by Anne R. Allen
Here’s more about the mistakes I made so you don’t have to. If I had worked harder on these things instead of doggedly piling up wordcount without having a clue what I was doing, I’d have saved myself a lot of time and heartbreak on my road to publication.
1) Come Out of the Writing Closet
It seems half the people I meet are “working on a book.” A lot of them have been working on that same book for years — even decades.
But they never show it to anybody.
Many of them also never read writing guides or blogs or magazine articles that might improve their writing skills. This is especially true of memoir and other nonfiction writers. They don’t think they need to know about writing craft if they’re writing nonfiction.
Nothing could be further from the truth. Nonfiction needs to be even more carefully structured than fiction — especially memoir. A simple chronology almost never makes for compelling reading. (For more on writing memoir, see my post on How to Write a Publishable Memoir.)
Then there are the writers who pile up files of half-finished stories and essays for years and never polish them or send them to potential publishers.
And I remember a writer who proudly told a Facebook group that he’d paid a vanity press to publish his book. But he’d never shown his writing to anybody. He wanted to know where he could find beta readers before he sent in his manuscript. Ack! (And of course, a vanity press is almost never a great way to publish a debut novel.)
I know why they do it. I was a “closeted writer” in my early writing years.
If you don’t show your work to anybody, and don’t compare it to anything in the marketplace, you can hang onto the fantasy that you’re a fabulous self-taught genius who has so much talent you don’t need to take a class or learn anything about writing craft.
Hey, you went to college. You’ve always got your nose in a book. Of course you know how to write.
Um, maybe not. You may love to drive, but that doesn’t mean you can build a car.
If you hope to publish someday, spending years in a writer-closet will not work in your favor. You’re setting yourself up for nasty disappointment and/or some serious scamming.
2) Develop Rhino Hide
One of the most important reasons to get out of that writer closet is to build up the soul-callouses a writer needs to succeed in this business.
I recommend that beginning writers join a critique group. A writing group can be a great way to learn the ropes without taking a bunch of expensive writing courses, and networking with other writers can help in your career. Often groups can improve your writing. Sometimes they can’t.
But a very big benefit is that they’ll help you toughen up and learn to process criticism.
Hey, if you’re scared the people in that critique group might be hard on you? Wait until you read your reviews. Yes. You’ll get bad reviews. All writers do. It’s the dues you pay for membership in the published writers club.
I know it’s all painful and crushing to your creative soul, but we have to learn to take this stuff with grace. Unfortunately, rhino hide is part of the job description. Ruth Harris wrote a great piece on growing that rhino skin.
3) Read Bestsellers, Especially in Your Genre
It’s amazing how many people who want to be writers do not read. Try to talk to them about books that have sold in the past 5 years and they go blank, or get huffy and say, “I only read the classics.” (Which they probably haven’t opened since college.) I hear so many new writers say they don’t read bestsellers because “they’re all crap.”
Which is usually followed by statements like:
“I’ve read Dickens, Virginia Woolf, Faulkner…and every word Vonnegut ever wrote. You seriously expect me to learn from reading books by some Kardashian’s ghostwriter?”
The problem with that argument is that you can’t enter the marketplace if you don’t know what buyers are looking for. As brilliant as the novels of Virginia Woolf are, they’re not bestsellers right now. And even if you are the reincarnation of William Faulkner, you’re probably not going to attract a lot of 21st century readers writing lush, Southern Gothic prose. You need to learn how to write for the people buying books right now.
No, you don’t have to read celebrity tell-alls. But you need to read voraciously in your chosen genre. And yes, literary fiction is a genre.
I once read a great piece of advice from an agent who said you should read the debut novels of top-selling authors in your genre. Don’t only read the stuff superstars are putting out now they’re famous. See what popular writers first created that allowed them to break into the business. Studying those will help you break in, too.
And beginning writers of nonfiction, I’m talking to you, too.
Many beginning writers don’t even Google their subject to find out how many similar books are out there.
Even though nobody in your immediate circle may know what it’s like to be married to a narcissist or care for a parent with dementia doesn’t mean the books aren’t there. (Amazon lists over fifty pages of books on narcissism and at least that many on Alzheimer’s disease.)
I’m not saying you shouldn’t write on these subjects — they are popular and most people need more education about them — but if you intend to publish, you need to know what’s available so you can approach your subject in a fresh way.
