Always Be Professional: Tips for Writers
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In my day gig, I work in the IT world in Richmond, VA. Even though it’s the state capital, it’s still a small community, and it’s not a good idea to burn bridges. It’s the same in the writing world. Here are a few ideas that will help along the writing journey.
If you commit to a deadline, ensure that you meet it. Someone is counting on you. (Now, if you’re sick or it’s an emergency, that’s another story, but give the person plenty of time to reschedule or come up with a plan B.)
If you’re asked to do something and you can’t, be up front and say no. You can say “I can’t do that right now” in a professional way.
Strive to be on time. Again, someone is counting on you.
If you can’t make an appointment or commitment, get in touch with the person as soon as you can. (When I book something, it’s usually by email. I always make sure I have a contact number for emergencies.)
Be prepared. Do your homework and be ready.
Be present. when you’re at a meeting or event, participate, listen, and be part of the conversation. Don’t be that person who can’t put his/her phone down.
Treat your writing as a business. If you go into partnership with someone or hire someone for a task, make sure you have a contract or formal agreement.
Pick your battles. We’ve had new writers on anthology projects who refused to be edited. If you choose not to follow the rules/guidelines, you’ll need to be prepared not to participate. And think twice before you fire off that email or text in anger. It could come back to haunt you.
Avoid social media battles. It’s okay to have a good conversation, but trolling and attacks will earn you a reputation. And even if you delete posts, there still out there somewhere. You are your brand, and you need to think of that as you build your social media platform.
Writing is a solo activity, but you do need to interact with others. It’s always best to be the professional who is easy to work with. Your reputation (good or bad) will always precede you.
