TURN THE BEAT AROUND
It’s always a tricky proposition to write about common mistakes in any industry. Especially in a creative field such as writing and publishing, it bears stating the obvious: Every writer is different. A mistake for one is not a mistake for all. And mistakes can’t be entirely avoided—in fact, they’re needed if we’re to grow and improve as writers.
Still, as someone who has been involved in the writing community for 20 years, I see the same mistakes over and over again. Knowing what they are is akin to having a roadmap. The journey is long enough as it is, so why not avoid a wrong turn if you can help it? Here are five areas where writers often take those wrong turns.
1. RUSHING TO GET PUBLISHED
Nearly all new writers have one thing in common that trips them up, every time. They rush to submit or publish their work before it’s ready or before they are ready. However, if you’ve just spent months or even years writing your book, the last thing you want to do is rush it to publication, especially if you’re new to the business.
The No. 1 question to ask first: Is the book really
