We've all seen the images. Some cool actor or character reminding us that we should get off our butts and write. To be writers we must, in fact, write, but to be a modern writer there is so much more to it than that.
Whether you are a poet, blogger, novelist, or journalist there is much more to achieving success than meeting a daily word count. Here are a few of the things modern writers have to contend with.
Website
Most writers have to maintain a website, and unless you are rolling in Benjamins, you'll be building it yourself. This may come naturally to the blogger, but this was foreign territory to me. Thankfully there are numerous videos online to walk you through it, but it is very time consuming.
Social media
The rise and fall of the modern writer can happen in minutes on social media platforms. Everyday there seems to be a new social media site to which the hordes are flocking. There has been AIM, MySpace, Grindr, Facebook, AdultFriendFinder, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, Tinder, Snapchat, Reddit, Tumblr, and I'm only kidding about a couple of those. Authors have destroyed their reputations with poorly worded posts or racy pictures. While is important to maintain visibility it's also important to maintain your personal dignity.
Connections
It's time time to dust off that Rolodex, and create some connections. You're going to need to know editors, graphic designers, publishers, beta readers, and most importantly consumers. It can be intimidating to dig through the internet for the services you need, but that's what most of us end up doing. Writer's conventions and workshops offer a first hand chance to meet these professionals and see what they have to offer. There are websites that try to make it easier like Freelancer.com. They are focused on being the link between writers and the services they need.
Don't get me wrong. You should write, but even God rested on the seventh day. It's important to nourish your soul, and maintain your personal support system. So, by all means read, write, and repeat, but don't forget to stop and smell the roses.
