Why do people who hardly read books think they can be authors? [View all]

It's just a pet peeve of mine. As a published writer myself, I'm often approached by wannabe novelists -- many of them accomplished in other fields -- who want to know the "secret" of getting published. I ask them what they like to read, and it often turns out they haven't read a novel since college, decades ago. But since they've got their M.D.'s or they're lawyers, they think surely it couldn't be that hard, right? And they're frustrated because those "stupid editors in NYC" don't appreciate their genius and keep rejecting them, so it must be about knowing the right people.

Sometimes, I'll try to be nice and read their manuscripts. Invariably, their writing sucks.

I'm tired of people thinking they can be published authors when they haven't put in the time. And they don't even frigging READ.