Advice to Aspiring Authors  

Recently, I did two interviews where the question of what advice I would give to those who wanted to become published authors came up. I've been a published writer for over thirty years if you count publishing magazine articles, and I could come up with tons of advice. However, a couple of things immediately popped into my mind.

First of all, persevere. Persistence does pay off. Writing and publishing is not the right pursuit for those who give up easily, because most writers find many stalls and roadblocks along the way. Even after you're published, the slow progress and ups and downs don't cease. Marketing can have its own set of problems, and success often has to be slowly built instead of sprinting toward you as you'd like. Believe in your work, be stubborn, and never give up.

Then, be determined to never stop learning. During the sometimes lengthy process to publishing and success, keep perfecting your skills as a writer. Continue even after you are published or successful. Like so many of the other important things in life, this is a journey you will continue for life, not a destination you will arrive at and be satisfied and complacent.

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