Everybody knows the names of the current best-selling authors, right? But what about the writers who are successful, but not household names? How do you become successful, even if you don’t sell a million copies of your book?

Here are some tips:

• Forget success – yep, the Number One way to become successful is not to try to be. Focus on bettering your craft and writing the best work you can, instead of spending effort dreaming about the future and imagining your possible kudos.
• Keep it going – once you finish a work and send it out, don’t just sit there waiting to hear back. Start on the next project and keep working. Again, focus on the quality of your work and concentrate on sending more of it out there.
• Risk it – write outside your comfort zone. Try a genre you’re unfamiliar with. Write dialogue if you’re more comfortable with exposition. Experiment with a short story if you’ve been writing novels. Challenge yourself to stretch your creative muscle.
• Set boundaries – learn to say “no” to anything that will get in the way of your writing. Turn down interruptions. Stop letting the wrong people read your work-in-progress. Avoid friends and family who try to divert your attention. Focus on your craft and stand firm in your decision.
• Make your own path – some of the most successful authors are ones who didn’t follow the accepted advice, but did things in their own style. Maybe you can self-publish first and then sell to a traditional publishing house. Maybe you can finagle a book from that blog. Don’t just follow what “everyone says.”

What is your best advice for becoming a successful author?