4) Put Publishing on the Back Burner While You’re Building Inventory
Agents say the biggest mistake beginning writers make is querying too soon. You may have an idea that looks great in a query. But if a request for pages brings a cringy manuscript that shows the writer lacks basic writing skills, the agent is frustrated, too.
An even bigger problem has arisen since the indie publishing revolution. Too many beginning writers are publishing and marketing before they’re given themselves time to master the craft.
I can’t tell you how many writers I’ve heard lamenting that fledgling first novel they self-published on Amazon, where it still sits, unpurchased and unread, with that sad, homemade cover.
Learn to write before you publish. Amazon isn’t a kiddie playground. It’s a real-world marketplace. And if you’re going to develop a readership, you’ll need more than one title. So make sure you have several manuscripts polished, critiqued, edited and polished again before you even think about publishing, whether you’re going the indie or trad-pub route.
5) Ditch the Beginning Writers’ Fantasies for Realistic Expectations
This is embarrassing, but I have to admit that after I signed with an agent for my first novel, I quit my day job and expected to be paying bills with an advance by the end of the year.
You guessed it: Did. Not. Happen.
The agent shopped it around, failed to sell it and dropped me. When I got the bad news, I hadn’t even finished a first draft of a second book.
I was so devastated, I didn’t write another word for several years. I had bought into the fantasy that all I had to do was sign with an agent, and I’d become a full-time author. That’s the way it happens in the movies isn’t it?
But not in real life. It takes a long, long time to become the kind of author who can quit their day job.
Very few authors make money on a first book. When you hear about authors having huge successes with a “first novel,” keep in mind it’s their first published novel, and they’ve probably got many years’ worth of practice novels in their files.
Write because you love it — because you can’t help yourself — not because you’re counting on becoming the next J.K. Rowling within the year.
If you need money right away, get a flexible part time gig like driving an Uber or working for Instacart. They can give you lots of ideas for that WIP, and keep a roof over your head.
Until you have at least five titles, you’re not likely to make substantial money, whether you’re traditionally published or indie. Yes, it’s been done, but those authors are the exception to the rule. Many of the big-earner indies have fifty or sixty books out there.
6) Think Outside the Book
Once I decided I wanted to have a writing career, I dove right into writing novels. I left short stories and poetry behind. People told me they were for amateurs. (And in those days, nobody wrote novellas because they were considered “unpublishable.”)
That’s because in the early 90s, 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.
The only way to find these magazines was to buy 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?
Later I did subscribe to them and started placing a few stories, but by then I had already published my first novel.
I was short-sighted. If I’d had more publishing credits and contest wins, I would have found a publisher for my longer fiction faster. Getting into a prestigious magazine can make your career. Don’t stop writing those short fiction and creative nonfiction pieces.
7) Learn to Weed Out Bad Advice
Last month a visitor to our critique group firmly maintained that writers should never use the word “which.” I’ve heard a whole lot of stupid writing rules, but that’s a new one on me.
There’s the one that makes “was” taboo. I’ve written on the Was Police and another on Stupid Writing Rules.
This is the problem with workshops and critique groups, and why I say you can learn from them, but they can also do harm. Sometimes groups develop their own weird rules and turn them into cultish dogma. Here’s why you should avoid the writing rules police.
Although the right group or connection can provide you with the support and informed advice you need, don’t try to please all of them. For one thing, they’ll probably have wildly conflicting opinions. In the end, it’s your book, so don’t change anything only to please somebody else. There is no one right way to write a book.
Here’s my post on why you should ignore most of the advice from your critique group.
Never take advice unless it resonates with you. If you get feedback and think, “I knew there was something wrong in that scene, but I never knew what it was” — then you’ve got a helpful critique.
If you feel like you’ve been sucker-punched and devalued, run. Not all groups are created equal.
Beware any dogmatic advice. Rules are made to be broken. And there are no hard-and-fast rules in writing. Only guidelines.
Before you change anything in your WIP on the advice of a critique or beta reader, ask yourself 1) Does this person know your genre? 2) Where does this “rule” come from? 3) Does this person have a bias or personal agenda? 4) Is the critiquer genuinely trying to improve your work, or are they showing off or bullying?
8) Get to Know Your Audience
Authors these days need to know who they’re writing for. What will please readers of Margaret Atwood will bore the pants off a James Patterson fan, and a Nora Roberts reader will throw your book across the room if you’ve written a Paula Hawkins-type creepy, twisty ending.
