As a writer my ultimate dream was to write a great book and have a publishing company accept it. Now, that dream has come true, but it’s taken over a decade. However, a writer’s life doesn’t change overnight. People often think that once your book is accepted, well, you’ve made it. The truth is that once the book is accepted, the hard part has just begun. You see, unless your book miraculously gets accepted by one of the giant companies and they decide to turn you into the next writing “super star”, you’re probably going to be picked up by a smaller house. Smaller houses can’t always offer you advances or lots of perks. They’re small. Remember?
I run into a LOT of people who tell me that they’re going to write a book someday. I think that’s great, but writing the book is only a small step in the long journey. A writing lifestyle is one of dedication. You create your product, you refine it, rewrite it several times, get critiqued, get the jitters, get scammed by sharks in the water and then get turned down, bunches of times. You keep on submitting until somebody says yes and then you pack up your bags and go door to door [virtually speaking] to convince the world that your product is worth buying. You’re an artist, a business person, a salesman, a publicist and a book keeper. And in the midst of it all you must remain a motivational speaker, mainly because the negative voice in your head will keep telling you that no one will want to read your story, that you’re wasting your time.
So, why write? Well, because the ability to write is a gift and a skill. Gifts should be shared and skills should be honed. Besides, I can’t imagine NOT WRITING. It’s what I do and just a part of who I am.
Take courage, fellow writers, fellow dreamers and keep on scribbling, no matter what, even if you do have to take time off to sell your work.
