Writing career mistakes will happen, but these are some you can avoid.
by Anne R. Allen
Ruth and I like to say we made all the writing career mistakes so you don’t have to. I figure that I’ve collected nearly the full set of authorial faux pas since I embarked on a writing career.
So today I’m offering a list of some of the things I wish I hadn’t done when I was starting out.
I’m not saying these are always “mistakes” or that they will inevitably lead to disaster, but they did slow me down on my path to a career as an author.
1) Believing an Avid Reader is Automatically Going to be a Good Writer
When I started out I was sure I didn’t need no stinking critique groups. I was a voracious reader! I read tons of literary fiction and classics. Plus I got a perfect score on my English SAT. I’d even taken a class in playwriting at my prestigious Ivy League college.
Of course I knew how to write a novel!
Oh, the wasted hours…
Don’t do this.
Thinking you can write novels because you read a lot of them is like thinking you can play for the NFL because you’re a big fan of Monday Night Football.
Take classes, read books on craft, read writing blogs, go to writers’ conferences or join a critique group. Or all of the above. Writing in a vacuum is going to waste a lot of time.
2) Worrying about Publishing and Marketing before Writing a Book.
A reader asked me a couple of weeks ago if she needed a website when she’s beginning her first novel.
Not everybody will tell you this (especially if they design websites) but I say no.
This is the stage when you should be concentrating on learning your craft and putting the hours into creative writing, not marketing.
A static website is expensive and you don’t need an author website until you’re querying or close to self-publishing.
In fact it looks a little delusional for a beginner to have a fancy author website.
(On the other hand, if you’re into blogging, a free blog is a website and it’s a good way to start building an online presence and network with other writers. But you don’t NEED to do it when you’re still learning to write with that very first book.)
Social media didn’t exist when I was starting out, but I did have tons of anxiety about publishing. I was terrified of being sent on a book tour, because I have issues with agoraphobia
And yes, I obsessed about this stuff before I’d finished my first novel.
Public appearances scared me so much I think I fell into self-sabotaging habits. I didn’t have stage fright, because I’d been in the theatre for years. But onstage I could always be in costume and become somebody else, speaking somebody else’s words.
My fear was of being judged as myself. I know I’m not alone. See my post about “Fear of Success.”
Most writers today are thinking about book-selling instead of book-writing long before they have to.
I know you’re getting a lot of pressure to build your “platform” before you publish. But social media can lead to squandering your writing time on cat videos or political arguments before you’ve ever taken a writing class or completed some short fiction. Always put the writing before platform-building.
3) Badmouthing Popular Authors Instead of Reading Them.
I grew up in academia and went to fancy schools. So I was a teenaged literary snob.
When I hear my contemporary counterparts talking the way my friends and I used to, I have to laugh: “Bestsellers are crap. I can learn everything I need to know by reading the classics. I’ve read George Eliot, Virginia Woolf, Dostoyevsky…and every word Jane Austen ever wrote. You expect me to learn from 50 Shades of Gray and that Duck Dynasty guy?”
But I finally figured out that I couldn’t write for George Eliot’s audience if I wanted to get published today. Contemporary book buyers live in the contemporary world.
George Eliot and Dostoevsky were not competing for readers’ attention with TV, Netflix and cats riding Roombas.
And even if you’re the reincarnation of Virginia Woolf, writing like her is not going to move a lot of units in today’s marketplace.
We need to learn how to write for today’s readers.
My first novel, THE BEST REVENGE, later published as the prequel to the Camilla Randall Mysteries, was partly inspired by the novel Camilla, A Picture of Youth, written by Mrs. Fanny Burney in 1796.
I was clueless enough to mention that in my early queries. For some reason it didn’t impress any agents. 🙂 (I would have done better to say the book was also inspired by an unflattering interview in the New York Times of the first “celebutante,” Cornelia Guest, which was much more relevant to contemporary readers.)
