How Much Does Random Chance Account for a Writer’s Success?
I read a lot posts about marketing and selling books. For the most part, they say the same thing. To succeed, a writer (indie or otherwise) needs to:
- Blog
- Have a website or “landing page” for his/her book
- Use social media (Facebook, Twitter, Google+, etc.)
- Develop a “platform”
- Build connections with a community of readers
- Develop an email list/newsletter
- Have an amazing book, a professional cover, and a catchy blurb
- Make smart use of sales tactics like price points and free Kindle days
- Never, never, never, never give up
I’ve been wondering, though, if one more thing shouldn’t be added to the list: To succeed, a writer needs to be really lucky.
I can hear the howls now: Luck has nothing to do with it! It’s all about talent and perseverance and building a community of readers…
True. It’s hard to imagine success without those things, but I still think a measure of luck has something to do with it, at least in some cases.
And let me add right away that I’m not blaming my shortcomings as a writer on my lack of luck. And I’m not bitching about other people being luckier than me. I place most of the blame for my shortcomings on the fact that I’m a novice marketer, trying to learn the ropes as I go after having spent the last thirty-plus years learning my craft and living with the illusion that I’d eventually land a deal with a publisher who’d do all that marketing for me.
For the most part, I’ve been trying to do all those things in the bullet points above, some better than others. Success hasn’t exactly been forthcoming, but it depends on how one measures success. To keep from failing at that last bullet point, I measure success in terms of just having books that are out there and having had some readers find them through my efforts (directly or indirectly) and be entertained by my storytelling. If I measured success in the hundreds of dollars or in averaging one sale per day in an average month, then the measurement would fall short. I’m not there yet. But I can live with it.
I’m just finishing a week of free promos for my books after having launched the second in my Ace Stubble series, Unfinished Business. I noticed that on the days when Take Back Tomorrow was free, there were a lot of downloads (68) through the German arm of Amazon. Out of curiosity, I did a Google search and found that a German free-book-promo site had picked up the listing for my book and featured it; so there are 68 English-speaking German readers with my book in their Kindles, and a handful of them are likely to read it.
Those are 68 (potential) readers I hooked up with strictly by chance. Yes, the people who say you make your own luck will argue that I put myself out there and thought positively and created the opportunity by making the book free in the first place. But so did several thousand other indie writers on the same day. The people who run that German site picked my book out of thousands and featured it without any other input from me. Maybe they liked the cover, or the selections from book reviews I included in my blog post about the free day. And maybe if I’d listed the book on a different day, the site administrators would have been in a different mood or had their eye caught by a different book. And so it goes.
On other free days, I’ve had other promo sites feature my books, resulting in thousands of free downloads. And on still other days those same books (with the same covers and blurbs and the same outreach on my part to the promo sites) have gone unnoticed, resulting in a couple hundred downloads instead.
It strikes me as rather random. As do other aspects of success.
I was reading another indie writer’s blog where he was analyzing the wild but temporary success he had on Amazon after his novel was featured in an Amazon-generated list of recommended books; his was the only indie book on the list, and he suddenly found himself with sales comparable to the pros his book was rubbing elbows with. Upon investigating, the writer discovered that his book had been included in the list because it looked so good, so professionally put together, that the Amazon editors had assumed this self-published book had come from a small press. While the author did a fantastic job of designing and marketing his book, the fact that it got noticed by these Amazon editors and recommended on a list of professionally designed books was, really, just a matter of luck–something the author was quick to acknowledge.
Why that book and not one of the other thousands of solidly designed indies, or even other professionally published books? Random chance maybe? The editors in a particular mood on a particular day and having some indefinable thing catch their eye that on another day would have slipped right past?
I don’t know the answer, but it does seem to me that random chance has something to do with the reason some writers shoulder ahead of others who are equally good, and oftentimes even better. And those better books never get noticed.
