS™- Art, Books & more said:
Thank you, Stevie! Before starting i have to gather more vocables. 😉 xx
LikeLiked by 1 person
OIKOS™- Art, Books & more said:
Reblogged this on NEW OPENED BLOG > https:/BOOKS.ESLARN-NET.DE.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Stevie Turner said:
Thanks for the re-blog, Michael.
LikeLiked by 1 person
OIKOS™- Art, Books & more said:
Always with a great pleasure, Stevie! Thank you for the very informative postings. xx Michael
LikeLiked by 1 person
Stevie Turner said:
One tries one’s best, lol.
LikeLiked by 1 person
OIKOS™- Art, Books & more said:
:-))
LikeLiked by 1 person
beetleypete said:
Shared on Twitter, Stevie.
(If I ever publish a book, I will remember it)
Best wishes, Pete.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Stevie Turner said:
Thanks Pete.
LikeLike