It’s something every aspiring author should have. Most writers have one, but they rarely think about it. Even if they’ve thought about it, it’s not a very strong one. It’s one of the pillars to a successful road of publishing. This thing is summed up in one word: Strategy.
Every aspiring author should have a strategy.
But what is strategy? Webster Dictionary defines it like this:
STRATEGY – a careful plan or method for achieving a particular goal, usually over a long period of time
Strategy is the road to publication and beyond. But how do we create a strong strategy?
It depends on your goals. Do you even want to get published? Do you want to publish traditionally or independently? Will you publish fiction or nonfiction? All these things are important when forming your strategy.
However, if you plan to get published, there are 3 things that I can almost guarantee should be a part of your strategy. Those three things are:
Write. Learn. Get Feedback.
If you want to publish a book you have to write. There’s no out on this one, and I think it’s pretty obvious.
If you want to publish, you should be learning from the experts. Learning comes in two forms. You could buy writing craft books, attend conferences, and watch online classes. You could also read the best books in the modern world and study them. Even better, both.
Last, you must get feedback on your writing. No one does anything perfect on the first try. Get a writer friend, voracious reader, or editor to look over your work.
Writing, learning, and getting feedback should all be in the strategy of an aspiring author.
After you’ve created your strategy including the three things I mentioned above, you need to be prepared to change it.
(What? I just wrote my strategy and now you’re telling me to change it??)
Your strategy will change.
Your strategy changes because your goals change. You get busy. You realize you don’t want to publish nonfiction and decide to go with fiction instead.
Once upon a time, I had a goal to publish before I was 16. My strategy was built around that. I planned to write the novel I would publish as soon as possible.
Now, I still want to publish when I’m a teen, but I realized that getting published at 16 and actually writing a good book wasn’t possible alongside the other commitments I had.
Even that small shift has changed my goals. I’m now working on short stories instead of rewriting my first novel 100 times, because I know they’re shorter and will grow my writing faster. (There’s nothing wrong with rewriting your novel 100 times. J.R.R. Tolkien worked on The Lord of the Rings for 20 years, and I sure am glad he did! It’s just not very efficient.)
Not everyone’s going to have the same strategy. Even people who appear to have the same goals won’t have the same strategy.
There is no “right” path.
Yes, there are things that I suggest you do if you want to get published. I personally think short stories are one of the best ways to grow your craft. But maybe you disagree. Maybe another method works better for you.
Don’t take on another person’s strategy just because they tell you to. Look at your goals. Does that strategy help you achieve your goals? Then invest in it.
What is your strategy?
Now that you’ve read this article, it’s time to take a look at your strategy. Do you have one? Does it help you achieve your goals? What are your goals?
If you know what your goals are but haven’t decided on a strategy yet, I have an opportunity for you.
My friend and fellow writer Chloe Ann just started a 12 Week Summer Writing Intensive for writers who want to make progress but aren’t sure how.
This summer, you could be writing 3 short stories that you actually submit to a publisher. If you want to publish a book someday, this is a huge step forward in learning the steps to writing and publishing, and growing your craft at the same time! And it’s not a big commitment; only 3-5 hours a week. Well, there’s good news and there’s bad news.
Good news: The early bird pricing lasts 2 more days!
Bad news: The early bird pricing lasts 2 more days! After Monday, the price will double from $75 to $140. This price is the lowest the program will be ever again. If you want to join, I suggest you do it soon. You can check out Chloe’s program here: https://theradicalreader.com/intensive/
Whether you decide to do Chloe’s Writing Intensive or not, I hope you’ve considered your strategy. I encourage you to sit down right now and write out your plan for this year. Then do it.
