Whenever I am interviewed in a podcast, phone interview, online for an article, or in person, invariably this question is asked: What advice do you have for new writers?

I have several answers, and whichever pops into my head is the one I use. I’m not beiong sarcastic. I’m just saying there are so many, but my basic elementary list consists of:

1) Write every day. 

I’ve seen arguments to this, and I disagree, but then, no two writers are alike. The truth is, however, that if you intend to take writing seriously, then show up to work. Delays and gaps in between only makes your writing atrophy. Then you have to warm up all over again, often rereading and rewriting material because you lost track. Also, writing daily ingrains a habit in you such that every time you sit in the chair your brain knows to start writing. And yes, it does become easier. Not that writing is easy, but getting back into it is easier when you do it daily.

2) Read ravenously. Choose books you wish you’d written.

Some argue they cannot read while they are in the midst of serious writing. You cannot write all day. There comes a time when you have to turn it off. I have learned that the more I write, the more I want to stay in the writing world, so when I tire of writing I turn to reading good books in my genre. It’s almost like keeping the gears still turning while resting your brain at the same time. Regardless, you get wiser.

3) Have a website or social media identity you update often.

Yes, even if you do not have a book. Make it professional. It cannot look amateurish or it reflects on the quality of your writing. This is where you start developing your brand.

4) Saturate your writing name locally before thinking you can be a national name.

Many writers think they have to break-in nationally when they publish. What does it matter if you sell 5,000 copies locally or nationally? Besides, those local people will be more likely to buy future works of yours, plus, they represent very strong word-of-mouth promotion.

5) Edit until you are sick of the piece. Nothing can be edited too much. 

There does come a point to where you have edited enough, but few writers do that. Very few. Traditional writers have the luxury of editors, copyeditors, and proofreaders to go behind them, but the self-published do not. And if you haven’t decided how to publish yet, or if you are freelancing, build into your agenda the time to edit your piece a dozen times or more. Be willing to make huge cuts, major changes, and more. A first draft is nothing more than thoughts on paper. The magic comes out in edits, and the fewer you do, the less magic.

Agree or disagree. The great thing about being a writer is that you are your own boss. That means the decisions are yours to make. That also means success or failure is solely on your shoulders. But in these early times as a writer, you have habits to build that will determine your future.