Especially when it comes to people who have taken action to achieve worthy and creative goals. Whenever I meet a successful author, musician, artist, actor or whatever … I try to find a way to pick his or her brain and discover what the person did to breathe life into their aspirations. I also pay attention to the qualities and traits that the most successful people seem to have in common.

Through the St. Louis Publisher’s Association and other networking opportunities, I’ve been blessed to know dozens of successful authors. I believe that taking what I’ve learned from them, and combining their strategies with my own views and methods, has greatly helped me to become a full-time, self-published author.

With that in mind, here is a list of what I consider to be the seven attributes demonstrated by the most successful authors:

1. They’re on a mission (or at least feel they have something to say). Many prominent authors write because they have to. What drives them goes far beyond money and recognition. They write and share their words because they have a story that needs to be told, a point of view that needs to be communicated, a message they feel the world needs to hear. To be successful, you must become an evangelist for your topic.

2. Their vision is stronger than the rules and obstacles they encounter. I don’t have to tell you that there are a ton of hurdles that aspiring authors run into. Many of them are tangible (such as editing, prepress and distribution matters) while others are mental barriers (like the fear of rejection, financial struggle and anticipated prohibitive costs to enter the field). What sets apart successful authors is their almost naive, child-like ability to not buy into common myths and let their greater vision guide them around any obstructions they encounter.

3. They understand the “self” of self-promotion. No matter what level of success you attain, you will always be intimately involved in the promotion of your books. Struggling writers wish they could hand off the marketing work to someone else so they can concentrate only on the writing. Sure, you can hire a publicist or assistant to help with some things, but no one will ever promote you as passionately as you can. To succeed, get on friendlier terms with promotion.

4. They make the best use of available tools. There are all sorts of ways to create, market and sell books these days. There are traditional methods such as sheet-fed printers, distributors, bookstores, trade magazine reviews, bulk sales to associations, etc. And there are relatively newer options at your disposal: print-on-demand, web sites, e-zines, Amazon’s Advantage program, blogs, podcasts and more. You don’t have to use every option (and probably shouldn’t for sanity’s sake). But you should at least be aware of what’s available and choose the best new and old tools for your book topic and personality.

5. They put a focus on readers and fans. What’s the number one factor that determines an author’s material success? Is isn’t the size of his publisher or the reputation of his agent. It isn’t the amount of her advance or the raving reviews she gets in the press. The only thing that matters is the number of people who purchase and read the book, and then rave about it to their friends. The most successful authors understand this and always put a priority on attracting and retaining readers … and turning readers into fans.

6. They think of themselves as a personal brand with a clear identity. People may at first be attracted to the title and subject matter of your book, especially when you’re a new author. But if they really enjoy what you’ve written, they will start to associate your name with the benefit you deliver through your books. Then, instead of looking for another book on your topic, your fans will seek out other books by you. Most of the top authors are known for a specific subject or genre, and once established, they crank out a series of similar books. You should consider doing the same.

7. They understand that being a solo author doesn’t mean working alone. The author’s life can be a solitary one – particularly when immersed in writing a new book. But successful authors realize that writing alone doesn’t mean they have to be lonely or feel like it’s them against the cold, cruel world. Even solo self-published authors can (and should) share ideas with other writers and assemble a team that might include editors, graphic artists, web designers, print brokers and more.

There’s my list of the seven success attributes. How does it compare with yours?

Bob Baker is a full-time author and independent publisher who has developed a successful niche writing and speaking about music marketing and self-promotion for songwriters, musicians and bands. His books include “Guerrilla Music Marketing Handbook,” “Unleash the Artist Within,” “MySpace Music Marketing,” and more. Get Bob’s free “Self-Publishing Confidential” report and dozens of book promotion tips at http://FullTimeAuthor.com/

Being a veteran author I get a lot of mail from readers and writers of all backgrounds. I receive a lot of mail from aspiring writers especially. I recently received many emails asking the same question: “I need help with my manuscript. Where do I get it? Can you help me?”

