eBook writer – that’s me AND you

1. eBook writer –that’s me AND you Now, I am a professional writer and have been earning a living through the written word since 2011. It’s taken me a lifetime to be in this situation. Why? Because I never really believed in myself. I guess you are reading this because you are on the start of a journey to be an eBook writer. I hope this brief article will help you avoid some of the pitfalls I experienced. Write an eBook? Are you crazy? My first mistake was listening to others who never really supported me in my ambition. They weren’t bad people but for them writing and being a writer was too risky. Being a writer, there was no such thing as an eBook writer, when I first nurtured an ambition was really beyond imagination. I was easily discouraged by other people’s lack of encouragement. That was crazy, looking back. I mean, why would they want to support something they didn’t believe in or that just looked like too much of a risk? Forget the notion of genius. A swan paddles furiously to look so elegant! Also, I was too easily disappointed. If I couldn’t be famous with my very first poem I sent away then I wouldn’t bother. I cringe with embarrassment at the thought that I would be picked up as a genius without having put in any effort. That’s another thing, genius is not about brilliance. More often than not it’s about the 10 000 hours someone has put in to get where they are. Even a ‘genius’ idea is a product of all the experience that has gone before, even if do something that’s completely different. More often than not you are reacting against something that already resists. Fully formed ideas rarely form on a blank sheet of paper. Actually, they are more likely to appear on a napkin, a beer mat or the back of cigarette packet!

2. Are you ready to step out as a writer? However, for all my failings, wrong turns and lack of confidence at times, I have been a writer since I learned how to write. From the very beginning I scribbled stories and poems. My parents bought me books of poetry and I used the public library every week. Stories are what make me tick. Even when I speak, I am always creating information to sounds more dramatic than perhaps it should be! Does that sound like you? Are you truly a writer but have so far lacked the confidence to try? Life Is Your Creation Photo My Life Journal Look, writing is hard work. Being an eBook writer may mean you can release a book independently, but the amount of work is more than equal to traditional writing. Editing is key to everything I

3. do. Like any creative process it’s what you decide to keep and what you decide to delete that makes the difference to the finished product. I remember being in a creative class with the now Poet Laureate Simon Armitage. He was my tutor on the MA in Creative Writing at Manchester Metropolitan University. It was my turn to have my poem critiqued by him and my fellow students. I remember the poem very well. It was about the length of a piece of A4 paper. Everyone discussed the work and at the very end Simon said, ‘you know, Vivienne, the essence of the poem is in the last four lines. You don’t need the rest.’ Learn lessons every day about writing, publishing, editing and writing your eBook You can imagine my shock. I went home feeling a bit disappointed and a tad disgruntled. However, when I typed up those four lines on the screen, I could see that I had said all I needed. The rest of the poem had been a clearing of the throat before I reached the main point. That was a lesson well learned and I will never forget it. Your ambition doesn’t need to fade like a cloud Photo Martin Adams

4. Two years ago, I wrote a book entitled Create, Work, Earn Little did I realise just how prescient it was going to be. Post Covid 19 many people are being forced to reappraise how they live their lives, what they want from life and whether it’s time to do something different. We are far away from what used to be deemed normal. If you want to be an eBook writer, then now really IS the time. Everything is up in the air. Opportunities now exist that didn’t exist before. There are also profound changes that means life will never be the same again. What I say is that if you want to be an ebook writer then do it. Forget the advice people offer, especially if they are suggesting caution. Just because someone else does not share or understand your vision that does not mean you are wrong. I spent too long listening to others. It’s only when I broke out on my own that I achieved my dream of being a creative and being paid for it.

5. I you want to be an ebook writer let me tell you the journey is tough It is not a stroll in the park. But who wants easy? However, that is not a reason to put the ambition on hold. We have one life. We have been shown just how fragile this existence can be. If you don’t become a writer now then, when are you going to do it? If you need a writing coach, I can help. If you want to read about other people breaking out of the mould then grab your copy of Create, Work, Earn from amazon. If you need an editor then contact me here. We’re all on this journey together and I would love to be able to help you become an ebook writer.