We asked Cyndi a few questions about what she sees happening among would-be authors these days:

What are the common misunderstandings people have about the publishing process?
I would say that the most common misunderstandings are:

• Writing is EASY! Anyone can do it.
• Writing a book is all you have to do; you don’t need to know anything about the business of publishing.
• Once I get an agent, my book will magically appear and hit the best-seller lists.
• If a writer gets a book published, he or she can quit her day job and write full time.

What are errors that people tend to make in the process?

So many writers don’t know what they need to know about writing and the business of getting published that they don’t make informed decisions. I cringe whenever I get call from a writer saying something like “Well, I just received my 500 self-published books. How do I get reviewed in Publishers’ Weekly?”  or “I just finished my book, and I don’t have time to find an agent, Give me some names of agents I can contact.” The business just doesn’t work that way, and many writers do not take the time to learn about publishing.

Read the rest of my forecast for would-be authors.

Registration is still open! And Writers’ League of Texas members get 10 percent off the registration price.

Hope to see you in HOUSTON!