This week marks 12 years since my debut novel was published. I can hardly believe it. We’ve come a long way, booklovers! Counting all manuscripts I’ve written (because not everything gets to see the proverbial light of day), I think I’m about to finish my 32nd complete story. On May 5th, I get to celebrate the release of my 24th published book.
So I sat down to write a reflective post about lessons learned, mistakes made, and the writing advice I still believe … as one does. But then I saw—yet again—an industry professional online doing the usual performative post: lamenting how publishing is a dumpster fire, the authors are not okay, the whole industry is trembling on a rickety foundation…
Cue the weeping and gnashing of teeth.
And I thought: you know what? I’ve seen this for twelve years.
There have always been people in the writing world who love to tell you the sky is falling. They stir up fear, repeat half-truths, get everyone anxious, and then somehow position themselves as the voice of wisdom.
I’m just not interested in living like that.
Because here’s what I’ve found: if you build your writing life around scarcity, cynicism, fear, and the idea that someone else’s success somehow takes something away from you, this will never be fun. It will never be enough. No review, no royalty check, no advance, no number of books sold will make you feel secure or content.
So, in honor of twelve years since my first book was published, here are 12 hard-earned truths I cling to when the industry gets chaotic.
1. Writing Advice for Authors: Create From Faith, Not Fear
This first one is spiritual for me.
Ephesians 2:10 reminds us that we were created for good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Joshua 1:9 reminds us to be strong and courageous, to not be afraid or discouraged, because the Lord our God is with us wherever we go.
If you’re not a person of faith, that may not mean much to you. But if you are, let me gently remind you: God’s Word is far more trustworthy than industry chatter.
Yes, listen to wise people. Try to learn from those with experience. But don’t let fear become your creative engine.
2. Publishing Advice: Don’t Take Career Guidance From People Who Haven’t Been There
This one will save you a lot of grief.
Plenty of people will have opinions about your writing, your career, your deadlines, your publishing path, your platform, your genre, your process. Some of them genuinely love you and truly mean well.
That does not mean you have to apply their opinions to your plans. It’s fascinating to me the number of people who enjoy browsing in bookstores and occasionally reading a book who also believe they are bastions of wisdom regarding how this business works.
If someone has never written or published a book, or worked in a booksellers’ space, then their advice isn’t for you. I don’t care if they’re a librarian or a former English teacher. More than likely, they don’t know what they’re talking about. Let me be clear: There’s no need to be rude or smug. You can certainly appreciate their concern, but don’t build your future on input that isn’t grounded in data or valid experience.
3. Revision Tips for Writers: Learn to Take Constructive Criticism
I don’t love this one, for the record. Sometimes I still get upset when I receive a substantial amount of editorial feedback.
It’s okay to cry. Or maybe step away from the project for a day or two. But don’t sit on the bench indefinitely.
Michael Crichton said, “Books aren’t written. They’re rewritten.” That’s true whether you’re traditionally published, indie published, or still trying to finish your first manuscript.
Revision is where a lot of the real work happens. No one is trying to ‘change’ your voice, or sabotage your career. If you’re working with a reputable, skilled editor than this painful yet necessary process will help you shape your story into something that your ideal reader will fall in love with.
Which brings me to my next point…
4. Learn How to Write a Book Readers Actually Want to Read
I know that sounds blunt, but it’s true.
I meet a lot of writers who say they want to write “the book of their heart,” but when it comes time to explain what the book is about, who it’s for, or where it belongs in the market, everything gets foggy.
Readers usually want some sense of what they’re getting into when they pick up a book. Especially if they haven’t heard of the author or read his or her books before. That’s not a flaw in readers. Book are an investment that require time and money. Millions of options are at readers’ fingertips. They can afford to be selective.
Which is why you can’t afford to be vague.
Don’t get me wrong: You can absolutely write something fresh, unusual, even a little weird. But you still need to be able to pitch it, ideally in 2 or 3 concise sentences.
Your book is not for everyone, and that’s okay. But learn to identify who it is for, as early in the creative process as possible. I personally recommend trying to write a two-sentence pitch, your back cover copy and a plot summary before you start writing the first draft. I know, I just gave all the discovery writers hives…I’m only trying to save time and unecessary suffering.
5. First Draft Writing Advice: You Can’t Edit a Blank Page
Bless Nora Roberts forever for this one:
“I can fix a bad page. I can’t edit a blank one.”
At some point, you have to stop procrastinating and actually write the book.
Write badly if you must. But write. Handwrite it, type it, dictate it, bribe yourself with coffee—whatever works. But get the words out.
You cannot revise what does not exist.
6. Dictation for Writers: A Faster Way to Draft Your Novel
I know dictation is not for everyone, but I do think more writers should try it.