You don’t have to read 50 Shades of Duck Dynasty. But you need to read the top sellers in your genre, even if your genre is literary fiction.
4) Thinking that “Landing an Agent” is a Ticket to Fame and Fortune.
My first agent was with a big firm in L.A.. I had such high hopes! Until six months later, when the manuscript arrived back on my doorstep, with a post-it note stuck on the title page, informing me my agent had moved back to London. ‘Bye Felicia.
Then when I landed agent #2, head of a prestigious NYC agency, I was sure she was the one. So I quit my job, moved from the city to to a seaside cottage and expected to settle into the writing career of my dreams.
You guessed it: Did. Not. Happen. The agent shopped my novel around, failed to sell it and dropped me. I had to go back to working retail.
As far as my career, I decided to think outside the box and sold a second novel to an entertainment weekly. I was now a published author!
So I went into high gear, writing like mad and querying every agent in Jeff Herman’s Guide to Literary Agents. But my serial meant nothing to them, and it was years before I finally got another offer of representation. This one repped all three books I had in the hopper by then.
But she did not sell any of them. She ended up leaving the business.
Several years later, I found agent #4, who wanted me to rewrite all my books. I put a year into rewrites. But by then Agent #4 had forgotten me and moved on.
Meanwhile. I got an offer from a small press who liked one of my stories in a literary magazine and asked if I had any novels. (BTW, I’m not the only author who got published after being “discovered” in a literary magazine. It happened to Catherine Ryan Hyde, too.)
So yeah, after having four agents over the space of a decade, when I finally did get published, I represented myself.
Many successful authors I know had very little success with their first few agents. Even well-known, successful agents can have trouble placing a book.
And once a book has been sold, if it doesn’t do well, your publisher will drop you. And the agent probably will too.
These days, we have the alternative of self publishing, but the most successful authors–both indie and trad pub–do have agents. They can do very useful things for a career, like getting film and translation deals, or a contract with an Amazon imprint.
But agents aren’t magic, so don’t expect them to be.
5) Worrying about Being Influenced by Other Authors
I hear lots of new writers say stuff like, “I don’t want to lose my voice. I’d hate to copy another authors’ style, so I don’t read when I’m working on a book.”
I used to be afraid of that too.
But so what if I started writing like Margaret Atwood or Anne Tyler or Marian Keyes? I should be so lucky. Seriously. A few echoes of the greats in our work is not a problem.
The great painters all started by copying the classic works that came before them. Picasso copied El Greco and Goya, and you see lots of references to their work in his. As he said, “Good artists copy. Great artists’s steal. ”
If I’d read more contemporaries and fewer classics when I was starting out, I’d have had a much better idea of what is considered good writing by today’s standards.
6) Begging Friends, Family and Co-workers to Read Early Work
When we start writing, what we want most is to be read, so we often rush off to friends and family and implore them to take a look as soon as we’ve got those first chapters on paper. I admit I did. (And if any of my first readers see this post, I apologize. I know I was probably obnoxious and needy about it.)
But you’ll often find loved ones can show a strange reluctance to be your first readers. (If they’re eager readers, be grateful, but realize the results may not be what you hope.) And if they say no, accept it. They’re not being unkind.
They may be afraid they won’t know what to say. That’s because they probably won’t, unless they’re in the writing business themselves.
They could end up swelling your head with over-the-top praise for your splendiferous adjectives, spritely adverbs and uniquely creative dialogue tags.
On the other hand, they might be overly critical of your beginning efforts and squelch your fledgling muse out of fear of not being “honest.”
I’ve had both those things happen and neither worked out that well for my writing or my friendships.
7) Trying to Please Everybody.
The changes that my 4th agent wanted me to make to my books turned out to be misguided and destructive. She didn’t get my humor, so she wanted it out. Restoring the books to my own satiric voice after she evaporated took time I could have spent writing new stuff. That was a year wasted on trying to please somebody who was never going to help my career.
