Do you think newly published authors should enlist the aid of a publicist to help them succeed?

I've had a personal publicist for several years now, and was at the stage in my career where hiring a full-time publicist had become a much-appreciated necessity. But I can’t imagine that a newcomer to the industry would be prepared to devote time, energy, or money to a publicist. I strongly urge newly published authors to put all their resources into the writing itself. I speak not so much as an author; I used to be an editor of women’s fiction. I can’t tell you how many times I would acquire a new author from the slush pile, only to watch her become so absorbed by promotion and publicity and networking that she never did get around to writing that second book. Or if she did, it was clearly not her best effort. And that was well over a decade ago, before the internet created even more potential distraction! Premature access to the so-called trappings of literary success can derail a fledgling career.

In the end, the only thing that will help an unpublished or newly published writer succeed is hard, often lonely work at the keyboard, creating the best writing they can. With that in mind, if newcomers to the industry feel compelled to spend on “services,” RWA membership is a terrific resource, and their chapters and conferences are beneficial for aspiring authors. Critique groups and contests can help, but they can also become a huge time-and-confidence-zapper. As an editor, I saw talented writers undermined by feedback from well-meaning critique groups and contest judges. I also saw untalented writers buoyed by the same. Remember, the only feedback that really counts is what you get from the publisher after submission. That said, I wouldn’t argue with hiring a reliable editorial service or enrolling in writing classes if you’re getting repeat rejections.