Lots of my writing friends seem to think that good writing is all it takes to be successful. Yes, good writing is a vital component of success, but it ain’t the only thing, or maybe even the biggest, to get you from No-Name Nobody to Uber-Successful Famous Author.
Let’s first put this into perspective – there are a lot
of writers out there. There are a lot
of books and stories out there. In fact,
there’s so much that most people spend tons of time wading through the bad
stuff they come across just to find something good. And most of what they wade through is stuff
recommended to them or that they found in some prominent place. It wasn’t hidden in some small corner
of the internet awaiting discovery like a unicorn emerging from the forest.
So what does this mean?
It means that you have to put your work out there and promote it in some
manner. You can’t just sit back, maybe
posting a story on the internet or plopping a solitary book on Amazon through
KDP, and expect someone to discover your brilliance, thus catapulting you to
fame and fortune. I’ve heard of that
happening exactly once, and that was when Justin Halpern’s was
discovered by Rob Corddry, jumpstarting Shit My Dad Says. But as even Halpern admits, that’s the kind
of luck reserved for "people who survive plane crashes or find out they’re Oprah’s long lost sister." It doesn’t happen to nearly anyone.
You have to put yourself out there and encourage others to
give you a shot. Maybe that’s through
advertising, maybe that’s through bookstore recommendations, or maybe that’s
through newsletters, but it has to be something. Believe me, no matter how great you think you
are, troves of people aren’t looking for you.
You may find an audience, but it’s going to require work, as well as some
kind of break, to get you to your dreams.
Otherwise, dreams are all you’ll ever have.
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