Finding the right beta readers or critique group can provide you with the support and advice your loved ones can’t give. But remember they’ll all have different opinions. In the end, it’s your book, so don’t change anything you love just to please somebody else.
I do recommend critique groups for new writers. Whether you meet in person or online, writing groups can provide invaluable information and support. They can give sympathy through the rough patches and help celebrate your successes. They can also provide a network that might be all-important to your career.
Kristen Lamb’s “WANA tribe” (We Are Not Alone) is a great online community where writers can find mutual support. Another is Alex J. Cavanaugh’s Insecure Writers Support Group. CritiqueCircle.com also offers many different groups in a variety of genres, with the extra benefit of critiques, and Nathan Bransford has recently revamped his forums, which are a great place for writers to network.
But remember these groups do not have all the answers, and amateur writing groups can often result in the blind leading the blind.
A few years ago, I wrote about why to ignore most of the advice from your critique group.
If you’re participating in a critique group, it’s wise to invest in a couple of good writing books or a vetted, solid writing course as well. Also read blogs like this one by veteran authors and agents.
Remember to take everything you hear in an amateur group with a grain of salt.
Here’s how I got a reality check about group critiques: when I was finally published, my editor sent me my ms. bleeding with red-pencilled edits. Nearly every issue he had with the book was something I’d added at the request of critique groups.
Trying to please everybody in my writing groups had led to bad habits.
Remember the people who are most strident in demanding that you do it “their way” are probably the least competent to give advice. That’s called the Dunning-Kruger Effect. Scientists have proved the most ignorant people are generally the most sure of themselves.
8) Expecting to Make Money Right Away.
Obviously I fell for this, big time. As I said, when I got agent #2, I quit my job and moved to an idyllic spot where I could write. When the agent couldn’t sell the book–which I now know was a rough draft that needed a lot of work–she dropped me. Then I had to find work in a new place where I didn’t have the same opportunities as I had in the city.
If that had happened today, I probably would have self-published that rough draft on the cheap, the way so many indies are doing now.
I hear people saying the same things I said:
“I’ve been at this for so long and I don’t have a penny to show for it. I’ve got to do something!”
“I’m tired of this book. I want it DONE.”
But here’s the thing: if the book bores you, readers will feel the same. Most authors have at least one “practice novel” that should not be published. Publishing your practice novel can end, rather than start a career.
If people read a second-rate book from an author, they’re not going to go back for more.
Very few writers make money on the first novel they write. (“First novels” are usually #3 or #4 or #10.) You need at least two books, edited, polished, and ready for prime time before anything much is going to happen with your writing career. Most indies don’t make money until they have about six. And even then, you’ll probably have to keep your day job.
Write because you love it—because you can’t help yourself—not because you’re counting on becoming the next James Patterson or J.K. Rowling.
9) Writing Novels Exclusively
Once I decided I wanted to have a writing career, I dove right into writing novels. I left short stories and poetry behind. I thought those were for students, not professionals. (And in those days, no publisher would touch a novella.)
That’s because in the early 1990s most magazines had stopped publishing fiction. The only way to publish was to spend a lot of time researching the small, low-circulation literary magazines. Which of course could only afford to pay in copies.
You could only find these magazines if you bought a pricey copy of Writer’s Market along with the Directory of Little Magazines and Small Presses. The bottom line didn’t look good to me. I figured why should I spend more to buy the directories than I’d ever make getting short stories published?
I was short-sighted. If I’d had more publishing credits and contest wins, I would probably have found a publisher for my longer fiction faster.
I’d also now be sitting on a goldmine, since short stories, novelettes and novellas are perfect for today’s reader, who often read short ebooks on phones and tablets.
See more about the value of short fiction in my article for Writer’s Digest. And here’s a post on how to write a novella by by Paul Alan Fahey.
And note that I always include short story publishing opportunities and contests at the end of this blog.
That’s so you can do what I say and not what I did.
10) Thinking that Writing What Sells is “Selling Out”
As I said, I grew up as a literary snob. That meant I spent most of my time working on a big, “serious novel” while I dashed off genre novels I didn’t put enough work into.
