PRACTICE IN PUBLIC Real writers practice. I’m not talking about rehearsal. I’m talking about doing what musicians and athletes and lion tamers all do to get ready for their work. To become awesome at their craft. They practice in public. They show up, every day, without excuse or complaint (okay, maybe some complaint). They perform. They go to work

You have to bare your soul on the page, then turn around and ask the world to look at it. I can’t lie to you. It’s harder than you think. It’s not enough to be good. You have to be great. Nobody cares about you. People care about themselves. It’s more about who you know than what you know.

It may be subtle at first, but if you continue—if you persevere—you’ll discover a reality all professionals know quite well. Everything is practice. Every word you write and action you take is a chance to get better. And as you get better, as you connect with your voice and you start hearing you’re not alone, the blank page becomes less intimidatin

Here’s the truth: Most writers don’t like promoting themselves. I sure don’t. But what alternative do we have? If you want to matter, you have to get your content in front of people; you have to be connected to others: agents, editors, publishers, readers, and writers.

Helping people builds trust. With trust comes permission. With permission, the opportunity to share your work.

You need a brand. For years, I neglected this. I partnered with writers and organizations that had strong brands. I thought somehow their influence would transfer to me. I was wrong. It doesn’t work like that. Only you can own your own platform. Only you can manage your own brand.

Most writers are content to dream but aren’t prepared to do the work. They fail before they start.

found my dream not by searching for it, but by submitting to what I had always hoped was true: I was, in fact, a writer. All I had to do was write. Anyone can do this. All it requires is a simple, scary solution: Believe you already are what you want to be. And then start acting like it.

It’s simply an important part of yourself revealed to an audience. Not in a disingenuous way, but in a way that is helpful, consistent, and understandable to your readers.