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Want to become a successful writer? You can, even if you've never been published before, if you understand one thing: you need to build your name until you become a "brand name" writer.

Although you may never succeed in your brand-building efforts to the level of JK Rowling or Stephen King, as long as some editors and other buyers know your name, you will always have a long list of clients and will build a successful writing career.

It's very simple: the more people who know your name, the more people will buy your writing. Large companies understand the value of their brand; much of their advertising is solely brand-building - they want to get their name known, and they realize that they must constantly remind people of their brand.

Brand-building is Vital: People Do Business with People They Know

Writing is actually a very small world. People pass your name around. So if you've written for a magazine, an editor will pass your name on to another editor who's looking for a writer for a book.

If you've sold several articles to a Web site, another site owner will see your name and contact you. If you're writing a blog, many people will contact you to write for them.

It's been said that people have to see your name at least seven times before they'll do business with you, so the more you build your brand as a writer, the more writing jobs you'll get.

Brand-building for writers never, ever stops. If you understand this, you will succeed beyond your dreams.

So let's assume you're a neophyte writer, and discover how you can start building your brand.

It's a two-step process: decide what you want to write, and get your name in front of the people who can buy your writing. I tell my writing students that a writer's life is a simple one; there are just two things you must do each day - create, and promote.

1. Create: Decide what you want to write, and write

What do you want to write? Whatever it is, start writing. A writer by definition is someone who writes, and writes every day. So whether your writing is selling or not, you must keep writing.

If you're writing a book, send out proposals to agents and editors at publishing houses, and when you finish the book, write another one. It's common for writers to send out proposals for years, and finally get a multi-book contract. If you've only ever written one book, you'll never get to the multi-book contract stage.

If you're writing articles, send out queries to magazines, and keep sending them. Create a blog. Keep writing.

2. Promote: Get your writing out to people who can buy your writing

The second step (and remember that you do this every day, just as you create every day) is to promote - to get your writing out to people who can buy your writing.

Remember that people need to see your name at least seven times, before they're comfortable doing business with you. Whenever you contact an editor or other buyer of your writing, that contact builds a relationship.

Even if it seems there is no response (the editor or agent never got in touch), you're still building the relationship. Sooner or later, if you stay in touch, you'll get a phone call, and you'll have made a sale.

Have you started to build your brand as a writer? Whether you have or not, create and promote every day. And as you build your brand, you'll succeed as a writer.