Writing is an art, and there is no universal formula for success.
In writing, and in life, there are always gray areas.
All authors want to avoid cringey, humiliating, disgraceful mistakes. Since we are human and mistakes are not always avoidable, use them as a guide for overcoming your own insecurities as a writer. How many left or right arrows, bumps, dips, exit speed limits, and clearing height signs do you pay attention to? Writing is like driving on an unfamiliar highway – sometimes it’s hard to know where the signs are. Writing is like driving an unfamiliar highway – it’s hard to know where the signs are but it’s about the exploration not the destination. Stand apart from other submissions by sharpening your self-editing skills.
5 Things to focus on:
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Retaining the trust of your reader by leaving them fulfilled and satisfied.
Avoid killing off favorite characters just for the gore of it or leaving the situations you created unresolved. That is a good way to get a roundhouse kick to the head from a reader.
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Don’t assume that just because you’ve had one success you deserve another.
The cosmos owes you nothing. No one is in your debt – not publishers or readers. A humble heart is much in demand if you don’t want to alienate readers and publishers.
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Facing defeat.
Regardless of the weather, write. Write more. Then write some more. No matter what kind of reviews or sales keep writing. Being an author is a tough gig. Don’t give in to despair. Develop a tough skin? Hold onto your ability to write with both hands. It’s yours!
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Rebutting a Bad Review with grace.
Remember this old adage: silence is golden. Remember that! You’re going to get some stinging reviews. How you react matters. And that doesn’t mean you should respond out in the public arena. If you need to write a rebuttal, make it an enlightening one.
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Nothing in life is easy.
The publishing world is rough and tumble. Sometimes what you’re writing is a hot commodity. All too often it isn’t. The ugly truth is that writing is an emotional rollercoaster – never easy…but always worth it.
Basically, keep in mind the common sense rule of doing unto others as you’d like them to do unto you. It’s not all that hard to figure out. You’ve got this!
Unleash the novel inside you
with compelling characters,
intricate worlds,
and fine-tuned prose.
“Linda has published numerous books. She blogs about the publishing world, posts useful tips on the challenges a writer faces, including marketing and promoting your work, how to build your online platform, how to get reviews and how to self-publish. She has mentored many authors and edited their work.”
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