@Outwriterandom
1/🧵 First, ask yourself WHAT you want to write. Would you be most comfortable #writing #ShortStories, corporate websites & press releases, non-fiction magazine articles, video scripts, books, blogs, etc.?

The marketplace for each type of writing is different. Many #writers create material for multiple kinds of markets, but it's a good idea to start with one and focus on that.

For now, let's assume you want to write #fiction. You'll need story ideas, and a strong knowledge of the #storytelling craft.

I do *not* recommend trying to write a book as your first writing experience-- especially if you're trying to make money at writing. A book takes a very long time to write, edit, rewrite, and get published (traditionally or self published) and is a bigger gamble for making a profit on your work.

#WritingCommunity #WritingTips #Writer #WritingAdvice #SelfPublishing #ShortStoryWriting #TraditionalPublishing

@Outwriterandom
2/🧵 #ShortStories are a great way to begin as a #writer. They give you a more immediate learning experience, and you tend to get sales sooner.

#RayBradbury recommended new writers begin by #writing a short story a week for 52 weeks. His logic was that no one can write 52 bad stories in a row, so you're bound to have something worth selling. You will also gain a mastery of the storytelling craft much more quickly.

For story ideas, keep a notepad with you everywhere you go-- even in the bathroom (or use a notepad app on your phone). Jot down ideas as they come to you... for plots, characters, scenes, etc.

#WritingCommunity #WritingTips #Writer #WritingAdvice #SelfPublishing #ShortStoryWriting #TraditionalPublishing

https://annethewriter33.wordpress.com/2023/01/26/breaking-through-writers-block/

@Outwriterandom
3/ Whether you write #ShortStories or books, be sure to constantly study the craft of #storytelling by READING.

READ the kind of stories you would like to write-- the same genre, length, mood, etc. Analyze how the author used conflict, introduced and developed characters, handled pacing, etc. Try to recognize how the author used "show, don't tell" in their writing.

#WritingCommunity #WritingTips #Writer #WritingAdvice #SelfPublishing #ShortStoryWriting #TraditionalPublishing

https://annethewriter33.wordpress.com/2020/09/01/the-best-writing-advice-i-ever-heard-read-100-books/

@Outwriterandom
4/🧵 There are different paths to getting published. Each of the reputable routes requires at least some work on your part. It is NEVER easy.

#TraditionalPublishing is where a publisher (of books, magazines, etc.) edits your work and publishes it, AT NO COST TO YOU. However, you have to be savvy about where you submit your work, how you write your #QueryLetters, and sometimes you might need to first get an agent. You have to get used to rejection letters and keep submitting your work to publishers despite those rejections.

#VanityPress is where a scammer CLAIMS they are a reputable publisher, or sometimes calls themselves #HybridPublishing, but they are ALWAYS a scam. They ask you to pay them money and sign a contract. The money part is always the dead giveaway.

Basically: "If you have to pay, RUN AWAY."

#WritingCommunity #WritingTips #Writer #WritingAdvice #SelfPublishing #ShortStoryWriting #TraditionalPublishing

@Outwriterandom
5/🧵 Copied from an anonymous author:

HERE’S HOW VANITY PUBLISHERS WORK:
They charge authors to publish their books.
They make money from authors.
They don’t make money from book sales.
Anyone can be published who pays them money.
There are no standards that are upheld.
Any editing done is very low-quality, sometimes no more than just using Grammarly.
No story is too boring, bad, or horribly written for them.
Book sales are irrelevant to them.
The author and vanity publisher split profits.
The majority of royalties are usually split 50/50.
The vanity publisher usually wants the rights to the book.

#WritingCommunity #WritingTips #Writer #WritingAdvice #SelfPublishing #VanityPress #VanityPublishing #ShortStoryWriting #TraditionalPublishing #HybridPublishing