I have a whole list of mythical irritants, but I’ll try to keep my rants to a minimum . . .

Myth #1: It is not, I repeat not, within my power to get your manuscript sold.  I may recommend a writer to my editor or agent, but that’s only after I’ve read their work.  I’m not willing to give up the few chits I have in my publishing world on someone who still needs to hone her craft.  Even if I sing the praises of an unpublished author (which I have done exactly 3 times in 15 years), I’m not n editor, I can’t get buy your book.

Myth #2:  You don’t need an agent before you’ve finished a manuscript if you have no publishing history.  Those days are long gone my friends.  An agent can’t sell a thing until it is finished.  And just as an FYI, I had to write a big hunk of my first Finley book because I was changing genres, etc.  So worry about the agent thing when you have something to give to your agent.

Myth #3:  Those words you wrote are too perfect to change.  If you keep getting the same feedback, it’s you, not them.  Whatever it is you are trying to convey to the reader isn’t clearly on the page.

Myth #4: Winning the Golden Heart™ will get you published.  Really?  Then how come there’s a group called The Golden Network – all GH finalists and/or winner who never sold?  Enter for the personal gratification but don’t fool yourself into believing a win is an automatic win.  BTW, go look at the list of past RITA™ winners and count how many you’ve never heard of since.  Is it good to enter?  Sure, so long as you know going in that it won’t do anything for your career save for give you a pat on the back and a cute pin.

Myth #4: Earning ‘PRO’ status means something.  Well, I guess it does if you count dibs on the editor/agent appointments at nationals and yet another cute pin.  Editors and agents laugh at ‘PRO’ status because it says only one thing to them – you’ve proven you failed.  That’s right, they know the criteria and generally think of it as the “I failed algebra but had perfect attendance” designation.  Hell, if she was over eighteen, my daughter could get PRO status.  Bottom line is, you can’t be more unpublished than someone else.  If it floats your boat to have external recognition and a cute pin, then go for it.

Myth #5: “I enjoyed your book so much I’ve been passing it along to all my friends.”  This is a kiss and a slap situation.  You got kissed because she liked your book, and then slapped when she passed it around instead of recommending that her friends buy their very own copy.  Authors get paid on books sold, not books passed around. 

I could go on and on, but then I’d spill over to Traci’s Day.