They affect every writer. This list includes A-list rockstars who routinely churn out bestselling books, first-time scribes, and everyone in between.

One of the many perils of true self-publishing is the lack of a professional editor. (In other words, the author does it all.) Friends and beta readers can certainly be helpful but make no mistake: amateurs rarely possess the skills to offer meaningful criticisms, much less the fixes to them.

While not a comprehensive list, here are some issues that plague business books:

• Long, confusing sentences.
• A lack of stories.
• Redundant or flat-out superfluous passages.
• A general dearth of cohesion and organization.
• Jargon and vacuous text.
• Basic grammatical errors.
• Poorly rendered figures.
• Excessive use of the passive voice.
• Inconsistent formatting.

The reasons vary, of course. A frequent culprit, however, is the curse of knowledge. Your book makes sense to you, so how could it confuse or fail to land with others?

It’s a natural reaction, but whether you understand your book’s message isn’t nearly as important as whether your audience gets it. If readers fail to pick up what you’re trying to put down, you’ve failed. (My friend Josh Bernoff calls this The Iron Imperative.) Expect disappointing reviews, sales, and overall impact.