Writers yet to complete their first novel can occasionally suffer delusions of grandeur. They believe that fame and fortune beckons for them because their idea alone, is original enough to warrant a lucrative book deal.
In stark contrast to the majority of writers who respect the need to learn the craft, a minority of writers enter the publishing business with their blinkers on. They make the assumption that the industry is waiting for their book.
More often than not, these writers will submit their first draft believing that it represents their voice better than a forced rewrite.
What they seem oblivious to is that literary agents have read a vast selection of sample chapters throughout their career. Consequently, when they see bad writing, or the inexcusable presence of poor spelling skills, it immediately forces them to stop reading and move on to the next submission.
This does not deter the blinkered writer.
For them, rejection and advice falls on deaf ears. They believe their first book will be a best-seller either traditionally or through self-publishing.
Furthermore, by demonstrating a complete disregard for etiquette, they alienate the very people they are trying to impress in the first place.
10 Traits of the Blinkered Writer
- 1. They Submit Their First or Second Draft
- 2. They Believe All Advice is Meaningless
- 3. They Ignore the Submission Policies of Literary Agents
- 4. They Do Not Read Books in the Genre They Write
- 5. They Pay No Attention to Word Count Guidelines
- 6. They Are Driven by Money, Not Story
- 7. They Believe the Concept Is More Important than the Execution
- 8. They Do Not Proofread The Manuscript
- 9. They Do Not Rewrite Beyond the Second Draft
- 10. They Believe Rejection is a Call to Self-Publish
The Blinkered Writer Begins Their Journey
This animation, created by an agency repped writer, perfectly encapsulates the 10 traits of the blinkered writer.