How to Start Your Career as a Novelist

When it comes to being a novelist, it is important that you know what you are doing. Remember that there are a multitude of other novelists out there, and if your work is subpar, then you won’t make an impact with the readers. What you need is a strategy.

Here are some great tips on how to establish yourself as a novelist.

1. Come up with original concepts

If you are going to stand out as a novelist, you should make sure that you come up with truly original content. Remember that you will have a lot of competition, so when you do release a novel, it should be as original as possible. Before you even start writing a manuscript for your novel, you should take the time to think of a unique concept. Stay away from clichés and think up of something outside of the box.

2. Choose A Genre To Specialize In

When it comes to starting a career as a novelist, you should make sure that you choose a genre to specialize in. Remember that novels go under a very general term. While you could try your hand on various genres, this does not mean that you should write in multiple genres. If you are going to start a career as a novelist, you should make sure that you specialize in a specific genre. This will allow you to fully focus on this genre, and ultimately make a name for yourself.

3. Enhance Your Writing Skills

Aside from choosing a genre to specialize in, you should make sure that you enhance your writing skills. Remember that your writing skills are an integral part of your journey as a novelist. If you are going to start your writing career with subpar writing skills, you will have a hard time impressing your potential readers. Make it a habit to practice your writing skills on a daily basis.

4. Set A Schedule For Yourself

If you are going to be as efficient a writer as possible, it is important that you follow a set schedule for yourself. Remember that being a writer could be quite a challenge. You will need to be able to balance your day to day life, and your writing. By having a set schedule, you will have a sense of structure when you do start on your writing career.

5. Look For Mentors

As a newbie writer, you usually don’t know where to start. This is where mentors come in very handy. By having a mentor, you will be able to start your career as a novelist with the right guidance. A key aspect of looking for a mentor, is that you should be as open minded as possible. You should not be too prideful in your skills, and be open to criticism. A mentor is there for one thing. Which is to help you grow further as a writer.

6. Set up an author blog

Aside from getting a mentor to help you develop your writing career, you should also set up an author blog. Remember that you will need to make an impact with your potential readers. The best way to do this, is to set up an author blog. By having an author blog, you will have a platform where you could show off your writing. You will also have a platform to sell your books through. Overall, having your very own author blog is a necessity, if you want to be a published novelist.

7. Networking is key

A very important aspect of starting your career as a novelist, is the networking. Remember that you will be starting a career as a novelist. If you don’t know anyone in the publishing world, you will have a hard time in marketing your work. As a rule, you should reach out to various people when it comes to networking. Take the time to attend book writing workshops and book conventions. As a whole, the more people you know in the industry, the better.

8. Choose the right publishing options

If you are going to have a novel published, you should make sure that you choose your publishing options carefully. Remember that you will be showing your work to the wide world, so you should make sure your publishing options are efficient. There are two kinds of publishing options that you could use. There is traditional publishing, and self-publishing.  These publishing options have their very own advantages and disadvantages. If you choose traditional publishing, you will be given professional help by traditional publishing houses. They will pay for a majority of the project, and are usually very effective at marketing your book. However, getting a publishing deal could be quite tricky, and will usually take some time. You could also try out self-publishing. This kind of publishing will allow you to publish without the help of a traditional publisher. You won’t have to wait for a publishing deal, and will be able to start right away. You also won’t have to share your royalties with the company. The only setback is that you won’t have the financial backing of an established company, so you will have to pay for the whole process yourself.

Conclusion

Becoming a novelist is not an easy task. It is usually an uphill battle because you will have to overcome a great deal of competition in order to make a name for yourself. Before you set out on this career path, you will need a strategy. With these tips, you’ll be able to start your career as a novelist on the right foot.

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