Writing is the most solitary and also the most community-driven experience I’ve ever encountered.
I think fondly of reclusive writers of old who could lock themselves in a mountain shack and write to their hearts’ content. Some avoided photographs or interviews. Others embraced alcohol or too many drugs.
And, yet, it was a simpler time. (OK, not the narcotics or alcoholism. Those were poor, complicated decisions, I’m guessing.)
Today, authors—both aspiring and established—have to put themselves out there. They have to be someone. And that someone must be accessible. (At least until you’re super established, then you can retreat into the shadows with glee.) It reminds me of a young girl moving to LA to become a movie star. Either she makes the decision to try really, really hard with no guarantee of success or, in the very small minority, the girl gets lucky. (Or God decides to make her one of the few to be discovered without much pre-game on her part. Bless.)
Plenty of people have a book idea. Most people, I believe, consider writing a book someday. It’s not special to fit into either of those categories. But when you type “the end” to conclude your manuscript, you do reach a new level of authordom. At the very least, you’re a step beyond those wannabes who have only dreamed of writing a book. So that’s something.
But then what?
Apparently, this is when the real work begins. The revising and reworking. The agent/editor querying. The platform building.
Wait. You didn’t build your platform before now? Well, it’s probably too late. You’ll never publish that book now. What? You assumed you would use your published book to attract followers?
Ha! Silly aspiring author! Didn’t you know you should’ve gained followers the day Twitter debuted in March 2006? Why weren’t you planning ahead? What have you been doing all this time?
Oh, right. You were writing a book.
It’s kind of a chicken-or-egg situation. And writers need the help of their villages to get on top of this thing.
So, here are some tips on helping your writer friends turn into full-fledged authors. I haven’t actually transitioned from A to B yet, but I’ve heard from those B-types that this is how the beast works.
- Listen to them. I know, I know. Listening to someone talk for a long time is boring. I see the glazed look in your eyes. However, there is something deeply soul-affirming about a friend who will sit, look interested, and ask probing questions about an unfinished manuscript…or even a book idea. That friend confirms that I’m not alone in thinking this is worth my effort and sacrifice. Or even if they’re smiling and nodding a bit, it’s still nice to drink tea with a caring friend.
- Follow them. Have you heard of a book proposal? Yeah, I hadn’t either. Apparently, you can’t simply write a book, edit it, and then send it off to agents and editors. Nope, you also have to include a book proposal, which is a slightly tailored nickname for a marketing plan. So now writers have to be marketers as well! From what I’ve heard, those numbers listed under “social media followers” are incredibly important. Therefore, if you love your writer friend, follow him or her on every social media platform possible. They need the numbers to sell their books.
- Gossip about them. OK, maybe not gossip gossip, unless they get weird and dark-closet reclusive-y, then maybe check in periodically. But tell other people about your writer friend’s amazing blog or hilarious Instagram reels. Share your friend’s posts and say why you like them. You reach a different group of people than your writing friend does, so expand his or her audience by raving to your particular audience.
- Connect them to other writers. If you hear of a local writing group or even another person working on a book, connect the dots! Writers are sometimes reluctant to talk about their writing, as it’s not always the most welcome conversation (and we can be quiet, library-ish folk. Not me, but other writers, obvs).
I would have added the obvious 5.) Buy their book! but I assume you knew that already. Oh, and 6.) Give reviews on Amazon, BookBub, Goodreads, etc.! But I haven’t reached those steps yet. Once I do, I’ll have to write a follow-up post: How to Make your Author Friend VERY Happy.
As I said, being a writer means spending a lot of time alone and in your own head. I don’t know about you, but my head isn’t always the most confident place. I spent a year and a half knocking out my first draft, and I was singing this same tune back in 2019. It truly takes a village of encouragement and support to even get to “the end,” and it takes even more to get all the way to the finish line.
I believe I speak on behalf of the entire writing community (many of whom are introverts and wish they could live in a mountain cottage with only their coffee and laptop…and possibly a cat) when I say thank you. Thank you for supporting our dreams, even if they never see the actual printed page. Because maybe—in the end—you’ll be the one who pushed us to keep writing for one more day.
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Currently Reading
Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid – I’m in awe of Ms. Reid’s ability to write a novel that feels like a Hollywood tell-all. She did it with Daisy Jones & The Six, and she’s doing it again with Malibu Rising. I suggested this author to my book club, though they chose her newest book. Last month, we read Carrie Fisher’s Wishful Drinking, and this is the perfect follow up.
Back in the late 1950s, two people fell in love. The man became a famous singer, and things got rocky to say the least. Now we follow the lives of their (kinda) four children as they maneuver as the abandoned (by their celebrity father) and orphaned (by their pining mother) offspring of Hollywood royalty.
I’ve been sticking to the Christian fiction realm more recently, so a lot more clothes hit the floor in this one, though thankfully, not too graphically. It’s incredibly fast-paced and engaging. I have the feeling I’ll remember Daisy Jones & The Six better, though.