Whether you’re a first-time author or tenth-time author, you could be making some or all of these common mistakes. Some of them might just be habits you picked up.

Come find out some common mistakes authors make.

Mistake 1: They don’t establish a routine

This might, by far, be the most common of them all. One reason most authors – new or old – don’t get to start or complete their manuscript is that they don’t have a routine, and they wait to find the time to write instead of creating the time. A routine helps you create time to dedicate to your book amid your busy day.

Some people cringe at the sound of the word routine for many reasons, but routines should be part of you if you really want to get any writing done. Here’s what routine does for you. It helps with discipline and consistency; it helps you to be accountable to yourself – if you say you’ll write at a certain time and you don’t do it, you’ll be able to put yourself in check and identify why you didn’t write (for instance, procrastination) and know to do better next time.

So, what can you do to establish a routine? Start small. Twenty to thirty minutes a day might be easier for you than trying to write for two to three hours. Make a deliberate effort to carve out time rather than go with the flow. Set a reminder for the time of day you’ve chosen so that you don’t get carried away by other activities. If starting or completing your book is your priority, you’ll establish a routine to keep you on track.

Mistake 2: They don’t take breaks

Perhaps you’re good with establishing a routine, but you still don’t get to do much, or you feel burnt out by the end of the day and do not look forward to writing the next day. You might be making this second mistake.

Are you taking breaks? If not, why not? I know you can sometimes be zoned in when you’re writing that taking breaks might interfere with your concentration and flow of ideas, but you need that break – even if it’s for five or ten minutes. Pluck yourself off your chair and away from your laptop and walk around. Do something other than sitting in front of your laptop. You can try the Pomodoro Technique to help you with taking breaks.

Mistake 3: They wait for the perfect conditions to start or continue

Sorry to break it to you but there’ll never be a perfect time for you to start working on your idea. The ‘perfect time’ to start is when you think about it – in the moment. You’ll never have all your ideas completely, but you can work with what you have. You can start by drafting your outline. You wouldn’t always be in the mood to write, but you have to write, nonetheless.

One thing you can do for yourself is to start! It’s that easy.

Mistake 4: They overanalyse every word, sentence, or paragraph

The easiest way to get frustrated and demotivated to write is by trying to edit as you write. As a general principle, write first, edit later. You can either have a bad first draft or a blank page, but you can’t have both.  If you’re trying to edit as you go, you might end up with a blank page because nothing feels perfect and good enough. Don’t do that to yourself.

To avoid making this mistake, remind yourself that it’s okay for your first draft to be bad, and there’s always room to edit it later, so write without a care for perfection.

Mistake 5: They don’t build community

Writing can be a lonely sport but having a community of friends – writers or nonwriters – can make it less lonely. Have people you can share your ideas with and people who can encourage you to keep going when you’re not feeling up to it. As much as you might be invested in writing your book, there’s more to living than writing. Your community of people can also be people you don’t discuss your writing with so that you’re not always in writing mode. You need to breathe sometimes.

Mistake 6: They don’t work with a copy editor

I saved this for last and trust me to definitely point out this very common mistake. As an author, you need a copy editor. Check out this post on six reasons why you need a copy editor as an author. Some authors make the mistake of thinking that they can do it themselves; no, they can’t. Get a copy editor you trust and work with them. Your copy editor is there to make your book better and ready for publication. You don’t want to be without one.

So, there you have it! Which of them have you been making and how are you planning to make changes?

If you write general interest books or academic books/articles in humanities and social science, I specialise in these fields and will be more than happy to be the copy editor you need. Send me an email and let’s get to work.