Goodreads asked Stephen B. Pearl:

What’s your advice for aspiring writers?

Stephen B. Pearl Get out if you can. It’s not what you think. There is little money; long hours and you spend more time trying to sell your product than actually writing. If you can’t or are unwilling to interact with hordes of people directly and through social media, give it up. This is the sad reality. Writing is a field ideally suited to introverts but the marketers have made it so you have to be an extroverted sales-person. I’m lucky in that I’ve got a bit of the actors gift and can put on a role but it is exhausting.
That said, if you have to write, then do the best work you can. Write it then edit it. Then send it through a critiquing group, and then edit it. If you find yourself in the “It’s my baby and you can’t touch it,” stage, get over it or stick to fan fic until you do. Editing and criticism is the only way you get good. Go to http://critters.org when you’re ready to have your work torn apart so you can put it back together better, stronger, faster than before.
When you feel you have a work worth publishing be open to all markets big and small. Realise that the pile of rejection papers you receive will likely be thicker than your work. It’s just how it is. Be prepared to scream, cry and hit things. Then get back to work. Some times when I’m feeling blue I’ll burn my rejection slips. Better yet, pile them up and lay a copy of my published book on top of them then burn them.
Short form, be prepared to bleed and if you aren’t save yourself the grief and walk away.

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