Goodreads asked Betsy Robinson:

What’s your advice for aspiring writers?

Betsy Robinson Write if you love to write. Don't if you don't. Learn, read, learn. And if you can get a job in publishing and learn from the ground up, do it. If you have the innate qualities to be a good editor (equal left and right brain, love of structure, details, and Chicago Manual of Style), become one. There is nothing like editing other people's work to develop your own writing chops. Get a copy of Chicago Manual of Style and READ it! It's important. And if you can't stand this level of detail, hire a good editor (check out Editorial Freelancers Association) to make your work professional level. Friends who read or proof are not the same thing as a professional editor.

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