How to Become a Successful Author If You’re Just Some Person

I wanted to title this article “How to Become a Successful Author When There Are 33 Million Books on Amazon.”
It was too long, but I think it reflects what most people will tell you you’re up against. The market is saturated and only the geniuses succeed, right?
And yet, you’re still here, trying to figure out how to make it happen. Which means you either know yourself to be a genius (good for you!) or you know the truth about successful authorship:
Non-prodigies succeed in this field all the time. In fact, most bestselling authors would snort at the idea that they are exceptionally gifted. What they are is passionate and committed.
I can’t promise that this article—or any article—will put a Pulitzer in your hands or even a full-time salary in your bank account. The work is tough and not everyone makes it big. But I can promise you that you’ll get a lot further than most people expect just by showing up and doing the work.
And if you genuinely love to tell stories, the work itself will be well worth the journey.
So let’s give you the best possible odds in this gorgeous, messy literary world. We’re going to take this step by step, from preparing to write a novel to marketing your novel once it’s out there.
Step One: Prepare for Greatness

The life of a successful author isn’t all dreaming up stories and typing them out. If your goal is to make a real career for yourself, you have to cultivate a mindset, a craft, and a community, too.
Here’s how to set yourself up for greatness.
Define Success
When you imagine your life as a “successful author,” what about that vision brings you joy?
Is it connecting with readers? Living a creative life? Are you in it for the money? (If so, I feel you have a right to know there are faster ways to get rich.)
If you don’t have your own definition of success, other people will give you one.
And most people don’t know the industry well enough to realize that you can make a living off of books that Barnes and Noble doesn’t carry. Or that you can supplement your royalties with other forms of income and still proudly call yourself a working writer.
Or that sometimes all we really want is to write a novel that makes someone else feel less alone.
Start Writing Immediately
You may not be ready to dive into your novel, but you need to start working on your craft right away. Write a short story about a character in your forthcoming book. Write a scene you’ve been thinking about and then look for ways to make it better. Try some writing exercises.
You master this craft by doing it. Like, a lot. So start right now.
Read a Ton
And read actively.
Choose books that are similar to the one you want to write. Note what you like and what you don’t like. Pay attention to details like tropes, story structure, and character development.
If something strikes you as brilliant, use one of your writing sessions to emulate it. Write a scene of your own in the narrator’s voice or put a character you love in your own short story. The goal of exercises like these is not to steal, but to practice applying the techniques you admire.

Do Your Research
Want to know how to be a successful author in the monetary sense?
Know. Your. Market.
Research everything. Haunt the forums frequented by fans of your genre. Know which authors are absolutely killing it and work to understand why. Learn as much as you can about your reader. What fantasies are they hoping a book will fulfill? Or are they looking to be devastated?
Finally, stay on top of industry developments. Follow podcasts and blogs that keep you up-to-date on effective marketing tactics, industry trends, and new self-publishing platforms and formats.
Study the Craft
Research shows readers prefer books that are competently written. So take time to learn your craft. The world is full of endless resources for writers, including books, YouTube videos, and the many helpful articles at DabbleU.
In fact, let’s talk about one of your greatest resources for writing education.
Build Your Community
Behind every successful author is a bunch of other authors who weren’t afraid to say, “The pacing is a little slow. Can I offer a suggestion?”
“Did you hear about this new publishing platform?”
“You get a ten-minute self-pity sob. Then I’m going to call you and I’d better hear those keys pounding.”
Start looking for your people. You can find them at writing conferences, Facebook groups, in-person writing groups, and in the forums and virtual writing groups of the Story Craft Café.
Establish a Platform
Your author platform is the online presence you create to connect with readers. This could be a website or blog, a social media presence, a YouTube channel, an email list, a podcast, a combination of a few of those, or all of the above.
Stick with platforms you’re actually going to use consistently. If you know you don’t have time to write a novel and maintain a vlogging schedule, skip the vlog.
It may seem early in the process to start building your platform, but it’s actually the perfect time. Building an audience now gives you a big boost when the time comes to publish your novel.
Prep Your Mindset
Whatever your big vision of success is, enter the writing process with a much simpler goal: to write often and write better.
These are the things you must accomplish before you can fulfill any vision of author success.
The great thing is, you can nail this goal over and over and over again throughout the writing process. This means you’re constantly piling on victories, building up your motivation, and cruising in the right direction.
