Learning from those that have come before us is the key to success in life. If you can save yourself the growth pains, you’ll place yourself in the position to capitalize on opportunities earlier, and thus experience a longer period of compound returns.
What’s more, learning from fellow artists in different disciplines helps clarify the fundamentals to focus on. As an independent author, you are a corporation, and it’s vital you learn to manage your assets (the books you produce) accordingly. That means learning to place the financial needs of the business above your personal desires.