Great interview, I enjoyed it a lot!
Best answer is this, in my opinion:
K: What is the most common downfall you hear about (not necessarily through the lit agency, though) for new and/or unpublished authors?
CM: I think most new and/or unpublished writers query too soon, often before they even know what they’re doing. It’s easy to get in a hurry when you see other writers getting agents in a week, book deals in a month, writing 5k+ a day, etc., but these are the exceptions. Learning to write a publishable novel takes time. Publishing is slow. If you can approach the process with patience and be willing to take your manuscripts through the checks and balances of critique, beta-reading, contests, etc. I believe you’ll actually progress much faster.
P.S. Has anyone ever told you you look like Maggie Gyllenhaal?