Write now or forever hold your piece.

What two things do professional writers care about most? Whoa. That opens up a can of worms, huh? I mean, everyone is different in their own perspectives. So, let’s do this: let’s just attack this from my own limited (and very personal) perspective. For me, being a professional writer means two significant things: craft (improving my writing), and readers (which translates, in the end, to money).

We all want to better ourselves, I should think. That kind of goes without saying.

There are many avenues to improving our writing.  You can take some college courses; there are quite a few very good online courses; you can join writers’ groups and workshops; and, you can even do your own research and homework to self-improve.

A man walks into a bookstore and asks the nearest clerk, “Can you tell me where can I find the self-help section?” The clerk looks at him for a moment and says, “Well, that would defeat the purpose, wouldn’t it?”

What is the number one way to improve your writing? Actually, there are two. The first is: reading.  Lots and lots of reading. (Heck, Stephen King agrees with me, and what writer in their right mind would disagree with him?) I read more than I have time for and not nearly enough.  I’m sure most of us are in that boat – with a book in one hand and a bucket in the other, cursing all the way.

I do tend to read, mostly, in my own chosen genre; although, I love a good book, no matter the ‘category’ assigned to it by some publisher attempting to market it in a particular direction. How frustrating is that, to write something you’re passionate about, only to have the marketers throw it into some box with some narrow-ass naming category that may or may not truly limit your audience? We should rise up, I tell you! Draw a line in the sand and… I’ve slipped off-topic.  Pardon me.

So, back to improving our writing.  The second way is the more important one: writing. You just have to do it.  A. Lee Martinez said something in his class at DFWCon this year that stuck with me. (Well, he said a few things that will stick with me… the guy is hilarious and manic and fun.) He began his speaking session by pulling out three long bowling pin-looking things and began to juggle. He asked us all if we knew how he could do that.  A few folks muttered generic answers when Martinez elaborated. “I spent hours and hours tossing these things in the air and dropping them until I could do this.” (He was a pretty good juggler, come to think about it.) Suddenly, he stopped and looked at us all, rapt attention flowing toward him with the warmth of the Texas sun, and said, “That’s writing. In order to be able to do it and do it well, you need to write. For hours and hours and hours.”

Dude made sense, didn’t he?

Practice makes perfect.

Well, that’s an effing lie. You may get good at writing with practice. You may even get great with practice.  But, no one ever is ‘perfect’.  You can always improve.  So, write. Write now or forever hold your piece.

So says I.

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Okay, I’ll keep this post short so you can get on with your glorious Friday… and, write, damn ya!

The second thing was readers, which translates to income if you are a professional writer. Raise your hand if you are a writer. If you didn’t raise your hand, stop and think about that for little while until you feel that click of understanding in the soft tissue of your brain.  (Trust me, it’ll happen soon enough.)

Now, raise your hand if you are a ‘professional’ writer. (I should start calling myself Simon at this point, huh? You are my leetel puppets, I can make you do any ting I want.  (The feeling of power is absolute, and I am an absolute goof.))

Okay, so, what makes one a ‘professional’ writer? I feel it is pretty simple: if you have ever been paid a penny or more for your words, you ARE a professional writer. Capice?

So, I’ve been a professional writer for all of six months. (So, you don’t really have to listen to me. Put your hands down now. Sheesh!) I sold all of 10 copies of my collection of short stories that I published last year.  Admittedly, I put very little effort into marketing it, though.

In an earlier post, I promised to track my writing income (from Amazon, B&N, Smashwords, etc.) for the sole purpose of documenting my first year as a professional writer.  So, here are February’s huge numbers:

• On Amazon (Kindle): 6 sales (half at $2.99 and half at the new price of .99 cents);
• On Barnes and Noble (PubIt): 1 sale at .99 cents;
• On Smashwords: Nada, zip, zilch;
• On my own, face-to-face: nine paperback versions at $10/per.

Now, of course, I am taking a more active and directed effort in promoting myself and my novel (The Weight Of Night), but not so much effort toward the short story collection (Ordeals).  This is mainly due to the fact that although I think the short stories are good, the novel is a dramatic improvement in my writing. If someone likes my work, they may or may not check out the other published pieces available, as well.

So, how are YOU doing? Are you self-published? Have you seen any increase in sales due to more effort on your part in marketing? What’s the best marketing effort you’ve come across?  Social media seems to be the way to go these days.  Have you tried that?

I look forward to hearing your success stories, as well as any difficulties you may have encountered. If I can help, I most certainly will.  We gotta stick together, we writers!