The Value of Taking Your Time

by Charlee Vale

This post will be short and sweet.

With the age of the internet and the increasing popularity of self-publishing, I often see young or new writers obsessed with speed and 'wanting to get their book out there.' Believe me, I understand the sentiment—but I think a lot of the time, especially in recent months, writers have forgotten about the advantage of being unpublished.

Right now you're probably thinking 'There's an advantage to being unpublished? Is she crazy?' But I'm not crazy; right now, you have all the time in the world. You don't have an agent waiting to see a revision. You don't have an editor waiting for you on deadline. You don't have a date that your agent would like to go on submission by. So why not take the time and freedom you have to get it right?

Whether you choose self-pub or traditional, the time before your words hit the world is the time you have to learn and grow at your own pace. Once you enter into the realm of publishing, you don't hold the reins anymore, so take your time! Take classes, write terrible books, write multiple books, and don't be afraid to mess up—because this is the time when you can.

You have the time right now, to write the best book you possibly can on your terms. Don't waste it. John Green's The Fault in Our Stars essentially took him ten years to write—and I'm so glad that he took his time.

CV

Charlee Vale is a Young Adult writer, photographer, tea lover, and now a Master's Graduate living in New York City. You can also find her at her website, and on Twitter.