Article by Harry Southworth

The Nobel Prize for Literature is treated to be the most elite accolade that is ever awarded to authors. This is why the honor is only bestowed upon people who have made a special or unmatched contribution to the world of writing and literature.
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If you are an aspiring author, you know that creativity and talent are not the only factors that will affect the success of your memoir, novel or song. Your words have to come from the heart in order to reach the hearts of the audience.

Here we have selected a piece of advice from writers who have already won Nobel Prize. These renowned authors come from different places and have a distinctive and special attitude towards their writing. Nevertheless, they all agree upon a few points that can help any amateur or professional who wishes to receive this amazing prize one day. Here are the best writing tips that can prepare you for achieving your goals:

Focus on the Imaginary World:
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A great Nobel Prize-winner's advice is to disconnect yourself from all distractions. Award-winner Kazuo Ishiguro stated that he would go on a crash writing mental state where he would write for more than 12 hours per day, disconnecting himself from all sorts of human interaction and communication. This helped him to reach a degree of isolation and focus where his imaginary world seemed more real to him than the real one. He wouldn’t worry much about the connection and correlation between the pieces that he wrote as he was more focused on letting his ideas out. His advice for writers is not to try to correct their works, but write, wait then focus on the editing at a later stage.

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Keep Your Eyes Open:

This is one of the most interesting tips from authors who received the Nobel. Winner Orhan Pahmuk advised all writers to keep their eyes open, watch other people, talk and listen to them. He believed that there is a story to tell in everyone’s life and a good author can take the idea and transform it into a beautiful novel. He also believed that a writer should never stop editing. He or she should allow different people to read what they have written and listen to all points of view before they have the final draft.

Avoid Big Words:
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Award winner V.S Naipaul believed that there should be something left to the imagination. He advised every writer and author to avoid using complicated words. Using simple words allows the reader to think about the meaning of the word and what lies behind it.
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Toni Morrison, another winner, explained that dead language would have a negative effect on writing. A writer shouldn’t try to tell everything in words. If they are talking about a certain event, idea or theme, they should tell one single story about it and let the reader understand the meaning that lies within the lines.
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Self-Reflection is the Key:

An author or any other creative artist should focus on their inner selves, what affects, what inspires them and what matters to them the most. This is why Naguib Mahfouz, an acclaimed winner, explained how he would reflect on the events that directly affected his lives and the lives of his friends and then incorporate them into his novels. What mattered to him might not have mattered to other people, but he strongly believed that an author should write about the things they can personally relate to.

Believe it and others Will:
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Fiction writing is not just about creating imaginary events. Gabriel Garcia Marquez explained that one fact will give legitimacy to the entire work if it is used right. He explained that a writer should believe in what he or she writes so that audience will believe it too. Regardless of the setting or the events, an author should create believable characters that come from real places allowing the reader to connect with them. His best advice is to make them have real traits, motivations, feelings, and flaws as this will keep the readers engaged.
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Writing is not about the end goal, but the journey and the process. A writer might not be able to write a single page for days then have it all flowing in a day or two. Focus on your inner-self and your ideas then give your emotions the time to blossom.

Author’s Bio:
Harry Southworth is a Literature Professor. He also writes for a local magazine and helps college students with finishing academic essays and assignments at https://eduzaurus.com. Besides, he has written many books and is dreaming of winning Nobel one day.

5 Essentials for Self-Publishing Your Novel
Article by James Daniels

The internet has enabled writers and authors to broaden their horizons and find a huge audience all over the world, and one of the most popular developments has come in the publishing world, with the rise of self-publishing.

These days you can get your book online, and available to sell online in a matter of minutes, once you have done the hard work of writing and editing your novel, of course. Here are five essentials you need to self-publish in style.

A Fully Proofread Manuscript

Self-publishing received a lot of criticism in the early days because, for all the good books that emerged such as The Martian (which became a successful Hollywood film starring Matt Damon), there were a large number of poorly-edited, poorly-designed books that flooded the market, cheapening the idea of self-publishing being legitimate.

However, in recent years, self-publishing has become hugely popular with authors who are prepared to spend the extra time and money in getting a professionally edited, fully proofread manuscript out into the book world. You need to do this if you expect to be taken seriously in the book community, especially when those book reviews start trickling in.

A Quality Book Cover

The old saying that you can’t judge a book by its cover doesn’t apply here. A cover is the first glimpse and understanding a reader receives of what the novel is about, and can be one of the reasons that many self-published authors fail. The book cover design is an important part of the process to help entice the reader into finding out more about the book, and ultimately making a purchase. If you’re not confident with design, you could pay a graphic designer to make one for you, if you have the budget to do so.

Print and Digital Copies Available

Although eBooks now sell in their millions due to the rise in e-readers and Amazon Kindle getting in on the action, some readers still love nothing more than to feel paper between their fingers, and the smell of a new book. Fortunately for self-publishing authors, you can have both, with eBook and print versions possible across the marketplace. Look into publishing your novel via CreateSpace in order to get a print and digital version out there in the world.

A Willingness to Market Yourself

One advantage of going down the traditional publishing route and finding a big-name publisher to back-up your book is that you won’t have to do all the marketing and promotion yourself, which self-published authors will have to do. For some authors, this is their worst nightmare, as they would rather be writing than spending time on social media and blogging on their website. However, many traditional publishers are now taking on authors who already have a large social media and online presence, as it makes their work a lot easier, so you should definitely be willing to engage with the online world if you want your novel to find a wider audience.

An Ability To Take Criticism

Bad reviews are as inevitable as breathing, and the quicker you learn that you can’t please everybody and grow a thick skin, the more likely you are to grow as an author and keep getting those books out there. JK Rowling, Stephen King, and Dan Brown are all multi-million selling authors, but they’ve also got one-star reviews aplenty on Amazon. They just don’t read them anymore. You should take the same approach, or - if you’re really thick-skinned - get into the habit of reading them and laughing them off. The quicker you learn to ignore bad reviews, the better you’ll get on in the literary world.

James Daniels is a freelance writer, business enthusiast, a bit of a tech buff, and an overall geek. He is also an avid reader, who can while away hours reading. He enjoys offering views and opinions on these topics.  
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