New writers should ask themselves, “who am I writing for?” Don’t think “everybody” because nobody can please all the people all of the time. If you’re writing the kind of novel you like to read, then your audience is probably people like you. What do you like? Do you revel in those steamy sex scenes, or do those scenes feel a little cringy? Do you want to hear the details of the hero’s vintage Camaro, or do your eyes glaze over with car talk? These are important details to pay attention to.
I find that joining social media groups for fans of TV shows, books, and films that I like gives me a picture of the kind of person who’s likely to enjoy my books as well.
9) Don’t Always Write with Publication in Mind
Not all writing needs to be for publication. Especially if your first writing effort is a memoir. Probably half of beginning writers start with a memoir. However, writing a memoir that can sell requires strong writing skills.
But forget that for now. Write what you want to say. Yes, it may just be “therapy writing” but you’ll be exercising your writing muscles, so the time isn’t wasted.
Later you can mine that therapy writing for scenes and characters. You will often find you have some publishable creative nonfiction essays buried in there. Publishing creative nonfiction can be lucrative. (Thinking outside the book really pays off for memoir writers.)
Don’t be afraid to get the ideas in your head onto the page, whether or not you think they have an audience.
One of the big mistakes beginning writers make is writing thinly veiled memoir and calling it fiction in order to change names and spare people’s feelings. But fiction has different rules, and believable fictional characters take on a life of their own. If you chain them to “real life” you may end up with wooden characters and unbelievable situations. (Even though that’s “what really happened.”)
If you want to write memoir, but you don’t want the people in your life to read it, consider treating it as therapy writing — at least at first. Later, after it sits, you may see a way to novelize and shape it in a way that will please readers, not just express your raw emotions.
You don’t want to end up with the dreaded “misery memoir” that self-rejects.
10) Learn How the Publishing Business Works
Learn the basics, or you’re going to be a ripe target for scammers. If you don’t know that agents are paid by commission — after they sell your book to a publisher — you may fall for bogus, fee-charging agents.
And if you don’t know that agents are not marketers, you may be taken in by the current scam where outfits calling themselves “literary agencies” try to get you to pay them for worthless marketing packages for your languishing self-published dud. (And if you’re like one of our readers, they may even try to hard-sell you on a marketing package for a book written by somebody else with a similar name. 🙂 .)
You need to know that marketing a book that has failed in the marketplace is a waste of time and money. That’s why you don’t want to publish a book before its time.
And you need to know that publishers pay writers — not the other way around — or you’re likely to be scammed by one of the 100s of overpriced vanity presses out there that pose as traditional publishers.
Scammers thrive on ignorance. Make sure you learn the rules of the game before you play.
by Anne R. Allen (@annerallen) July 10, 2022
What about you, scriveners? If you’re a beginning writer, do you see anything here you need to work on? If you’ve been publishing for a while, do you recognize any of these things you should have done to get your career started more smoothly?
BOOK OF THE WEEK
HOW TO BE A WRITER IN THE E-AGE: A SELF-HELP GUIDE
co-authored with NYT 3-million-copy seller, and author of Pay it Forward,
Available at all the Amazon Stores
Friendly, down-to earth advice about how to navigate the treacherous waters of today’s publishing world. You’ll see a lot of books out there about how to write, and a whole lot more that promise Kindle millions. But this book is different. It helps you establish a professional writing career in this time of rapid change — and answers the questions so many writers are asking. There’s lots of advice on how to deal with criticism and learning what to use and what to ignore.
“I loved this book! Catherine and Anne are hysterically funny as they present detailed and helpful information about their experiences in writing, publishing, blogging, and the emotional roller coaster ride of “being a writer.” Together their writing style made me feel as if we were having a conversation in my living room every morning when I sat down with my coffee to get my daily dose of encouragement and education. This book is at the top of my “go to” pile when struggling as a “new” writer. Thank you Catherine and Anne!”...Bonnie McKeegan
Thanks, Anne. That rhino hide is invaluable. My first reaction to caustic remarks in a critique verged on a panic attack. Over time, I came to realize that many suggestions aren’t based on reality.
As a reader, I hate sloppy books filled with typos. In fact, I dislike anything that pulls me out of the story. I read for enjoyment, not for punishment. Please, please, please, writers, if you can’t afford to hire an editor, reread your book — many times — before you search for an agent or press the “Publish” button.
Kathy–It’s true. So many comments you get on your writing have nothing to do with your work, and everything to do with the commenter’s personal issues. And yes, we read for enjoyment, not punishment. Nobody wants to read a beginning writer’s first draft.
