Patience:
This may be the hardest one. Patience is required to survive as a writer. There
may be times when you consider giving up, if you really want to be a writer, do
not. Figure out what you can do during the lean thought periods. If you give up
when the going gets tough, do not even think about being a writer, you will not
make it. It takes a tough skin to be a writer, you toughen up, or quit, it is
up to you. How much do you want to be a
writer?
Performance:
Performance is giving the publisher or literary agent what they want, when they
want it, and how they want it. If publishers or agents want a hard copy, a PDF,
Word, RTF, on CD, or some format, you as the writer will have to supply it. If
they want a hard copy, that copy should be on time, clean of any errors, and
print ready. If the manuscript is due on the 14th of the month, then have it
ready to go by the seventh of the month at the latest. This way, you have time
to look it over and make any corrections you may have to make. Never turn in sub-par work.
Perseverance:
You may find that a particular job requires more work or time than you thought.
If you signed a contract, finish the job by doing whatever you need to, to
complete it on time. Just because something is difficult, you cannot give up.
You said you would do a job, finish, or do not take it in the first place.
Furthermore, you may find lean thought periods when first starting out. If you
want to be a writer, find something to keep you going during these lean
periods. If you are not willing to work through the lean periods, perhaps you
should give up now.
Personal Contact:
Never leave your publisher hanging in the wind. Give then status reports, so
they know how the project is coming along. What do you have completed? What
amount of research have you completed? How much do need to complete the
project? Keep in touch. Publishers or literary agents want to know how projects
are coming along and if they will be completed on time. This is your job, to keep the publisher
abreast of your progress. If you do not think this is part of writing, think
again. Personal contact with the publisher is just as important, if not more,
than the writing itself. Keep your publisher informed of you’re promoting your
book, and your manuscript's progress.
Polish:
Polish your copy to make it the best you can. Polish, edit or whatever you
choose to call it, is as necessary as writing the manuscript in the first
place. You need to check for typos, subject verb agreement, grammar, sentence
structure, punctuation, or anything else needed. An author does this for their
story, the writing must be correct on all levels to create the best book
possible for the reader.
Practice:
You cannot just sit on your butt, and do nothing while you wait for your next
inspiration. Read what others write, write, and improve your writing by taking
a course at the local college, or adult school. Take online writing courses,
anything that you write will make you a better writer. If you want to be a
writer, you must constantly strive to improve your writing to make it the best
you can for your next project. You have all heard the cliché, “Practice makes
perfect”, it is true for writers that want to write good copy.
Presentation:
Presentation is a multifaceted concept. Presentation is not only the copy you
write for publication. Presentation is also the way you present yourself, as a
professional, and as a business. If for some reason, you must meet face-to-face
with your publisher or literary agent, dress accordingly.
When
using a voicemail, make sure that your recording that people hear says
professional. Do not have your kids record it. Make sure it sounds professional.
Presentation also means the way you sign any e-mails. Consider an e-mail
account for business only. There are many free e-mail accounts. It is best to
have a web site and use that e-mail for your business contacts. If you cannot
afford a web site, or do not know how to build one, a separate e-mail for
business only is required. It is much easier to keep things separated.
Professionalism:
The first thing about being a professional writer is, never miss a deadline. If
something does come up and you're in the hospital, let the someone know as soon
as possible. Never wait for the deadline, nothing will destroy a reputation,
and scream amateur faster than missing a deadline and not letting the publisher
know if there is a problem. Also, be sure to calculate the time required to
finish a project. This may be hard at first, but it will become easier over
time. The bottom line is, how much time do you have have available to devote to
the project along with a day job, family obligations, and anything else that might
come up in your life. This is what a professional considers. In addition, a
professional contract should state in clear language, the payment method, and
signed by both parties, so that each has a clear sense of what each party is
responsible for, and when you as the writer will complete the job.
These
eight Ps are the basics of being a writer. The eight Ps are what each writer
must consider as part of the title, “Writer/Author”. How a writer chooses to
implement them is up to them. This list is for thought only. Do you have to
implement them? If you want to publish more than once, without a doubt, they
are necessary.
Think
about jobs you have had. How you purport yourself is as important as the job
itself. Even as an automobile mechanic, you cannot be sloppy, if you are, or
your work area is, you will not be acting like a professional writer. You must
know where everything is and have it within reach.
Robert Medak
Freelance Writer, Blogger, Edit, Reviewer
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