You Are a Writer (So Start Acting Like One)

It may be subtle at first, but if you continue—if you persevere—you’ll discover a reality all professionals know quite well. Everything is practice. Every word you write and action you take is a chance to get better. And as you get better, as you connect with your voice and you start hearing you’re not alone, the blank page becomes less intimidatin

And it can seem pretty slimy. Self-promotional. Narcissistic. Some people dismiss it as ego-driven aspiration spawned by an obsession with celebrity. And certainly, there’s some of that going on in our culture. But that’s not what I mean when I talk about platform.

Every chance I could get, I was writing. I didn’t care about anything else. I was euphoric. I was in love. Maybe you’ve experienced this. Maybe you hope to. Either way, I want to make something clear. You are a writer. You just need to write. It’s time to kill the excuses and start writing. Time to become a writer again. Not a marketer or an entrep

You can either create or react. But you can’t do both. Choose wisely.

Then something strange happened. I started to get better at my craft. All because of a few mere words (and the action that flowed from believing them). Through this process, I learned a crucial lesson: Before others will believe…

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Your brand is the sum of all the parts of you that are important to your writing.

When people tell me they want to publish a book but aren’t willing to build a platform or worry about marketing, I don’t believe them. If you want to be a writer—if you want this bad enough—you will work. Why wouldn’t you be willing to give this everything you have? If this is your dream we’re talking about, why would you hold anything back?

A channel of your own is essential to building a platform and extending your reach beyond your immediate networks. Without it, you are either borrowing attention or stealing it. The only way to earn it is by sharing a meaningful message through a channel you own.

Let’s think a little more strategically, shall we? Ultimately, there are three must-have relationships that will extend your reach, and each of them is absolutely necessary: Fans: You need to build meaningful connections with your tribe of followers. Friends: You need to connect with others who are doing what you are. Patrons: You need to earn infl