I read something interesting the other day. Chinese Bamboo takes 5 years to root before you see a sprout come to the surface. When it does, within 6 six weeks, this bamboo shoots up to 19 feet tall! Nature is amazing. That waiting period is a nourishing period. While it may seem like nothing is going on, in fact, everything is going on. The root system is hard at work building a firm foundation.
Writers can apply this to their work as well. I know so many people who want to spend a few weeks, maybe a month, writing a book and then expect to see amazing financial results overnight.
Yeah, it doesn’t work that way.
Writing is an art. It takes time. You need to build a foundation of followers who enjoy reading what you write. It takes a lot of effort and time and nourishing. I spend one day a week concentrating on marketing. I hate it. It’s the worst part of my job. I don’t like to promote or talk about myself, but how am I supposed to get new readers if I don’t? That is part of my foundation.
Another part of my foundation is to keep on writing smaller pieces while working on the larger books. Books take a whole lot more time to write than an article. When writing articles, I find new readers who can link back to my website and see what else I have done.
So, for all of you new writers out there, don’t expect fame and fortune to happen immediately, if it happens at all. Make sure you spend some time working on your foundational platform. Take notes of the things you do as well as take notes on how much response you’ve had. For example, post a short story on your blog. See how many people actually read it and, even better, leave comments. You have to find what works for you and helps you get your name out there.
Don’t get discouraged. Keep on working. It will be worth it in the end.
Writers can apply this to their work as well. I know so many people who want to spend a few weeks, maybe a month, writing a book and then expect to see amazing financial results overnight.
Yeah, it doesn’t work that way.
Writing is an art. It takes time. You need to build a foundation of followers who enjoy reading what you write. It takes a lot of effort and time and nourishing. I spend one day a week concentrating on marketing. I hate it. It’s the worst part of my job. I don’t like to promote or talk about myself, but how am I supposed to get new readers if I don’t? That is part of my foundation.
Another part of my foundation is to keep on writing smaller pieces while working on the larger books. Books take a whole lot more time to write than an article. When writing articles, I find new readers who can link back to my website and see what else I have done.
So, for all of you new writers out there, don’t expect fame and fortune to happen immediately, if it happens at all. Make sure you spend some time working on your foundational platform. Take notes of the things you do as well as take notes on how much response you’ve had. For example, post a short story on your blog. See how many people actually read it and, even better, leave comments. You have to find what works for you and helps you get your name out there.
Don’t get discouraged. Keep on working. It will be worth it in the end.