It wasn’t until I took my genre novels seriously that I found a publisher. Then I learned how I could apply the things I’d learned writing genre to to my “serious novel.” As a result, I got a publisher for that one too (after some heavy editing.)
At that point, I realized everything I’d been trying to write: chick lit, women’s literary fiction, romantic suspense, social satire…could all come under the umbrella of “mysteries” if I concentrated on the whodunnit part of the plot.
I was a mystery author! I can’t tell you why it took me 10 years to accept that, but I know it had something to do with the idea that I was “selling out” by writing in a commercially viable genre.
In her post last week Ruth Harris said some important things about “writing to market.” It doesn’t mean writing “The Peckish Games”, “Girl on the Greyhound Bus”, or “Parry Hotter and the Philosopher’s Clone.”
I means writing the kind of books that readers are actually buying. Some genres are a hard sell right now. Big family sagas topped the charts in the era of The Thornbirds, but you don’t see many on the shelves these days. Sprawling, steamy tales about groups of flawed, ambitious women flourished for several decades after Valley of the Dolls, but they pretty much died with Sidney Sheldon and Jackie Collins. Stories of women in jeopardy in dark gothic mansions, popular for centuries, have mostly disappeared in the 21st century.
Nothing’s to say that these genres won’t come back. But you’re not going to restore them as an unknown. Build an audience first.
As Ruth said in the comments to her post. “May I politely suggest you discard the “selling out” cliché? Don’t forget that Elmore Leonard started out writing Westerns…and found his niche in petty criminals and their doings.
***
And remember that when you’re making mistakes, you’re learning, as Ruth also told us last week. I’ll leave you with this quote from Neil Gaiman:
“I hope that in this year to come, you make mistakes. Because if you are making mistakes, then you are making new things, trying new things, learning, living, pushing yourself, changing yourself, changing your world. You’re doing things you’ve never done before, and more importantly, you’re Doing Something.”
by Anne R. Allen (@annerallen) May 7, 2017
What about you Scriveners? Have you fallen into any of these writing career mistakes? Did they stall out your career? What do you think was the biggest mistake you made in your early career? Do you have other mistakes to add to this list?
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Thanks, Anne! Excellent advice. I see so many of my missteps here that you’ve made me blush.
“Public appearances scared me so much I think I fell into self-sabotaging habits. I didn’t have stage fright, because I’d been in the theatre for years. But onstage I could always be in costume and become somebody else, speaking somebody else’s words.”
Ditto. I won public speaking contests as a teenager, and I’ve taught college courses, but standing in front of an audience to promote myself …? Tongue-tied. Rehearsing anticipated questions and answers in front of a mirror helps, though.
Kathy–I’m glad to hear it’s not just me that hates those public appearances. Tooting my own horn is something I never learned to do well. Sigh.
Anne—Perfect post! Thanks! I will add this about the deification of agents: Some of them will sell you. Others will sell you down the river. Don’t ask me how I know. 😉
Ruth–Haha! Great quote! 🙂
As a rule, I find your posts extremely interesting, Anne.
This one is no exception. It “smells” of truth from a mile away. I’m guilty of the ten mistakes you’ve listed and some more… but the one that most resonated with me was the one about self-sabotaging habits. I mean, I love writing. But I hate all the bureaucratic work related to the publishing and marketing aspects… so I keep procrastinating those tedious but alas essential tasks. Not good. Not at all. =)
Peter—Thanks! My post on self-sabotage is one of my most reprinted pieces. An awful lot of writers do the same thing. If we just put off all the publishing things we don’t want to do, maybe some fairy god-agent will show up to do all that icky stuff for us, right? Yeah. Turns out that doesn’t happen. It sure didn’t happen for me, anyway..