Good morning, rhino hides. That includes you, too, Ruth. Quick comment on reviews. I have a friend whose wife is a Triple A-Lister. She told me early in the game, “Never read your reviews. None of them contribute to your writing improvements and some will downright depress you.” I took her advice, but I do watch my star ratings which gives some indication of market acceptance. And one piece of advice to those starting out – learn the “rules” so when you break them, you’re doing so intentionally. Enjoy your day!
Garry–I’ve heard that admonition many times. Some people in the theater adhere to it too. But I remember when the cast of Comedy of Errors insisted nobody should look at the local paper’s review. That really made me want to look. Turned out the production kind of got panned, but I got a stunning rave. I floated around on that review for months. So it’s a crapshoot. Sometimes those reviews will give your confidence a real boost. But don’t expect it. Mostly they disappoint.
Anne—A+ advice, so writers, pay attention and do what Anne suggests. Esp, IMO, ditch the fantasies , grow a rhino hide, and read like your life (career) depends on it, because it does!
Ruth–You’re right. And those fantasies persist. Even though today we have an Internet full of information about publishing, most beginners cling to the idea that fame and fortune are right around the corner. All they have to do is grind out x number of words a day. Grave disappointment follows. 🙁
One word- sharing.
Will–Many thanks for spreading the word. If we can save a few new writers from heartbreak, it’s worth trying.
I know I should’ve worked on a lot more short stories and had something for my first book to build on. The second book was where I learned quickly what advice to heed and what to discard as far as feedback and critique partners. And the more of those you have the better as the far-out-in-left-field stuff really stands out.
Alex–Excellent point: get as much feedback as you can, because the over the top stuff will stand out as irrelevant and unhelpful. (Get the feedback separately, though. In a group, sometimes pack mentality takes over and the whole group will follow some bully with an agenda and agree with the OTT stuff.)
Anne, where were you 30+ years ago when I needed this golden advice? Oh yeah, I guess you were making the mistakes that enabled you to write this terrific post.
A corollary to #5. Most beginners dream they’ll be the Cinderella story who bursts on the scene out of obscurity. But be careful what you wish for. I know several writers whose first novels garnered six-figure advances and multi-book contracts. Those poor writers were paralyzed by fear that they could never duplicate that initial splash. Unfortunately they were right and never published a second book.
Better to build slowly with realistic hopes. The highs aren’t as high but the lows aren’t as low.
Debbie–Excellent point! I know a writer who had that happen. Against all odds, a local author got a book contract with a Big 5 publisher. It was published to huge fanfare and a Netflix deal. The poor writer was paralyzed for years after. Finally had to get a co-author to get back on track. Being that “Cinderella” doesn’t mean you live happily ever after.
A lot of people discouraged me from short story markets. I’m getting back into them now. Nice to have works to put out there while you work on the longer ones.
Traci–Me, too. Everybody said there’s no money in short fiction, so don’t write it. Bad advice. Short fiction is the best way to establish yourself as a professional.
This is an excellent post, Anne – so excellent, I’m tempted to frame it as a very visible note-to-self (since I heeded none of your advice when I started out).
Question for you and other commenters: what do you think of posting writing on Wattpad or Royal Road as a way to share writing and build audience?
Linda–Thanks! About 5 years ago, Wattpad writers of YA were getting scooped up by Big 5 publishers, but I’m not hearing much about that anymore. I think Royal Road, Fanfiction.net, Inkitt and the others are more communities for sharing fanfiction. I tried Radish about 5 years ago, but didn’t have any results. I think they’re all aimed at teens and young adults who want to read free stuff, and putting your work on there isn’t going to help your sales much.
Thanks, Anne. I wondered if Wattpad might be a good way to try out a new work like a web serial novel, and build audience, apart from selling?
Lin–It may still be good for building an audience for YA. I think that’s mainly the Wattpad audience. But as I say, the Wattpad readers like to read for free, and may not be hopping over to Barnes and Noble to buy your book when it comes out. My experience on the similar platform, Radish, did not lead to more than a handful of sales.
Very good advice for the beginning writer and a helpful review for the rest of us, Anne. If I may, I’d like to add to the list… Publishing is not a race it’s a marathon. I wish I’d learned this a lot sooner than I did–I would have had a lot more fun. Instead, I developed an enormous amount of stress with my continue push toward my ultimate goal.
Leanne–So true! We get such ridiculous ideas from films and TV shows about writers with “overnight success.” I thought all I had to do was get an agent and I’d instantly have a career. Haha. It takes a long, long time to become a professional writer.