So let’s get to it.
Step Two: Write Masterfully

This is the heart of how to become a successful author. You’ve got to actually write something good.
Here’s how you make that happen.
Start
How is this even a tip? It’s so obvious, right?
Well, if you’re like most writers, when starting time comes, you’ll feel a powerful pull to unload the dishwasher. You’ll remember that you meant to research what your protagonist would wear in a job like theirs. You’ll have a sudden urge to call your grandma.
Getting started is the hardest part for a lot of us because first drafts are famously crappy. And writing a crappy draft is a super effective way to stir up a thousand doubts and insecurities.
Starting is scary. It’s also the step that separates successful authors from perpetual dreamers.
Write to Market
Hopefully, you already researched your genre within an inch of its life in step one. This means you’re ready to serve your readers’ expectations in step two.
Writing to market—that is, writing fiction with the goal of giving your readers exactly what they want—is one of the most effective strategies for writing a book that sells.
Establish a Routine
Continuing to write is the second hardest step after getting started. This is why you should establish a writing routine. Write at the same time in the same place every day, whether you’re feeling inspired or not.
If you can’t write every day, that’s fine. But most writers who have limited time find it easier to maintain their momentum with daily, short writing sessions than with fewer, longer writing sessions.
Treat your writing sessions like they’re your job (that’s the goal, anyway, right?). Don’t reschedule them to make space for anything that isn’t a funeral or birth.
Set Goals and Deadlines
Whether you measure your progress by word count, page count, chapters, or time put in, give yourself goals and deadlines. This accomplishes two things.
One, it gives you a concrete reason to keep showing up.
Two, it makes this massive undertaking feel much more manageable.
Fun fact: Dabble has a cool goal-setting feature and it celebrates every time you meet an objective so you don’t forget to.

Forgive Your Humanity
You might slip up from time to time. You might miss a session or fall behind on a deadline because you overestimated your speed. You might spend three sessions in a row typing and deleting, “I don’t know what I’m doing!” over and over again.
Everyone has been there. The successful authors are the ones who forgive themselves and keep going.
Also—and this is hard—resist the urge to bail when you feel that sneaking suspicion that your draft is trash. It doesn’t matter if it’s trash. That’s why we edit.
Step Three: Edit Expertly

You already know editing is a key step to becoming a successful author. But you may not realize that editing is an opportunity to learn more about your reader, your craft, and yourself.
So try not to over-protect the ego or declare your manuscript a masterpiece after two rounds of editing. Be curious, diligent, and unafraid to break your own heart.
This book will be better for it. So will every book that comes after.
Now, let’s talk about what this editing process looks like.
Step Away
Get some distance from your work but keep hammering away at your craft while you take that distance. Start plotting your next novel, do some writing exercises, try your hand at essay writing or poetry. Do whatever you want–just keep writing.
Stepping away from your novel allows you to come back to it with fresh eyes, making it easier to notice when the story drags or if that big speech at the end of act two reads a little cheesy.
Six weeks is a good break for me. Long enough to forget exactly what I wrote but not so long that I forget how excited I am about the story. Experiment and find what works for you.
Edit Yourself
Some writers like to edit themselves as they go. Others like to complete that first hot mess of a draft so they can see the big picture before tearing it all apart. Whichever category you fall into, you’ll still have revising to do when you return to your first draft.
If you feel a little overwhelmed by how… let’s say, “not perfect” your draft is, remember that it’s supposed to be that way. You try a thing. The thing doesn’t work the way you wanted it to. So you look closer to understand why.
Self-editing is the process of becoming a better writer.
Seek Feedback
Once you’ve done all you know to do to improve your novel, show it to someone else. Preferably several someone elses. This includes other writers, your mentor, professional editors, sensitivity readers, and beta readers who love your genre.
If you want to know how to become a successful author, you have to know how to be open to feedback. You don’t have to take every suggestion that comes your way, but you do have to be eager to learn.
Polish
Take all that helpful feedback and make your novel shine. Start with high-level issues, like reworking the climax or tracking your protagonist’s motivation more clearly.
Then you can dig into the nitty-gritty, like perfecting your dialogue or making sure your prose isn’t rife with excessive adjectives.
Once your style is as solid as your story structure and character development, you’re ready to put your work out there.
Step Four: Publish Strategically

If your goal is to become a commercially successful author, your approach to publishing and marketing is almost as important as your skills as a writer.
