Writers Rally Around Each Other Sharing Work at Local Book Fair

I just finished my second book this week and if you are a writer in the early stages of meeting the muse on the battlefield I wish I could tell you the second one was easier.

I can't tell you writing my second book was easier than the first because it wasn't, I can tell you a few things I learned in the process of writing them both.

Here are a few things I learned in hammering out words.

Time: How do you find the time? That question along with how much money do you make will be the two most asked questions you get after you get your book published. The struggle to find the time is there for everyone who has ever chosen to chase a dream. Dream chasing always requires sacrifice, but make sure you find realistic things you can live with sacrificing. There are always windows and areas of time we can find to carve out, but remember sacrificing your family is one thing in the long run you will never be able to justify. You can be a healthy functional family member and not be a non existent role to those who will mean more to you than publishing anything ever could.

Temptations: To abandon the current project your writing and write something else. It happens to all of us. Take notes on new ideas for future work but stay the course. I realized after a few years of listening to the excitement of new ideas that I had a collection of unfinished books. I made the decision that no matter how tempting the call from the siren of a new idea was I wouldn't do it this time I would finish the one I chose.

Take Advice: Learn from other people who have already trudged the path. Wither you decide to self publish or seek out a publisher learn from the mistakes and successes of fellow word wrestlers. Taking advice from other people will save you some serious time and money.

Take to The Streets: If your words were worth all the time you spent crafting them we have to put in equal time making them known to the world. Most writers check into the introvert box, but we have to become willing to get the word out on our work. One way to learn how to get better at getting your work to an audience is a good old fashioned Google search. You can also connect with and team up with some other local writers or local writers groups. Our tendencies to avoid groups as writers is common but we can find that common social awkwardness, acceptance, and encouragement with fellow word warriors.

There is an upcoming Sioux Falls local author book fair being put on by South Dakota Writes on May 19th 10:00 am till 2:00 pm (at the Prairie Hill Covenant Church) If you already have published work you can sign up to reserve your tables on the South Dakota Writes Website.

Another local group you can check out for a group of writers doing their thing is The Blott Collective.

See Also: