Building a writing/author platform has taken years of guest posting, blogging, and submitting to various contests and publications with modest results. However, sometimes you go on a hot streak, and your work is peppered into several corners of the Internet.
My actual inspiration to start a blog came months earlier after I was encouraged to create one through the internship I was currently enrolled in as a way to really start putting my writing out there in the freelance world. They had taught me basic WordPress skills. Now, I could put them to use without the intimidation of trying to learn how to build a blog from the ground up on top of all of the other preparations and skill sets that go into starting a blog.
Since then, I have finally begun to make money with my writing. It’s not much, but it’s a start. And every byline I achieve is another notch in my belt and another possibility to get my work noticed by the right people.
Maintaining a personal blog gives writers a place to display these publication credits and continue to write and post about topics they may not be able to find a platform for elsewhere. I’ve redefined the theme and purpose of my blog since its inception, but its goal is the same: to have a home base on which to keep writing. Here is a look back at the successful writing month that led to starting my blog.
A guest post on Leonard Tillerman’s website
I got to end 2018 on a high note. First, my guest post was featured on author Leonard Tillerman’s blog. His well-established online presence and continuous plugging helped my article to get widespread exposure and helped to boost my Twitter followers.
Best of all were the comments from people who said how helpful the article was. I make a point of trying to be as original as possible when I write, and I don’t see too many posts about continuity. We talk about mistakes in movies all the time. However, we don’t talk about making these same visual mistakes in print.
Indie authors have it especially rough because we don’t have an agent, editor, or publisher to help us. We have to beg friends, family, and fellow writers to read our work and help us catch these errors. But that’s asking a lot, especially if they’re doing it for free. So, it’s important to edit as best we can ourselves first, and continuity is a big part of self-editing.
Writing this guest post helped to bring me closer to the writing community. I’ve been out of touch since my old author interview series has waned over the years. The #WritingCommunity hashtag on Twitter has helped with that as well.
Support for Indie Authors Contest Winner
My writing highlight of the year, though, was winning the Support for Indie Authors December short story contest. The December contest was a call for comedy stories that had to incorporate the phrase, “That’s not how cookies are made.” So, I began to brainstorm.
A few days later, I was talking to my sister, and she said that she had a dream that we, along with our other sister, were transporting a dummy dressed as Santa in a car. We were in a bad accident. Everyone was okay, but Santa had been ejected from the car and had splattered all over the street. Bystanders thought that he was real because he was leaking some kind of red liquid that looked like blood. We laughed hysterically while everyone else looked on, horrified.
Then, a truck came by and hit him again, flattening him like a pancake, making us laugh even harder. Her retelling of this dream made us both laugh at how dark yet funny it was.
Sticking to the 2,000 word limit was the most challenging part of the story. But once I was satisfied with it and had met all of the guidelines, I submitted it to the contest and waited for the results.
A few days after Christmas, the winners were announced via Facebook, including me. I was ecstatic. You never know what material is going to resonate with readers. But like trying to judge your appearance, trying to judge the quality of your work is impossible. At the end of the day, it’s readers who make the call.
I have my sister to thank for the idea, and I have the judges to thank for the win. The story is titled “Three Sisters, Santa, and a Billboard.” You can read it here.
Renewed inspiration to write
Just a few small successes jump started the forming of this blog. Blogging is such a big commitment that it requires the right motivation in order to feel like it’s worth it. But it really is crucial to getting your name out there and having a platform in which to display your work. I don’t expect this blog to turn into a career. But I do expect it to be instrumental in furthering it. So, I hope you read, enjoy, and take something away from it in the time you spend in my own little corner of WordPress.
I’d love to hear your blogging tips and stories. So, be sure to leave them in the comments below!
