Real Writers Never Quit

A sad situation gave birth to today’s blog. A writer came to me three months ago asking for help. This writer had invested thousands of dollars into his manuscript and then was told that the book has serious problems and would never find a publisher. Personally, I believe that all writers can find a publisher. Yes, the manuscript might need a lot of work and the writer may need to take a few writing courses, but there are so many quirks and idiosyncrasies in the literary world that everyone’s writing can find a place to call home.

This writer sent me an email the other day announcing that he quit. He sent his manuscript to a ‘professional’ for a critique and received a scathing reply. I asked him to send me the critique. It was just as I suspected. He received a form style letter with a promise to fix the book in exchange for a large sum of money. I recognized the letter as ad copy right away, but the poor writer lacked the experience to see the letter for what it was and took it at face value.

Freelance editors and professionals only make money if you need their services. They will never send you a glowing critique. If you need the services of a freelancer, ask your writing friends and online writing groups for recommendations. Or, better still, take a few writing courses and learn to do the job yourself.

It took me four years to start making a good living. Not bad, if you consider that I could have left university after four years, and then been in debt.