Oh Anne, this is a gift. What is it about these true-confession kind of posts, they make us all feel so much better! Maybe we think you’ve already taken the bullet for us. It’s the literary equivalent of that remarkable rule that calories don’t count if you eat off your friend’s plate…
And you’ve always pointed to a given mistake when the topic was right, but now to see it all together is truly amazing (and by amazing I mean horrifying, terrific in its original definition). That one tidbit alone, moving houses, dear God! There’s a story idea right there and I bet myself a dollar you’ve already used it.
Mistakes, I’ve made a few…
Will–Of course there are no calories if you eat off somebody else’s plate!
I have to admit that moving was actually a good business move, although it didn’t feel like it at the time.. I moved from a 2-story condo in an increasingly dangerous neighborhood in SoCal. to a one-story cottage in an idyllic seaside town. My little house has quadrupled in value and I can grow old in it because there are no stairs.
But I had to go from running a popular theater in SoCal bo working for minimum wage in an antique shop. It didn’t feel all that great at the time.
Great advice from scads of personal experience, Anne. Thanks! I’ve made most of these mistakes to some degree, especially wasting time with agent queries. I sent out 35-40 on my first novel and never even got a decent rejection letter back. It was a good lesson, though, And a good dose of reality that an unknown stands little chance in traditional publishing.
But that led to self-publishing and I wouldn’t change a thing. I agree with not spending a lot of time building paltform before you have something publishable to show. (But who am I to argue with Seth Godin who says the best time to market a book is three years before you write it.) I’m convinced that blogging is the best return on time and education for an upcoming writer. It can open so many doors other than fixating on strictly novels – doors that actually deposit immediate money to your account like writing short pieces for Amazon or writing SEO-tailored content for business websites. There’s a growing market for content writers and it pays the bills while still giving time to persue novels.
BTW, I laughed out loud at “Girl On The Greyhound Bus”. Oh, sorry – today it’s called LOL. 🙂
Garry–Only 40 queries? I sent out 1000s. When I finally stopped looking, I had a drawer full of at least 600 rejection letters. I made a big bonfire of them about 5 years ago.
You are SO right about blogging. If I had to name one thing that has made me a successful writer, it is blogging. I owe everything to this blog.
The trouble with advice like Seth Grodin’s is it mostly applies to nonfiction writers. Also it is only true for people who are already writing at a professional level and have lots of publications under their belts. Telling newbie writers to start building platform before they even know what genre they are going to write is a recipe for time-wasting.
I self published a book because I simply HAD to tell this non-fiction story. I agree that a blog is the way to go. I had one created and love it…but how do I get readers to “find” it? I am in my golden years and not impressed with Facebook, public speaking…or tooting my own horn. However an interactive blog could stir my juices. I have one. It awaits discovery. Help!
Nurse Heartburn
Jackie–I’m working on a book for author-bloggers that I hope will help. There are lots of things to do to get traffic. Try reading my post 6 Tips for getting more traffic on your author blog https://selfpublishingsites.com/6-tips-traffic-author-blog/
Hey Anne,
Great stuff. I’ve committed Crimes #1 & #7, but not many of the others. May May be good to you.
Charlie–Trying to please everybody can really kill a book. Conferences and critique groups can help in some things, but if you take too much advice to heart, they can leave you confused and pulled in all directions at once.
That you went through four agents should be a cautionary tale for all writers. I’m glad I never tried. I’d probably still be trying.
I didn’t expect to make any money, let alone any up front. It didn’t start coming in until just before my second book came out when my first shot up the charts, taking the second with it a few months later. That was all bonus to me.
Once again, thanks for mentioning the IWSG.
Alex–Going directly to a small press is what I should have done. It sure has worked for you!
Wonderful post! I need to show my students your point about not publishing your first, ‘practice’ novel. Yes, I had two novels written before I tried to sell the 3rd, which became my ‘first’. Those early two will never see the light of day (in fact, I destroyed one.) Floppy discs. Need I say more.
I have a story to add to your New York agent collection: my first agent died, but he was so bad at communicating, that none of us found out until two months later. True story.