Great advice! Way back when I started, I got invaluable feedback on a full from an agent. I decided I needed to learn more about the craft and took the next several years to learn. best decision ever!
Jemi–That was a kind agent. Mostly they don’t give feedback anymore. Back in the day, I had one agent tell me the book read like a series of sitcom episodes, not a novel. That’s when I knew I needed to hire an editor.
Great information, as always, Anne. All new authors should read this. I’ll be sharing on social and with a local writing group.
Kay–Many thanks! Let’s hope we can help some new writers streamline their road to publication.
Anne, this is all wonderful advice. In my experience, having a backlist of fiction before publishing the first book was key. It meant that I had honed my skills before the first book hit the marketplace. I could also hit the ground running and rapidly (relatively) build an audience. Not everything I wrote got published (see the pile of genuine floppy disks in my desk drawer) but every project helped hone my writing skills.
Carmen–I’ve watched your career grow, and I think you’re doing things exactly right. (And yes, I have some of those floppy disks still in my drawer. Somehow I can’t throw them away, although I don’t own a computer that can read them.) And you’re so right. No project is wasted. Each one flexes your writing muscles.
I have a number 11 for you.
Learn to be patient.
G.I. I kinda thought I was saying that with the whole post, but yes indeed. Patience is required. 🙂
Great tips, Anne. It’s such a misunderstood industry. So many people see JK Rowling living in a castle and excitedly think that’ll be them next, but alas, probably only working in the kitchen. Despite all that, I love to write, and will keep on doing it!
Belinda–You’re so right. We should write because we love to do it, no matter what the outcome. Without that drive, I don’t think anybody could make it through this process.
”Learn to write before you publish. Amazon isn’t a kiddie playground. It’s a real-world marketplace. And if you’re going to develop a readership, you’ll need more than one title. So make sure you have several manuscripts polished, critiqued, edited and polished again before you even think about publishing, whether you’re going the indie or trad-pub route.
Another great post, Anne. But here’s a tweak/twist on the part excerpted above aimed at the starting-late-in-life Indie/self-pub novelist… I didn’t begin thinking about writing genre fiction until my late 60s. And there are a few things a well-lived person of a certain age can do:
* Yes, absolutely learn the craft. But use a lifetime of experience to speed that up. Buy the How-To books, take the courses, etc. and really focus on them with more free time.
* Hire the people to help you get in the game. For my first historical fiction novel, I hired a guru/coach to help me hone the Concept and Premise. Then I hired two different editors to help me whip the MS into shape. I would have hired a designer for the cover, too, except I had decades of design background, so I did that myself (and still do).
* I wanted to see how the market responded to my work sooner rather than later. I’m glad I did. While I love HF (historical fiction), I quickly learned that more people were interested in my SciFi Time-Travel fantasies (just looked, and my latest Neanderthal trilogy has almost 800 reviews/ratings). So I’m more in the Publish-Soon-and-Learn-As-You-Go camp. I’m on a one-book-per-year schedule, and that works for me.
Harald–Congratulations on your success! Having the money to take creative writing classes and hire several editors can definitely speed up your learning process. If you listen to the experts you’ve hired. Many beginning writers think they know more than editors. It’s why I gave up editing. It’s like knocking your head against a wall. The less people know, the more confident they are in their abilities. The Dunning-Kruger Effect on the hoof. 🙂
Hey again Anne,
Great stuff — ah, if I were only a youthful, beginning writer & could follow your advice. But no. Instead, I’m not youthful, nor beginning, & I’ve learned many of the same lessons you have.
CS–Ah youth! If only we’d known then what we know now. 🙂
I feel I’m beginning to gravitate from the publishing fantasies I had when I started writing. The fantasies, I think, meant more to me than the work itself and as a result, I don’t have much more than my one finished MS. I’ve decided to not try and publish it at this time, even though I told my friends this was my goal. I’m working on other stuff now, non-fiction as well as fiction, and realizing I have a lot more to learn. Thanks a lot for this post.
Rich–I think we need those fantasies to get ourselves started with writing. But learning to write well enough to fulfil even the basic fantasies takes a long time. You’ve reached the point where you know how much you don’t know. That’s a rough epiphany, but we all need to go through it.
As always, Anne, great advice, and I hope aspiring writers are listening! I sure wish I’d had this advice when I started out some 15 years ago…And, believe it not, incredibly enough, I’m still looking for an agent – after a failed foray into self-publishing that took away 5 years of the above.mentioned 15 and put me right back at the starting post!
