Goodreads asked Sarah S. Reida:

What’s your advice for aspiring writers?

Sarah S. Reida It's actually not "never give up." It's to hone your craft. I spent three years writing before I landed my first agent. After three unsuccessful submissions, we parted ways. My next agent sold my next book - book number FOUR - on the first try. Throughout that entire time, I was always working - reading, editing others' work (which is really helpful, because you see what works and what doesn't, and a lot of times you'll pick up on problems in your own writing that you're too close to the project to see), writing new books, editing those books, reading about writing, etc.

Point being, if I hadn't given up and stayed in a rut, I wouldn't have a book coming out. So, if you're not willing to put yourself out there and work to get better, you're not doing yourself any favors. But if you want a writing career, badly, and you're willing to do the work to get where you need to be despite the many inevitable disappointments (some people find success right away, but those stories are prominently retold because they're rare), you will get there.

flag