Being a writer is an adventurous career, but it often comes in combination with struggles and setbacks. There is no such physical or mental task that can be compared to the one of writing. This is not only due to the complicated process of deciding on what we want to write. We all know that we cannot write based solely on willpower. Surely, this is an important prerequisite, but writing urges for creativity. Creativity is the most complex component of the process, and in the same time the most important one.

     Every successful writer must possess a certain degree of writing creativity. And of course, if one aims to being creative, they need some kind of inspiration.

     Have you ever been in a situation when you so desperately need to finish a writing task, but simply cannot manage to do it? Of course you have. Unfortunately, the moments of struggle with finding inspiration happen to all of us at a certain point.

     Every writer should have the goal of boosting their levels of creativity. The purpose of this article is to take a peek at the way inspiration works when it comes to writing and what are the best ways to find inspiration.

Is Inspiration Random?

     The belief that inspiration is random and one cannot do anything to find it cannot be more wrong. This opinion is somewhat of a myth, one that contributes to the limitation in writing for many writers out there. According to this theory, the writing is dependent on the moments when inspiration decides to strike. This means that the chances to be inspired today are about the same as the chances that you will have no inspiration whatsoever. If you build a writing career based on this, how do you expect to write for living?

Finding Your Creative Atmosphere

     Believing that you need some supernatural source of inspiration in order to write well is wrong. We have already established that your mindset has to be relieved of the myths about inspiration. If you understand that you are able to influence both your creativity and inspiration, you have a great shot at becoming a successful writer. If not, this mindset will sabotage your capabilities, talent, productivity and of course, success.

     Every writer out there has their own creative mood and atmosphere. After trying out many strategies, we have discovered that there is actually a particular creative atmosphere for every writer out there.

     Finding your creative mood is not an easy task. If you are finding it hard to focus on a task and are desperate for an even tiny bit of motivation, you really need to take measures into your own hands.

     Some people find inspiration when they change the location. Others find it more motivational to write at a particular period of the day, such as late at night. Sometimes, even something as simple as changing the room you are writing in can boost your creativity. Perhaps the room you are using for writing has elements that are disturbing to you, such as a TV or even amount of lighting.

     When you decide to take action, you should be ready to try out everything on your list. It is highly possible that you will not find your inspiration source right away, but this shouldn’t stop you from trying. Persistence is your key step to finding success.

     Maintaining a good writing career and distinguishing yourself from the competition is not an easy thing to do. If you struggle with inspiration because you did not put an effort in finding it, you cannot become a professional writer. Once you find your ‘magical’ source of inspiration, hold on to it. You can always keep visiting it when you start feeling like inspiration is no longer by your side.

About Jessica Freeman
Jessica Freeman is a professional journalist and a freelance content writer at the company Australian Writings @https://www.australianwritings.com/. She focuses her content writing on education, career, success, and academic topics.

     As the new reality in publishing continues to evolve, self-published authors are increasingly frustrated when they hit the proverbial book marketing brick wall. The future couldn’t be more promising for authors in terms of producing marketable work since there are limitless choices for editing, publishing, cover design and other services. Unfortunately, once a book is ready for release, effective book marketing strategies are almost non-existent.

Should Self-Publishers Avoid Hardcopy Books?

     Sales figures for self published eBooks are readily accessible. According to a study done in February, 2014, single-author publishers accounted for 14 percent of all eBook sales. While revenue to the author lags, authors who self publish should be encouraged that they are receiving significant exposure in the eBook market, which represents 27 percent of all books sold. However, on the print side, self-published authors are barely making a dent. In fact, looking at the Nielsen Bookscan Top 500 every week would reveal that self-published paperback books account for less than one percent of the total bestseller listings.

     The reality that hard-copy self-published books are almost impossible to sell is primarily driven by printing costs and the lack of brick and mortar bookstore accessibility. For example, look at the following two book listings in the horror genre on Amazon:

The Long Walk Kindle Edition
by Stephen King (Author)
4.1 out of 5 stars 1,279 customer reviews
See all 15 formats and editions

Kindle
$7.99

Paperback
$14.68
1 New from $14.68

Mass Market Paperback
$7.19
62 Used from $0.01
64 New from $3.62
1 Collectible from $15.00

The Suicide Society Paperback – March 24, 2015
by William Brennan Knight (Author)
4.7 out of 5 stars 9 customer reviews

Kindle
$2.99 to buy

Paperback
$15.63 5 Used from $15.049 New from $10.86

     Self published authors generally elect to use POD (print on demand) publishing options to costs and produce books as they are sold. Conversely, established authors take advantage of offset printing technology to produce thousands of books in a single run. As of this writing, Stephen King, who already has an enormous following, can sell his new paperback book at $7.19 a copy while unknown Brennan-Knight must charge $15.63 to cover costs and make a small profit. Who do you think will win in this game?