The same probably holds true in traditional publishing where one skilled writer gets picked up by an agent or editor on a given day while an equally skilled writer gets rejected–partly because the first one was in the right place at the right time.
Imagine the previously unpublished author of a teen vampire romance whose query comes up in an agent’s queue the same week that the first Twilight book shoots into the literary stratosphere. The agent snaps the book up and is pitching it to publishers in a heartbeat while the other queries in the queue–all by equally unknown writers, some with more talent and some with less than the author of the Twilight clone–get rejections because the agent can take on only so many new clients.
Surely there are books that deserve rejection, but there are others that, in a different week, would have outshone the book that got signed. Does being lucky guarantee this hypothetical author success? Not at all. But it gives that writer a hell of a better shot at it than the others who go back to the slush pile.
I don’t mean to sound defeatist or to say it’s all about chance. This isn’t sour grapes (I don’t have a bestseller because I never got lucky, etc.). No, talent and marketing and skill and savvy all help put the writer in a position where the odds are better. But it really does seem to me that, at least in some cases, luck is as much a factor as talent.
And in some cases, more.
No one seems to talk about it, though. Maybe because it’s something that can’t be taught–or sold–on a website.
Amazon books Kindle marketing Take Back Tomorrow Twilight Unfinished Business Writing
265 Responses
I do believe luck has something to do with it. Especially since sometimes an author can be rejected by an agent in the same day as he/she can be accepted by another. And often times there is no rational explanation for it–if the query was sent on another day or at another time, it may have been accepted by the agent who rejected it (assuming the book pitch is good)….. I think that as much as agents give you tips and advice on how to pitch a query to them, often times whether or not they accept / reject you is not a hard science and THAT is tough to rationalize (or write a whole book about and sell it to wanna-be authors)! 😉 Great post!
Thanks for commenting. I used to get super frustrated with agents who replied (when they even bothered to reply) that they “just didn’t fall in love” with project I was pitching. Fall in love? Talk about subjective.
It is very subjective, but an agent has to be very passionate about a work in order to sell it to the editors/publishing houses/etc. (Plus, they have to spend a lot of time with a work in order to do a good job selling it!)
It can be frustrating, but I think that’s why so many agents are fairly vocal about letting writers know that just because they have been rejected doesn’t mean they should give up.
Good points. I don’t want to bash agents. They have a tough job, and I think their role as gatekeepers for traditional publishing sets them up to receive the wrath of a lot of frustrated writers.
At the same time, the industry does seem so insular. It’s practically impossible to get an agent to give an unknown the time of day even when they claim to be open to working with new writers. It’s hard not to read that as “open to working with the next J.K. Rowling.”
When poorly written books get noticed, the unknown writers of better books get frustrated and maybe look with bitterness at the agents and industry that keeps the door closed to them and open to others. Maybe the industry has the pulse of the reading public and it’s the readers who we should be frustrated with rather than the industry.
J. Paul Getty, once the world’s richest man, credited his great wealth to luck. He bought and sold oil leases in Oklahoma out of the glove box of his car, keeping some, trading some, and not knowing much at all about the tracts they covered. But some of the leases he kept hit gushers, and he piled it on from there. The tricky thing is not to sabotage luck if it comes knocking. The work on your other bullet points prepares you to take advantage if chance favors you.
Great example. Thanks for reading and commenting. Luck + hard work seems to be the key.
Really enjoyed this post, I definitely agree. Being in the right place at the right time, knowing the right people and having luck really can be the make or break in a career.Look at Marilyn Monroe, catapulted into the spotlight because a photographer snapped a photo of her and it ended up on the cover of Yank magazine, and the rest is history. Obviously you need to have the passion and talent to continue being successful once you make it, but luck definitely plays a part! Congrats on your German readers 🙂
Thanks! Another great example of luck. How many actresses–and more talented actresses–never got that chance? The same holds true today, probably even more so. You could argue that the internet helps level the playing field for anyone trying to get noticed, but then the fact that so many people are using the same vehicle and the same tactics…it just dilutes the chances for success. The person with connections has it far easier, but, as you said, they actually need talent to make that first spark turn into something that lasts.