Chris Fox once said he measured his career in two phases: before he learned about voice dictation, and after. Wow, I get that. Learning to tell yourself the story out loud unlocks tremendous potential. My own career (and my life) have changed for the better because I’ve learned to dictate my entire first draft.
For me, dictation helps me temporarily mute that harsh internal critic that tells me what I’m writing isn’t good enough. Since you can’t endlessly fiddle with a sentence while you’re speaking, dictation forces you to keep going. You have to stay in scene. And often that leads to a story that feels more immediate, more natural, and more emotionally alive.
If you’ve only ever drafted by typing or writing by hand, dictation may be worth experimenting with.
7. Author Mindset Matters: Some People Will Never Be Happy for You
This is a hard truth and one that I wish was false.
Sadly, because we live in a broken world, most people are clinging to false narratives about themselves and others. There will be people you expected to cheer for you who respond to your good news with silence. And that silence can be deafening.
You’ll be tempted to overanalyze it. To explain it away. To wonder whether you made them uncomfortable, whether you shared too much, whether you should shrink a little so other people can feel better.
Don’t do that.
Some people are not happy for you because they are not happy with themselves (Eric Roth gets the credit for that quote). It doesn’t matter what you achieve. They would find a reason to diminish your efforts.
That is sad, but it is not your burden to carry.
8. Writing Community Advice: Build Relationships With People Who Celebrate Others
These are your people.
The ones who celebrate your wins. The ones who buy the book, share the post, send the encouraging text, leave the kind review, and clap when something good happens.
Treasure them.
And just as importantly, be that kind of person for somebody else. Cheer for other writers. Celebrate their launches. Congratulate them on the contract. Share their good news without making it weird.
Publishing is hard. Being generous makes the journey so much more enjoyable.
9. Book Publishing Advice: Don’t Be Afraid to Adapt and Try New Things
Whenever you hear the proverbial ‘the sky is falling’ message from another author, an employee at a publishing house or a literary agent, I want you to remember that publishing is a multi-billion dollar industry. Yes, that’s billion with a B. If you’d like to take a deeper dive into all the juicy data about revenue, check out this website.
I have no problem acknowledging that the industry changes. But most industries change over time. And sometimes there are once-in-a-lifetime disruptors that can make forging a path ahead look challenging. But you can’t give up. Remember, use discernment regarding who you allow to speak into your life (both professionally and personally).
They’ll tell you not to pivot, not to try something new, not to publish faster, not to explore different paths, not to take the bigger opportunity. And sometimes the reason has less to do with prudence than with the fact that your growth makes them uncomfortable.
That may sound harsh, but I think a lot of writers know exactly what I mean. There’s a fair amount of public shaming in online spaces right now. Please keep in mind that the people who are telling you not to use a certain tool and/or demanding that publishers not use that tool either are more than likely using that same tool in secret.
Stay teachable and willing to pivot, friends. That’s the not-so-secret sauce that makes the writing life sustainable.
10. Novel Writing Tips: Use Real Life in Your Fiction
Anne Lamott said if people wanted you to write warmly about them, they should have behaved better.
I mean—yes.
Everything is material. The heartbreak, the injustice, the awkwardness, the resentment, the longing, the beauty, the grief, the things you can’t quite say out loud yet. It all goes somewhere.
Use it.
Not in a petty way. Not with a vindictive bent. But in the way writers have always done: by paying attention, telling the truth, and making art from what life hands us.
Some of your best work will come from what you’ve lived through.
11. Writer Mindset Advice: Stop Comparing Your Publishing Journey to Everyone Else’s
It was true when Theodore Roosevelt said it, and it’s true now.
Comparison will steal your joy, wreck your focus, and make you quite cranky.
If you spend too much time obsessing over someone else’s book deal, launch strategy, review count, sales rank, or career timeline, you will have very little energy left for your own actual work.
Reading is subjective. Publishing is unpredictable. Careers rarely unfold in neat, linear ways.
Stay in your lane and do the work you’re called to do.
12. Long-Term Writing Advice: If You Create From Fear, Nothing Will Ever Feel Like Enough
This is the thread running through this entire post.
If your writing life is powered by panic, envy, scarcity, and the need to prove yourself, success (however you define it) will remain just out of reach. But if you can build from purpose, courage, gratitude, discipline, and generosity, you stand a much better chance of making a life that is not only productive, but meaningful.
A life where you write your amazing books, keep growing, celebrate others, adapt when needed, and keep your joy intact.
That’s the kind of writing life I want.
And twelve years in, I still have to remind myself of these truths on a regular basis.
Final Writing Encouragement for Authors
The industry will always have its doom-sayers. Let them talk.
We still have stories to tell.
So tell me, writer friends: what have you learned? What’s one piece of writing advice you’d give your younger self—or another writer who needs it today?
