Goodreads asked Clive Johnson:

What’s your advice for aspiring writers?

Clive Johnson Have a go! Your first work may not be a masterpiece, but it will be a wonderful learning experience – and, of course, you can always change and improve upon what you've written.

In the modern age, self-publishing is very straight-forward. Provided you approach a title professionally (e.g. engaging a proof-reader is essential), there's no reason why you shouldn't find this to be a satisfactory route for getting into print.

I have published with mainstream publishers and submitted proposals to others. Pitching titles takes a lot of effort and time, not to mention that you may face rejections (even if you've passed the first hurdle, to interest a commissioning editor). I therefore recommend getting on with writing and self-publishing if you can.

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