Kickstarting Your Writing Career by Jessica Brody

How to Kick-start Your Writing Career After Graduation

Freelance writing is a viable career, and there are no hard-and-fast rules when getting started. You get to experiment to find out what works for you and what doesn’t. Read this helpful guide if you want to write for a living after graduation.

Mindset First

Fear is one thing that stops aspiring freelance writers from growing their businesses. First, you’ll have to build confidence and just start taking action. Don’t be afraid to make a mistake or become upset if you get rejected by a client as that’s part of the growth process.

The next step is to identify your writing niche. After all, clients don’t usually look for generic solutions for specific problems. If clients want content for real estate or finance, they most likely will hire a real estate writer or a finance writer. Focus on at least three niches to help you find good clients.

Lastly, commit to your writing goals. Do you want to be a six-figure writer this year? Reach out to clients and create an online presence. Most importantly, find ways to improve your writing skills by enrolling in online courses and reading books on writing.

Choose a Business Structure

An LLC, or limited liability company, offers personal liability protection for your writing business, more flexibility, less paperwork, and tax advantages. Each state has different regulations on forming an LLC, so check the rules first before moving forward. When establishing your LLC, avoid huge lawyer fees by using a formation service or handling the process yourself.

Set Up a Process for Invoicing

Next, set up invoicing for clients, so you receive payment promptly. An invoice helps your clients understand the breakdown of the services they’re paying for, how much is due, and when they’re expected to pay. Use an invoice generator to quickly create and download customized invoices for your clients. You can also include your business logo, text, and photos in your invoice.

Launch a Writer Website

A good website lets you show off your writing portfolio, generate leads, grow your network, and stand out from the competition. Show off your personality and leverage your experience to help you land clients. If you want your website to rank better, optimize with the right keywords. Most importantly, start a blog and promote it on social media.

How to Land Writing Gigs

Before sending out applications, ensure you have a well-written writing sample. Consider applying to content writing agencies or pitching to magazines and businesses. Some writers do cold calling and cold emailing to get clients. LinkedIn is also a good place to find prospects, but ensure your profile is highly optimized and you have good writing samples to show clients.

The secret to a successful writing business is consistency. You can attract and retain more clients if you deliver high-quality work every time. If you can afford it, consider getting an editor to help you better polish your writing before submission. Additionally, ensure you meet client deadlines so that you’re more likely to get repeat work.

Freelance Writing Is Real

You can start your freelance writing business and earn a decent income when you follow the guide above. Choose a business structure, set up your invoicing process, design your own website, and start landing jobs. Stay consistent, confident, and committed to your goals to ensure freelance success. For writing tips and helpful resources, visit Read First Chapter.

Book Launch – Early Market Research – Part 3

* EARLY MARKET RESEARCH *

While your book is still being edited, you can do early market research. Begin by going to Amazon.com and searching out your main category. Record the names of the authors, the name of the books, and any series names. These will come into play later on when I tell you about two YouTubers you should watch and subscribe to.

Below are two videos from these two YouTubers who really helped me the most when it came to marketing eBooks on KDP and also researching eBooks with marketing in mind. You should watch these videos and comb their video library for other helpful advice. The only additional thing I will mention is that I also scroll down the book pages on Amazon and notice what other categories my competition is listed in. Write the category names down. You will get many more categories this way as Amazon is adding new ones all the time!

PICKING THE BEST CATEGORIES FOR YOUR BOOK LAUNCH:

Below is the video from Self Publishing Titans. He offers a free tool that I have used and it is great for picking the best categories for your eBooks. The tool is free and it's a cinch to install. He goes over the tool and what it can do in the video below. I would also recommend that you subscribe to his YouTube channel as he has amazing insights and his videos are straight to the point.

I learned from Self Publishing Titans about doing my pre-launch research. I found many more categories that I never knew existed. By doing this early research, I was ready with my 7 keywords and 10 book categories that I would need when it came time to upload my eBook. So have a look see at his video.

THE BEST LAUNCH STRATEGY VIDEO:

Below is a Best Book Launch Strategy video that I found amazingly helpful as a beginner. He also has wonderful insights into how the algorithms work, etc. Be sure to watch the video and subscribe to Dane's channel as he has a lot of great information.

This could take several days, but your eBook is with the editor anyway, so you should have the time!

