Posts Tagged ‘success’
*this piece was originally published in the September issue of the Chatham County Line for my monthly column. I’m writing what I think will be a three part series about writing and publishing in this new decade.
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What makes a successful writer today? That’s a tough question and it depends on who you ask and what metric you use. As a Gen-Xer, when I was growing up, writers held a mysterious allure. On TV and in print culture, popular and literary writers were celebrated, everyone from Steven King and Jackie Collins to Toni Morrison. To me, writers were the most glamorous and intriguing people on the planet and I wanted to be like them.
Although luck and connections always played a role in who got published, until the late 1990s, there were some standardized and taken for granted ways that one became a successful writer. Being discovered in a “slush pile” by an assistant editor was one way. For literary oriented writers, pursuing an MFA was a respected route. Being published in high visibility magazines and having an agent contact you was another. New York was the hub of publishing life. A relatively small number of agents, editors and publishers were gatekeepers and decided what readers wanted. Authors wrote books, went to lunches with their agents and occasionally wrote back to their fans.
This kind of writing culture and ecosystem was imprinted on me and shaped what being a successful writer meant. That eco-system has fundamentally changed. And, consequently I’ve had to revise my notion of success.
With the introduction of the Kindle, in 2007, a shift in publishing and writing was well under way. Publishing, writing and reading would be changed forever. Consolidation in publishing had accelerated, and due to changes in advertising revenue, many magazines and newspapers disappeared (which meant the disappearance of book review columns).
The paths to publishing now (especially for commercial fiction) are multiple, non-linear and fragmented. Writers publish their work and find readers and audiences on a variety of platforms including Medium, Wattpad, Amazon, Instagram, etc. Traditional publishing is no longer the only model. There are writers that will never become household names that happily self-publish or ‘indie publish’ and make six figures a year (some make seven figures). They do this without an MFA, an agent or attending writing conferences and networking with traditional publishing professionals. Many have a direct relationship with their readers and could care less about the New York publishing world. The success stories of well-known indie writers include E.L. James author of Fifty Shades of Grey (originally written as fan fiction) which has sold over 125 million copies and Andy Weir who serialized a novel (on his blog for science enthusiasts) that would become The Martian. Both writers were discovered because of loyal followings on digital platforms.
To publish has become a democratizing practice. Did you know that there are 1 million books in the U.S. alone published every year? As one publisher told me, it’s not about one’s ability to get published anymore, it’s about being found and read. The challenge of discoverability for authors has skyrocketed in the last decade.
So what does success for writers mean given these changes? Does it mean having 10,000 followers on Instagram who love your poetry? Does it mean a publisher sending you on book tour (almost a thing of the past and usually reserved for very famous authors)? Does it mean serializing your book on YouTube? Does it mean writing a novel that is critically acclaimed and read by a few devoted fans?
Some writers who have been wedded to a traditional publishing model of success have criticized the new eco-system. Indie authors have also disparaged traditional publishing. This is folly.
Moving forward, due to technology, changes in publishing and how readers find books, writers will need to embrace a hybrid version of traditional and indie publishing. Writers must become more marketing savvy and view it as part of their creative work. Traditional publishers expect you to know (or be willing to learn) about websites, SEO and marketing. The indie publishing arena is also maturing and it also no longer possible to publish an inferior product and expect it to sell.
The successful and fulfilled writers I model myself after are crafting a hybrid path. They look at a new writing project and ask, would this be better suited for a traditional publisher or do I already have an audience for this work that wants it right now? Many traditionally published authors self-publish their novellas, short stories and other material to their audiences via Patreon and Amazon.
I like the hybrid model. I have been traditionally published through newspapers, magazines and small presses. And, I have truly valued working with a team of editors and publishing professionals that were committed to honing my work. And, I can’t imagine not continuing to take craft classes and meeting folks at a conference (in the future). However, indie publishing offers room for quick experimentation, innovation and enables the flexing of a different set of skills beyond craft. I no longer believe there is only one path to success that holds all the answers. I also know in the end, both indie and traditionally published authors have one thing in common when it comes to success. They keep writing.