I explain to newbies all the time that published writers are not able to critique others’ work due to legal conditions as well as most of us barely have the time to finish our own work, let alone critique someone else’s. Yet, I hate leaving aspiring writers in the cold so I wanted to create this article for those just starting out who do not know how important online writing groups can be for new writers seeking publication and looking to better their craft.

Below are reasons why aspiring writers should not ignore online groups. I suggest that a writer become a regular on at least three writing groups of their choice. These are the benefits:

Writing Groups Can Lead to Publication

Writers’ groups are the home to many newbies as well as published authors, publishers, agents, editors and publicists. These are all people that all aspiring writers should get to know. Being in a writer’s group puts your name “out there” and you are getting familiar with important people in the industry. This could lead to publication in the long run. You never know whom you meet in a group and how they can affect your career. Although agents and editors do not look to the net specifically for finding new talent, they do offer their expertise through many groups and this is priceless to any new writer. A foot in the door could make the day of any aspiring writer because no matter how talented you maybe when it comes down to it, it’s about whom you know in the end.

Can’t Afford A Freelance Editor, Join a Writer’s Group

Joining a writer’s and critique group is wonderful if you know your manuscript needs editing and you can’t afford to pay a freelance editor. Most writing groups allow you to post chapters online for editorial advice. Some boards even allow you to upload an entire manuscript for these purposes. You can get feedback from published authors and agents themselves without paying an editor. Some new authors are frightened about people stealing their work. You shouldn’t be. This is an attitude that stops most writers from getting much needed help. I wouldn’t suggest you post your work on just any site. There are many respectful writing sites, which require users to log in or register before posting. If you are truly afraid of someone walking away with your work then these sites are your best bet. Also, Yahoo writing groups are good if you’re paranoid about your work being stolen because most of these are private groups.

Query Letter Advice

If there is one thing that all writers need advice on then it’s query letters. It’s funny that writing a query letter can scare even the best of us just starting out. Writers no longer need to be afraid. Writing groups were constructed for this very purpose. This is the perfect place for you to post your query and get free, line by line advice. It’s is absolutely true that a few critiques from a writing group can get you a contract with an agent. It happens everyday.

Friends and Colleagues

The hardest thing for a writer to accept is how solitary the writing world can be. It can seem even worse for a new writer who just doesn’t know where to go to meet someone like them. Writing groups do not only put you in contact with experts in the industry, but you can meet other new writers as well. This will build up your confidence. It makes it much easier when we see someone on our level, striving to do exactly the same thing we are. Writing groups can build wonderful friendships as well as enhance your career. You can never have too many friends in this business.

You Can Choose to Participate or Not

Maybe you’re the shy type. Maybe you’ve had bad experiences with forums and would rather not post on any. Lurking a writer’s board can enhance your career just as much as participating in one. The great thing about these boards is that most of them are public with the exception of some Yahoo Groups. You can troll and lurk all you like and if this is better for you, you’ll be able to pick up all the information comfortably. You can also email other writers in private if you prefer.

I don’t believe that new writers understand how serious writer’s groups are. They are not only a place to socialize but they do help writers with their goals each day. It has been proven that since the popularity of Internet interaction has soared, writing groups are responsible for guiding more than 50% of new authors on the right path. This includes educating them on contracts, finding agents, and searching publishers and the craft of writing. Every new author should make writing groups an important part of their career. This is a wonderful educational tool that you cannot refuse to ignore.

There are many writing groups on the net. Below are two of the most popular and two that I know for a fact have helped writers become published and successfully find agents.

http://www.absolutewrite.com

Absolute Write- this board offers wonderful interaction for all types of writers. They provide critiques and they showcase interviews with well-known agents and publishers to give writers in-home advice. They are also a great board for warning new authors about scams such as shady self-publishing and POD companies you should avoid. They also help writers decide what type of publishing method is best for them. AW presents a more family-like atmosphere than WN but they do not lack anything in professionalism. The atmosphere is very friendly and unlike WN they do have active moderators. They do not accept flaming and will ban a