“Now, one can often get away with playing music by ear when it is not being recorded, but writing is another matter; its mistakes are not forgotten because they are still there to confuse us.” - Albert Murray

Many of us are guilty of making big mistakes when we do things for the first time. But this is also how we learn new things by the process of trial and error. So, when it comes to drafting your first novel or story, you may also make some quite common mistakes in writing. But worry not, we have compiled a list of some common mistakes of novice writers, the reason they oversee these errors and ways to fix them. We also have advice for first-time authors to avoid such slip-ups altogether.

1. Weak Introduction

This is one of the most common mistakes in creative writing. New writers often fail to grab the readers’ attention in the beginning. To make a good first impression on your reader, the introductory lines need to be catchy, gripping and interesting. Otherwise, they may not read more than a couple of pages or may not even bother to purchase the book at all.
The Fix: Focus more on writing a strong introduction. You can choose different styles to start your writing based on your story or genre, such as thriller, mystery or half-told secrets. Set the mood right from the beginning.

2. Lack of Proper Editing and Proofreading

Many new writers believe they can skip through the stages of editing and proofreading. But the question is, if not for editing and proofreading, then how are you able to find mistakes in your writing?
When you go through the first draft of your written piece, you would realize how many writing mistakes you have made. But it is also a common occurrence to oversee your own writing mistake because when you read them, your brain reads the correct version, making it difficult for you to catch spelling mistakes, grammatical errors, plot holes etc.
The Fix: Get yourself a professional editor/proofreader so your work can be checked according to the standards of professional writing. You can also avail the help of your friends and family to check your writing for mistakes and errors. The more your work gets checked, the better the final draft would be.

3. Lack of Research on Genre

One of the common mistakes in writing is when the authors don’t know much about the genre they are writing in. Before you start writing your first draft, it is advisable you research the genre your writing falls in. It will also help you know your readers and understand them better.
The Fix: Read books in the genre you are writing so you can mould your writing accordingly. By reading, you can learn more about the styles of other authors in that particular genre and also keep an eye on new trends.

4. Lack of Research on Agents and Book Publishers

Another one of the biggest mistakes new authors make is rushing the process of selecting agents and book publishers. It is a common misconception that to get successful, you need to send your manuscript to as many agents as you want to. But that’s not how it works. You need to do your homework and find out the exact genre your work falls in and then find the agent who publishes in the same genre.
The Fix: Do your thorough research. A publisher may have a pre-specified wish list of manuscripts that their company is looking for. So, you just need to explore a little and find a publisher that deals in your genre of writing.

5. Not Hiring Professionals

Understandably, new authors have a tight budget and they want to spend less on things like editing services or designing etc. But, this can make a huge difference in the marketing of a new book. New authors try to save money and don’t hire professionals who can work on the technicalities of publishing their book. This is one of the common mistakes in writing by new authors.
The Fix: Allocate separate money from your budget to hire professional services so your work can stand out among many others in the world of book publishing.

6. Pricing

One of the biggest mistakes new authors make is in the pricing of their books. New authors sometimes don’t know the market value their book may have. So, they fall victim to either overpricing or underpricing their books.
The Fix: Do thorough market research and see how your competitors are pricing their books. Too high a price can take you out of the game altogether whereas, a very low price will also make it difficult for your book to come to notice. 

Have you made any of these mistakes? What strategies do you use to avoid making mistakes and write flawlessly?

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