     Publishing hardcover or paperback books for vanity and promotion may make sense, but it is only in the world of eBooks that the playing field is level. Back to our previous example: Stephen King wants $7.99 for the eBook version of his novel while Brennan-Knight wants $2.99. Would a 63 percent discount in price compel you to choose the Brennan-Knight book that currently has nine favorable reviews over the King book? Maybe and maybe not, but at least Brennan-Knight has given himself a fighting chance. Coupled with the lack of accessibility for self-published hardcover books at local bookstores and the disadvantages are overwhelming.

     eBooks sales seem to have settled in at a steady 25-30 percent of the entire market, although those figures only include sales reported by established publishers. In fact, some experts estimate the total eBook market at closer to 50 percent of all book sales. In any event, your book marketing efforts should focus on selling competitively priced eBooks as you strive to gain an audience. Low-cost book marketing websites like The Hidden Author can help you gain the momentum required to raise your sales ranking with Amazon and other online book retailers.

About William Edwards
William Edwards is an editor and contributor with The Hidden Author @http://www.thehiddenauthor.com, which is a website that uses a unique membership system to help self-published authors increase their sales and reviews.

     A survey carried out 15 years ago showed that almost half of Americans didn’t read a single book in 12 months. Since then, reading rates have been falling. Sometimes this happens just because we don’t have enough time, but more often it’s just lack of motivation. So, before you turn to our foolproof tips for developing a reading habit, ask yourself a simple question.

     Do you really want to read more?

     Most of us know we SHOULD read more. Yet, we don’t really WANT to - we don’t truly understand all the benefits. That’s why so many attempts to read more fail.

     So, what are the benefits of "consuming" more texts?

• Keeping your mind sharp. Reading involves mental effort, it forces you to think - this is what television, for instance, can’t do.
• Becoming an expert. Having read around 15 books on a subject, you build a better understanding of it than most people. Having read 200-300 books on a topic, you reach the level of an expert.
• Changing your life. Self-help genre is the best in this respect, yet even fiction often gives ideas for self-improvement and making your life better. Reading a lot often gives you a chance to think in ways you hadn’t considered earlier.

     Being aware of what’s going on in the world. Books may give an insight about trends that will affect our future.

     Think of other, more personal reasons. If you are still sure you really want to develop a reading habit, try the following strategies.

Start your morning with reading.

     Why not start your day with investing in yourself? If reading is the first or one of the first things you do when you wake up, you will be less likely to skip it or just "forget" about it. This routine will help you make reading an automatic activity. You will also read later in the day, when you have time. However, if you know your mind tends to be slower in the first half of the day, then you might consider reading in the evening, when your concentration is better.

Set a daily goal.

     For instance, 30 pages or 10% of a book daily. In this way you will be able to read about 3 books a month, or 36 books a year. For bigger books, 10% is a lot, so you may want to read 5% in the morning and 5% later in the day.

Drop a book you don’t love.

     Having read 20% of a book you discovered it’s just a waste of time? Don’t be afraid to quit. Otherwise, reading will become a chore rather than a passion.

Keep a list of books you’d like to read.

     Amazon 'Wish List' can be rather convenient for building such a list. Avoid multiple lists, as you will very likely lose track.

Keep track of the books you’ve read.

     If you are able to see your achievements, it will help you build up motivation.

Make notes.

     Use note taking software that gives you a chance to synchronize information on several devices. If you prefer paper books, you may consider making notes on a piece of paper and keeping this piece inside the book.

Try speed reading.

     This technique is great for many types of books, including self-help books and books connected with one’s job. You will easily find books and software to help you increase your reading speed, but just to begin with, try the following simple steps.

• Run a card, a pointer or your index finger beneath the text - in this way you force your eyes and brain to keep pace.
• Stop "pronouncing" words you read in your head.
• Read in sprints: set a timer (10 minutes, for instance) and read faster than you actually comprehend.

Have a book with you everywhere.

     If you find paper books too heavy, opt for an ebook. You may be surprised by how much you are able to read during the time in lines, etc.

Listen to audio books.

     It takes more time to listen through a book than to read it, yet audiobooks are great when you can’t actually read (doing chores, walking around).

Make reading more of a social activity.

     Join a book club. There are a lot of online groups, but you may also find in-person clubs in many towns. Get a library card or find friends who share your interest in reading.

About Emily Luna
Emily Ardagh, aka Emily Luna, is a life-long literature fan. She likes to analyze poems, and shares her findings in her blog, A Poem For Every Day @http://emilyspoetryblog.com/.