It might be exactly as important, but I refuse to say so because to say anything matters as much as the craft is to surrender my writerly soul. Just know that the business nonsense is crucial, and you should approach it with an actual strategy.
That strategy will vary depending on whether you plan to publish traditionally or self-publish.
Traditional Publishing
Traditionally published books are books that have been produced, distributed, and marketed by a publishing company, not by the author.
If this is what you want to do, your first order of business is to query agents. This means you reach out to literary agents who represent work like yours. Hopefully, you find a good fit, and that agent then shops your novel around to publishers.
Here are a few quick tips for nailing the query process:
- Research agents to find the best match for you. While it may seem efficient to blindly send a billion queries to a billion agents and see who bites, your odds of success are much higher when you can pitch your book as the perfect fit for specific agents.
- Workshop the living daylights out of your query letter. Query Shark is a great resource for this.
- Follow guidelines to the letter. If an agent responds with a request to see a one-page synopsis, send them exactly that.
Once you’ve found your agent, keep those business pants on. There’s more work to do. But we’ll get to that in a moment.
Self-Publishing
Most—if not all—of the books you see in a bookstore are traditionally published. For this reason, a lot of people assume self-publishing doesn’t belong on a guide for how to become a successful author.
But in fact, there are six-figure self-published authors. There are also seven-figure self-published authors. There are self-published authors who left traditional publishing because they saw greater potential for success by doing it all themselves.
Of course, that doesn’t mean self-publishing is a guaranteed path to success. You have to choose the option that’s right for you. Self-publishing allows you to make much higher royalties, but it also comes with unique challenges.
Most notably, you have to find readers and create a professional-looking product without the support of a big publisher. To accomplish those things:
- Hire a professional editor (or editors)
- Invest in quality cover design
- Keep building that author platform
- Invest in paid advertising
- Price your book effectively
- Create a launch plan that incorporates all of the above
Then do all the other things listed in this next section.
How to Become a Successful Author However You Publish
Even if you work with a big publisher who has a powerhouse marketing team, you can’t assume your publisher will invest those resources on your book. Whether you’re traditional or indie, your success depends on your own effort to connect with readers.
Here are some smart steps you can take both before and after your book comes out:
- Keep marketing. If you’re self-published, this may include paid advertising. For both self-published and traditional authors, marketing also includes things like email newsletters, social media engagement, podcast appearances, and more.
- Ask for reviews.
- Find ways to build and maintain reader relationships. Respond to social media comments, keep up your blog, set up readings and book signings, etc. It’s not just about selling books now. It’s about being on readers’ radar when your next book comes out.
- Pay attention to feedback. What do readers love (or not love) about your book? What are you learning that you can apply to the next book?
- Note any new discoveries about the business itself. What marketing efforts are the most successful? Have you become aware of new trends or opportunities you can tap into next time?
You may have noticed that many of these tips are as much about the next book as they are about the one you’re selling now. This brings me to the next phase of your author success strategy.
Step Five: Write Another Book

Then another. And another.
Very few authors make it big from their first book. (To get a sense of the actual numbers you might expect to see as a first-time author, check out this article.)
If I were to sum up how to become a successful author in a single sentence, it would be this:
Keep going.
Keep writing, editing, learning, evolving, publishing, marketing, and starting new projects.
This diligence is the true indicator of success, more so than inherent genius. You don’t have to be a prodigy. You just have to show up.
And at Dabble, our goal is to make showing up as easy as possible.The Dabble writing tool is designed to keep you on track with Character Notes, Story Notes, and Scene Cards all on hand as you draft your novel.
Try these and all other Premium Features free for fourteen days by clicking this link.
TAKE A BREAK FROM WRITING...
Read. Learn. Create.
Characters are the most important part of any story. They are the beating heart and the blood that flows through your novel’s veins. Yes, your plot and world and story structure are also important, but most people will fall in love with a book because they love the characters.
If you’re planning to become an indie author, one of the first things you might be wondering is: how do you price a self-published book?
Can't get a clear answer on how many scenes should be in a chapter? Here's how to calculate the answer for your book.
There's no easy way to determine how many chapters you should have in your book, but let's figure out how many will work for you.
You’ve cobbled together 100K words of sheer brilliance, but now you must tackle the hardest task. How do you write book titles, anyway?