Your whole post screams “patience!” and that is certainly what’s needed. Perseverence is another. When your rejections start piling up (my case, i’m over 50 now!) one does wonder whether one isn’t in the wrong corner of this world. So the other thing that’s really required is…optimism! The deeply ingrained belief that in the end, if you try long enough, you can make it. But again, I could be wrong…I do know of some people who just never made it (sigh).
Claude–Patience is the keyword here, isn’t it? So many writers jumped into self-publishing before they were ready. Or they self-published literary fiction, which is really tough to sell without the blessings of a publisher. I know some very good writers who took the wrong path and got too discouraged to keep at it. Always sad.
Stellar advice, Anne. I’m a longtime writer, instructor of adult writers, and writing coach. You’ve laid it out well. This post is gold. Now if we can just get more writers to follow this advice, LOL!
Christine–I figured long-time creative writing teachers and editors would be nodding in agreement as they read this. But it does make some newbies angry. I had a flurry of unsubscribes yesterday. But Ruth and I tell it like it is. If people want fairy tales, this isn’t the right place. Thanks for the kind words!
Great post, Anne. Do you mind if I reblog it on our misterio press blog in August?
Kassandra–Please do! Let’s spread the word. 🙂
I started out writing, and publishing, short stories (first publication:2012). I was 61. I continue to write and submit short stories, but I’ve published four novels (and they became unpublished–one publisher closed due to financial pressure from Covid and the other just stopped publishing. Both did give full rights to the authors.) I started writing fantasy because I’d been reading it for decades. But unlike Harold, I have no ability to do a decent cover, nor the extra money to hire one, nor the dough to hire coaches or editors (I’m a decent editor–I’ll spot a typo in an instant…providing I’ve left the work alone for at least two weeks.) I’d hoped my writing would supplement my retirement income: I’m still working 28 hours a week. Thank goodness I like the work. I’ve got one unpublished fantasy novel being considered, and I just finished the first book of a fantasy trilogy. I’m no longer expecting to strike it rich.
Fred–I like working with small presses because you get so much more personal attention, but they do go out of business at an alarming rate, don’t they? I’ve been with three publishers that went belly-up. But all we can do is keep on trying. 🙂
My favourite negative review had me laughing so much I was tempted to write to the reviewer to thank them for making my day with their review. It wasn’t what I was expecting but it made me laugh. I printed it out and framed it. I resisted the urge to contact the reviewer. Everyone has an opinion (boy, do they have an opinion) so it’s okay. Rhino hide. Life is full of surprises. Writing for the sheer joy of writing is one of life’s pleasures. Writing novels, plays, short stories etc etc. Write because you love to silence the characters in your head! Just write and read.
Mary–I love your healthy attitude! I’ve had some hysterical one-star reviews, too. Some of them sound exactly as if they were written by Dana Carvey’s “Church Lady”
After 20 years of being published, I’ve developed a thick skin. I wonder if anyone has put their bad reviews in a book and if that book received any reviews! That would be hysterical!
Mary–I have a lovely little hardcover book from the 1980s called “Rotten Reviews”, edited by Bill Henderson. I’ll have to check and see if it has any reviews on Amazon. It’s great fun, since it shows every great writer got rotten reviews.
So many good points in this article! Thank you for writing this. 🙂
#7 is, I think, the most important one. Listening too much to others can destroy a writing career before it’s even begun.
Amy–I’ve seen many new writers paralyzed by stupid writing rules passed on by some ignorant “know it all” who shamed them into thinking they had to take orders from everyone. Ultimately, it’s your own book and your own creative vision. Critiques are only valuable if they’re intended to be helpful, not if they’re coming from some self-important bully.
As someone who doggedly is trying to make up for lost time (I didn’t start writing seriously until I retired), I believe in the collaborative process. I love what you said about developing a rhino hide and working in a critique group. Once we understand to not take anything personally and accept constructive criticism, it’s much easier to grow as a writer.
Pete–That is so true. A writer who can’t take constructive criticism can’t learn. If they self-publish an unedited draft, they will get scathing reviews, much worse than whatever criticism they didn’t listen to in the first place. 🙁
I didn’t know you’d had that much poor luck. That’s a discouraging word that’s also an encouraging word. Thanks.
Fred–It wasn’t bad luck as much as bad choices. I didn’t find out how the publishing world works. I’d worked in bookstores for years so I thought I did, but it’s totally different on the author end.