I think it’s safe to say, to expect the unexpected in this business whether you’re struggling for publication–and, I mean struggling, this career is not easy–or if you are a published author.
1. Study the situation. That means learning everything you can about writing and publishing. Read about it, talk to people in the industry, and seek answers.
Research has always been imperative, from when I chose to become a writer and then reached publication, and with every new step I take. You can’t get far without knowledge. I only attended a few classes in junior college. I was never patience enough to work for a degree. Always wanting that “hands-on” experience. So when I decided to become a writer I went straight to on-line resources and books. It’s cliched but true–Knowledge is Power.
2. Set attainable goals. Once you have a rudimentary understanding of how publishing works, you can figure out how to leverage your standing within it. Keep goals to things within your control.
Whenever I have set a goal, it’s always been the next step in my career. In a business course I took while studying graphic design, they tried to get me to write a 5 year plan. 5 years?? I couldn’t see next month! haha. This plan could surely work for big planners, but I’ve never been one of them. It’s always take one step, work toward the next for me. For eample:
- Learn to write a book. – Write the book. – Revise the book. – While revising, research how to write a query. – Write query, research agents. – Book is ready. – Start querying. And so forth…
3. Learn from both failure and success. Try things for yourself, try them again, and revise and evolve.While you can’t control the experiment, you can test and hone tactics.
I’ve never known what is going to work for me, mainly through promotion. Publishers can’t always take the chance to throw money in promotion for every writer they have, even though that would be nice. 
So I do what I can and I try my best. Then if things didn’t work out, I knew not to go that route again.
4. Don’t compare yourself to other writers. No good can ever come of this. Ever. Writers aren’t in competition with each other for contracts or fans, and one person’s success doesn’t hinge on another failing. Envy is poison.
Oh gees, do I know every situation is different. Every contract, every offer, and circumstance. Don’t expect what someone else is getting. Everyone is at a different level. It’s in your hands to work hard to try and get to another level, but its not guaranteed. I know, hard stuff to read.
5. Value yourself. If you don’t have enough confidence to believe you’re worth more, no one is going to give you more.
Been there. The mind is crazy. Your mentality can set you back or push you to do things. But one thing is for sure you have to believe in yourself, because even though you have supporters around you, its you who has to write the book.
6. Bust your ass. If you aren’t driven to succeed, you probably won’t. How bad do you want this? If the answer is: really bad, then you have to prioritize accordingly.
That’s what I’m talking about: DRIVE. The book won’t get written unless you really want it. The next book won’t get written unless you really want it. I tell my peeps all the time, you have to want it to make it happen. Because there are going to bumps in the road–expect it–and you’re going have to get be like Rocky, and get back up even after you’ve been knocked down.
7. Forgive. You’ll make mistakes. People will screw you. Circumstances may conspire to keep you down. Regret, guilt, worry, and self-pity are all just as poisonous as envy. Let the past stay in the past and move on. You’re better than that.
I wish everyone you encountered in the writing world would be super friendly, but its not the case. There are going to be people who only care about themselves or what you can do for them. And then there are those super nice people too, who will welcome you with open arms. There are going to be people that make a mistake, but anger won’t get you far. You have to be able to move on or past. No one is asking you to forget, sometimes that is impossible. But leave the past in the past. I know, sometimes easier said then done.
8. Dream. That’s why you became a writer in the first place. It’s the one thing you have complete control over, and the one thing that will keep you going when everything else is going to hell. The day you stop dreaming is the day you stop trying.
This is my favorite. This is something you cannot lose.
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