The Ten Pitfalls Every New Writer Should Avoid

What happens after you write your masterpiece?

Coming up on the second anniversary of the publication of my memoir, Unmoored: Coming of Age in Troubled Waters, I’m often asked at book events what advice I have for new writers. Here’s some of what I learned. And, yes, many were hard lessons. But as they say, “What doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger.” As I draft my second book, I’m glad to know I can draw upon that experience.

1. Write because you love to write, not because you think you’re going to get rich. That doesn’t rule out your book may end up on the New York Times bestseller list. But, just like buying a ticket to Mega Millions in the hope you will be the one to win the one-billion- dollar jackpot, there are a hundred million (okay, maybe a hundred thousand) other authors who are wishing the same thing.

2. If you follow Rule No 1, you won’t be crushed when you find out that yours is the not the winning ticket. Okay, maybe you’ll be a little crushed, but you tell yourself, you did write a book, an achievement not everyone can claim.

3. If you dream of finding a traditional publisher, procure a literary agent. Without one, the road is still passable but filled with potholes. The work of maneuvering around these obstacles by finding a publisher who is…