Book Launch – Writing Descriptions and Blurbs – Part 2

* WRITE DESCRIPTIONS & BLURBS *

I start by writing a rather long (350 to 450 word) description. This is good for Amazon and the paperback cover. To be honest, I’m not that great at blurbs and descriptions, so I find someone on Fiverr and have them write a blurb and description. I paid about $25.00 a piece for two blurbs.

From the larger description, I keep reducing the description down to one or two lines. I do this because if you run ads on Amazon, you only have a couple of sentences. Same with Bookbub and some other websites. So it’s a good idea to do this when you have the time. I get antsy when my book is being edited so this is a good way to spend my time!

I also begin work on 3 new possible stories for new novels to get my juices going.

* CREATE A LAUNCH CALENDAR *

I don't pick a launch date until my book is back from the editor and ready to upload. I prefer stress-free writing and launching, so I wait until I'm ready to go. Once the book is done, I pick a date 2 months away. This gives me a chance to get Advance Review Readers and some feedback from at least some people.

You can create a separate Google calendar for this. I use an Excel sheet, as shown above, and fill in the dates and what is going on at that time. This allows me to keep adding and removing things.

Book Launch – From Proofreading to Editor – Part 1

* FROM PROOFREADING TO EDITOR *

Go over your proofreading check list and make all the changes. Read it on NaturalReader.com or use Microsoft Word to read it aloud to yourself. Then hand it off to an Editor. They will take a minimum of one month to do a line edit.

Once the Editor has the book, I usually rewrite the first chapter to see if I can improve upon it. And often, I do the same for the last chapter.

* BEGIN ON YOUR BOOKCOVERS *

If you do your own creative work, make at least one eBook cover. The template for Amazon KDP is 1600 pixels wide x 2560 pixels tall. Make the front cover using the template and a back cover using the same template.

If you do not do graphics, find a eBook cover maker on Fiverr or somewhere on YouTube. Copy about 5 book covers from your genre to show to the eBook creator. Tell him/her that you want yours to “fit on the shelf with these”.

The Paperback cover will need to know the page count in order to get the proper template from KDP. When you have a page number for the paperback, go to the KDP Paperback Calculator: https://kdp.amazon.com/cover-calculator Once you have your template, you can add the front eBook cover and the back eBook cover that you made and blend them.

Writers Tip – Initial Proofreading in Scrivener – Part 2

PROOFREADING WHILE STILL IN SCRIVENER - PART 2:

Once my novel is now in Chapters and I have proofread it while still in Scrivener, I mark each of the scenes that have exciting events, vampiric events, even humor, to make sure the story is balanced and has events and surprised all throughout the story. Some books I read sag in the middle as everything is gearing up for a big bang at the end.

I like to sprinkle the books with enough to hold everyone's interest. At least that's what I'm trying to do!

I will be starting a new novel soon, and at that point, I will make a video showing this marking of the novel for a greater overview of all that is happening.

COMPILE IN SCRIVENER AND SAVE IN WORD – Name the Document "First Draft of BOOK TITLE".

PROOFREADING IS NOW DONE IN WORD:

Do an initial spellcheck in word to eliminate any and all errors you may have missed in Scrivener.
Search for your usual mistakes. Below are an example of mine:

Awhile (a while)
going to (clean up verb tense)
it's (or its? - check)
draw (drawer)
beginning to (check for verb tense)
in order to (check for verb tense)
going to (check for verb tense)
starting (check for verb tense)
Okay (how many times it’s used)
Just (how many times it's used)
Really (How many times it's used)
Very (Find a better descriptive word)
." said (check glitch from auto correct)
." whispered (check glitch from auto correct)
and all ly words
Search all quotes to check for opening and closing quotes.
Word spell check and Word grammar check.

SEARCH OUT A PROFESSIONAL EDITOR:

The one thing I need to spend money on is a line editor. I felt comfortable enough with the plot and character development in my own stories, so I limited myself to a line editor. They go over your work looking for grammar mistakes, confusion in the story, plot holes, any glaring mistakes.

I did a hard proofread on my work before passing it off, so the editor didn't waste time correcting typos and things like this. So the better your ebook is, the more real pointers they will do for you.

The hard proofread ends with having the eBook read back to me by the AI reader in Word (Review tab) or NaturalReader.com which is a text to voice online reader. This is a great way to find mistakes you are reading over because you are too familiar with the work!

