Answers Help Authors Write Better
Claudia Suzanne, Wambtac founder and The Ghostwriting Expert, says that to be a good author you need to read the writing of others—even ones you’re uncomfortable with. “Think of your current habits,” she says, “as steppingstones that brought you to where you are now.” Your current reading habits are comfortable but might not give you what you need to finish your book. So what do you need to read—and why will these insights help you?
1. How much reading do you do? Not all authors are book lovers. Some may only come to books when other media makes one book (or a series) exciting…or at least trendy. Maybe you’d never have read any of the Game of Thrones if folks you loved or respected weren’t raving about learning sooo much more about the world and characters from it. Ask yourself: Should I be reading even more than I write?
2. How often do you peruse possible competitive work? Maybe you think yours is the greatest book ever written on the Bitcoin trend. But have you explored to see what else is out there, competing with your message or perspective? A quick online search for “bitcoin” instantly brings up Bitcoin Billionaire: A True Story of Genius, Betrayal and Redemption and Truth Decay—How Bitcoin Fixes This: Unveiling the Path to Financial Freedom.
Just from their titles and a quick check of their Amazon listings, we gleaned these two have very different foci: one is a real-life drama and the other is more about money-making. Read these books or others on this topic and you’ll gain insights on what readers are already receiving and the voice(s) in which they’re delivered. Then you have a much better chance determining how yours can stand out.
3. How often do you accept challenges? This means reading through a topic or format you really don’t like. “To truly broaden your horizons and get an overview of publishing, you need to explore areas you’d never normally read,” says Claudia. Maybe you can’t begin to imagine reading (or writing about) science fiction or romance. Maybe you aren’t interested in cooking or psychology. “At least once a year you should read something that’s really not to your liking,” she adds.
4. How adjustable are you? If you’re someone who’s willing to use the first three pointers, that shows you have a somewhat flexible nature. Wambtac Certified Ghostwriters know authors who are emphatic that their book is the “latest, greatest,__ (western, self-help, mystery, love memoir….),” and insist that—except for some simple polishing—their tome is completed. As someone more flexible, that gives our ghostwriters hope that you’re willing to admit when you truly need help.
To understand the breadth of today’s publishing industry beyond your area or genre, take an online or actual stroll through a bookstore. This kind of big-picture perspective helps you recognize challenges that could thwart your book’s success (it can also be inspiring).
Wambtac ghostwriters are the only Certified Ghostwriters in the world. They’re not only excellent editors for your finished manuscript, they can mentor you through writer’s block or plot obstacles. Or they will write the book for you, assuring your satisfaction by working closely with you, chapter by chapter, to bring your book to its most saleable form, i.e., create a marketable literary property.
REMINDER
To truly keep learning more as an author before, during, and after your book’s development, check out the blogs on wambtac.com. Feel free to call us when you need consults to get your beloved project back on the right track!