Goodreads asked Margaret Duarte:

What’s your advice for aspiring writers?

Margaret Duarte Don’t submit too soon. When I finished my first novel ten years ago, I was so proud of my accomplishment that I immediately entered the prestigious William Faulkner Novel Competition. It’s one of America’s leading literary writing contests and offers a hefty first prize of $7,500, plus assistance in finding a literary agent and publisher. Oh, the innocence of the budding writer! Between the entry fee (somewhere around $20, I believe) and the postage (no electronic transmissions back then), I was a bit poorer for the experience. But I learned an important lesson: There are plenty of writers out there who have not only written novels, but have put in many more hours than I have at perfecting and polishing their craft. I heard recently that it takes approximately 10,000 hours of deep practice to get really good at something, which translates into approximately ten years, where I stand today.

Focus. Decide on your author brand and articulate it in a one-paragraph statement. Use this as the basis for your author platform, which you must start early, before you begin submitting your work.

Build an online hub, preferably a blog linked with a website, and then use social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook to build relationships. And point everything back to your hub.

Take classes, enter contests, join critique groups, and attend writer’s conferences to get feedback on your work and to learn all you can about the craft of writing.

Buckle down and never give up. You’re in this for the long haul.

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