DURING THE EDITING PROCESS:

Put your eBook away for a week. This will allow your mind to refresh for the work that's ahead. If you will be doing Advance Review Copies for your launch, get prepared to find Review readers.

I found two professional Beta Readers and Proofreaders on Fiverr. They read the book, found several typos and punctuation mistakes, and gave me amazing feedback.

Other Text to Voice tools: Grammerly, Ginger, PaperRater, Reverso Speller, NounPlus, After the Deadline

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD A CHEAT SHEET WITH THIS INFO:

Writers Tip – Initial Proofreading in Scrivener – Part 1

PROOFREADING WHILE STILL IN SCRIVENER:

There are two levels of proofreading. The first level is proofreading for plot context to make sure the novel is complete. Before I leave Scrivener, I go over the different chapters and scenes and mark the following beats and make sure that everything is included.

Before I post the checklist, I need to say that I did not invent these ideas below. I have been listening to videos by other authors for several years now and I have taken copious notes and somewhere along the way I took a little from one author and a little from another. I think them all for their generosity in sharing their experience and knowhow.

Proofread and make sure you indicate where the following items are
a. The Hook - This is the thing or the event that will hook the reader's interest.
b. The Setup - This includes the setting where the story will take place. It also includes an introduction to the main protagonist/hero and what his or her wants or needs are in life, so to speak. This is the starting point of the quest. (The Quest)
c. Identify the subplot. Be clear on how the subplot affects the plot.
d. Inciting incident - This is the point where the story has it's first twist or turn. The Hero is pulled into a quest that he starts out not really wanting to go on. This is going in a different direction than "the setting".
e. Setback(s): Depending upon what type of novel you are writing, you will have one or more setbacks that create conflict and drama that move the story forward. You may want to clearly mark these as well.
f. Major setback: about 75% of the way through the book, the big setback happens when things look like they are not going to work out.
g. The final battle/The Climax - In high suspense novels, this can be a physical battle for life and death. In a less dramatic story, this is where the hero has to conquer himself or herself in order to be able to pull off their quest.
h. All is lost - Right before the Hero gets their second wind and has a breakthrough, they will have a moment of despair where all will seem lost.
i. The glorious/surprise ending - Hero wins/gets what they want
j. The aftermath - 99% point of the story - This is where the story wraps up and you see the "new normal" now that the hero has broken through their fears and saved things.
Check the following about the subplot:
k. "Subplot Development" - any crisis, suspense, etc.
l. Any plot twists or pathway turns for the subplot
m. Point out where subplot reaches high tension
n. Point out where the subplot is setback or fails, or feels at a standstill
o. Scene that resolves the whole story
Make a document to check your background and descriptions
p. Make sure you don't repeat information in multiple places. Make a separate sheet and record which chapters your descriptions and background info is at. This way you can make sure you have included everything and also make sure you haven't repeated anything.
q. For the series books, make sure you include enough background
for it to be a stand-alone book.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD A CHEAT SHEET WITH THIS INFO:

Writers Tip – Keeping Track of Background Info

DON'T TRUST ONLY YOUR MEMORY:

Reading through the first draft of my first novel, I realized that I had repeated background information up to three times! I had no idea I was doing this until I was already done writing the draft. Although Scrivener, which is a software tool for authors, has lots of tips, tricks and gadgets that are designed to help authors in every stage of writing, there was no way to check background info that was designed into the software.

What I learned the hard way was that I cannot trust my memory on what information I have written into the story. After my 8th novel, I have now devised a strategy that helps me eliminate that problem and am passing it on.

I make up a separate document inside scrivener where I track this background and descriptive information. Or if you are old school, you can write a list in pen and paper keeping track of the information as you add it into the book.

HOW I KEEP TRACK OF BACKGROUND INFORMATION:

Technique 1: Keep Track of Background and Descriptions As You Write:

The first one is to keep a separate document with a table containing 2 columns. The left column has a notation regarding the background information or character description. The right column, I put in what chapter I have that information in.

TABLE DOCUMENT EXAMPLE:

Background & Descriptions	Chapter Number
Physical description of Hero	Chapter 1
Description of job history	Chapter 4
Reference to past case (for series info)	Chapter 10

The only drawback to this technique is interrupting the creative process. I was stopping while writing to record the background info, etc. I did this for a while, but that's when I found Technique 2 which I describe below. That one worked better for me. You can pick which one you would like better.

