What Kind Of Writer Are You?

When I was growing up as a teen in the 1980s, to be a writer was seen as one part glamorous, three parts curse. If you could breakthrough to be published in a magazine or to have your book published, you would feel you had arrived. You would enjoy the praise of your writings as your reward. Compensation, back then, as today, often came less in a monetary form and more in the way of identity. To be published meant you were in fact a writer, not a wannabe writer.   

But the odds of getting published were low. It was a frustrating pursuit, one that either made you a better writer — or one that helped you drop your dreams and move on to getting a real job.  

Today, getting published is a lot easier, and in general, the book is a more common thing now. The challenge to be published by a major house is still there, but the real challenge is in getting book sales, winning awards, generating news media exposure, and building up a social media following. In many ways, being a successful author today is more challenging and complex than 35-40 years ago.  

Today’s writer has: 

·         More competition. A new report says 5,000 new books are being released each day, every day. Fewer than 40,000 were released in a mid-1980s year — the equivalent of 8 days in 2022. Further, a backlist of books, thanks to print-on-demand and ebooks, that runs well past 20 million books and never really disappears, are competing with books minted today.  

·         To do more to reach fewer readers. Gone are the days of well orchestrated book tours and road tours, where hitting a few key stores or targeted media outlets would bring substantial sales and glory. Now you need to get many more interviews and reviews — with professional media, amateur media, and paid media.  

·         To dedicate as much time to writing as he or she does to marketing. Three-fourths of published authors this year are publishing house homeless, thus, they need to hire a publicist to help them.  

·         To write what has not yet been published even though it feels like every topic or story line has been covered. To be original, better, different, or unique is more challenging for the modern writer than generations past.  

As a writer today, you wear all of these hats: 

·         Writer

·         Editor

·         Publisher

·         Marketer  

Writers today must define who they are and carve their slice from a shrinking pie. They should set a standard and establish their brand. Create a writing code — and live by it.
Own it. You must have a clear definition and command of your authorial voice and image.

Authors today are products and brands. Writers are human bar codes, each seeking to download the secret source to scanning and clicking their way to a bit of notoriety.   

Authors are important to society. They shape our minds and world. They make us think and challenge us. They serve as a weapon in the battle to get to the truth. They record history, give insight on today’s trends, blueprint the future, contemplate the unknown, help us imagine what could be, and advocate for what should be.  Our authors are the guardians of this planet.  

Thank you, authors, for your service.

Please Contact Me For Help

Brian Feinblum, the founder of this award-winning blog, can be reached at brianfeinblum@gmail.com He is available to help authors promote their story, sell their book, and grow their brand. He has 30 years of experience in successfully helping thousands of authors in all genres.

 

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About Brian Feinblum

Brian Feinblum should be followed on Twitter @theprexpert. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog ©2022. Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids, and Ferris, a black lab rescue dog. His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s The Independent.  This was named one of the best book marketing blogs by BookBaby  http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs and recognized by Feedspot in 2018 as one of the top book marketing blogs. It was also named by WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.” He recently hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America. For more information, please consult: linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum.