Productivity | Content Creation | Writing Tips
How to Succeed as a Content Writer
Three habits that top content creators recommend
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When writing has been your hobby for many years it can be difficult to make a jump to treating it like a job. However, if you want to write professionally, that is precisely what you must do, and your writing habits will need to change from what they looked like when you were a hobby writer.
Here are some of the most highly recommended tips for being successful as an income-producing writer.
1. Write When You are Feeling Uninspired
“Write every day!”
This is the most commonly given piece of advice, and we say it a lot for a reason.
To write professionally, you cannot wait for inspiration to strike. Inspiration is great, and I would definitely recommend beginning to write immediately when you are feeling inspired, but you cannot wait for it.
To earn a living from your writing, you must be able to produce. A lot. This is especially true if you are a content writer and want to get clients and repeat business.
However, even if you are writing books, you must still be prolific. Volume is key to being successful as a self-published author. Your fans want to know they can rely on you for a steady stream of entertaining/educational/motivational content. You must produce that content even when you are not feeling inspired.
If need be, write something other than that you’re supposed to be working on just to get the juices flowing. Or write something awful just for the fun of it.
Do whatever you need to do, but get in front of your computer (or your notebook, if you’re old school) and write something. It is like a muscle that you must exercise in order to get stronger.
Work that muscle every day.
2. Make a Plan and Stick To It
Not everyone likes to plot. Although I have never been a pantser, I respect that that is how some people need to write. However, even successful pantsers have a plan in place.
Writers who have had the most success being seen and earning money all have some sort of schedule with dedicated times and a plan for what they are going to produce that day/week/month. It can be a goal of achieving a certain number of words, a certain number of articles or blog posts per week, or a book release schedule.
Set a reasonable goal that you believe you can meet, and break down how much you need to write each day to achieve that goal. Don’t forget to allow time for revising and other tasks.
If you find after a couple weeks of genuine effort that your goal is not realistic, then you can always adjust it.
Just stick to a plan!
3. Read. Then Read Some More
It is surprising how many writers slack on their reading habit. I’m guilty of this myself, to be honest.
We tend to put so much effort into what we’re working on that when we are done working we just want to zone out by watching TV, or listening to music, or doing anything that is not related to the creation of words.
However, your writing will suffer if you do this.
You must read what other writers produce. And it should not really be a chore. After all, that’s probably what led to you being a writer in the first place — your love of reading.
Make sure you’re reading a variety of things every day and not just for enjoyment. Do some analysis of what you’re reading. It does not have to be like school assignment — just get a feel for it.
How are people with viral articles laying out their thoughts? How are your favorite authors building plots and character development in their novels?
As a writer, we tend to do a lot of this intuitively without thinking about it, but make sure you’re dedicating some time actively analyzing these things. It will help you become a better writer, but more importantly it will help you understand what works well and what does not.
It can also be a source of inspiration on those aforementioned bad days. I can’t count how many times I’ve been reading an article and instantly thought of a point I would love to write about.
Think Habit, Not Hobby
Sticking to a daily writing routine is not just a good habit, it is fundamental to earning money as a writer. As time goes by, you will learn to produce content even on your most uninspired days — and it will be pretty darn good, too!
Now, get out there and write something!
I’m a content creator who procrastinates way too much. You can find more of my writing here.
