Leveling up in computer games is a process whereby a character gains enough points or experience to unlock a whole new level in the game.
Writers level up too. The first time they finish a book, the first time they learn to take critiques properly, when they learn that writing is not just writing, it’s rewriting.
Here’s a fun diagram of a writer leveling up. We’ve made some assumptions.
- The writer is going the trad pub route, and they get an agent first, who then sells their book to an editor
- Both editor and agent are legitimate and doing their best to sell/make the book as good as it can be. That is, the writer isn’t caught up by scammers.
- A lot of these things loop. You can keep going around and around in circles, but we’re only doing it the once.