Christina Berry (Advice for Novelists, Part 108)

Did you think I forgot this series? :) Never fear. Here's another post in my Advice for Novelists series in which editors, authors, agents and publicists answer the question:

"If you could say one thing to aspiring novelists, what would you say?"

If you've been writing for years and have yet to get published, this is especially for you: Start a new novel.

I'm a stubborn girl—just ask my parents. My mother and I reworked and reworked a co-authored story for eight years, each time putting our newly acquired writing knowledge/skills to use. We were determined that it woudn't end up in a box in the closet or shoved under the bed. I still love that manuscript, and it's actually very close to selling as I write this, but it wasn't until I took the advice of others far wiser and more experienced to start a new novel that I finally made my first sale.

--Christina Berry, author of The Familiar Stranger. Visit her website.