All Through The Night (The myth of the overnight success)

Guest post
by Jo at Inknbeans Press

There has been much alarm, many blogs, news items, blustering and tears recently about bigger fish in the publishing pool, and how the pond has been tainted by sock puppet reviewers, gaming sales, defining ranks, Amazon’s latest shenanigans, and flash mob vote ups (or downs.) Here’s the truth: Amazon has nothing to do with it. An author’s auntie getting her entire bingo club on a bully run to vote down negative reviews has nothing to do with it. Big six publishers arranging thousands of pre-order and release day sales to make a new title’s ranking soar has nothing to do with it. What matters, in the long run, is the quality of the story.

I know, I know…this seems like an idealistic approach, but think about your own book shelf. What’s there? Which books do you turn to as guaranteed escapes on a rainy day or post break-up? Those oft-read, dog eared books aren’t there because they were once on top of the New York Times Bestseller list. They aren’t there because the author’s daughter knocked on every door in Cleveland offering free Thin Mints with each purchase. They are there because you liked the cover, turned the book over and were intrigued by the blurb. They are there because your best friend, who likes everything you like, told you she loved the book. They are there because the story spoke to you, the characters appealed to you, the words resonated with you. And did you keep those titles a secret? No, you shared them with your friends, discussed them at the bus stop, and tweeted about them to your twelve thousand followers. That’s how good books endure.

But it takes time.

So, you’ve written something that is going to get you compared to Hemmingway. Great. What do you do now? Shop it to an agent? Submit directly to a smaller publishing house? Publish independently? Each choice has its merits and drawbacks, but whatever you choose to do, polish it up pretty and get it out there. And wait.

What do you do while you’re waiting? You market. Even those published by the Big…what is it now…three? have to do some of their own marketing these days. So, you blog, you tweet, you spend time on Facebook. You cart your books around to every place that might agree to put your book on their shelves (be creative…book stores aren’t your only option.) Granted, you can only do so much of that. Then what?

Write.

Never stop writing. Even while you’re waiting for your first book to hit the fan, starting working on the second. Do your diligence. Research. Outline, if you do that sort of thing. Invest in a voice recording device and tell yourself the story. Statistics show that your chances of being discovered and taken to the dizzying heights of Bestsellerdom increase exponentially with every title you have out there. Don’t waste precious time checking your Amazon ranking, or if Novelrank has moved a fraction, it will only give you a headache, or make you cry. Write. You are a writer. Do that. Every book you write will be better than the last because you’ve learned from mistakes, you’ve grown as a person, and you’ve observed more humanity since the last book you wrote. Use that to your advantage.

Of course, if you’re just writing because you think it’s an easy way to become a billionaire, stop right now and get a paper route. It doesn’t work that way. Even for the ones who became billionaires it didn’t work that way. How many books did Stephen King (not that Stephen King, the other one) publish before he became synonymous with killer cars, killer dogs, killer clowns and killer sales? J.K. Rowling had finished her third book and was working on her fourth before Scholastic picked up her series, the first two books got reprints and Pottermania exploded into pop culture domination. It takes time. When you publish your book, you’re stepping into a queue of over 100,000 other authors who put their books out since December 2011. This is not a financial plan that’s going to get you an American Express Black card.

I’m not saying it can’t be done. If you’ve written that story that will speak, appeal, resonate with readers, it will be read. In the meantime, listen to your beta readers and your editor and polish that story ‘til it glows, then put out there and get back to your quill and parchment. Don’t be a wannabe billionaire. Be an alreadyam writer.

Author: Administrators

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24 thoughts on “All Through The Night (The myth of the overnight success)”

  9. Great post! Enid blyton, a prolific, beloved UK writer of children’s stories, got her first work published after 15 years. What a tremendous record she had. There is a lesson it in for all of us. Keep writing…

  11. Fantastic post and completely true. Continual writing is an absolute must, if for no other reason that to keep the juices flowing. Also, the more stories you get out there, the more fans you’ll pick up. It always helps the wavering self-esteem if you have strangers telling you to keep going!

  14. How could anyone argue with the advice in this piece? The Greeks have a saying, “Fassoli, fassoli” translated it means “bean, bean” or the best way to fill a sack of beans is one bean at a time. But I gotta tell ya, I’m so damn tired of fassoling I could scream.

  15. Good advice. I’ve published three books and gotten little success in terms of readership, but I keep writing because I enjoy it. I plan to write and publish as long as the mind and body hold out.

  16. Wow! That is the first article I have had the pleasure of reading that came from your pen (or keyboard). I enjoyed it very much. Actually, the same edict holds true in almost all art forms. Even entertainers, singers and such have to put lots of time in before they are known. It is called “Paying your dues”. Not that there are not flash sensations occasionally, but who knows what kind of longevity those will have. It is much better to keep plugging. So back to my book.

  17. I think we all buy into the overnight success fantasy, at least a little, so it’s wonderful to get a reality check that puts the waiting into perspective. Thanks!

  18. Cheers for the pep talk and the reminder that everything comes slowly, if at all. Like British Rail, we might get there in the end… but the journey should be fun, even when it’s raining outside. When you’re chasing your dream it’s really hard not to get carried away. I found I was really enthusiastic with the whole shebang – writing, marketing, blogging, tweeting, etc – during the first year (2011) and even in the second, but then the rose-coloured specs fell off this year. But, as Jo says, we must keep writing. I’m on my 13th book now, and guessing that success may never happen as my sales are in the toilet, but I’m putting it in perspective and remembering it was always meant to be a hobby, and I LOVE writing. We just need to focus on what we love… writing and try to stay positive :)))

  19. Thanks, Jo, for the reminders and reality check. I started writing to fill a creative need. A friend, now my editor, suggested i finish the story and that turned into book one. Then book two came along and now I’m finishing the third in the series. I love to read and I love to write. I unashamedly like my own work and wonder many times where the ideas came from. If writing makes you happy, then keep doing it. Many think that money will buy happiness so whether your books are selling or not, if you enjoy the journey you have it made already.

  20. In never thought about the Thin Mint cookies!! Great article, Jo! Patience is the hardest thing to endure in this industry. I have been listening to Doris-Maria Heilmann with 111Publishing and she always says, “It’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon.” Thanks for your thoughts!!

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