8 Tell-Tale Signs That Forecast Writing Success!

'Talent is cheaper than table salt. What separates the talented individual from the successful one is a lot of hard work." -Stephen King

Ever wonder what the hands of fate will deal you in the way of success as a writer? Or why some individuals reap the rewards of literary recognition, while others fail and fade into anonymity?

Just as highway signs alert travelers of their impending destination, there are give-away indicators that point to "the road to success" for writers.

Here are checkpoints that reveal you're in the literary fast lane!

You're Playing the Field- The more genres of writing you apply your talents to, the greater the odds of continued publication and pay. I began my journalistic journey over a decade ago, writing poetry and greeting card verse.

What I discovered was that poetry (although my first love), was not very marketable. As a result, these efforts alone met with very little success until I decided to try feature writing for magazines. This change in strategy not only allowed me to establish publishing credits and an impressive portfolio, but also financed the self-publication of 3 volumes of poetry chapbooks and opened avenues for paid performances and open mike competitions as well.

Jennifer Brown Banks- Page 2 8 Tell-Tale Signs?

You're an Avid Reader- It is virtually impossible to become a marketable writer without reading and studying prominent writers and various styles of expression. Whether you're a member of a local book club, subscribe to a few on-line publications, or regularly escape through a good Harlequin Romance, you're moving in the right direction! Being an avid reader helps you expand your vocabulary, become familiar with different writing styles, and understand the needs of your audience.
You're Self-Disciplined- Unlike other professions and industries, writing is by and large a do it yourself success story; there is no delegating or getting by on other team members' strength. It's either sink or swim! You establish your own goals, develop your own game plan, and assume sole responsibility for your career. Successful writers go the distance by making writing a priority, honing their craft and persevering through rejection.
You Understand that Writing is a Business- Far too many writers fail to recognize that writing is a business. One that requires much more than creativity and a command of the King's English. To achieve professional status, one must have marketing savvy, time management skills, analytical ability, research knowledge and familiarity with the industry. It also requires putting money back into the "business" by investing in trade related materials such as the Writers' Market, computer equipment and business cards (to name a few things).

Jennifer Brown Banks- Page 3 8 Tell-Tale Signs?

You Recognize the Importance of Critiquing- Whether it's through a writers' group, a mentor, a college professor, or people whom you admire and trust. Getting an outside, objective analysis of your work can mean the difference between rejection and perfection. Just as "love is blind," many of us are far too close to what we've created to see flaws or gaps in what we're trying to convey.
You Know the Meaning of Working Smart- At least 50% of my writing income is generated from resales. The well fed writer realizes the potential to resell and represent the same pieces many times over just by changing the slant and minor details, and by negotiating rights.
You're Navigating "the Information Super Highway." Do you Google? Are you able to successfully research, review writers' web sites, and submit work via the Internet? Doing so decreases down time, increases productivity, and puts you in the fast lane to creativity. Check out the following writers' E-zines to enhance your bottom line:
Absolute Write Newsletter- http://www.absolutewrite.com- This weekly contains articles, interviews and calls for writers.
Inscriptions-http://www.inscriptions.com- Features weekly calls for writers, interviews, book reviews and announcements.

Jennifer Brown Banks- Page 4- 8 Tell-Tale Signs

3. National Association of Women Writers- http://www.naww.org- Produces a newsletter that provides useful insiders' tips, motivational quotes, contests, conferences and more. It also serves to support and promote the works of female authors.

A great book to also help you improve your surfing savvy is 300 Incredible Things to Do on the Internet by Ken Leebow.

You Write for the Love of It!- Do you practically eat, sleep and drink writing? Love to communicate and connect? In this field, perhaps more so than any other, passion precedes success. Having the desire to educate, entertain and empathize through the written word is indeed a noble ambition. And it is this philosophy that will allow you to persevere and avoid "road rage" in your daily travels!

About The Author

Jennifer Brown Banks is a writer, poet, speaker and literary consultant. Her work is featured monthly as a contributing writer to Being Single magazine. Additionally, she is a high school substitute teacher.

Publishing credits include: Chicago Sun-Times, Being Single Magazine, Funds 4 Writers, Writing for Dollars, Honey Magazine, Today's Chicago Woman, National Association of Women Writers' Weekly, Empowermag.com, Gospel Synergy and a host of on-line and print publications.

Her upcoming book of poetry "A Paradox in Pink" is due to be released in fall 2004. Banks is listed in Marquis' Who's Who in America.

She may be contacted at
Jennifer Brown Banks
P.O. Box 208821
Chicago, IL 60620-8821
E-mail Jenniferwriter@yahoo.com

MORE RESOURCES:

RELATED ARTICLES

Every Result is an Asset
Not long ago, I went to an Internet Marketing Seminar. One of the speakers was John Reese, a man who set the Internet world abuzz in August 2004 by achieving the amazing result of just over a million dollars worth of sales in 18 hours.

Writers Turn to the Internet for Support, Friendship and Advice
Riding on the fumes of potential, you take pen to paper or keyboard to monitor. Endless hours of creativity intermingle with apprehension, but your need to write engulfs your spirit.

Win More Clients, Projects and Freelance Jobs By Making Three Small Changes
I�??ve spoken to hundreds of editors, employers, and project managers about how they choose a freelancer for a job. Whether they were reviewing job applications or considering project bids, they all had one thing in common.

