Good writing comes naturally to many. Ask any successful author and they will tell how they didn’t have to learn this skill. This is true, but there is more to this truth. So, how to become a good writer then? In today’s world, there are certain things you have to learn before you see any success in writing. With the current technological advancements and cut-throat competition in almost every field, one needs to learn a bit more than the basics to get somewhere one wants to be. 

Here, we have compiled a list of skills other than good writing you need to possess to be a successful author.

Basic Skills

Every job has its requirements. Whether you are a doctor or an engineer or a social media manager, there are some basic qualities you need to have. Similarly, writers are also required to have some qualities that make them stand out from the rest of the crowd. These basic skills are as follows:

1. Adaptability

Writers should have the ability to adapt their writing style to anything that their readers demand. Many a time, they are rooting for something that is completely different from your usual style. Listen to your audience as being adaptable and open to change will make it easier for you to write well. This quality will also help writers to get hold of different writing styles, hence improving their writing skills and also their knowledge.

2.  Time Management Skills

Managing your time well is crucial for success in almost anything you do. The same is the case with writing. You need to manage your time well because often, you might be juggling your passion for writing and a day job at the same time. So, to meet your deadlines, you will have to plan and prioritize your work. This way, you will know how much time to spend on researching a certain topic, writing it and then editing and proofreading it. All these ensure you deliver well structured, good quality work on time.

3. Research Skills

Good writing has a lot to do with research. This ensures you write about things more professionally. By doing thorough research, you enable yourself to gather many useful things about a topic that may be new to you but has already a lot of helpful content. Even if there is a topic to write that you think you know well, it is always wise to do your homework beforehand. This way, you’ll know about any latest trends and changes. The knowledge of doing research also helps writers to learn new words.

4. Editing Skills

You know your work and your written words better than anyone else. For effective writing, you need to learn basic editing skills. One of the best ways to edit your work is to listen to what you have written. By reading out aloud, you can easily find out grammatical mistakes, dull words, wrong spellings and even unnecessary words. This ensures your work has a fine quality and needs fewer changes in the final draft.

5. Originality

For a writer, originality is a must. With so much content available online, one has to be unique to be successful. Your unique style and original content are what can make your work stand out among other well-established authors.

6.  Multi-Tasking

In this fast-paced world of today, you need to keep up. Sometimes, a writer has to work on different projects, at one time and without having the skill to multitask, things can quickly go out of control. This is why writers need to know how to juggle different things at a time. While you write, you should be able to smoothly transition from a writer to an editor or an SEO expert.

Technical Skills

As discussed earlier, there is a surge in technological advancement in the past few years and one needs to know some basic technicalities about the way writing is done, and how the power of online tools can be used to generate awareness and create a buzz around it. Let’s talk about all of these, one by one.

1. SEO

SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. In simple words, SEO is the process of driving traffic to your website, so the website can become visible to target audiences. When you make your content SEO friendly, you are paving a way towards your target audience. 

So, if you are a writer, you mostly write about a particular niche, but it’s not like there wouldn’t be any other competition. There may be many people already writing in that particular niche. To get visible through the huge number of writers online and to get your writing noticed by your target readers, you should learn the basics of search engine optimization.  

Read more about some basics of SEO and keyword research for writing in this blog post here.

2. Word Processor

It’s not about a typewriter or a notebook anymore. The world has changed and so has the writing dynamics. We now have word processing programs on our computers that help with writing, editing, saving and even sharing files. For writing well-structured articles and proper documents, one needs to have a basic know-how of word processing programs like MS Word, MS Works Word Processor, Open Office Writer or Word Perfect etc. These, and many others are available for use online and you can choose any to get yourself familiar with to ensure effective writing.

3.  Content Management Systems

A content management system, also simply known as CMS is software that helps you create, manage and redesign your content, without having to go through the hard and technical aspects of coding and website development. It also helps you to add and manage your images to your website. In short, it makes content management simple and easy for even non-technical people. Thus, a good writer needs to know the usage of CMS so they can learn to manage their content. It comes in real handy with starting your own book blog or a platform where you engage and interact with your readers. Some of the widely used CMS programs are:

• WordPress
• Joomla
• Magento
• Wix

To know more about content management systems, you can read this article here about CMS. This article includes a step-by-step tutorial for beginners to learn the basics of the most commonly used CMS tool, WordPress.

4. Social Media Know-How

In this new age of technology, social media is leading the way for a lot of things. It has become a new market place for businesses, products and services to showcase themselves. The same is true for writers. You need to have a know-how of social media and should have a presence over it so you know what is happening around you. It will also help you to polish your writing skills by reading what other successful writers are writing about and what they do to have success in writing. It’s also a great way to keep in touch with your readers and share a sneak peek of what to expect from your book. Incorporating social media in your book promotions’ plan is a must to reach a greater audience.

You can read an interesting blog post related to promoting your writing on social media here.

We hope these tips and tricks can help you improve your writing. If you have any tips about how to become a good writer, then you’re welcome to share them with us on our Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

If you’ve been working on a story, then share your manuscript with us by submitting it here.