Guest blogger: Mattie Gorman

There are many rules of good writing, but the best way to find them is to be a good reader.—Stephen Ambrose

As a result of my recent studies at the Denver Publishing Institute 2010, I reached a deeper understanding of areas that I already knew a little about such as: editing, proofreading, book design and book marketing. I also became exposed to areas of the business that I knew nothing about—the creation of a book, magazine publishing, subsidiary rights and copyright laws—all things that are incredibly important when joining this business. But, the most important thing I learned, which I will never forget, is the importance of reading, reading a lot, and reading everything. 

I have always been an avid reader and also a writer on the side, so it was good to hear that I was on the right track. I learned that, as readers, we pick up certain grammar and punctuation rules that can be very helpful to know when editing your own work before submission to an agent. This is especially important if you are submitting a work of fiction. Novels, when submitted to agents, need to be as perfect as the author can get them for the novels to be accepted (99.9 percent of the time). It is also very important that writers read anything they can get their hands on, be it blogs, newspapers, magazines and books,  and step out of your comfort zone because the more you read, the more you learn.

So here’s the advice that I have to offer for writers, new and old, looking to improve their craft…. It’s always a possibility to contact a writing coach, but I think that the best way to get something done is to do it yourself. So, start reading books in the same genre of your writing. It’s possible that you will be able to revise your own writing based on your new-found knowledge. Then, start reading everything else and take what you learn to apply to your work. Who knows what could happen? I think that no person should discount the option of joining a writing group, either. This is a great way to get instant feedback on the work you’ve done, but to also read stuff that hasn’t been published that you may not have access to otherwise.

So basically, all I have left to say is… Read!

Note: Mattie Gorman is a recent graduate of the prestigious Denver Publishing Institute. She also has a Bachelor of Arts degree in English professional writing and book publishing from the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater. She has varied experience, including stints as interns for the East Troy Times and Congressman Steve Kagen. As a new intern for Self-Publishing Resources, she has much to offer. Hopefully, I can teach her a thing or two as well. — Sue