Pride . . . the Ugly Wart on a Writer's Soul

I'm often asked how to publish a book.
Short answer: write one. Longer answer: write a well-written, carefully thought out, doggone great story, then edit it.

And re-edit.

And re-edit.

Oh yeah, did I mention edit the merciless sucking bejeebers out of it?

I'm not just beating a dead horse here. The thing I see most often in newbie writers is them stiff-arming the editing process, as if their words had been handed down to them from the heavens.

Self-publishing has made it super easy for newbies to fling a book out on the market. But just because something is easy doesn't mean that it's good. Great writing takes time and humility. Want to know what makes a great writer?

A teachable spirit.

If you fearlessly and fiercely think you're ready to be published, then you're most likely not.