Writers are Readers

Why Reading Will Improve Your Writing

While I was a classroom teacher, my primary goal was to instill a love for learning in my students. I did this in a variety of innovative and creative ways, as well as with simple ideas and strategies. I knew back then that writers are readers, and they needed to be proficient with each of these if they were to have a successful academic experience.

It is a sad fact that almost half of the people who graduate from high school in the United States will never again read a book through to the end. More than 50% who do buy a book never make it past page 20. It goes without saying that these people are most likely not writers.

The More You Read…

The more you read, the more your writing will improve. If you read in-depth books and articles about your area of specialization you will be even more prepared to write an ebook on the topic. It has always been said that readers are better spellers. But there is more to writing than just choosing the words and spelling the words correctly. Read for the joy of reading. We cannot expect people to purchase and read our eBooks if we are not regular, avid readers.

Read three books on a topic and you will know enough to discuss it intelligently. Read five books and you will be able to write articles on the topic and give your own point of view. Read ten books and you will be an expert in the field and will be ready to present your own thoughts, ideas, and perspective on the topic that others will want to know more about.

Positioning Yourself as An Expert and Authority…

That is one of the things I love most about the online world: You can read your way to expert and authority level status and the use this “writers are readers” concept to create product and courses where you will teach what you have learned by giving it your unique and personalized approach.

I was reading an article by writer David Stafford titled Writers Are Readers: Here’s Why the Books You Read Make You a Better Writer, and in it he shared…

There’s a cliche that “writers are readers,” and it exists for good reason. Writers are people who love the cycle of storytelling. It goes something like this.

Person reads a story and loves it. Person imagines a similar story in his or her own head. Person sits down to write that story. New person reads the new story. Repeat.

If you are a writer, you are probably a reader, too. And most writer-readers look to their literature for inspiration.

But you must be cautious when choosing inspiration. Every book you read will influence your writing, so read a lot, and read carefully.

Knowing your genre is essential. It’s the first thing editors look for, according to editor and author Shawn Coyne. If you don’t know your genre, and how to fulfill it and innovate its conventions, then your book probably won’t work.

With this in mind, you must approach your reading with the same considerations. Is the book you’re reading in your genre? Is it in a different sub-genre? These similarities and differences make a big difference.

Because what you put inside your head is going to come out somehow — unless you choose to compartmentalize it.

What’s the title and who is the author of the book you’re reading now or that you read – all the way to the end! – most recently? I had wanted to write professionally since I was about 10 or 11 years old. Always an avid reader, I never made the connection between reading and writing. Now that I understand this concept of writers are readers, there is no stopping me and my productivity in this area continues to soar.

I began my professional writing career by writing and publishing eBooks, and profiting from the sales in a way that encouraged me to continue writing.

My goal and intention is to empower you to live a life you love and deserve. Please keep reading as much and as often as possible. Then, begin a journaling practice and start blogging to get your ideas out to the world… we’re waiting for you to show up in a way no one else on the planet will be able to do!

I’m bestselling Wall Street Journal and USA Today author, marketing strategist, and entrepreneur Connie Ragen Green and I would love to connect further with you to help you to achieve your goals. If you are interested in learning how to optimize the syndication of your content, please take a look at my popular Syndication Optimization Training Course and consider coming aboard to increase your visibility, credibility, and profitability.