Some inexperienced writers are so eager to get out of their baby cribs that they often lose patience with the “submit, wait, get rejected” cycle that so often precedes an acceptance letter, that they turn instead to some of the most insidious forms of getting your work in print: self-publishing.

Well, all I can say is, it’s time to abandon the baby furniture concept, wait it out, and let oneself mature into a writer who’s ready to sit at the adult table. That’s right, my next bit of advice is simple.

Avoid self-publishing like the plague!

In some areas of nonfiction writing, like Jack the Ripper research, on a rare occasion you’ll hear about someone who survived an incident of self-publishing without going bankrupt. But not often, so avoid self-publishing like the plague.

Especially if it’s fiction. A publisher should be paying you, even if it’s a pittance or in author copies. A professional writer never pays for the privilege, and if you’re not at that level yet, wait it out and keep honing your craft.

Remember, for every writer who makes their money back, there are dozens who end up with nothing but a big printing bill and boxes of unsold books that won’t even move on eBay.