Five Writing Tips for Beginning Writers by Karilyn Bentley

When I was asked to write a blog on writing tips I was honored. Even so, I doubted I had the experience to offer much. Yes, I'm published, but I'm not a big seller, so in my mind, who would want my advice? The only advice I've written lately is how to write with a puppy, which is tongue-in-cheek and meant for a chuckle. What to write? What to write? I finally decided to write what I wished someone had told me when I started writing.

So, what should writer just starting out know? 

1 - For one thing, get a very tough skin. Or never read your reviews. Remember, for every person who loves your book there are others who hate it. And they aren't polite about it either. Get used to the fact not everyone is going to love your characters like you do. In order to survive as a published author a thick, impervious skin is a must.

2- A published book does not mean that you will be able to stay home and eat bon-bons all day. Yep, that's exactly what I thought would happen. Really. You can stop laughing. Except for a few envious souls, most authors have to publish several books and build a back-list before they start making a living wage. Even then, many of us still keep our day jobs out of necessity.

3- A published book does not mean your publisher will send you on an all-expense paid bookstore tour of the country. Small presses expect you to do your own marketing and publicity, and even being published by one of the Top 5 publishers does not guarantee a book tour. 

4- Get used to social media. Learn how to use it. Or at least present a profile on the top sites (like Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Goodreads). Spend some time marketing and doing publicity but don't get so caught up in social media that you forget you are a writer. The best publicity is the next book.

5- Finally, I'll leave you with advice from the great Nora Roberts: You can't edit a blank page.

So get to writing!

About The Author

Karilyn Bentley's love of reading stories, and preference for sitting in front of a computer at home instead of in a cube, drove her to pen her own works—a blend of fantasy and romance mixed with a touch of funny.

Her paranormal romance novella, Werewolves in London, placed in the Got Wolf contest, and started her writing career as an author featuring sexy heroes, and lush fantasy worlds.

Karilyn lives in North Texas with her own hunky hero, a psycho dog nicknamed Hell Hound, a crazy puppy, and a handful of colorful saltwater fish. More on Karilyn and her books can be found at www.karilynbentley.com.

LINKS:

Website: www.karilynbentley.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KarilynBentleyAuthor

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/karilynbentley1

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/karilynbentley

Blog: http://plottingprincesses.blogspot.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KarilynBentleyAuthor

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/karilynbentley1

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/karilynbentley

Blog: http://plottingprincesses.blogspot.com