Cartwright - How to be an Author: 36 Real Authors Talk Writing and Publishing

Writing has given me more than I ever thought possible.

There is a type of satisfaction that you get when you create something, whether it be a book, an artwork, or a song, and you get to see and hear about other people enjoying it. You know that youve made an effect on someones life, even if its only in a small way. Its one of the best feelings in the world.

Writing has also given me a new way of looking at books that I read myself; I enjoy them more now that I understand a little bit of what goes into them, and I can relate to what the author must have gone through to get their thoughts to a point where another person can read them.

Lastly, becoming a professional writer has allowed me to make an income doing something I enjoy, and has given me a lifestyle that Id never have been able to accomplish otherwise.

Particularly as a self-published author, I have a degree of freedom that I wouldnt have imagined 5 years ago. I get to work my own hours, Ive been able to travel and do my work from my laptop anywhere in the world, and I cant remember the last time I needed to set my alarm clock.

Thats not to say its always been smooth sailing: it definitely hasnt been.

There have been plenty of times that I wanted to throw in the towel.

Occasionally youll get a really bad review for something you poured your heart and soul into, and youll thing to yourself Why do I bother?

Ive had plenty of sleepless nights when a new book launch fails, or a major shift in the industry occurs, and I start to worry about how Im going to pay my mortgage, or put food on the table.

Overall though, Ive loved (almost) every step of the journey, and I wouldnt trade this job for anything in the world... and I think its fair to say that almost every one of the 36 authors in this book feels exactly the same way.

Everyone who becomes a professional author does so for different reasons. They each face different obstacles, have different goals, and choose different paths. The more authors that a new writer learns from, the greater the chance that theyll find someone they resonate with, and that theyll discover something that can help them in their own career.

Some of the authors in this book (like myself) are self-published; others are traditionally published.

Some have worked with agents, and others have chosen to represent themselves.

Some authors in this book generate hundreds of thousands of dollars in royalties, and have been involved with the publishing industry for years, while others are just starting out with their very first book.

Some exclusively write fiction, some non-fiction, and some write a bit of both.

Some of us write just for the joy of writing, others for the money, and still others because they have a story that NEEDS to be told.

One thing that every author in this book has in common though is this: weve all published at least one book. Each of the authors that youll read about has had an idea, and has worked at it, and persevered until that idea turned into something tangible. Every author here has struggled with the distractions of the real world, but has still made time to write down some words, and then turn those words into something special.

So, onto the book!

The format of this book is a little bit different.

We sent each of the 36 authors in this book a list of questions about writing and publishing. There was no word limit: each author answered with as much information as they felt they needed.

Youll rarely find a group of authors so willing to be open and honest about their mistakes as well as their successes, and hopefully this book will help you make less of the former and have more of the latter.

Happy reading.

Ashton.