10 New Year’s Resolutions Every Writer Should Follow

By Heather L Barksdale

I have been reviewing for about 3 years and in that time have read and reviewed 200 books! I have had the privilege to envelope myself in many powerful, creative, and interesting stories along the way. I have also made some personal connections and professional friends. I have also learned a lot about what can help a writer get their work noticed. Here are 10 resolutions that every writer should consider…whether you are trying to self-publish or go the traditional route with an agent.

Write Every Day

Practice makes perfect. As someone who has a day job that interferes with my writing time but still pays the bills, I understand how hard this one can be. But getting into the habit of writing something/anything each day will hone your craft. You don’t have to sit down and write the great American novel every evening, but why not a paragraph, an outline, a letter or a blog post? Every writer has bad habits and words they use much too often and the more you write, the more you’ll find your style and break some of those habits.

Read Every Day

Anyone can write. Writing well or successfully is a different matter. Knowing the genre you are writing in is crucial and that’s where reading comes in to play. It can help you with expected word count, pacing, and familiarity with tropes. More importantly, it can help you to know what exists in your genre, what is trending or popular, and what has already been done to death.

Join a Writing Group

When I self-published my first book, I found the whole process to be overwhelming. I didn’t know where to find help or ask questions. Lucky for me, I found a group of writers who enjoy helping each other as much as they enjoy writing (shout out to SFF!). You might find meeting on a regular basis to be helpful or you might enjoy the freedom of a discord group. Either way, find people to shoot ideas off of and don’t forget to give what you get!

Find a Good Editor

You know who thinks everything you write is perfection? You, your mom, your cousin, your friend. So who shouldn’t be responsible for telling you where you can improve? You guessed it! Find an editor to give you honest, clear, and solicited advice (yes, you will probably have to pay for this one). There are many types of editors out there, so do your homework to figure out what type of editor best matches your needs, style, and budget. Looking for someone to correct spelling and grammar? How about the content of your story? Do you want someone who will go line by line and then look at the story as a whole? All different skill sets. Find someone who works with your work flow, style, and need and hang on to them!

Step Up Your Social Media Game

When you think you are ready to submit requests and have found the right fit for you. Take another look at the reviewers website. Do they say they are actively accepting submissions? Have they posted recently? Do they post frequently? If the answer to any of these is no, then move on.

Most will have a submissions page with either a submission form or an email to submit. If there is a submission form- use it! Whatever format the reviewer requests- do that. Read over the submission guidelines and then read them again. Make sure you have all of the requested information ready to go.

Participate in Writing Events

Writing events could be anything from large scale group events like NaNoWriMo to small, local writing sprints. Social media is a good way to find out about deadlines and participation requirements. These events allow you to set your own content ideas while holding to you accountable to a word count. This is a great idea for anyone who may have trouble committing to self-set timelines or for those with too many ideas.

Step Up Self Promotion

Writers (including myself) are terrible about self promotion. I know writers who have published 10 novels and have never done one public promotion or even joined social media. How do you expect to sell books if you don’t tell anyone about that book?

Invest in Cover Art

This is not an area to go for a discount. While readers typically buy based on an author or a descriptions, they stop scrolling due to the cover art. This is another arena where you want to find someone who shares a vision and a style.

Query, Query, Query

If you are trying to go the traditional publishing route, more than likely you have experienced query hell. Querying for an agent can be frustrating, infuriating, and SO time consuming. Unfortunately, it also seems to be a necessary evil. Do get your book to publishing houses, you need an agent. So, you have to query. Try #MSWL to find agents interested in your genre. Try twitter events to gain some interest. And if anyone figures out the key to querying, please let me know.

Thank Your Reviewers and Supporters

If you are lucky enough to have people in your life who support your writing, thank them. Send them a nice letter of appreciation, give them a shout out at the start of your book, or even put your name in one. If you happen to get a reviewer who spends their time reading and posting a review, consider donating to their site. At the very least, repost their reviews to get them the much needed traffic to their websites. Don’t take other’s time for granted.

Interested in getting your book reviewed?

Check out my submissions page to review my requirements and wish list.

I hope that these ideas help you to break through! 

Still getting writer’s block?  Tell me how I can help!