As nearly everyone knows, to be successful is to work hard on something you truly enjoy, and to work even harder in creating opportunities for others to notice your results. Sometimes these opportunities don’t come easily, but you never know until you have a go.
It is the same in writing. You have to love writing first, to really enjoy the process of creating something that is intellectually, emotionally and/or aesthetically beneficial to not only yourself but the whole society, before even dreaming about success.
There is nothing wrong with wanting to become a bestselling author, but it shouldn’t be the reason why you write. I recently heard an emerging writer moaning: “I wrote my book in order for it to become a bestseller! I have already spent 400 dollars on it! I want everybody to buy a copy of my book!”
Buddy, here’s the news for you: Wanting to succeed doesn’t automatically grant you success. No one really gets born with a silver spoon already in their mouth. Just because you wrote a book, it doesn’t mean people have to read it. If you write with money in your mind, then you can be sure that money won’t come.
So, what can you expect when you write? What can you do to create opportunities for others to notice the results of your hard work? I recently heard an established writer asking: “I want to enter this new market, but I want to know first if there’s a chance to succeed! Otherwise, I won’t go!”
The keyword here is “new”. Obviously we all find new territories both exciting and daunting, but as that old saying goes, again — you never know until you have a go. You can do all you can to figure out what lies ahead, but you still need to get your foot in the door.
It is certainly useful to know on how similar to and different from the others you are. You can research on how they are received in this new market you intend to go, but their successes or failures cannot and should not guarantee yours.
Knowing what readers are already reading also helps. However, you are unique, so what is hot out there may or may not help to make you shine. The best you can do is to be yourself. Make yourself known in your established market and let the others spread your fame for you.
Most importantly, write what you like and work hard to gain expertise in your field. Do not write to become a bestselling author. Instead, write because you have something good to share. Readers come, not because you want their money, but because you are useful to them. Make yourself useful.
Image thanks to: “Time to Write”
Voices under the Sun 陽光下的聲音 