From Casual Writer to Professional Writer

I'm not there yet. And I'm not at the beginning either. In reality, I'm somewhere in the middle of the transition from casual writer to a 'going pro' success story. And I think it's the perfect time to write something about transition. I'm feeling it and living it. I'm making mistakes. I'm exploring. I'm learning. And I'm succeeding. Sometimes a seasoned professional forgets what it's like to start out. They make assumptions, gloss over tiny, yet crucial, details, and say things like, "Just keep going" without realizing how unhelpful that is to the frustrated beginner.

I don't want to downplay the valuable advice a long-time pro can give. I just believe insight can come from many corners.

Don't underestimate the power of confidence on your self-image and future success. You absolutely have to believe in yourself and your abilities. You have to take those beliefs and make them a part of your identity - not just a set of clothes you put on, but the air that you breathe or a tattoo that you wear on the inside. It is permanent and crucial to your being.

There is a reason those in the self-development and therapeutic fields talk about projecting what you want to be in order to make people believe. While many people might not be able to articulate exactly why they don't believe you are what you say you are, they can certain smell confidence (both too much and too little) coming from a mile away.

It is that right amount of confidence blended into your identity that will open the door for you. Your ability, output, and attitude will keep you from being pushed back out again.

As one starts out and becomes more public with one's work, there is a rise in engagement with readers. Feedback will begin to pour in - both positive and negative. Fans may try to give advice ("You should...", "Why don't you...?). Critics will crawl out of the woodwork - sometimes even people from your past - to jab at you. It can be a little overwhelming. If you're the type of person who likes to engage with your audience, the volume can become a bit much to deal with. And responding to suggestions and criticism in order to appease and keep readers can start to make you doubt yourself, your identity and your mission as a writer.

Who should you listen to? First, listen to your confident self, not your hesitant self. Ultimately, it is you who have the power to go forward or hold back. Second, listen to your fans. They are a source of support, and may even generate an idea or two to keep the writing furnace burning. As feedback increases, design a policy for yourself to manage responding to an increasing volume, though. Third, listen to some of your critics. Not the anonymous ones whose goals in life are to troll web sites and pollute the comments section with their bile. And not the ones who have an 'agenda'. Listen to the ones who have constructive criticism - who have expertise and whose opinions, criticisms, and suggestions you can trust.

There is a fine balance between giving yourself away and alienating possible new readers/customers. As a new professional writer without much in the way of an endorsed portfolio, you are going to need to prove yourself. It will depend on your outlet, but one way to gain supporters rather quickly is to offer free samples of your work. In the age of social networking, word travels fast, and if you touch on a hot topic, or your writing is addictive, it won't be long before people will seek you out or will be willing to pay you for what you're good at.

There is the risk of giving too much away for free. In this case, when people get used to your freebies, they may come to see you as amateur. The reverse is true. While attaching value to something can pique people's interest, putting a high price tag on a product that is untried and untested is presumptuous and possibly alienating.

Occasionally, you may be lucky, and your fans will tell you when it's time to start charging or charging more. I've heard and read comments from fans who've said, "You really need to be charging for this!" It doesn't become any clearer than that.

Vary your writing outlets, but don't spread yourself too thin. It is possible to derive writing income from a number of sources, especially when you're in the early stages of your career. You'll discover quickly when sources pan out and which are dead ends. It's easy to take on too much, though. This applies to all areas of life - not just writing careers. If you can't do a good quality and thorough job on anything, then you need to cut out some of your activities. I've been guilty of this myself. I've made a list of all the places I want to put myself only to discover that I just don't have enough time or energy to devote to making an honest go of it all.

Sometimes, you'll find that without realizing it, you'll gravitate to the writing outlets that feel right to you and give you what you're looking for. What is key is to recognize which outlets are being neglected and dropping them before making any promises you can't keep. Poor quality work and broken promises always do more harm than top quality work does good.

The more you write, the better you get, and the more you learn about what sells. Publishing a blog as a casual writer may bring you followers, but are they the same people who would pay to read you? You could offer a few pay-to-read articles on your otherwise free blog just to test the waters on that. It takes much more effort to recruit new customers than to keep existing ones. If you don't get any bites, it is time to find out whether it is your writing, your topics or the audience you're already performing in front of that is posing the problem.

While you're practising and getting better, it is wise to find yourself an editor or proofreader. EVERYBODY makes mistakes, and not always the easy ones you typically think of when you bring to mind sloppy writing. I can remember countless times putting something before the public eye only to go back later to read it and see glaring errors that slipped by eyes that had already over-read the article.

Finally, getting into the habit of writing as much as possible will allow you to find your groove. Some people write best and most productively in the morning. Others burn the midnight oil. You can force a routine, but often, you'll find yourself naturally if you give yourself a lot of opportunity and flexibility at the beginning. Writing professionally is not the same as writing solely for fun. You want to keep the element of fun there, but output needs to be considerably better and greater.

If you're transitioning, as I am, I know what you're going through ;)