The best writers I've worked with know when to ask for help.
I do love it when the Economist agrees with me. From a review on Islamic State books:
The pity is that [this is] such a messy, disjointed account. Their book feels at times like a jumble of notes hurriedly thrown together.
This is something I come across often in my work as an editor, and disjointed is a word I've used on more than one occasion to describe the phenomenon.
Many non-professional writers—a category in my mind that includes academics and think tankers who write for mass consumption sometimes—struggle to produce quickly and coherently. Ok, so some are never coherent. But assuming they are, it's difficult to cram a ton of field research or archive-diving into an approachable narrative at any time, let alone on a tight deadline. I sympathize.
But a key point that some of these authors miss is that it is necessary to be not just a writer but an editor too. The ability to take a step back, get some space from your words, and then go in for a 30,000' look is a supremely important skill. If you want to reach your audience, it's as important as those years you spent learning how to dissect Weber or conduct an interview in a conflict zone.
Yes, your mind is sharp. You have an important message the world needs to hear. You have the capacity to tell your story in an effective and accessible way.
That, however, takes effort. It takes trying. It takes failing. And above all it takes being open to change and observation from a distance.
The best writers I've worked with know this. They're passionate about their work and attached to their words and they even have egos, but they know good, deep, lasting writing is an iterative process. They're scientific about it, gathering feedback and course-correcting along the way, sure they won't get it right on the first go-round.
Of course, not every writer is capable of taking that space every time. Sometimes, you're on a tight deadline and you're just too close to the subject matter. The best writers I've worked with also know this—and know when to ask for help.