Completely agree – Luck definitely plays a part. Though I also think that being prepared to take advantage and build on any sliver of luck that comes your way is equally, if not more, important!
Have you read Malcolm Gladwell’s “The Tipping Point” – I loved that book and I think Gladwell’s point about identifying the tipping point (a lucky breakthrough of some sort) is very relevant to the issue of luck.
Of course, these days it seems entirely possible, with some savvy social media marketing and PR, to generate “luck” – but I still believe that on some level, everyone needs their lucky breakthrough!
Thanks for reading. I couldn’t agree more. I haven’t read Gladwell’s book but will check it out.
“How Much Does Random Chance Account for a Writer’s Success?”
immensley.
if you dont know the right people you have almost zero chance of any success.
the flip side being any old shit can get published if they know the correct people also..
Yes, sometimes you just have to shake your head at the people who get book deals. No wonder so many people are hoping for a role on a reality TV show these days. That seems to be about all you need.
I have to agree with you about luck. I have one book published on Lulu, so far. It took off at first but has since fizzled out in sales. I keep trying though by passing out business cards as well as word of mouth. I am working on another book at present. This one, I will need to go the actual publisher route verses self publishing.
Keep writing–that’s the key. And try other avenues to self-promote. Amazon free days have been of some help to me, but you can’t be on Lulu at the same time. There are, of course, downsides to traditional publishing, too. But, as I said, just make sure you keep writing. There’s zero chance of success or a lucky break or anything else if you don’t have things for potential readers to discover.
Agreed – sometimes random chance plays a part. Or rather, maybe it is more often than “sometimes”. That being said, I have read your blog a bit and you are a good writer so that definitely adds to why your book was selected. Having 68 new readers by chance is fantastic. I wish you much success!
Thanks! It’s always helpful to hear how I’m coming across to readers.
I want to second Sarah P’s recommendation about Gladwell’s “The Tipping Point.” You do not even have to accept the author’s premise to gain momentum from this book to just keep on going. Thanks for this post!
Thanks for reading. I will definitely check out Gladwell.
I’ve always believed in luck and timing: it’s all random. There has been thousands of titles written about “Mommy porn” but suddenly 50 Shades takes off as if this had never been done before. You just don’t know when lightning will strike.
I’ve often wished for a crystal ball if only to be a day or two ahead of a trend. Not likely to happen.
Luck is a real game changer!!
I can relate to that… A certain boy I knew hardly knew English as good as I did, but yet within 2 years, he became a bestselling novelist… 🙂
And well, I run a lil known blog!
Grear article! Love it! 🙂
Good example! Thanks for reading.
Found you on Freshly Pressed. Interesting read for a new blogger. Thanks for sharing.
You can’t get plucked from the field of daisies unless you’re one of the daisies…or something like that. There is room for the quirky, the little stand-out, the different and new — luck is when somebody appreciates it.
True. You’ve got to meet luck halfway, I suppose.
Excellent post. It can be a huge blow to even the most well-adjusted ego that you’re going to stumble, or outright fail, and sometimes it’s just not your fault: you just weren’t in the right place at the right time. The only thing you can do is keep trying, and look at the circumstances to see if there’s anything you can do next time to make the outcome more favorable.
One book I highly recommend to aspiring writers is Leonard Mlodinow’s ‘The Drunkard’s Walk: How Randomness Rules Our Lives’. Even if you’re not a highly trained mathemetician (which I’m not), he breaks down the idea of chance and how even the most ‘sure bet’ could make you lose your shirt — or, conversely, the longest hail mary shot could be the game winner. Some things you can’t put a spin on, but there are things you can do, in most situations, to mitigate failure.