Melodie–My first novel died on floppy discs too. I only threw away the discs recently, because I realized I had no way to read them.
Maybe practice novels deserve their own post. Everybody writing their very first novel thinks it’s going to be an instant classic that will be read in classrooms for generations. But the truth is only a tiny percentage of them will be publishable.
The dead agent story isn’t even unique. 🙂 I’ve heard of other writers who had that happen. (And of course agents who ghost you might as well be dead.)
Anne, thanks for a good piece. It’s nice to know I’ve gotten past all those goofs over the last 30 years. I was never big on literary fiction, but took a Creative Writing emphasis in my English degree, and you nailed pretty much everything on the head. Agents don’t equal success, write more than one kind of work, money, critique groups, etc.
I dive into a story, write like a fiend, keep on top of what sells, and ask genre fans for critiques. I can write the story and put a sentence together. Feedback from those who read is more important than those who write, usually.
Trust yourself, educate yourself, and keep an open mind – hard work will do the rest.
HS–Since you’ve been at this as long as I have, you’ve learned all this stuff too. I never know how much I should say to new writers–especially the ones who are putting a fortune into self-;publishing their practice novel–but I figured I’d put it all down here and hope at least I save a few of them from these pitfalls.
Excellent list. Been through some of these myself although I was smart enough to not let my family see my books until they were published.
Darlene–You were smarter than I was on that score!
I’ve already learned a lot of these the hard way — the hard way, by the way, is a mighty good teacher and I was smart enough to know I had a lot to learn. Like you, I came from an academic background (not just reading lots of great literature, but teaching it as well), so it took me some time to figure out what “normal” people like to read and why. So I allowed myself time to learn, and spent a lot of time reading every book and blog post about writing & publishing that I could get my hands on.
I only wish I had figured out a little sooner when to quit listening to all the pundits and just *write.* I also was confused by all the advice about “platform”– how could I build a platform when I wasn’t yet sure what kind of writing it would be supporting? With several drafts of a starter novel behind me, along with a few short stories, I feel I am now in a much better position to write a story that I want to tell and readers will want to read. The only problem right now is that I’ve started my own editing business (my experience learning to write fiction is a big help there), and I’m too busy to find much time to write!
L.A.–Maybe I should have added a #11: If you start an editing business, make sure you set aside adequate time to write and make that time sacred.
I started an editing business after my first publisher went under and I was trying to earn a living with freelance articles while I searched for a new publisher AND tried to write a new novel. Guess what didn’t get done: the new novel, of course!
I hope you can set aside some writing time even if it means turning down a few clients.
You’re so right about needing to settle on a genre before you build a platform!
Thanks for this post Anne and sharing your experiences. I’m currently stuck on mistakes 2 and 7. Platform building before writing a book is great for networking, but can also be a great time waster. I agree with what you say about blogging and I find it’s also a great way to find our writing voice as well as working to deadlines. Thanks for your advice regarding pleasing everybody, which is very timely. I’ve recently had some feedback from beta readers and have felt myself stuck with some advice, but as my husband said to me if I make too many changes and do it ‘their way’, the stories won’t be mine anymore.
Debbie–Platform building is a great idea, but so much of what we do on social media is time-wasting. I wish I could say I have found a happy medium, but I haven’t.
I hope you can take your husband’s advice and shut out the feedback that doesn’t fit with your own vision for the book. I listened to so many people who don’t like humor in novels that I forgot that the satire is what makes my books different from every other amateur-sleuth mystery. Yes, satire has a smaller audience, because you need a certain level of intelligence to get it, but when somebody reads one of my books and “gets” the humor, the whole process is worthwhile for me.
Hi, Anne, first thank you for the shout out.
