The rise of the Internet has brought us dozens (maybe
hundreds) of websites that attempt to give advice to aspiring authors. And then
we have the countless chat rooms and message boards, where peer-to-peer
counseling thrives. And after twelve years in the business, I’ve come to a
conclusion:
There’s an awful lot of bad advice getting passed around out
there.
Mind you, it’s not that reliable sources don’t exist. Writer
groups, mentors, reference books, and conferences abound. But in my experience,
most writers aren’t interested. They just want to write, and then take their
chances in the fickle, unpredictable marketplace.