Thanks for the recommendation. I do think there are things one can do increase one’s chances of being in the right place at the right time. I mean, put yourself in as many places as possible just in case something hits. It’s not a guarantee, but it certainly increases one’s chances.
I believe that everything happens for a reason…. time, place, sequence. With enough hard work anything is possible.
So I suppose that would take the luck or random chance out of the equation? I just don’t know about the “anything” part. I think there are some doors that are definitely closed to some people, maybe because they took too long to try and open them.
I agree that although talent, ambition and the correct marketing will bring success, you need to be in the right place at the right time.
The same is with the music industry (which I am also in). You can play a thousand gigs at a thousand pubs, pack the places out and have successful evenings and get no recognition. You could also play a few gigs and happen to get noticed by a promotor who just stopped in for a beer and a plate of wings.
There is no rhyme or reason to why some people get picked for success and others don’t. I know many talented people who work their butts off but never get anywhere in the music or literary world.
Yes. Frustrating, isn’t it? Which is why I suppose we have to remind ourselves why we do these things. It’s got to be for personal satisfaction and growth first and foremost. If we’re counting on getting famous, it’s going to be a long, miserable wait.
Very true my new friend, very true
I agree with you that it takes a little bit of luck or maybe good timing would be more appropriate. My advice to you is don’t give up. If you believe in what you are doing put your best foot forward always. Before you send your query letter and sample chapters out make sure it’s presented well and what the person you are sending it to is asking for. By presented well I mean; the query letter and manuscript is formatted correctly, the content is well thought out and written well, and it’s been edited. Think of the query letter as your biggest, most important job interview. If, at first, you don’t succeed learn from what you are told and try again. You can’t be lucky by being in the right place at the right time if you aren’t sending queries and getting your work out there.
I agree 100% and have no intention of giving up. The frustrating part is when others just seem to stumble into success without having gone through all those steps. But then again, most of those people don’t end up being able sustain the lightning strike.
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Hey congrats on getting those 68 readers though! You do appear to have some luck so don’t get down about it. I have some of the worst luck in the world, and I still get my lazy ass up everyday, work at what I love, and hope for the best. What else can you do you know?
Try targeting your specific audience more; try getting into some sci-fi circles. Maybe you’re ‘luck’ will improve there.
Buck up Chap,
Erick
Thanks, Erick. I hope I didn’t give the impression that I was feeling down about it. There have been times, of course, but these days I’ve reached a sort of equilibrium where I’m quite pleased with what I’ve accomplished so far and anything else (including benefiting from random chance) is just gravy.
I often wonder why some people get published and others don’t . I think it has a lot to do with who you know, how well you build connections, and shameless self promotion. I think talent ultimately holds you in the end. If you don’t have the goods, I guess you won’t make the distance.
You’ve given me lots to think about.
Absolutely. Luck can get you through the door, but it’s going to take more than that to get you any farther. The people with staying power have been lucky and talented, others just lucky.
Everything is a mix of chance and persistence. We can work to stack the deck in our favor, which increases our chances of luck, but, as you say, it also just has to magically happen.
Absolutely. I wouldn’t say there always has to be magic, but it sure would help.
I absolutely believe that luck plays a big part and some other things ,like the title,and also giving away free does work as well.One must also be ready to keep on going,someday,they will either be lucky or some publishing company will notice their work As George Bernard Shaw said,’You Never Can Tell’.Let’s be optimistic guys.I loved reading your post.I am a blogger and am travelling along in this blog o sphere,looking for gems I can pick up.This happens to be one of them.Thank you.
Ranu
Thank you, Ranu. It’s always gratifying to hear that someone has appreciated something I’ve written. I agree with you that remaining optimistic in the face of something we can’t control (like luck or random chance) is the only way to go. The other path lies to bitterness and envy and ultimately to giving up. I’m not going there.