Looking for great writing exercises for fiction writers? We've got you covered with prompts to inspire story, character, and more.
How much do authors make? It's a question every writer asks at least once. We break it down for you in this blog!
Theses six steps can help show you how to become a fiction writer. Figure out what works best for you!
Want to learn the secret of how to overcome writer's block? You've got to get to the root of the problem. We can help.
Fight scenes are what some readers live for, but writing them can be tough. Let's dissect how to write a fight scene in your novel.
Romance tropes are the heartbeat of what makes romance novels feel like cozy sweaters you want to snuggle into.
Not sure how to describe clothing writing? It's easier (and more fun) than you might think. Here's everything you need to know.
Character motivation is essential in creating characters your readers will care about. Learn about the types of motivation with Dabble!
How to start a first chapter: include action, character, plot, emotion, and motivation or you’re going to lose your reader.
Want to learn how to write exposition that's not so explainy? Divulge compelling backstory using these tried-and-true tips.
English is whack. Let's make something better. Here's how to create a fictional language in four simple steps.
How long should your chapters be? On average, chapters tend to range from 1,000-5,000 words, with most falling in the 2,000-4,000 range.
Need original character questions to inspire your work in progress? Dig deep with these one-of-a-kind character interview questions.
It isn't easy to write a good villain, at least not without the right ingredients. Let Dabble give you the perfect recipe for a villain!
There are a lot of pieces of writing advice you can ignore, but here’s one you shouldn’t: you need to include character goals in your story.
Why does character motivation matter? Find out why a thrilling plot is not enough and how to design motivation that resonates with readers.
Outlining your future bestseller isn't easy! But we break it down for you so you can plan a novel that rocks.
You might be wondering: how long does it take to write a book? The answer depends on a variety of factors.
Here are sixty-five character development questions, plus tips on how and when to interview your characters. Get inspired and get unstuck!
Conflict is what makes books worth reading. Join us as we explore the four types of conflict you can use to make you story memorable!
Do you have a writer in your life who needs a gift? Check out this list of 61 gifts for writers that will help them with their author dreams.
Need character ideas for your next story? Find a ton of original ideas and brainstorming questions right here!
The words you use to start a story are some of the most important you'll write. We'll help make sure you get them right!
A character flaw is a fault, limitation, or weakness that can be internal or external factors that affect your character and their life.
The Seducer/Seductress archetype can help you craft unforgettable villains and surprisingly sympathetic anti-heroes. Learn how.
The Orphan archetype makes for both inspiring heroes and unsettlingly sympathetic villains. Learn how to use this archetype in your story.
Explore the fundamentals of the Outlaw Archetype and how they serve your story. Explore famous examples of Outlaws in popular media.
The Common Person or Everyman is a powerful archetype that can instantly relate to your readers. Learn how to use it in your writing!
The caregiver archetype is more than a saint. Learn how to craft a fascinating, flawed, and deep-souled caregiver for your story.
The Ruler archetype is one of the most recognizable and is about stability and maintaining order through control and power.
The Creator Archetype breathes life into their art, often to an obsessive level. Learn all about using this archetype in your writing!
Get to know the Innocent archetype, from Buddy the Elf to Andy Dwyer. Learn how to write this lovable (and sometimes chaotic) character.
The Sage archetype is an important one in all storytelling—one that can either help or hinder the protagonist's journey in your book.
Explorer Archetypes long for adventure and seek out new places, ideas, and experiences to live a thrilling, exciting, and fulfilling life.
What is the Jester archetype? Find out what you need to know to give your funniest character true purpose and depth.
Lover archetypes embrace the love they hold for friends, family, their gods, or simply the world around them.
The Magician archetype is one of the most popular archetypes in writing. In this blog, we explain everything you need to know about Magicians!
What is the hero archetype? From epic heroes to anti-heroes, here's everything you need to know about crafting a compelling hero.
The seven basic plot points offer perhaps what is the most open-ended of the structure archetypes with broad, high-level descriptions.
Chekhov's Gun is a fundamental principle in writing. Join us as we examine what this principle is so you can apply it to your own writing.
What is three-act structure? Learn why this story structure is so effective and whether it can help you plot your novel.
Save the Cat is one of the most popular ways of drafting screenplays and novels in modern storytelling.
The Hero's Journey is a classic story structure. Learn why it's so popular among writers and how to apply it to your own storytelling.
