Kristen Lamb has produced another excellent blog post explaining what it takes to be a successful writer in the 21st century. Hint: it ain’t only about writing beautiful words that millions will pay $19.95 a pop to read.
I agree heartily with her conclusions. At the same time, I’m one of those who is frustrated that writing as a career is no longer the “tweed jacket, cluttered study, crank out a book a year, let the agents and publishers sell it, then sit back and collect a nice royalty each year” ideal. Too many years of believing that myth, combined with not beginning a writing career until recently. Ah well, maybe someday I’ll become an expert internet marketer of myself, hopefully at the same time as I get that first novel published.
What do you think is necessary to be a successful (meaning published) writer in today’s world?