Yes, it’s never been a better time to be a writer. I keep saying this and so do others. We all seem to agree on this point, however, there has likely also never been a more challenging time to be writer because of the spectrum of choices available to writers on a daily basis.

From the perspective of the writer, which seems to often take a backseat to the points of view of publishers and pundits, writing career growth is on a spectrum. It’s on a spectrum from the moment you start trying to sell your work when you begin to see how many possible targets you have for your best writing.

• Writing exists on a spectrum of lengths (from a tip to a magnum opus).
• Publishing options exist on a spectrum of options (from self-published to big six).
• Partnering options are also on a spectrum (from indie and unagented to traditional and agented).

Just because you are traditionally published and agented, does not mean that you can’t also make the most of micro-publishing opportunities. And just because you are not agented, does not mean that you can’t also make the most of micro-publishing opportunities.

Increasingly publishers agree. They won’t turn down work just because it has already been published.

So what are you waiting for, writers? I’ve been telling you to produce your own careers for seven years. Barry Eisler calls it be the CEO. I don’t care what you call it. I just care that you step up to the podium and start orchestrating your own success because no one else is going to do it for you. There are no more good reasons not to write your best work and get it out there in multiple formats.

I know it’s a bit overwhelming because there are so many choices at any one given moment. I wrote The Writer’s Workout to aide writers during these tricky times (Amazon link). It’s a great tool to help you get focused and stay focused on your journey.

The thrust of the four season sections are listed below:

• Spring: Find your writing  momentum
• Summer: Sell your words
• Fall: Work your platform dynamic
• Winter: Build a body of work and a life-long career

I have said that indie publishing is dead. Indie publishing isn’t dead because it’s no longer an option. What’s dead is the idea that you have to choose us or them–indie or traditional. Every writer is a publisher now, and once we all accept that, likely by the end of 2012, we won’t need the distinction between the indies and the traditionals any longer. Every writer will be an author. Every author will be a publisher, even if they are also traditionally published.

There will be a spectrum of choices at every decision-making juncture. That’s what we are seeing in the news with best-selling authors already. And perhaps that’s how it should be.

Thoughts? Comments? Objections?

~ Photo, revolution, by Peej’s Photos

Here are ten reasons I love platform development and building that I want to share with you. These are also the reasons why I never tire of platform development/building and will never stop doing it.

I dedicate this post to all of my students who work in such a holistic, integrated, joyful manner towards profitable self-expression, continually learning and discovering things about themselves and their readers along the way.

Love platform-building because:

1. There is nobody else like you, who is passionate about what you are passionate about, and who expresses what you express in the world the way you express it.

2. You never stop joyfully growing your platform, even after you get published,  even after you hit the New York Times Bestseller List, even after you are famous, and even after you are a household name. It’s just a part of any genuinely creative person’s life.

3. You are a creative person, who gets to do creative work and share creative work with the world. What’s wrong with that?

4. Even when you are over-tired, over-wrought, and creatively exhausted, you will have the satisfaction that you did your best creative work and shared it with the world. And this is an extremely empowering feeling, which often leads to future creative work.

5. There are no rules! No one person has the secret platform-building formula. I spend most of my energy encouraging my students to find their unique note and sing it more loudly, expressively, and confidently. I encourage creatives to tap into what makes them uniquely powerful not become a clone of me.

6. You are not done yet. You are never done. You are a work-in-progress living in a world-in-progress. You get to realize your full potential on a daily basis. Not too many day jobs expect this of you.

7. Just as anything can be elevated to an art form, platform-building can also be elevated to an art form. And why wouldn’t you do it in your own particular kind of signature style? I call this social artistry. You should try it.

8. If platform development/building is uncomfortable or you hate it, you might be following bum advice. Even in the early stages, platform development should be expressive, creative, and empowering. If it doesn’t feel this way for you, take a step back and consider starting over with fresh priorities.

9. Platform busywork is not a replacement for your core creative work. Your writing, art, singing, acting, or whatever is your primary form of expression must be your first priority. At the end of a typical creative work day, platform development and building should probably not take up more than 20% of your energy. Or devote one day out of five to platform maintenance.

10. You still have other important things to do besides creating and platform-building, like selling, specializing, learning, and growing. Platform should accentuate your professional strengths and the beauty your work brings to the world. But you should not become a slave to your platform. You should not let platform squelch your creativity or self-expression. You should keep platform in perspective.

Putting platform before creative self-expression is always going to create tension because platform is an extension of creative self-expression, not a substitute for it.

If platform isn’t an extension of your creative joy, then there has been a major mis-communication.

Your platform is an extension of your creativity. And your creativity, I hope, is connected directly to your joy.

So, back to work, people. First on your creative work…and then on your platform.

~ Photo by Peter Nijenhuis

This post is dedicated to my Writing & Publishing the Short Stuff Dream Team.

Here are the kinds of things that beginning writer mamas get overwhelmed by:

• Finding enough time
• Battling distractions
• Guilt/Torn in too many directions
• Over-committed/Too many volunteer activities
• Don’t know what to prioritize first
• Can’t decide which idea to pursue
• Tired from working all day and caring for the family at home
• Lack of confidence/Can’t get out of the comfort-zone
• Unsure about the business aspects of writing
• Procrastination/Thinking about doing instead of doing
• Fear of both success and failure
• Not sure how to submit work
• Want national clips, but need to start local

And here’s the solutions I suggest:

• Forgive yourself for all you haven’t accomplished up until now. And now, decide to get to work without allowing any more excuses.
• Get your ideas down while they are hot. Just write the worst junk so you can capture the essence of the idea. Walking before writing can help loosen up your brain.
• Take classes with professionals you can trust. You’ll gain helpful information, an available mentor, and most importantly, deadlines!
• Don’t get hung up on the ever-changing marketplace. So many of the techniques that have always worked still work. You don’t need to try and reinvent the industry while you launch your career. That is not going to help you. Just follow professional advice closely and repeat what works.
• Keep your focus on simple steps. Like, if you don’t have clips, you need to get clips. (People who didn’t need clips were the exception, not the rule. Get some clips and get some experience at the same time.)
• Experience is what builds confidence. Nothing else is as authentic.
• Writing careers are built one article at a time, one acceptance at a time, and one publication date at a time. Keep it simple and know what your immediate goal is. Then work toward each goal.
• The accumulation of short-term goals leads to the achievement of long-term goals. That’s your trajectory for success. Think of it like a very long flight of stairs going up, up, up! Just aim for one success after another.

So get your butt in a chair. Grab a piece of paper and a pen or a laptop or a keyboard and get to work!

~Photo by geoftheref