Proven Strategies for Aspiring Female Authors.
Have you ever dreamed of holding your published book in your hands, feeling the weight of your hard work and creativity made real? If you’re an aspiring female author, that dream is within reach – but it will take perseverance, dedication, and an understanding of what it really takes to make it in the literary world.
The path to authorial success is not an easy one, but those who persevere are rewarded with the profound sense of achievement that comes from bringing their stories to life and sharing them with the world. The journey begins with putting pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard!) and writing consistently. But there’s more to it than just stringing words together.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore six proven strategies to help aspiring female authors like you turn your writing dreams into reality. From developing a rock-solid writing habit to building an author platform, we’ll cover the essential steps to set you up for success. So grab your favorite writing tools, get comfortable, and let’s dive in!
1. Develop a Consistent Writing Habit
The most important piece of advice for any aspiring author is this: write, write, and write some more. Developing a consistent writing habit is the foundation upon which your authorial success will be built.
It’s all too easy to let the demands of daily life push writing to the back burner. But if you want to complete that novel, memoir, or collection of poetry, you need to treat your writing like any other crucial appointment – by scheduling it and showing up consistently.
Set a reasonable daily or weekly word count goal, and stick to it religiously. It doesn’t matter if it’s 200 words or 2000 – what matters is that you write new material at the same time(s) each day or week. Consistency is key for building momentum and making steady progress.
To make your writing habit stick:
- Set a recurring alarm or calendar reminder to write at your chosen time(s)
- Create a distraction-free writing environment
- Use apps like Freedom or Forest to block distracting websites/apps
- Reward yourself after each writing session, even if it’s just a snack or a walk around the block
- Track your progress in a spreadsheet or app like Pacemaker
- Join an online writing group for accountability and support
The more you make writing an unshakeable part of your routine, the more you’ll get done over time. Those words will add up, and before you know it, you’ll have a completed draft!
2. Read Voraciously in Your Genre
You can’t become an excellent writer without also being an avid reader, especially in the genre(s) you want to write. Reading widely exposes you to different styles, tropes, character arcs, and plot devices commonly used in your genre. It helps you understand reader expectations and what makes a book successful.
So if you’re writing a romance novel, read the latest bestsellers and backlists of your favorite romance authors. If you’re working on a young adult fantasy series, devour as many YA fantasy books as you can get your hands on. Reading in your genre is like a masterclass in understanding what works and what doesn’t from a reader’s perspective.
As you read, take notes on:
- What resonated with you as a reader and why
- Effective ways authors hooked you from the opening pages
- How character arcs and motivations were developed
- Plotting techniques that kept you turning pages
- Stylistic elements you’d like to emulate or avoid
Don’t just read passively – read like a writer, with a critical eye. Analyze what makes the books you love so compelling. Then, practice applying those lessons to your own writing.
Reading broadly also exposes you to different cultural perspectives, which can help make your characters and worlds richer and more authentic. An aspiring author who only reads from a narrow range of voices is doing herself a disservice.
3. Hone Your Craft Through Practice and Education
Writing is a skill that requires constant practice and growth. Even the most talented authors had to work hard to develop their abilities. The more you write, study the craft, and get feedback, the better you’ll become.
Set aside dedicated practice time to experiment with different writing styles, points of view, tenses, and literary devices. Push yourself out of your comfort zone. Take on writing challenges or prompts to flex your creative muscles. The more you practice, the more your skills will improve.
In addition to writing practice, invest in ongoing education about the craft of writing. Take classes or attend workshops and conferences where you can learn from experienced authors, editors, and writing instructors. A few great educational resources include:
- Local college/university writing courses
- Online classes like those offered by Masterclass, Coursera, or SkillShare
- Writing conferences like AWP, ThrillerFest, or RWA’s national conference
- Books on writing craft like “On Writing” by Stephen King or “The Anatomy of Story” by John Truby
- Podcasts like “Print Run,” “Write-minded,” or “The Writer Files”
Studying writing techniques, story structure, character development, worldbuilding, and other key skills will give you a solid foundation to draw from. The more you learn about the craft, the more confident and capable you’ll become as an author.
