You Are a Writer Read Online Free Page B

for it, you had better learn the tricks of the trade — not so you can become part of the system, but so you can start changing lives.
    I wish someone would’ve told me this ten years ago. I would’ve gotten to work a lot sooner. And I would’ve succeeded, too.
    I wish I’d have known there were simple tools to help writers do what they were made to do: Write, not deal with ridiculous bureaucracies.
    I wish I’d have known how to network and make meaningful connections. And that it was all easier and less sleazy than I thought.
    I wish I’d have gotten online and started blogging much sooner.
    If I had done all those things when I was in college, I’d have authored dozens of books by now. I’m sure of it.
    But I didn’t do those things. Instead I waited for permission. To be picked.
    Maybe you are, too. If you are, consider this your official wake-up call: It’s time to stop waiting to be asked and start creating.
    The Most Important Lesson a Writer Must Learn
    For years, I’ve been writing and publishing articles — both online and offline. I’ve experienced the pain of being ignored and the disappointment of being rejected.
    In a matter of months, that all went away.
    Everything I’ve learned about writing query letters and book proposals has been thrown out the window. I’m no longer pounding on publishers’ doors, pleading to be picked.
    Instead, I’ve learned to choose myself.
    Without trying to sound like an infomercial, you can do this, too. And it will make all the difference.
    I’ve been writing my whole life, but in the past year I’ve learned the most important lesson about building a writing career, which means it doesn’t take long. Doesn’t have to, anyway.
    I’ve learned secrets and tricks to publishing that used to baffle and frustrate me. And I’m going to tell you how I did it: how I focused on the craft and wrote for the love of it. How I got published without having to plead and grovel. How the gatekeepers started coming to me.
    Are you ready to get started with this? To live the life every writer dreams of? To stop pitching and start writing? It begins with having the right tools.
    Three Tools Every Writer Needs
    It takes more than talent or luck to be a writer. You have to be intentional. Every successful communicator has three important tools, in some form or another. They are:
     
A platform to share your writing.
A brand to build trust with readers.
Channels of connection to distribute your art.
    Without these tools, your reach will be limited. Your art will only go so far.
    Let’s start with the first.
     

Building a Platform
    Every writer needs a platform. A stage. A place from which to communicate a message. This is the first tool you need.
    A platform is something only you can build. You can’t borrow or steal it. You can only earn it. It’s the permission people give you to communicate with them.
    There is no set form for any given platform; it all depends on the tribe you’re building. A platform is what you make it.
    The question is: Will you build one? Will you create your own rules? Or will you continue to be bound to someone else’s standards? To blend in with the rest of the crowd?
    Not sure where to start? Let’s look at some examples.
    Examples of Platforms
    There is no set way to do this. There are all kinds of platforms — which one will you build? Here are a few types to consider:
     
YouTube Channel
Podcast
Blog
Newspaper Column
TV Show
Speaking Career
    Oprah has a platform. So does Bono. As does J.K. Rowling. If you want people to pay attention to what you have to say, you have to be legitimate. You need to have a reason for people to listen.
    In the old days, a lot of this was left to chance. Musicians had to play a lot of dives before they ever stepped onto a main stage. Screenwriters moved to Hollywood and paid their dues for years before they ever made one of their stories into movies.
    But now, things have changed. Now, you don’t have to wait.