Writing myths really hold us back. Sometimes when we are stuck in false patterns and ideas, we get nowhere but around and around. Writing myths can hold us back unless we break their power and adjust our thinking.
Writing has never really brought a lot of money for many people. The dawn of the Internet and even COVID-19 brought us more agility at publishing books online at greater speeds.
While writing is still hard work writing well is even harder. I can spit something out and it can be mediocre, or I can write well and edit it until it squeals and make it a work of art.
But, whatever the case may be, if you are a writer, then you know, there were some mirages put up in front of you that simply were not true. So, let me dispel the truth of these writing myths.
Get Rid of These Writing Myths
Remember, the only way around a myth is to realize that it is just that, a myth. If we cling stubbornly to ideas that are not true, your business will not go anywhere and if you are a blogger, author, or freelance writer, then you know that writing is part of your business.
While writing may be what you do for yourself, you will also open many other doors by learning the truth about writing.
We Have To Be Broke To Write
This writing myth used to be the truth, honestly, but now it is a writing myth. Writers would write and either have another income through something else have another job, or both. While both may still be true, we can still write and make a living and work on our masterpieces in our free time.
Your Books Will Sell Right Away
I won’t say that you shouldn’t write your books, but expect to work a bit on marketing to sell your books. It is a writing myth that our work is usually an overnight sensation.
Improve the book jacket, advertise your book on Facebook or set up a book signing if you have physical copies. But, in all honesty, I would not actually publish physical copies of your book until you begin to really sell the eBooks.
Your Books Are Enough
Your work is enough to sell, but it won’t sell very much unless you either hire a marketing expert, or you pretty up the package.
Get an amazing book design, hire someone if you have to, or use Canva. Whatever you do, realize who your target readers are and think about what will convince them to buy your books.
You Don’t Have To Start A Blog
I will never forget that new blog feeling when I hit publish and I got no traffic. We all go through it, and it is a natural part of blog growth and learning the craft of blogging. Because, in all honesty, blogging does take work, and it is a learned writing and publishing skill.
While most of us blog to eventually make money, it is a creative work that will reflect who we are on some level.
Find out how to start a blog on a budget.
You Will Make Lots of Money in Your First Year
So, let’s just get this one out of the way. You probably won’t.
When you first put your work out there or submit a query, you may not make much money as a newbie writer, unless you are just lucky.
This does not mean there is something wrong with your writing, it just means that you may not yet be ready to write a lot.
Don’t stop submitting until the flow of work comes. Keep writing and keep fine-tuning the craft.
You Need To Buy Expensive Courses
This one is actually not true. While we may need some help with some skills on our blog, you really don’t need to buy an expensive course. Look around on some of the coursework platforms for blogging courses that teach the skills you need to improve your blogging game.
Read this post for general places to find courses to take.
You Have To Blog With WordPress
So, this writing myth is also not true. A LOT of people start blogging on Blogger, and then later either launch a whole new blog on WordPress or redirect their blog to WordPress.
You really should go with your skillset when it comes to launching a freelance writing business. It remains a myth that you should be so flexible as to write just about anything, even if you know nothing about the topic.
I remember when I first started blogging, I did it with Blogger. And, it took me a couple of tries to move over to WordPress, because at first, I found WP extremely complicated.
Later, of course, I more easily switched to WordPress, but there is a blogging life on Blogger, believe me. And people take faster notice of you when you have a blog or website URL to give them.
You Can Skip Appearances
While sure you can skip making your blog look like an active blogging space, this is yet another writing myth that we need to let go of. I wouldn’t really recommend it focusing only on words and not appearances.
In any blogging platform, choose a white background and make a logo (even if you change it later), on photo editing programs for free, like Canva Free, PicMonkey Free, or GIMP.
You don’t have to make it with a bunch of bells and whistles at first, but make it look inviting. It is truly within the mindset of a writer who is more gifted in writing than appearances to overlook this fact.
All too often I have seen people with real talent have a really weak blog. Fair or not, this is a quick send-away if you publish content online.
I Have To Take My Own Photos
If you are awesome at this, then great, use your own photos. But, some of us (ahem) are not. You can find what is called open stock or royalty-free photos that you can use for free and are not copyrighted. Again, it is a writing myth that appearances are not important. Yes, our words are amazing and paint amazing images, but the online world wants bling along with their words.
Read more about creating images for blogging here.
Whatever you do, don’t just go cut and paste some image off Google search, it might certainly belong to someone else.
I Have To Get My Social Media Accounts Open Right Away
This writing myth also isn’t true. While you may be a social media guru and have an account or two for business or personal already, it isn’t necessary.
Share your posts and see what comes up. If people come to your blog or want you to write for them, then great.
If you are not a social media guru, of course, you may need to learn this skill, because this is one way to get your work out there.
They Will Just Come Running
This is a hard one to realize when you first start writing. When you first begin writing or sending out queries, people should just come running, right?
Fair or not, we are all individuals, and not everyone appreciates our work right away. We have to find our people–our tribe and team who appreciate us.
Your Writing Should Be All About You
We all go here, trust me, but this writing myth will hold us back from getting our work published sooner than we want. We want to write about our amazing life, and write a book about it, only to discover that no one wants to read it.
No, sweet friend, you need to make your work about your reader. Sure, they may want to know something about your life in a snippet in one or two posts, but they really read your writing for themselves.
Writing your content about tips and tricks that are helpful to your readers, and bringing them back is what you need to give them. Otherwise, they may not return.
So, There You Have It!
Writing really does have a lot of components to it. Especially in today’s online culture. But, letting go of these writing myths helps us become better writers, and also helps us find our audience and get our work published and noticed.
While writing for ourselves may be a short-term adventure, most true authors and writers eventually want to get published, and doing so takes us on the next part of the journey.
People may not want to read your novel just yet, but they do want to see how you write. They may come to your new blog once and not return for months.
And honestly, they probably do not just come to see your family or pet photos (although people like a few to get to know you) either. At first, they may simply come as curiosity seekers. But, as they continue to come and browse your work, they may become fans.
In order to keep them coming back, you need to:
Building a following of fans takes time and hard work and part of it means letting go of writing myths that hold us back from being the best writers we can be! Being authentic helps you find your readers and your fans. Don’t hold yourself back from finding them.
