One of the most common questions I see in writers’ groups is ‘how do I market my book?’ That’s a big question and there are lots of answers, but here are just a few tips to get you started.

When you submit to a publication, you have to remember that there are potentially hundreds (maybe even thousands) of other people pitching their ideas and their stories as well. Editors have to wade through all these submissions and pick what they can fit. There’s lots of reasons why your idea may be rejected, however there are some sure-fire things that writers do that have nothing to do with the writing of the story or the themes within that will ensure your submission is never even read.

Receiving feedback can be a painful process. As writers, we should actively seek it, but there’s no taking away that sting when your feedback says something isn’t working. And it’s ok to feel that sting. It’s only natural when you’ve shared a project you’ve worked hard on and feel passionate about to be disappointed when someone doesn’t love it the same way you do. BUT it’s also important to remember that feedback is about a piece of your writing and not about you as a person.

As writers we’re drawn to write about big ideas. We’re also told that good writing is writing that makes you think. Award-winning stories are those that discuss big ideas. But writing about big ideas is also where a lot of writers go wrong. It’s common for those approaching these sorts of topics for the first time to feel they need to write big epic stories that show the extent of a problem. But, both as writers and readers we need to bring the story back down to something small and manageable. The key is in simplicity.

Early in 2017 I attended a workshop on overcoming the barriers to your writing hosted by crime fiction writer Jock Serong. He suggested that Writer’s Block should instead be called Writer’s Detour. Because let’s face it, if you’re driving along a road to get somewhere and they’ve blocked the road, you don’t just give up going where you’re going or wait for them to remove the block, you take a detour, and writer’s block is no different.

Journaling is a popular way for writers to improve their skills and practise their craft on a daily or regular basis. The concept is simple enough; it’s like writing a diary—you write in it every day (or near enough), and you only write as much or as little as you want. Like a diary, no one else is ever meant to read it. It’s a safe place for you to write, to experiment, to muse, and to explore. Sometimes the words you write in your journal may make their way into other pieces or poems that you do intend to share but that happens when and if you want it to.

This list is a series of activities you can use regularly to help develop your skills and ideas. They’re designed to be flexible and reusable so that you don’t have to come up with a new concept every day.