Last Updated on July 11, 2020 by Nathaniel Tower
Every writer makes mistakes. From typos to writing stuff that sucks, we’re all pretty human (although we tend to be less human than non-writers).
Of course, new writers are especially prone to making mistakes. Most of these mistakes are easily correctable, but they can have a long-term impact on your writing career. Here are the biggest mistakes new writers make:
Sending out your writing before it’s ready
For most new writers, the immediate goal is getting something published. In their haste to get this first publication credit, they often send out writing that really isn’t ready to be published. This has two big downsides. First, it can lead to a lot of rejections, which can have a pretty big impact on the old self-esteem. When new writers get hammered with rejections right out of the gate, they often wonder if they are really cut out to be a writer at all.
Second, and even worse, this hasty submission practice can lead to the publication of something that isn’t very good and will cause embarrassment later in life. New writers don’t always care where they get something published. They just want to see their writing in print somewhere. In many cases, new writers will send out a story or poem as soon as it’s finished without giving it the proper revisions to make it the great piece of writing it could be. They also often send their work out to really bad publications just to try to get a publication credit.
New writer tip: Don’t send out your work until you are 100% confident it’s something you want published forever. If you are an unpublished writer, I would strongly encourage you to find a writers’ group or an experienced writer to review your work before you send it out.
Not sending out your work at all
On the flipside, many new writers simply don’t think they are good enough to get published. These writers hang onto their writing and never send it out for publication. They may be hoarding a bunch of great writing they don’t want to send out because of fear of rejection, or they may be sitting on a bunch of unpublished pieces they don’t think are worth finishing. Just like you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take, 100% of the work you don’t send out goes unpublished.
Yes, rejection sucks, but at some point, you have to take a chance and send out your work. It can be difficult to determine the right time to do this. It’s important for you to feel comfortable with the idea of having your work published (and with having it rejected).
New writer tip: If you’ve been writing for more than a year, then you’re way overdue for sending out your work. Stop waiting and find a venue that feels like a good fit.
Not reading enough recently published work
Unfortunately, many new writers cut down on their reading time so they can write more. As a new writer, you should do the exact opposite. As I used to tell my creative writing students, the only way to become a better writer is by reading more. And if you want to get your work published, you can’t just sit around reading the classics all day. Sure, you can learn a lot about the craft of writing from the so-called masters. But you really can’t learn what modern publishers are looking for by reading books that are hundreds of years old.
New writer tip: Spend more time reading newly published work, and read a lot of variety. If you want to write short stories, then read tons of short stories in venues similar to where you want to be published. And never send your work to a venue if you haven’t read something they’ve published.
Starting without a clue what you are doing
It’s fine to start writing without a clear outline of a story or novel. And it’s okay to write without an elaborate long-term plan for writing success. But you need to have some idea of what you are doing before you can really be a writer. Otherwise, you’re just going to be someone throwing words down on a computer.
New writer tip: Don’t sit down at a computer and just force yourself to write. Have a basic understanding of what you want to accomplish during every writing session, even if it’s just hitting a certain word count. And if you’re writing a short story you want to get published some day, make sure you always start with proper short story format. This will save you a lot of time and energy.
Paying too much attention to writing advice from others
And that includes this post right here. There are way too many people out there offering writing advice, and a lot of this advice contradicts other writing advice. So let’s get one thing straight: there is no writing advice that is universally true. It doesn’t matter if Stephen King or your high school English teacher said it. All writing advice can be broken depending on what you are trying to accomplish as a writer.
New writer tip: The best way to filter through all the crappy advice is to focus on what matters to you as a writer. Know what your goals are, know what you want to write about, and then go after it. Screw everything else.
Giving up too easily
Speaking of screwing everything else, screw rejection. Every writer has wanted to quit because of rejection, but don’t let it stop you. At least not until you’ve been rejected by every single publisher and every single agent in the world.
We’ve all heard the stories of all the famous writers who were rejected dozens or even hundreds of times before they became wildly successful and insanely rich. No amount of rejection should stop you. If you are a halfway decent writer, I promise there is someone out there who will love your work and want to publish you. On the other hand, not everyone is a writer. If you don’t think you have what it takes, then take an honest look at your work and identify your main weaknesses. You can always become a better writer, but you might not have the time, talent, or dedication to become a great writer.
New writer tip: You will be rejected. Laugh about it. Vow revenge on anyone who rejects you–in the form of becoming a successful writer elsewhere. Every time you get a rejection, send out your writing two more times. You will get published.
What other mistakes did you make as a new writer? Share your experiences and thoughts in the comments.
