The magic words all pro authors know: "I hear the note behind the note"

Editors, agents, and other collaborators will fall all over themselves to do their best work for you if you do this One Weird Trick.

At some point in the Grand Authorial Journey, someone on your team is going to suggest something dumb—at least for you. Your agent or editor might give you some bogus edit. The cover designer might come at you with visual ineptitude. If, Zuul willing, you get some major pub-week interviews, you might find yourself on a live mic fielding a tone-deaf ques…