As writers, we all take wrong turns sometimes. That fact holds true no matter how much experience we gain.

We might draft a scene one way, only to get stuck and need to start over. We might draft the beginning and then abandon a new story idea that isn’t as strong as we hoped. We might try one agent or editor or publisher, and then figure out they weren’t quite what we were looking for in a publishing partner.

Once we’re published, we might take wrong turns on marketing and advertising strategies with attempts that don’t capture potential readers’ interest. We might relaunch a series with new covers and blurbs, only for the rebranding to result in sales even worse than before. We might pivot to a different genre or series premise that doesn’t pan out. And so on.

Those wrong turns happen to everyone and to every organization. So mistakes are not a reflection on us or our choices.