How to get started as a writer (when you’ve never written a word!)

“Argh! I'm so frustrated! I'm not sure of the steps to take. How do I get started as a writer?”

“I'm overwhelmed with so much to do and still working on earning enough from home to quit my draining day job.”

“I'm not sure where to start.”

Does any of this sound familiar?

It should because you—along with hundreds of other budding authors—have been asking these questions for a while.

And I want to help.

I know what it feels like to be stuck in the endless cycle of questioning what you should be doing and when.

With the number one question on your lips… how do I get started as a writer? What do I do first?

To help break down the frustration and remove the overwhelm, follow these five steps to get started as an author, even if you've never written a word before!

How to Get Started as a Writer

#1: Validate your book idea

Find out if your book idea is going to make you money so you don't waste your time writing a book that readers won't buy.

Easier said than done.

But here's a process you can follow that will help:

1. Review Amazon to see if books exist on your topic. If yes, it's a good start!
2. Visit Udemy to see if courses exist on your topic. If yes, you're on a roll!
3. Google to see if websites exist around your idea. If yes, things are starting to heat up.
4. Use KDPRocket for final validation using the keyword and competition modules.

#2: Bust through your negative Nelly inner chatter

Tune out the inner negative chatter with positive affirmations, quotes, and imagery so that even if you don't believe it yet, you can fake it till you make it.

Part of getting started as a writer is about the right mindset.

If you think you can or if you think you can't, both are self-fulfilling prophecies…

Always focus on thinking you can and you will.

#3: Start free writing and journaling to build your writing muscles

Practice makes perfect.

Anyone can learn to become a great writer and it starts with free writing, journaling and writing prompts on the daily.

Not sure how to free write? It's where I recommend all new writers start.

If you want to learn how to get started as a writer, master the art of free writing.

Put simply, free writing is the process where you write whatever comes to mind, WITHOUT self-editing or thinking about what you're writing.

Give it a try!

#4: Find the right genre/niche to write in

Now that you've got your writing muscles flexed and your initial book idea validated, it's time to make sure that there is a hungry audience waiting to read your book.

This step is a bit more involved and is one you should take your time at investigating.

Start by looking at the potential categories your book idea might belong to. What are the top 20 books like in this category?

Are they well-established?

Are they traditionally published or self-published? Does it matter?

What is their Amazon best sellers rank?

Does the author have a website and a series of books?

All this information will help you determine if your book idea is going to serve a hungry audience.

#5: Embrace your new job title: Full-Time Writer and Author!

Get real with yourself and work out how many books you'll need to write each year to become a full-time author who makes REAL money writing books.

To get started as a writer doesn't mean you stop there. You need to put your business hat on and look at your writing as a business… IF you want to make money from it, that is.

You'll learn this and more inside my latest book, I AM An Author!

Check out how you can get your own copy below.