Oh, how I wish I was able to conjure some luck. It is the hopes of many writers to just be noticed by someone even remotely important. If I was noticed by the typical blogger I would be ecstatic. Thanks for your insight on writing and success.
http://bphillips8709.wordpress.com/
I think that’s what a lot of us hope for. I think we’ve just got to keep working as an alternate approach, though. Wishing and hoping will only get one so far.
Beats me. Want me to delete it?
I often get what I call the writer’s blues. I get really down, and have to watch some Downton Abbey and drink some tea to pick myself up again. What happens is that I get overwhelmed at how heavy of a dream being a professional writer is, and how fortunate I am to get noticed. If anything, this makes me grateful to have been published, and humbles me. I am very careful about how speak about other writers as I realized that success is about hard work, good writing, etc. but there’s also some fortune involved. I think your point about Twilight is interesting and is reflected in the young adult section. There is a lot of books like Twilight, but none of them have gained the same recognition and following like Twilight. Stephanie Meyer did admit that her novel had gone through a lot of hands…so maybe it’s luck and constantly knocking until someone opens the doors?
I agree that success as a writer has got to come from a blend of luck and hard work. And by success I mean longevity and real appeal to fans. Just being lucky without having talent won’t get one very far. And as to the blues, I think we can all admit to having been there. I used to get depressed every time I walked into a Barnes & Noble. It takes some attitude adjustment to avoid. I find it’s best to focus on the small successes–even if that means being pleased with the way a piece of my writing has turned out even if no one else is reading it. It’s tough, but I’ve found it does work.
I know it’s always nice to hear other writers talk about anxieties. Stephen King was so worried that his success was dumb luck that he wrote under another name. But even under that name he did well. He was even “accused” of plagerisim, so he had to come out and reveal that they were both the one and the same.
Good example. I also find it good to hear other writers talk about their struggles. There are so many people out there trying to make themselves sound like the next big thing that when I come across another writer who says it’s not so easy, I take comfort and tend to believe that writer a lot more than the others.
Nice post!
Thanks!
Enlightening post. Thank you. While I agree that timing and luck can lead to success in anybody’s life (not just the rare extremely successful writer), it’s also all the ground work that has been done consistently. Someone, someplace, somehow, will remember you even if months or years have gone by. Glad you haven’t given up!
Polly
Thanks, Polly. No plans to give up. That would be terrible. And I agree 100% on the ground work. You’ve got to be ready when luck strikes.
[…] Here’s an interesting post, recently featured on Freshly Pressed, about the importance of luck to a writer’s success: […]
[…] Random Chance And A Writer’s Success: It’s not random! You just have to roll a d20. […]
Define Success and then define luck. Does it mean you cannot have one without the other ? I am not so sure you can – if luck is the right place at the right time anyway. I have friends that have written novels, publications, short stories and yet their success is reletively tiny compared to the effort they have put in> hours and hours of it seemingly for nothing. But you have success compared to say me ? Your post was chosen for Freshly Pressed – and mine was not . Does that make you a better writer or just a writer with more luck ? I guess for now, luck is with you – so go for it – you might be on a roll !!!
Thanks. I agree that it’s all hard to define. As I mentioned in the post, I’ve had to scale back on my definition of success in order to live with myself and the ratio of sales to effort put in. You just can’t give up. Ever.
Yup. I believe in God, and I still think luck is a factor. I’ve got a book coming out this fall, and I couldn’t tell you exactly how it happened.
Congratulations!
I totally understand what you are saying here! I just released the first book in my fantasy short story series, last month and ended the month with ten books sold! Ok, maybe not something to brag about normally, but I’ve never had that happen before. In part I think it is because I’m trying to be more involved in reading/writing communities, but who is to say that luck has nothing to do with it?
