12 Habits of Highly Successful Authors

 

A few decades ago, I promoted Stephen Covey, famous for his 7 Habits of Highly Successful People. Well, in that same vein, I present to you the 12 Habits Of Highly Successful Authors. There may be other habits that you need to master, but these stick out to me as the ones all authors need to do:

1. Write On A Consistent Basis

Everyone has their own writing schedule — or no schedule at all. The more consistent you are, the easier it is to be dedicated to writing. For some that means carving out two hours every morning or night. Or on weekends. For others, it is squeezing it in while between shift changes or chores. Most writers just want to write, but life gets in the way. The key is to make room for both, to juggle living with writing.

2. Read Often From A Variety of Voices and Sources

Writers read — books, blogs, magazines, newspapers, essays, short stories, or poetry. It is good to expose yourselves to a variety of voices who express differing viewpoints and diverse experiences in all types of formats. Reading gives you ideas, provokes thoughts, and provides models for other writing styles

3. Maintain A Positive Attitude

When you smile, see the bright side to things, and give people the benefit of the doubt, you create an environment conducive for positivity. You feel good — and make others around you feel good — which, in turn, makes you feel even better.

4. Be Forever Opportunistic But Realistic

There are times when an opportunity comes along, but do you even see that they are there? Most often no one is knocking on your door — you make your own opportunities by seizing the moment, asking people for help, and by seeing what others see but acting when others don’t. 

5. Asks Others What They Think 

You never know what good advice or interesting ideas — or help - you will get from someone unless you ask. Engage others — from all walks of life — and grow your network, stimulate your mind, and let your curiosity wander.

6. Seek Out Help
Outsource the things you lack the time, skills, or mindshare to do. Life is a collaborative effort. Make use of other people’s strengths while you exercise your own.

7. Have A Support System
Coaches, consultants, mentors, friends, family, therapists, and clergy — choose from one or more of these to help guide, train, and enlighten you.

8. Operate From A Solid Foundation Of Vision and Values

You need to be grounded and know not only what you are doing — but why you are doing it. Further, it helps you to have a map to somewhere when you know where you want to go.

9. Outsource Some Book Marketing Aspects

Divide and conquer. There are three ways to look at book marketing — the things that you do, things you can hire someone to do, and things you wish could be done but have neither the time or money to do. Outsource tasks that others can do better than you, that save you time and headaches. Hint: Hire me to help you!

10. Be Willing To Make Mistakes

In life, we will make mistakes. The more experiences we have, the more people we know, and the more things we try means we are bound to make mistakes. The further that you reach and risk breaching the safe confines of your comfort zone, the more likely you will suffer a loss, setback, or hurt. That is fine. We are not perfect — but it is perfectly fine to go beyond your safety circle. Live and learn.

11. Network Online & In-Person Often 

You can only go as far as your skills, talent, and network take you. Meet more people and learn what they can do for you, what skills they have, who they know, and which worlds they exist in. Social media affords you an amazing opportunity to search for and seek out any group or person that you want to mingle with. You can network anytime — while on a supermarket line or bus stop, at a party, conferences, book fairs, church… wherever people are!

12. Be Great With Time Management and Be Organized

You know the drill: set goals, define the smaller steps needed to achieve them, set priorities, create deadlines, act with urgency, hold yourself accountable, multi-task, get others to help you, remain focused and vigilant. Put your plan in writing — then in action. No procrastination, no paralysis by analysis, no bottlenecking. No lying to yourself or denying reality. You cannot do everything nor can you afford to do nothing. Seek out your Goldilocks level of what is just right for you. 

 

   Need Book Marketing 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 over 30 years of experience in successfully helping thousands of authors in all genres. Let him be your advocate, teacher, and motivator!

 

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About Brian Feinblum

Brian Feinblum should be followed on Twitter @theprexpert. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog ©2023. 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 award-winning blog has generated over 3.3 million pageviews. With 4,400+ posts over the past dozen years, it 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 2021 and 2018 as one of the top book marketing blogs. It was also named by www.WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.” For the past three decades, including 21 years as the head of marketing for the nation’s largest book publicity firm, and two jobs at two independent presses, Brian has worked with many first-time, self-published, authors of all genres, right along with best-selling authors and celebrities such as: Dr. Ruth, Mark Victor Hansen, Joseph Finder, Katherine Spurway, Neil Rackham, Harvey Mackay, Ken Blanchard, Stephen Covey, Warren Adler, Cindy Adams, Todd Duncan, Susan RoAne, John C. Maxwell, Jeff Foxworthy, Seth Godin, and Henry Winkler. He recently hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America, and has spoken at ASJA, Independent Book Publishers Association Sarah Lawrence College, Nonfiction Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association, Willamette (Portland) Writers Association, APEX, and Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association. His letters-to-the-editor have been published in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York Post, NY Daily News, Newsday, The Journal News (Westchester) and The Washington Post. He has been featured in The Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald. For more information, please consult: www.linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum.