Wake up call
So I got a bit of a wake up call today.
A generous editor who shall remain nameless gave me some advice and
made me realise that if I really wanted to become a professional writer
I needed to start acting as if I already was one.
I've been so aware of my lack of experience that I didn't have the
confidence to just take on a job and do it. I was always checking to see
if I was doing it right. I should have just stamped 'amateur' across my
forehead and been done with it.
The tax man told me that until I earn over $3000 my writing is
classified as a 'hobby', and I guess that's how I've been treating it. I've
been embarrassed to call myself a writer, cringing every time someone
asked me if I'd sold a book yet.
Well no more. This will be my day job eventually and from this moment
on I'm going to toss aside my fear and behave as though it already is.
Here's the advice I got today:
A generous editor who shall remain nameless gave me some advice and
made me realise that if I really wanted to become a professional writer
I needed to start acting as if I already was one.
I've been so aware of my lack of experience that I didn't have the
confidence to just take on a job and do it. I was always checking to see
if I was doing it right. I should have just stamped 'amateur' across my
forehead and been done with it.
The tax man told me that until I earn over $3000 my writing is
classified as a 'hobby', and I guess that's how I've been treating it. I've
been embarrassed to call myself a writer, cringing every time someone
asked me if I'd sold a book yet.
Well no more. This will be my day job eventually and from this moment
on I'm going to toss aside my fear and behave as though it already is.
Here's the advice I got today:
- Don't send in revisions. Get it right the first time.
- Don't do anything that will give your editor more work.
- You are a professional - stand on your own feet.
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