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Affirmations-366Days#313
Posted November 8, 2016
on:Affirmations-366Days#313: Successful writers leave clues. I study how other writers achieve their goals and adapt their methods to my life.
For new readers, here’s why I’m committing to writing affirmations, about the creative process, during the next 366 days.
Affirmations-366Days#201
Posted July 19, 2016
on:Affirmations-366Days#201: The fear of success or failure melts away when I am fully present to the writing coming through me.
For new readers, here’s why I’m committing to writing affirmations, about the creative process, during the next 366 days.
Affirmations-366Days#122
Posted May 2, 2016
on:Affirmations-366Days#122: Success is a multi-layered experience for writers. Its meaning changes over time. I affirm that my definition of success is fluid and marked by joy.
For new readers, here’s why I’m committing to writing affirmations, about the creative process, during the next 366 days.
Affirmations-366Days#112: I envision and plan for success and fulfillment as a writer.
For new readers, here’s why I’m committing to writing affirmations, about the creative process, during the next 366 days.
“Have a success plan, in this business and in this art, as writers, we are prepared for failure…As writers and as an industry, unless something is a major blockbuster, we talk about failure a lot…We tend to teach how to deal with failure, how to get out of failure, how to get over failure to get to success. And, then when success happens nobody talks about it.”
Jake Bible, Writing In Suburbia podcast
I’ve become a fan of Jake Bible’s ‘Writing In Suburbia’ podcast. It’s geared toward pro-writers, but is chock-full of great information for people at various writing stages. The podcast is irreverent and also deals with the less glamorous side of the writing life (e.g. embracing housework chores of the day). Jake’s a prolific writer across many genres. He typically writes a novel a month. You read that right, a novel a month!
Anyway, I really enjoyed his ‘Prepare for Success’ episode which reminds writers to take some time to envision and make a plan for success. He notes that the general writing culture is often overly focused on the rejection and failure that is part of the writing life. I agree and that’s why this episode felt so refreshing. If you’ve been following my blog for a while, you know that I took up posting daily affirmations as a way to encourage the development of a supportive mindset in service of our creative work. He also mentions the value of affirmations.
I was reminded of his post when about three weeks ago, I spotted an email from an editor. I had submitted a story to her themed anthology. I sent in a story that I really believed in, and frankly thought was great for her anthology. It had gone through several writing critiques and multiple revisions and I believed it was ready. It had gotten rejected elsewhere, but I was undeterred.
But, as I looked at the subject line and the first few words of the email (“Michele, thank you so much for submitting X story”), I had already prepared myself for yet another rejection. But, I’m so glad I did open it, because it was an acceptance! The editor said things like “It’s great!” and “I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and would like to formally invite you to join the X Anthology.” I will post the details about this the anthology as it gets closer to publication this summer.
So, it was refreshing (OK, thrilling!), to receive this acceptance and break the expectation that I automatically would be rejected. The other issue that Jake talks about in this episode is that being successful is also undertaking all the additional work after something gets published. It’s about building capacity to handle all the good things that may come your way, practically and psychologically. That’s where a success plan comes in handy! And, indeed, the editor who accepted my story is an indie publisher and is encouraging all the accepted authors to do things to help make the anthology successful (e.g. setting up newsletters, Facebook pages, etc., depending on what we already have in place). She is helping us create an individual and collective success plan.
Check out this episode as Jake provides valuable information in preparing oneself for success before, during and after publication.
Do you have a success plan in place as your writing dreams come true?
Affirmations-366Days#95
Posted April 5, 2016
on:Affirmations-366Days#95: I envision being a successful writer. I cultivate a receptive mindset.
For new readers, here’s why I’m committing to writing affirmations, about the creative process, during the next 366 days.