Leveling up as a writer

Leveling up in computer games is a process whereby a character gains enough points or experience to unlock a whole new level in the game.

Writers level up too.  The first time they finish a book, the first time they learn to take critiques properly, when they learn that writing is not just writing, it’s rewriting.

Here’s a fun diagram of a writer leveling up.  We’ve made some assumptions.

The writer is going the trad pub route, and they get an agent first, who then sells their book to an editor
Both editor and agent are legitimate and doing their best to sell/make the book as good as it can be. That is, the writer isn’t caught up by scammers.
A lot of these things loop. You can keep going around and around in circles, but we’re only doing it the once.