I’m I’ve committed a few of these mistakes. One thing I can’t emphasize enough is new writers taking classes, reading writing self-help books, and writing and submitting short work to small lit mags and journals. I started out writing seriously in my late forties. I’d been writing for professional educational journals (yawn here) and not really enjoying it. So when I started with fiction and memoir, I wrote short pieces and bought the Writer’s Digest Novel and Short Story Market every year. I sent my work out to those mags who took simultaneous submissions and hoped and prayed someone would like it. And eventually I started publishing, gaining confidence in myself as a writer–whodathunk?–and boy was it a thrill. With the advent of the E Age there was a ton of opportunity for placing those longer short stories and novella length pieces as e books– most I couldn’t place in any small lit mags. Long story short: short for me was the way to begin and I still write short pieces, essays, and sometimes poetry if the muse points me in that direction–but I’m definitely not a poet. Great post, Anne as always. P
Paul–I see so many new writers making the novels-only mistake these days, because they think ebooks have to be novels. But they can be novellas, short stories or whatever.
But most of all, whether you’re agent-hunting, self-publishing, or looking for the right niche small press, EVERY writer benefits from the exposure and “cred” that comes from publishing in magazines and literary journals. Short is the way to do it!
And your book, the Long and the Short of it is a great help to anybody who writes short or long and wants to try a new length.
Here’s the link to Paul’s book, everybody! http://amzn.to/2pUqcRn
Thank you, Anne. Do appreciate. 🙂
I have to say ouch to at least three of those because I learned them the hard way. Especially the one about not making money. And I still want an agent though I’m not currently searching.
Susan–I’d like an agent too. My “hybrid” friends with agents are doing very well.
I loved this post. Most excellent advice.
Yecheilyah–Thanks for stopping by!
Thanks Anne, for this enlightening and honest post. I’m with you on all 10, particularly #6. I went through that rude awakening when I published my first book. I still can’t swallow how my friends and family aren’t elated I write books, nor have any interest in talking about my writing life. I am truly astounded by the people in my life who don’t read books! Where the heck did I come from? Lol. 🙂
Debby–It’s even worse when they DO read books, especially in your genre, but they still refuse to read yours. It hurts, but you have to live with it.
What’s especially annoying is that none of them will read my blog. They’re always sending me articles that say the same thing as I said on my blog a month ago, but if it comes from me, they think it has to be crap. 🙁
And I guess a writer’s life is boring to most people who aren’t writers. People’s eyes glaze over as soon as I mention my novels. And if I mention I’m a blogger, they run. Sigh..
Wow, even you, lol. I’ve given up talking about my work to anyone in my ‘real’ life. Thank goodness for a wonderful writing community and readers who are actually interested in our work. 🙂
Thank you thank you. I am starting book four (1 through 3 unsold), querying for agent two and starting to feel like the humor is getting stomped out of my work as I try to follow all the “rules” of writing. Just what I needed to read today.
Lisa–Stay funny, my friend. Humor may not sell as well as thrillers these days, but I figure laughter is the best medicine so we’re contributing to people’s health. 🙂
Tacking your response up over my desk. ❤️
Hey Anne,
Although there are probably more, I think you’ve hit the highlights with these ten. And in looking over the list, I wonder if maybe they are just a right of passage for all writers more or less?
There are plenty of writers who’ve made mistakes before I came along, yet it doesn’t seem to stop me from making the same mistakes and some of my own creation. I guess as in life, we just aren’t happy to let others make our mistakes for us so we don’t have to.
I’m definitely guilty of 2, 4, 5, and 7. And still can’t quite stop worrying about 2. Although nothing keeps me from writing, I do get really caught up in the, ‘how will I market/promote it’ thing and it’s terribly distracting and distressing.
One thing I might add to the list is the constant pursuit of the next ‘shiny object’. You know? The thing that will make you the next JK Rowling, Patterson, Connelly, Elmore, Evanovich, Grafton (fill in the blank) that everybody is raving about because one guy did it and he’s selling this new course, blah blah? In fact, that might be the most dangerous thing of all for new writers – believing that there really is some shortcut out there and all you have to do is pay the price of admission and do exactly what the ‘expert’ says and you’ll be a best seller.