I’ve only been writing and self-publishing my own work for about seven years now. I learned the hard way about how this business works. I now treat writing as a hobby, something I can enjoy because it’s not my job. I’m studying psychology and I plan to have a career in scientific research. I feel it is better to let writing be something fun to do and not focus too much on making it my career. That way, if nothing ever really comes of it, I can at least have fun writing. If I do end up becoming a successful novelist, then my career path will probably change!
I think that’s exactly the attitude to have. When I was in my 20s, I was filled with hope at the possibility of getting published and making a career of writing. That didn’t happen. Now, I no longer look at my writing as being something with the potential to change my life, and I’m much more relaxed about it. Best of luck with the book.
position yourself to succeed, you will meet success if you have
luck 🙂
I am definitely agreeing with this one.
There are a lot of brilliant writers out there that didn’t have an easy time when they first wanted to publish their books. Most of them had to approach a lot–literally–of publishing companies before they could publish their books. They have talent, but not every company sees real talent–even if its right in front of their eyes already.
Thus we come to a conclusion, luck plays a huge part for writers.
Agreed. Thanks for reading!
I don’t know if I really believe in “luck” as most would define it. Honestly, I think the universe just has a really sick and twisted sense of humor. You know, the kind of sense of humor that says,”Look, I’m gonna make Justin Bieber fabulously rich and famous and you see this really insanely talented band over here? I’m gonna make them struggle to make even enough money to pay the rent on the broken down old house they’re all sharing. I’m going to keep kicking them in the face until they give up on their dreams completely and in the meantime, I’m gonna give Nicki Minaj a few more million.”
Basically, the universe is kind of an ass.
I just started working on my first novel at the age of 35, but I don’t have any delusions. I’m writing it because the story has been bouncing around in my head for years and I finally had no choice but to get it out of there to make room for some other things. I’m not expecting to get rich or have any kind of “lucky” break. I just want to write something that I can be proud of and hopefully something that will mean something to others as well.
Thanks for reading. I agree that the universe has a sick sense of humor. There are definitely a lot of similar examples in publishing. I wish I had had your attitude when I first started writing. It would have saved me a lot of bitterness. Now I’ve arrived at a much better place and am content to write and publish what I can, luck or no luck. Have a good time with your novel.
Reblogged this on Mighty Mikey's Mega Blog and commented:
This could eb useful for an aspiring writer like me.
I hope so. Thanks for reading.
IMHO, an author’s lot is a lot like a songwriter’s .. I tend to agree that luck will bring you into the zone… but from that point on, whether you take off, or not.. THAT depends on the quality of the stuff that you produce!
Don’t want to sound like a wet blanket here, but let’s face it … Even though there are many people out there with good ideas, only a very small percentage of them will ever hit the big time! Yes, even if they never, never, never give up. Peace to all.
That’s true. There’s only so much room at the top. I’m content to be one of the little guys, pleased by what I produce and by the relatively small number of people who read and enjoy. Thanks for commenting.
Was it Twain who said the harder you work the luckier you get? Anyway, I believe that luck has a big part, but you make your own luck too.
Yes, a combination of luck and hard work sounds about right. Luck alone will only get you so far.
Really enjoyed your post. I am a novice at blogging however I do subscribe to the view that the more you practice the luckier you get!
Thanks for reading. And, yes, luck without hard work and practice won’t last for long–in most people’s cases, anyway.
Yes, I think luck has a lot to do with success. You can definitely increase your chances by working hard and putting yourself in a position to succeed, but actual “success” (however you define that) depends a lot on chance, in my opinion. Great post!
https://amypollardwriter.wordpress.com/
Thanks for reading. Yes, I think that’s the combination one needs to arrive at in order not to be driven crazy by the “luck” that seems to pass us by–hard work, positioning oneself, and having a realistic definition of success.
Thank you for this post. Good to know 🙂
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So much of life is driven by dumb luck, why would writing be any different! Interesting article, particularly because my novel is called ‘Getting Lucky’ – not sure if that will help me? 🙂
Thanks for reading. I hope your title does help! Dare I say “Good luck” with it?
