3 Habits Every Successful Writer Has

You believe you're written a great book. You've also done your share of marketing. Still, dreams of fat paychecks have remained dreams, and you find yourself wondering if it is all worth it.

Is it?

Every successful writer will tell you a different story. Many will say it's about the money. You will know you're a success when you become a bestseller. Others will say it's when you write what you love and share it. Still, others will write only popular genres, those that bring in the most readers.

To be a success is individual, but the habits to get there tend to be similar.

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First, the writer is dedicated to the craft. Writing comes first, or close to it over almost every other life pursuit. It is more important for the writer to write than eat. Often, even when the writer is eating they are writing. The writer doesn't call his/her writing a hobby. Writing isn't something they 'do' when nothing else seems to be vying for their attention. Writing is something they are. If not for writing, they would die.

Second, the writer receives criticism with grace. They may not 'like' the criticism, the feedback, the review, but they take a look at it. The writer may get angry at the criticism, the feedback, or the review, but they DO NOT let these feelings grow inside them. They don't stop writing because someone doesn't like their work. They don't stop writing because another someone says they will never be good enough. They don't stop writing because... [you fill in the blank]. They use the criticism, the feedback, or the review to improve their writing [if need be - not all feedback is valuable] and then move on. 

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Last, the writer keeps learning. There is NEVER a point where a successful writer says, "Well, I know everything I need to know now." Writing, like all things in life, is a process. A writer, through time and application, can get better. They may even find that writing a particular genre comes easier to them than another, or that they write better in a particular genre over another. Marketing approaches change at least yearly. What works one year may not work the next. And marketing gurus are always finding new ways to connect with readers, so it's a good idea to watch what's happening out there. Readers want to be informed, but they also want to be surprised. What do you have to say that is unique to what you see others sharing out there?

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Habits take time to develop. They take time to stick. But a successful writer doesn't give up.