4. Build an Author Platform and Connect with Readers
In today’s literary world, authors can’t just write books and hope people will find them. You need to be proactive about building an engaged readership – your author platform – from the very start.
An author platform is the collection of ways you connect with readers across the web. This includes:
- A professional author website
- An email newsletter list
- Social media accounts (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok)
- A blog where you share personal stories, insights into your works-in-progress, book excerpts, and more
- In-person events like book readings, signings, and literary festivals
The key is using these channels to share your personality, passions, and writing journey in a way that allows readers to get to know you. Don’t just broadcast – engage in conversations, ask questions, share snippets that give fans a taste of your work.
You can start building your platform before you even have a published book. Share about your writing process, participate in online writing communities, and begin collecting email addresses for your newsletter list. That way, when your first book does launch, you’ll already have an audience of interested readers ready to support you.
Leverage your platform to run giveaways, share exclusive bonus content, and keep fans excited about your upcoming releases. An engaged readership is one of an author’s most valuable assets.
5. Consider Self-Publishing as a Path to Success
For a long time, traditional publishing through the Big 5 publishers was seen as the only path to legitimate authorial success. But the rise of self-publishing and digital books has disrupted that notion entirely.
Today, many authors are finding incredible success by self-publishing their works, either as an entry point before pursuing traditional publishing or as a full-time career path. Self-publishing puts the power in your hands – you maintain complete creative control over your work, get your books to market faster, and keep a higher percentage of the royalties.
Of course, with that control comes the responsibility of editing, formatting, creating cover designs, and handling all marketing and promotion efforts yourself (or hiring professionals for those tasks). But for entrepreneurial authors, self-publishing can be an extremely lucrative way to build a writing career on your own terms.
Platforms like Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing, Draft2Digital, and IngramSpark make it easier than ever for authors to self-publish ebooks, print books, and audiobooks. You can start building an audience with lower-cost ebooks or even offer your writing for free initially to attract readers.
Self-publishing also allows you to write across multiple genres and pen names, diversifying your income streams. Or you can use it as a way to build your backlist and platform before pursuing a traditional publishing deal later on.
The stigma against self-publishing is rapidly disappearing as readers care more about quality writing than who published it. With self-publishing, the keys are producing professional-grade books and treating it like the business it is through committed marketing and promotion efforts.
6. Persist Through Rejection and Setbacks
No author’s path to success is a straight line. Every writer faces rejection, setbacks, harsh criticism, and moments of doubt and discouragement. The difference between those who make it and those who don’t? Persistence.
Rejection is part of the process, whether from literary agents, publishers, contests, or even negative reviews once your book is out in the world. It’s impossible to appeal to everyone’s tastes. But rejection isn’t a sign that you should give up – it’s a reminder to keep improving your craft, adjusting your approach, and persisting in sharing your stories.
When you face rejection or setbacks:
- Allow yourself to feel the disappointment, but don’t wallow. Regroup and get back to writing.
- Seek out constructive feedback that can help you identify areas for improvement.
- Celebrate small wins and milestones along the way to keep your motivation up.
- Surround yourself with a supportive community of fellow writers who understand what you’re going through.
- Keep querying, keep submitting, keep putting yourself and your work out there.
The authors you admire most have all faced their own rejections and setbacks. What made them successful was their determination to persist, no matter how many obstacles were thrown their way.
Rejection and criticism are inevitable in a creative career like writing. But they’re also opportunities – opportunities to grow tougher, to refine your skills, to develop a thicker skin, and to prove your commitment to your craft. Embrace them, learn from them, and keep writing.
The path to authorial success is long and winding, filled with challenges and discouragements. But for those willing to persevere through it all, the rewards of sharing your stories with the world make every struggle worth it. By developing a consistent writing habit, reading voraciously, studying your craft, building a platform, considering self-publishing, and persisting through setbacks, you’ll be well on your way to realizing your dreams of becoming a published author.
So keep writing, keep believing in your stories, and keep putting one foot in front of the other on this journey. You’ve got what it takes to write your way to success – now it’s just a matter of doing the work, day by day, word by word. The world is waiting for the stories only you can tell.