Because I work with a plot outline, I write the entire story going from scene to scene to scene in Scrivener. I write using Day 1, Day 2, etc. instead of Chapters. This allows me to carefully watch my storyline and timeline together. Like I said above, I write the first draft and never look back. (You see how I like to repeat things!) I only re-read in order to "get my bearings" between writing sessions.

Technique 2: Begin Tracking Background after first Draft:

I stopped interrupting myself during the draft writing stage and paid no real mind to the background and descriptions. I added them as I was writing and kept moving. Then, after the draft is done, I shift into reading for context, to make sure the story is all there and all the dots connect.

This is the point where I begin tracking and checking on the background and descriptive info. This is the point where I made the table document and begin tracking the background and descriptions. If I have repeated something -- and I always do -- I remove it in one of the chapters.

This way, you can keep track of all of the background and other crucial info that you need to track. By putting it off until after the draft is finished, you prevent yourself from having to stop the creative writing process.

This is the technique I use now all the time. I wait until I've even set up with Chapters and I'm reading for context. That's where I start checking on the descriptions and background info and anything else I want to keep my eye out for. Any repetition comes out easily in this stage.

WRITING A SERIES BACKGROUND:

This same technique works with writing a series. I write each book as a stand-alone as well as being a numbered book in the series. This means I have to include background information as well as series information in each of the novels, without spoiling the surprise if they read the novels out of order. Some surprises can't be helped, but some can be hidden.

I make a list of all of the facts and background information the reader of Book 4 would need to read the stand-alone in context. I print out this list and as I begin to read through the novel for context (after the draft is done), that's when I check off and make sure all of the needed information has been included throughout the book.

Writers Diary – Planning your Mystery Template

In my humble opinion, writing mysteries requires a bit more planning than a novel about other subjects. You have to manage character arcs, crime arcs, clue dropping, red herrings, passage of time, as well as add pressure and suspense into the mix. This is a lot for a new writer.

I found this overwhelming as I began writing back in 2018. The two biggest tips I can pass on at this point are (1) write in Scrivener as you get a bird's eye view of your project all all times and (2) you need a template or an outline of some kind to work from.

WHAT I WISH I HAD WHEN I WAS NEW:

The main reason I've started this Writer's Diary is because I had searched and searched for writer's diaries online and never found anyone who was sharing their whole novel experience. That's why I am doing this. This is another one of the things I wish I had when I was new. I still consider myself new, by the way.

MY OUTLINES WERE TOO FLEXIBLE:

In my first few novels, I would start off with a loosely-planned outline in order to give the characters space to organically develop. I had noticed within the first novel that the characters did develop their own voice and personalities. I thought this open template would give me the leeway to let the novel sort of write itself. It didn't.

In hindsight, I was too open-ended about how the story would end. The characters would take on their own voice at some point in the story but because I had this loose outline, somewhere in Part 2 or Part 3, the story would start to veer off course. As I got to Part 3, I would notice I was too far away from the ending of the story that I had planned originally. But I wouldn't have any great ideas for a better ending either. I would even forget what the original concept for an ending was. Or I would look back and realize the story had veered too far away from a logical ending of the story or solving of the crime/mystery and I would need to go back and start rewriting.

I NEED A WRITING DESTINATION:

What I found by about the sixth novel was that I can leave the beginning and middle of the outline very loose, but I need to know where I am ending the story. I need to know how the crime will be solved, who the bad guy is, and how the clues will be dropped in order to manage the suspects, the red herrings and the suspense.

So I still keep my outline loose in the beginning sections but I make sure I know where I am heading, what corner I need to lead the bad guy into in order to wrap up the story. This gives me more security while I'm writing. It also helps me stay on course.

REMAIN OPEN-MINDED BUT CHANGE THE OUTLINE:

There have been times when a better story did strike me during the writing process. I can go with the new direction, but I must alter my outline so that the new ending is the new destination. I rewrite my outline of how it will end so I will have the self-confidence that I still know where I'm going.

This is a much more workable way to remain flexible but still have the boundaries and guard rails I need to write tight scenes and know where I am in the story.

START BY PICKING A PROTAGONIST OR A CRIME:

I start by picking a crime. My inspiration can be from a novel I'm reading, or a news article, an episode of Forensic Files, or sometimes they can be a combination of all of these. I am beginning to think more like an author and am starting to envision crimes happening in strange places or interesting environments.

