How valuable are other author’s experiences? Often, when you attend a writers conference or writers group meeting, the program consists of other authors sharing their publishing experiences. Sure, if you’re new to publishing, you should be listening to the experiences of others, but to what extent are these useful?
Here’s my take on this subject: Okay, so you attend a couple of writers group meetings and hear a handful of authors talk about their publishing path. You may also chat with other authors in the audience during the break. This is good, unless you put too much credence in the wrong place. In other words, not every author is making good decisions and most authors are not experiencing success. If you’re a new author, you may not recognize the difference between good advice and bad.
Some new authors listen to others until they find someone they can relate to. If you want to produce a book and not get involved in promoting it, you’re liable to follow the advice of authors who claim to do little promotion and get big sales. Maybe you’re seeking reasons to go with a certain self-publishing company. If you talk to many authors, you’re bound to find one or two who will tell you what you want to hear about that company.
So how valuable are the stories other authors tell? Extremely, if you will also do your own research. Sure, listen to what other authors have experienced. This could save you money and heartache. But also listen to experts in the field—attend their workshops, read their books, subscribe to the newsletters they contribute to, follow their blogs, etc.
As you will discover, authors who have walked the walk are experts in their own experience only. Professionals who have written and published numerous books, who have been embedded in the industry in some way for years, who have done and continue to do research related to the industry, and who write and teach other authors have much more to share. Compared to the professional, the one- or two-book author has limited experience and knowledge.
If you seek answers, resources, and advice, sure, listen to other authors, but always follow this up by conducting your own research—and a big part of that is tapping into what the professional can bring to the table.