"The hardest lesson I learned was that you can write a great novel, but unless it's what agents are looking for, it will sit in your closet gathering dust. I think writers need to eventually reach a point where it's about writing, not getting published. No, I'm not there yet."
C. Stiles, poet and novelist, Framingham, MA
"I laugh when people say they're going to take a year off and write the Great American novel. A year! Sometimes it takes me a year just to write the outline."
Jean Allen-Gaines, Boston, MA
"Don't submit anything to a publisher unless you have familiarized yourself with what they want. It's a waste of time and it pisses them off. Who needs that? Same with on-line magazines - always make sure you're sending material that's appropriate for their format."
William Manlo, experimental jazz poet, NY City, NY
"The best way for writers to refine their skills is to read quality literature. The second best way is to read really bad books and take the time to clarify what makes them bad, and then avoid making those mistakes."
Carol Penske, Grand Rapids, MI
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