N.C. Stow asked R. James Stevens:

What are the common mistakes an aspiring author should absolutely avoid in order to succeed?

R. James Stevens I'm a stickler for perfection. Typos / bad editing in a novel just kill it for me, so that is what I would consider the First Commandment of writing. Whether that means you hire a solid editor, or whether (like me) you spend an inordinate amount of time editing yourself while/after you write, then you have to do it. Some readers are forgiving on that front - I'm not, and I've taken stars away in review ratings for 1 or 2 simple mistakes.

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