10 Secrets For Writing Killer Complaint Letters
Complaint letters aren't always fun, but sometimes they need to be written. In many cases, if people don't complain, the problem agency at fault (i.

Dont Rely on Your Spellchecker - or - The Importance of Good Proof Reading
Weather posting a page to your Website, writing a letter to a customer, or submitting an article for publication, it is extremely important to demonstrate how professional you are. Not only does a series of spelling and grammatical errors show a discourtesy to your readers, it makes you look amateurish.

Whose Story Is It?
Whenever you sit down to plot a story (or even to think about a story) one of the first things you have to ask yourself is this: "Whose story IS it?"It seems like a simple question - but your story can succeed or fail depending on how you handle this. Told from the wrong point of view, a story can founder before the first chapter has come to an end.

Starting a Freelance Writing Career (or How I Sifted Through the Muck and Found My Way)
So, the decision is final. I am a writer.

3 Quick Tips on Plotting Your Book
Plotting a book can seem an overwhelming task when you're just starting out, but it does get easier when you understand various plotting strategies.Here are 3 quick tips that could be all you need to get you started: One: You'll find it useful to analyse published books.

How Three Publishing Myths Kill the Author
Agents and publishing houses have their best interests at heart, not the author's. Save yourself from headaches, disappointments, and money down the drain.

Writing the KAIZEN Way
Over the past eight years or so, I have tutored thousands of writing students. They come in all flavours: retirees who at last have time to satisfy a dream; young mothers who want a job they can do at home; bored workers who feel their creativity is being stifled by their existing careers.

The Author Within
Just about every marketer on the Internet claims to be the best around and would have you believe that no one else knows as much or can teach you as quickly and thoroughly as they can. It would seem that they erroneously assume that by admiring someone else's teachings they will lessen their marketability as the "great persuader" in salesmanship.

5 Easy Steps To Writing Your Appealing Letter
You must write a hypnotic persuasion letter to help you achieve all your goals! Get the boss to give your a raise, induce that beautiful blue-eyed girl to be your lover and persuade your mother to buy a BMW Z3 for you this summer.Give me twenty minutes and I'll teach you step-by-step my secret writing your own success system.

Keep your Book Dream Alive
Is your book nearly finished, finished, published, or even in its early stages? Do you want to know how to promote it with ease and low cost?Maybe you have already tried other methods to sell you book and felt tired of?- Submitting unseen or unheard media releases- Chasing book reviews that yielded small negligible results- Selling only a few books at your book signings- Exerting a lot of effort to travel, to speak, only to reap mediocre book sales- Experiencing radio and TV talk show low book sales results- Wondering why your bookstore or distributor has stopped selling your books- Worrying about who will promote your book now that your publisher has stopped- Feeling dismayed your book isn't giving you the ongoing, passive income you hoped for- Feeling discouraged about all the wasted time and money you have spentKeep Your Book Dream AliveJust like you, I wrote Ten Non-Techie Ways to Market your Book Online because as an author, just like you, I was tired of the old ways to get my books sold. Lackluster sales and chasing a low-results pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, I turned to the Internet four years ago.

Alternative View Points and the Lamp of Creativity
Pictures they say are worth a thousand words, but many writers know that they are worth much more than that!Without decent photographs or other artwork to accompany an article many features published in todays magazines and newspapers would never see the light of day, so it makes sense to try and supply illustrations along with your submissions.Last month's article gave some tips and advice on how to improve your camera wielding technique so click here if you missed it.

Writing the 8 WebCopy Headline Categories
My article this issue is an excerpt from a book I was reading recently titled; The Copywriters Handbook by Robert Bly, a secondary small niche I focus on a bit. It categorizes the different types of headlines which are most common and in use today.

Generating Nonfiction Book Titles Without a Hassle
The process of developing a working title for your nonfiction book can be a hassle sometimes. You first have to brainstorm a few titles, and if the results aren't to your liking, you are practically forced to brainstorm more possible titles --- or do you?One way to shorten this process is to have a book title bank at your fingertips that will include trigger titles, such as the ones listed below:Techniques for ----One Way to ----How to ----Handbook for -----Protecting ----Investing for ----Saving Your -----Finding Security in -----Fixing -----Getting -----Each of the sample triggers above has one or more missing words for you to fill in.

Top Seven Essential Hot-Selling Points To Implement Before Writing Chapter One
Every part of your book can be a sales tool. When you include the below tips, you will have a roadmap to follow to keep your writing organized and compelling, and you'll sell more books than you ever dreamed of! 1.

The Psychology Of Effortless Writing
I love writing. I love the swirl and swing of words as they tangle with human emotions.

Bird by Bird
It's easy to feel overwhelmed by marketing. First, there's so much to learn: What works? What's a waste of your time? Where should you invest your energy and money?Then you have to prioritize: Where should you start? What's the ONE THING that, if you don't do anything else for a while, is your best first step?Next, you've got to figure out how to get it all done.

Finish Your Book Already!
I owe the completion and success of my book to a big cardboard box that saw me through the entire process. I found this box and filled it with any and all information I could find on my topic 'advanced presentation skills for speakers and business presenters.