List post

Five myths about writing
As an author, I have heard all of the following myths when writing was brought
up. I was told that it wasn’t a feasible career path or that I would be a starving artist.
Those, I am glad to say, are false. The key thing when it comes to writing is
simultaneously listening and not listening to what people have to say about your writing.
Listen to the constructive feedback, and block out the unsolicited advice and opinions
others may have about your work. Everyone writes to the beat of their own drum- why
should you be any different? On the topic of myths about writing, here are five myths
about writing that I am going to disprove to you.
1. You have to go to college to be an author
a. While it is true that authors who go to college can hone their writing skills
better, you do not necessarily have to go to college. There are numerous
authors who have never attended college and have still become best-
selling authors. I began publishing books before I came to college, and I
am still in college publishing books. If you have passion, then you have
direction.
2. You either make good or bad money
a. I have found that this is semi-true, but not entirely true. It’s not the
publishing that will hang you up, but rather the advertising and marketing
sections. Indie and self-published authors get to keep the majority of their
royalties, but they have to be in charge of their own promo. Traditional
authors have royalties cut from their sales, but they have the marketing
and advertising departments take charge of the bulk of their promo. If you
harness SEO’s and social media, as well as advertisement spots on social
media, you should be able to make a profit from your books.
3. You will be the next JK Rowling
a. I cannot tell you how many times I have heard this one. Everyone’s writing
journey is individualized. JK Rowling’s was personalized for her. Mine is
personalized for me. Yours is personalized to you. JK Rowling was a
woman that got lucky.
4. You can only be an author if you are talented

a. While it is true that talent helps, there is a difference between talent and
discipline. Talented writers remain at the same level if they do not write
consistently. Those who write consistently will gain more knowledge,
experience, and skill, eventually surpassing those who rely solely on their
talent. I like to think that everyone has a story to tell, whether you are the
story itself or you are the author.
5. You will never succeed
a. Success is an internal benchmark. For me, success is finishing and
publishing my books. I do my own advertising and marketing, and there is
always room for improvement. Authors who rely on external markers for
success, such as website traffic, purchases, and reviews, will be sorely
disappointed when the external markers don’t come. It is better to seek
internal validation rather than external validation.
Being an author is one of the best careers that anyone could ever choose.
Like I have said before, everyone has a story to tell. There is no such thing as a
boring person or a boring experience. The right storyteller can make snowfall into
an epic novel. You don’t have to make millions of dollars or become a bestseller
overnight. All that matters is that you finished and published the book.