Change The World With Words

You may have heard the story about the guy who stood in a Washington, DC Metro Station on a cold January morning in 2007, playing his violin. In the 45 minutes that he played over 1000 people passed by. Few people looked at him or stopped to listen. About 20 people absent-mindedly donated a dollar or two.  A few children stopped to listen and were immediately hurried on by their parents.

If you have heard this story before you’ll know that the guy was Joshua Bell, a professional violinist widely acknowledged as one of the greatest musicians in the world. On that cold January morning, he played one of the most intricate pieces of music ever written, using a violin worth $3.5 million dollars. Two days before, he’d sold out a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100.

Joshua Bell was the same person in the subway, as he was at his concert two days earlier. He played the same music on the same instrument.  The only thing that was different was the perception of the people who heard him play. One group perceived him as a professional, and possibly a genius. The other as an amateur who was, almost by definition, unlikely to be worth paying attention to.

How you present yourself as a writer will determine how you are perceived, and you don’t have to be a best selling author to present yourself professionally.

There are just a few simple steps to becoming a professional writer:

Write for money. 

Anyone who writes well can say I’m a good writer, just as anyone who cooks well can say I’m a good cook. But until she cooks her first meal in a restaurant, or caters her first event, and receives money for it, she’s not a professional cook. Until you sell your first piece of writing, you’re not a professional writer, but as soon as you do, you are. Whatever your day job, or your family responsibilities, however many other roles you have in life, when you are paid to write you are a professional writer. If you’re writing for money, you’re already there. If you’re not, try and make this the year that you take that step.

Own it.

Professional writers do not hang their head and mumble about doing a bit of writing in their spare time. If you’re writing for money, don’t try to pretend it’s a hobby or even a sideline. Simply say,” I am a freelance writer”. If you’re also a full-time mom, or accountant or waitress you can tell people this too if you wish to, and then add “and a part-time freelance writer”.  Practise claiming to be a writer. State it on your blog or website, your online profile, your business cards. The more you tell people you are a writer the more you’ll feel like one, and the more motivated you’ll be to keep earning money from your writing.

Act like a professional.

Professional writers have a business plan. They set goals, write regularly, meet deadlines, and keep records. They communicate with editors, publishers and other writers in a professional way. They join professional associations, attend writing events, and commit to ongoing training. They network. They don’t take rejection (too) personally.  In short, they see their writing as a business.

When did you first feel like a professional writer? Or are you still becoming one? Please feel free to share your thoughts in the comments.

This post was inspired by Christina Katz and one of the writing prompts in her Prosperous Writer Newsletter. Every year she inspires amateur writers to become professionals through her books and writing classes. Her book Writer Mama was instrumental in helping me to start writing professionally. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank her.

Image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net.

Related Posts

• Running a Freelance Writing Business
• Empowerment for Writers
• Becoming a Flexible Writer: How to Keep Those Writing Assignments Pouring In
• Trouble Shooting for Writers
• Platform Resolutions for Writers 2010