We call it John Gardner's aquatic monstrosity, the Fichtean Curve is a narrative structure that can help you easily plan out your novel.
We break down Randy Ingermanson's Snowflake Method, a type of outlining that can make writing your book much easier and faster.
A New York City story coach shares her best tips on how to create compelling characters. She walks through each step in the process.
Learn about Dan Harmon's Story Circle—what it is, how it can help you plot your novel, and whether it's right for you.
One of the original story structures, Freytag's Pyramid is the foundation for dramatic stories and tragedies. Learn all about it with Dabble!
Learn how to write a children's book with this ultimate guide and template for designing a story that resonates with young readers.
In this article, we’ll explore what active and passive writing is and when you should use them. Contrary to some beliefs, sometimes passive voice does make sense. Not everything you write should or needs to be active (though it should be most of the time).
Editing your book can be a daunting task. In this article, we breakdown the different types of editing and when you should apply them.
Learn how to write a book synopsis that gets the attention of agents and publishers. It's easier than you think.
3rd-person limited or 1st-person epistolary? Here is what you need to know about narrative point of view and your story.
Story structures are the frameworks that tie your story together. A story structure can help guide your book to be the best it can be!
Bestselling author Kristina Stanley breaks down the three questions you need to ask to self-edit your book's characters, plot, and setting.
Which of the four character arc types is right for your story? And what is a character arc?
To write a romance you need to manage three separate arcs: your main character, your love interest, and the romance itself.
Character archetypes can help you write complex, three-dimensional characters. Learn more about them, including 14 common types, with Dabble.
Learn how to write a book in this ultimate guide. Plus find editing tips, map out a publishing journey, & download a free outlining template.
Unsure of how to start writing? This easy guide and checklist will help you turn your writing dreams into a reality.
Writing with proper punctuation can feel like the hardest part of writing. Don't worry, we've made a Beginner's Guide to Punctuation to help!
Plot is pretty much everything that happens in your story. So let's look at some methods that can help map out your story.
Snag this free, downloadable character development worksheet, designed to help you craft compelling characters and write an unputdownable story.
Finishing your first draft is quite possibly the biggest challenge you'll face as a fiction writer. To be successful, where should you start?
The publishing landscape is always changing, so many writers wonder: should I pay a publisher? Let's take a look at all your publishing options.
Time to learn one of the most powerful tools in your arsenal. Welcome to the Plot Grid.
Author's tone is an abstract, slippery concept. But once you've mastered this skill in your writing, you'll have a powerful tool for captivating readers.
It's time to start writing. Get started by setting goals, and removing some sneaky myths from your mind.
If you’re embarking on a topic that requires a lot of research, you might wonder where you even begin. How do you make use of all those juicy tidbits, and what kind of process should you use to ensure complete and total accuracy?
Writing well requires preparation. Set up your space, gather your tools, and adjust your mindset to crush your writing goals.
You have the knowledge and you have the tools. Time to become the writer you want to be. You got this!
Today we’re going to look at story beats to help craft your romance novel. Beats are specific points of significance that occur in stories that a) help keep the tension up and b) help drive the story forward. They can also be extremely useful in helping you map out your story before you dive into your first draft.
Not sure how to become a successful author—or if it's even possible? Learn exactly what it takes to make it as a writer.
Your writing method will determine a lot about your process. Are you a Plotter or a Pantser?
Have you every wondered whether you can make a living as a writer? It is far from easy, but we break down the way you can achieve your dreams as a career author.
Antagonists are some of the most important types of characters in stories, but also some of the most difficult to write. Let's breakdown what makes a good antagonist.
Prose describes how you write your book, and it can be challenging to get right. So, in this article, we cover what makes good prose.
Characters are the heart of a story. Let's talk about arcs, conflict, and growth.
Theme is subtle, tricky, and will likely be the most effective way to get your audience emotionally engaged. So how do you do it?
First person narrative is when you write using the words “I”, “us”, or “we”. It’s when your story is told through the eyes of one person and we spend time in their head, hearing their thoughts and seeing what they see.
Creating character arcs isn't for the faint of heart. You've got to be ruthless. You've got to be strategic. And it also helps to read this step-by-step guide.
We've got you covered with the best character template ever to help bring your story's characters to life!
Characters come with traits, flaws, problems and much more. Time to dig into those and start giving some depth to them.