4. I will keep writing, keep submitting, keep marketing, and never surrender. Ultimately, getting published rests squarely on one person’s shoulders–mine.
 

STAYING ON TRACK

1. Develop a routine. Writing every day isn't necessary, but you should regularly schedule time to write, and stick to that schedule.

2. Set writing goals. Daily. Weekly. Monthly. Yearly. Reward yourself when you reach these goals.

3. Unplug the internet while you're writing.

4. Spend an equal amount of time on self-promotion as you do on writing. This means making contacts, creating a website, attending conferences, and submitting short stories. Short stories pay poorly, but they're extremely important for getting your name out there. Try to send out a few every month.

5. Get feedback. It's tough to write in a vacuum. As writers, we need readers. Family, friends, peers. Luxuriate in the praise, but pay close attention to the criticism--what isn't working is often more important than what is working

I've learned these the hard way; by making these mistakes myself. Keep them in mind when you land that deal.

• Don't volunteer. It's very easy to get used. I'm all for helping out within the writing and publishing community, but I've gotten burned a few times. Know what is in it for you, and be clear about what you're getting in return.
   

• Don't compare yourself to other authors. Someone is always going to have more money, larger print runs, more fans, and better deals. Competition is healthy, but it should be with yourself, not with others.
   

• Don't listen to reviews. You will anyway, but don't take it personally. Not everyone will like your books. Not everyone will like you. It isn't important what people are saying, as long as they're saying something.
   

• Don't go to awards ceremonies. Losing isn't a big deal. What hurts is having fifty people come up to you and say, "Sorry you lost."
   

• Be approachable. Both in person, and in cyberspace. If someone reaches out to you, reach back.
   

• Learn to turn it off. I'm still struggling with this. Being a writer defines me as a person, and I can't seem to ever get away from it. I've had one vacation in three years, and during that vacation I did booksignings. Know when to relax. And when you learn how, teach me how.
   

• Cherish family and friends. After you become a writer, there won't be many people who knew you 'before.' The ones who did are special. Never let them forget how special they are.
   

• Don't worry. No matter how much you do, how hard you try, luck still plays a huge part in success.

1. Talent has very little to do with success in this business.
    
2. No one knows what will sell.
    
3. Just because something is publishable, does not mean it will be published.
    
4. Sometimes the unpublishable gets published.
    
5. The writing business has more than its share of pettiness. But it also has more than its share of well-wishers.
    
6. We tend to think of our successes as things that were earned, rather than the result of luck---but it actually is luck.
    
7. Overestimating your own importance, or underestimating the importance of others, doesn't do anybody any good.
    
8. It's necessary to work hard, but that doesn't guarantee anything.
    
9. Few things compare to the joy of seeing your name in print.
   

When I speak in public, I often tell the newbie writers in attendance that this business is horrible, and they should quit.

It always gets a few laughs, because they think I'm kidding.

Work hard for four years, and you can get an engineering degree. In seven years, you're a lawyer. Eight and you can practice medicine. Hard work = success.

Writing isn't like that. You can bust your butt for ten years, working every day, and not earn a dime. A BA in fiction writing means you're eligible for a job at Wendy's. An MFA means you can teach--but is no guarantee you'll sell a book. And why would you want to teach if you haven't succeeded in the field?

So when does a reasonable person say when? After how many rejections should you decide to try something new?

I've talked with writers about the anguish of writer's block. They speak of their WIPs like it is a monumental task to be conquered, a war to be fought, torture to be endured.

This is how you want to spend your free time?

I read a lot of newbie writing, and 90% of it is bad. Could it be improved? Sure. I always spout that persistence trumps talent. But it took me 12 years to sell a book, and the stuff I was writing back in the day was better than much of the newbie stuff I read. Does that mean I'm fostering hope for hundreds of writers who won't sell anything until 2025, if ever?

The odds are against you, more so than almost any other profession. Very few have what it takes, and even if you do, lady luck may snub you anyway.

Here's a short list of reasons to quit. If you see yourself on here, it may be time to try your hand at something else.

1. You've been doing this for more than five years, and haven't sold anything.
2. You've got some kind of degree in writing, and haven't sold anything.
3. Writing causes you pain.
4. You've been working on one novel for five years.
5. You're great at starting stories, but never finish them.
6. You want to be a writer, but spend all your time going to classes and researching, but never get any writing done.
7. You could live without ever writing again.
8. You think that writing will make you rich.
9. You believe that once you sell a book, it's a cakewalk from then on.
10. You truly feel that you have something important to say.
11. You think being a writer is cool.
12. You're doing it to show your family and friends.
13. You want to win awards.
14. You believe that editing, rewriting, and revision are for the less-talented.
15. You have a thin skin.
16. You think that writing will make you famous.
17. You think that once you're in print, that will be enough and you'll never want more.
18. You think there's a conspiracy keeping you from getting published.
19. You don't live to write.
20. At the end of your life, if you're still not published, it will hurt you.
    
    If any of the above apply to you, consider doing something else with your free time. While high school sports couches crow that quitters never win, Dirty Harry famously said, "A man's got to know his limitations."
    
    Why torture yourself when you could do something you'd be more successful at?
    
    The cold hard fact is: most of the people trying to get published won't get published, and most of the people who do get published won't be successful.
    
    Which brings me to the most important point of all:
     
21. If this list made you consider quitting, you absolutely must quit.
    
    

If all it did was rile you up, well, welcome to hell. I wish you much success.

I also recommend Prozac, alcohol, and lots of understanding friends.