Ego? No. Sound Decisions? Yes.
Creator: Jacob Cornelisz. van Oostsanen C. 1520 | Credit: Public Domain
Brake!
You’re going to
crash.
It’s an explosive cocktail that leads to collisions: the grind culture, comparative success (Google it), your insecurities, an untamed pride… You’re antsy. You want this career badly.
As a writer, you probably started off with great intentions. You wanted to connect, to move souls, to be recognized for years of arduous practice in penmanship.
Right. Although you believe your timeline is reasonable, you already feel burnt out, somehow. Why is that?
Let me explain.
THINGS WILL COME IN DUE TIME.
You are not entitled to overnight or debut success.
Whether you believe in God or a more logic-based dynamic, understand that for most, success is a marathon, not a sprint. And it’s a fate you have only partial control over.
You must pace yourself and allow for growth. You may be gifted, highly educated, disciplined, and committed. You may be in love with literature, art, and composition, but even then, there’s a false sense of entitlement that spreads within you like a cancerous tumor.
Let that shit go.
IT TAKES TIME.
Many beginner writers reach out to us with a painfully broad prompt:
“How to be a successful author?”
Here’s the thing. You should instead wonder, How NOT to be a successful author?
You’re following?
IT TAKES TIME.
You mustn’t (the contraction sounds more dramatic) rush as you establish your footing.
Build strong foundations first. That includes:
Completing formal education or writing workshops.
Finding free resources to gain baseline knowledge. Here’s one.
Building a website, social media profiles, and accounts on Booklife, BookBub, The StoryGraph, Amazon Author Central, Bowker (if you purchase your own ISBNs), Reedsy, and LibraryThing. This list is not exhaustive.
Working towards acquiring a knowledge panel (Google Andre Soares and you’ll find mine).
Activating your Google Search Console.
Planning a long-term marketing strategy (Newsletter, Blogging, Book Clubs…).
Writing.
This may be controversial, but releasing your debut novel without the above is a no-no, a recipe for disaster.
You also need to establish long-term partnerships with a cover designer, editor, and formatting expert.
Understand that your first impression is crucial. The first product you put out will invariably set the tone for the remainder of your career.
Make sound decisions. Keep a low profile until you know you have enough baggage to make your release meaningful and impactful.
Exercise caution and restraint. Think about it: this is an approach we could endorse in many aspects of our lives. A successful marriage? Patience. A great job? Perseverance. A nice appearance? Better, more informed decisions.
Are you ready and willing, as a writer, to revise your positions and stretch the timeline when needed?
If so, reassess where you stand right now and shut your ego out.
Happy writing!
