What makes a successful Bestselling Author

Nine Characteristics That May Surprise You By Dee Power

1. Perseverance Is Key

Nearly all best-selling authors faced the same struggles early in their careers that less successful, even unpublished authors face. Immediate success is rare. One distinction of best-selling authors is that they do not get as discouraged by lack of early success. They persevere. Their desire to succeed is enormous. Best-selling authors often have to demonstrate the patience and stamina to write a number of books before achieving notable success.

2. They Write, and Write and Write.

The productivity, the writing output, of best-selling authors is much greater than the average writer's. They have the discipline to get up each day and produce high quality work. They don't wait for the muse to tap them on the shoulder.

3. They Like To Write and Write and Write

They would rather write than do anything else. It's not just that successful authors are more disciplined, though that is part of it; they simply enjoy writing more than other writers do. Many aspiring authors enjoy the idea of writing, not the hard work itself. Best-selling authors seem to thrive on the hard work, and they work much harder than we might suppose.

4. Promotion Is Constant

Best-selling authors never stop promoting their books, no matter how successful they get. Many still market at the grassroots level, not just through national TV or radio interviews. They take the time to visit and meet individual bookstore managers at both chain stores and independents. They never relax and believe they have "made it."

5. Marketing Is Critical

Even if they have never taken a business course in college, they have an innate sense of marketing concepts such as brand building and product differentiation. They closely watch trends in the literary marketplace. They understand what it is about their books that readers respond favorably to. They take a strategic approach to their careers and they realize that much more goes into being a successful author than the writing itself.

6. Fans Are an Important Asset

Best-selling authors listen closely to what their readers say, and try very hard to meet or exceed their fans' expectations, but they do not necessarily pay close attention to what reviewers or book critics say. They don't even necessarily expect good reviews. Word of mouth support from readers and booksellers is more important to them than reviews.

7. The More Success the More Pressure

Best-selling authors face more pressure as they get more successful. As they rise to the top, there are increasing demands on their time. Top authors lead three very different lives. First, the quiet, solitary, scholarly life of being a writer. Then participating in the team effort within the publishing house to make the book the best book it can be. This involves learning how to take advice from and collaborate with the professionals within the publishing house. Finally, authors must participate in the very public life of trying to sell books to the mass audience. They have to master all three lives if they intend to continue to achieve best-seller status.

8. They're Grateful

Best-selling authors are keenly aware how fortunate they are to have arrived at the top of their profession. They sincerely appreciate their loyal readers. They recognize that they have been chosen to receive a strikingly rare, special distinction by a bustling, competitive marketplace. The success, fame, and financial rewards that have come to them are often beyond the most extravagant dreams they had when they first sat down to write a book.

9. There Is No Single Profile for A Best-selling Author

Best-selling authors are seldom the top graduates from prestigious university writing programs. Writing may have been a second or third career for them, and the publishing industry values authors who bring life experience to their work, in fiction or nonfiction. Best-selling authors span all age groups, many different professions, and varied educational backgrounds. There is no single profile for what a best-selling author looks like.