In the meantime, bless you for doing the good work. You keep us honest, Anne.
Cheers,
Annie
Annie–That’s a great addition to a list of writerly mistakes! Back when I was starting out, there weren’t many gimmicks and we didn’t have the Internet to spread them around.
But these days, I think that may be the #1 distraction for writers–especially indies. People spend thousands on marketing gimmicks and courses that worked two years ago, but don’t work anymore. Right now the indie bookosphere is in an uproar over a boxed set scheme. The drama alone is taking hours out of everybody’s writing day. Chasing those marketing “rainbows” takes a lot of time away from writing.
Tell me more about the boxed set scheme, I haven’t heard a thing about that. Or throw a link if you like. Jeez, I can’t even keep up with the scams. LOL.
Annie
Oh my freaking Gawd! Total craziness. How do authors get pulled into this kind of stuff? Scary
I went through the fear of success. Heck, sometimes I still feel that way, lol. I don’t know why it’s such a quick sand to fall in but getting past it is the trick. I’m considering which way to go in publishing: traditional, self, or small press.
Traci–Too many choices can paralyze a person. That may be what’s happening with your “fear of success.” It depends a lot on your genre. I’ll be writing about that in June.
One of my early mistakes was to name my blog after my newly released book–like that was the only book I have, duh? Renaming your blog is a big headache. Thankfully my readers found me.
Leanne–You were not alone! Everybody did that that back in the early days of indie publishing. Thank goodness for Kristen Lamb, who spread the gospel of “put your name on the blog!’
Amen.
When we’re making mistakes, we’re learning. I like that. It’s very true. Thank you for this post.
Patricia–You’re welcome! 🙂
Anne, #6 is good advice, although a tough one I have to continually remind myself to swallow. When I started writing, I expected that friends and family would be my most loyal and enthusiastic boosters. But in reality, being close to someone doesn’t mean they are 1) a worthy editor 2) aware of what it takes to be out there as an author or 3) interested in the kind of books you write. Look farther afield for your true writing tribe.
Here are more mistakes from a post I wrote for Jane Friedman awhile ago. A bit more cringe-worthy. I’m not as fast a learner as you, Anne! 5 Mistakes You’ll Make on the Way to Publishing Success https://janefriedman.com/5-mistakes-publishing/
Carmen–That’s a great article. Thanks for the link. Just as relevant now as it was when you wrote it.
And we’re so much looking forward to your guest post for us next Sunday on author strategy.
Congrats again on your Netflix series!!
Wonderful post. And such frank honesty! Thank you for allowing us to learn from your mistakes. I’m stuck in the “I’m tired of submitting and waiting and submitting and waiting” stage. Contemplating self publishing just to get it out there. Am I bored with it? Maybe so. I’m re-reading now, another final edit. Hoping to feel inspired and confident again. I’ll let you know if it works!
Christine–I’ve made a lot of them!
But self-publishing “just to get it out there” is never a good idea. Once you self-publish, 90% of your time will be spent marketing. Enjoy the luxury of having time to write and get a bunch of books ready to go so you can release them in quick succession. Then plan a full-on marketing strategy before you go to press.
Next week, indie success story Carmen Amato will tell us how it’s done. Since she’s now had her series optioned by Netflix, she knows what she’s talking about!
Such sound advice, Anne. Great post!
Sara–Thanks!
#2, 8, 9, 10 – things I really need to remember. Your blog is one of my go-to resources and this article is a godsend. Thank you so much for writing it!
Ann–I’m so glad this helps!
Thank you, some great advice and some mistakes which I have also made. I started trying to get a agent before social media took off and am still looking lol. The list of “it’s not for us at the moment” grew and grew then life got in the way. I stopped writing and am glad that I’ve now made it my career in the self publishing era.
Adele–We were all at the mercy of the query-go-round in those days. At least now we have choices. 🙂
Good advice, Anne. Thanks for sharing. 🙂 — Suzanne
Suzanne–Thanks!