The Writing Life: Encourage A Writer--Today

Every writer gets discouraged. While I’ve been in publishing for decades, it happens to me. I send emails which are targeted and specific yet are ghosted or not answered. I make phone calls and leave voicemail which is not returned. I make pitches to hosts of radio programs which are unanswered. These rejections can feel like I’m spinning my wheels and not making any progress. Instead of wallowing in those discouraging feelings, I understand every writer faces such actions but the ones who get published and accomplish something persist and perservere inspite of it.

Not everyone returns calls right away. Not everyone answers their email and sometimes they ignore it. Not every pitch gets a response or gets accepted. These facts are reality and as writers we need to face life realistically.

Wherever you are in the writing life, you can help other writers. In this article, I want to highlight some simple yet important actions you can take to encourage a writer today. I've selected actions every writer can take no matter where you are in the writing journey--whether you are not published or have written many articles and books.

Who do you know that someone else needs to meet? Finding the right connection is a challenge for many of us in publishing. Often people will introduce someone to me and I will help them. Or I introduce a couple of people to each other to help them. It's a matter of thinking about your connections, then writing a short email to introduce people to each other. I've often said that who you know is as important in this business as what you know. Introduce some people to each other.

If you are a writer, you are a reader of others books. As you read a book, take a few minutes and write a review and post that review online. As I've mentioned before 97% of the people who buy a product like a book online, have read a review before they buy it. Recently I went to the page of an author I met at a recent conference. This author and his co-author had about 14 reviews for their book which released several years ago but had not had any new reviews for months. I ordered the book and now I'm reading it so I can post a review. It's a smple action anyone can take to help others.

I have purchased a box of simple thank you notes and another box with sympathy cards. There are always people to send a brief note of thanks and another group who have experienced the loss of a parent, spouse or other loved one in their life. In these computer-driven days, a physical note can mean the world to someone else. It's something anyone can do in a few minutes.

As you read blog posts and articles from others who influence your life, take a minute to write a sentence or two of appreciation or add something to their article. Since 2008, I've been blogging and it's pretty rare someone will comment on these articles. Several times a week, I make a point to comment on other people's blogs or articles.

Throughout your day when some else comes to mind, call them or send a short email of encouragement. If you have written books, can you mail a book to someone to encourage them?

These are a few ideas but there are many other ways to encourage another writer. What else comes to mind? Let me know in the comments below.

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How can you encourage another writer? This prolific writer and editor gives a series of practical actions any writer can take to encourage others. Get the details in this article. (ClickToTweet)