Goodreads asked Gary Val Tenuta:

What’s your advice for aspiring writers?

Gary Val Tenuta If you can't afford a professional editor, then do your absolute best to do the editing on your own. I always highly recommend investing a couple dollars in the purchase of a book called "Self-Editing for Fiction Writers" by Browne and King. There are other similar books available but I just happen to really like this one. It's very readable, has a "friendly" feel about it and is loaded with information every writer needs to know.

Also, if your story takes place in a specific time and place in history (or even in the present) make sure to do your research. Get your facts right. Readers who happen to know something about that time and place will know if you've gotten something wrong and they're very likely to let you (and everyone else) know it in a review that could end up here on Goodreads or amazon or where ever the review might be posted.

If you get some negative reviews, lick your wounds, sulk for a while, and then go back and see if just maybe those reviews contain something of value that you can learn from and then apply what you've learned to the writing of your next book.

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