PICK YOUR PROTAGONIST/HERO:

The most popular choices for heros/mystery solvers are police officers/detectives, private investigators, and amateur sleuths. I chose a private investigator as my first protagonist as PIs are easier to write about because police procedure is very complicated these days and that would have been too much to take on as a new writer.

I pick a Protagonist/Hero based on a personality type I think I can write convincingly about. If you are planning a series, you will want to give your Hero at least a few people that are anchors in his life. This will also give you leeway if you need to come up with a second novel as the stories can come through people in his/her life as well as from working.

I will reveal my Template - Planning Your Mystery in our next writers diary installment and how I start organizing my mystery elements.

Writers Diary – Pantser vs. Plotter

CHOOSE A PATHWAY:

I was lucky when I started as I knew, without a doubt, that I was a plotter. I don't write a letter without a short list of points I want to cover. But this can be a choice that can help you not get lost in the overwhelming number of things you need to keep in mind for any novel.

I won't go into too much detail as there are hundreds of youtube videos about being a pantser and being a plotter by more experienced people than me. But in one sentence, a pantser is someone who sits down and begins writing 'by the seat of their pants' without an outline or a template of any kind. Steven Kind is a pantser. Being a plotter means that you start with a template, and then an outline, and then begin writing the novel itself.

There are natural-born pantsers like Steven King, and if you are one of those, that should be your pathway. However, my suggestion to a newbie writer, especially if you don't know if you are a pantser or plotter, is to try to at least have a template and at least three-act play structure to keep you on track.

#WRITERS TOOL - MYSTERY TEMPLATE

There are probably hundreds of templates out there for you to choose from. If you search "writing template" at images.google.com, you will find hundreds of them. I incorporated several of them into my own custom Mystery Template. You can click here to download the template to have a look at it or use it.

This is the template I wound up using after at least a year of struggling with the other confusing templates. In time, I began to use a template that was divided into four acts, so to speak, but I'll talk about that one next.

Writers Diary – Can’t Makes Sense of the Hero’s Journey

ONE WRITER'S OBSTACLE:

As a new writer, I watched hundreds of new writer videos and read any number of how-to articles. Everyone referenced the Hero's Journey. All the experts claimed that all stories fit within this template and this would keep a newbie on track.

For whatever reason -- maybe I'm thick or a simpleton -- I was not able to wrap my head around making a mystery romance story fit into a hero's journey template. And believe me, I tried looking at it from ten different angles. This was the first obstacle I came upon. My first novel, which turned into a series, was about a private investigator who investigated mysteries but also had a character arc that had nothing to do with a quest or battling anyone. To this day, I must confess, I still don't get the Hero's Journey.

Years ago before I even thought of writing, I watched a video series given by a writer and professor named Joseph Campbell who first popularized this 'hero's journey'. If I remember the series of talks correctly, his specialty or his great love was that of mythology. Now, mythology, if I remember from my one course in school, was all based on quests and heroics of some sort. So I do see how mythology fits into the hero's journey. I just can't get how it pertains to crime mysteries, mystery romance or psychological mysteries.

Believe me, I tried so many times to reinterpret my stories into "The Hero's Journey" and I was never able to make it work. I also tried to envision the hero's journey when I read other writer's fiction, and I didn't see a hero's journey in their works either. At some point I did just give up with the hero's journey acknowledging that I must have a mental block about it.

WRITING MY OWN MYSTERY INSTRUCTIONAL:

During this same struggle, I also searched the internet high and low for a mystery writing template that didn't use the hero's journey, and although I found a few, they were still too esoteric in nature. They all appeared to be built on the hero's journey in one way or another. None of them mentioned the crime, clue dropping or anything you commonly find in any mystery, mystery suspense, psychological mystery, or even cozy mysteries.

Now, eight novels later, I have made my own Writing a Mystery Novel Instructional as well as a Mystery Novel Template. This is not being offered as any superior template, or even a workable template as I still consider myself too new of an author. But I do offer these to others who find themselves trying to put square stories into the round holes of the Hero's Journey. Maybe this can save you the frustration and hours of searching I wound up doing. That is my purpose for this offer.

I don't have a nice graphic with a slueth's circle, but this Mystery Novel Template helps me get my thoughts organized. I offer it as a #writerstool for newbies. This is another "I wish I had it when I started" tool.

Click here to open and save the Mystery Suspense Template.