What if it’s not luck, but fate?
I find fate even more troublesome. Now it’s completely out of our hands. At least with luck there’s a measure of control, some work one can do to at least have the opportunity to be in the right place at the right time. Fate, not so much.
Haha. Well I wish you good luck… and good fate!
I suppose it’s similar to a lot of other jobs. Sometimes if you’re in the right place at the right time and meet the right person everything can happen. The only thing to do is to work hard and try to get yourself out there as much as possible. Hopefully some luck will come from that and you’ll be noticed. Either way, as long as you love what you do it doesn’t matter if you’re a best-selling author or not.
I couldn’t have said it better. Thanks for reading.
Chance certainly plays a part. I got my own career started through a few lucky breaks with a newspaper – one thing led to another, and I’ve ended up fortunate enough to write and have books published by some of the leading houses. But for almost all of that, luck was not a component; the results came from persistence, constantly pushing for better quality of output – and hard work. Usually for very little money, but that’s writing for you.
Thanks for the input. As several others have noted, luck can get one started, but it’s quality and hard work that will turn the lucky break into a career.
1. “Random chance” seems redundant since chance is random
2. “Luck” is where talent intersects with opportunity
2. Be ready for when luck strikes; i.e., do the work
3. The writing about writing is fun to read and contemplate and I’ve done my share, including teaching it. I’ve come to realize a lot of these marketing ideas are to keep Writer’s Market, Media Bistro, Bouchercon, and the like in business.
4. Blogging is an acceptable way to test being out there, learn your audience and in some cases meet a publisher, and I applaud those who go for it.
5. But as “real” and “serious” writers know, and as various famous authors have advised: close the door to the world, turn off the machines, sharpen your pencils; open a vein. And no, not all first drafts are shit and yes it is harder than learning to be a neurosurgeon.
Thanks for a fun diversion!
Oh and p.s.: Don’t “submit” your writing to anyone. You are the creator, you are god of your world and the publishing industry works for you. Apologies for the scare quotes.
All very insightful. Thanks for reading.
As Katie was saying you have to work a lot for that luck to even show it self. Anyways; nice read!! May you get all the luck you deserve 🙂
Thanks for the encouraging words, and thanks for reading!
Now, I’m a bit miffed. i have just blogged on this subject and then I found your blog. You have hit the nail on the head and you worded it so much better than I could.
I do agree, Lady Luck certainly does play her part but the harder you work,the luckier you get (unquote).
Anyway, to cut this long story short, I agree with everything you’ve said and despite the dismal sales on my books ( 5 this month so far) I’m not going to give up.
I look forward to seeing you in the bestsellers list… alongside mine.
J 🙂
Thanks for reading, Julie. Sorry to have scooped you on this one. Yeah, don’t give up, no matter what. Things are changing for writers in ways we probably can’t even guess at right now. And now more than ever I think perseverance is going to be key. Best of luck (wink wink) on your writing, and don’t let those low sales get you down. I’m in the same boat most months and it’s hard to look on the bright side sometimes. Hang in there!
You are obviously a very keen lover of writing and that is to admire. I am a newbie writer having just completed my first manuscript memoir. (I’m sure you’re sighing right about now & thinking out loud thank goodness it’s not me). The more I read & research & learn the more I’m realising that seizing an opportunity, luck and coincidental chance play an important role in the life of a writer getting a contract. Keep at it & keep believing in yourself. I’m hoping that some luck will fly my way…
I hope so, too. Keep going with that memoir. There’s a lot to be learned, but then again I’m sure there are people who will learn from you as well.
luck and a little b@tt kissing i guess… almost the same as the other keys to success to every other opportunities out there.
True enough. Thanks for reading.
Maybe getting Freshly Pressed is the beginning of your lucky journey! I hope so. 🙂
Thanks! I appreciate the good wishes.
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