That’s probably the first question I ask people who approach me about their pursuit of writing as a career. What are you looking for? Why do you want to do this? If the answer is somewhere along the lines of, “because I want to sell a million books,” or, “because I want to make a million dollars,” then I’m probably not the blog you want to follow. I can’t help you there, and even if I could, I’m not sure I’d want to. I’m not sure it’d be in your best interests, and that’s really the thing I’m most concerned with.
You see, there’s a secret about the world of writing – one that most authors (independent or not) don’t want you to know about. I’d probably go so far as to call it a secret to “success,” though that mostly depends on your definition of the word. Regardless, it’s something that’s rarely, if ever, brought up in the writing clique. Brace for it, because here it comes.
Writing isn’t everything.
“Blasphemy!”
“Did he just say that?”
“What kind of a writer is this?”
Yeah, yeah, keep it coming. I’m a CCC (Conservative Cajun Christian) from South Louisiana. I can take a lick or two.
But seriously. Writing isn’t everything. There’s so much more to life, there’s so much more to living, and there’s so much more to being successful. No level of sales figures can replace the smile on my wife’s face when I offer her a foot massage after a rough day, or the tongue-flapping grin my dog gives me when he wants to play “hide and go dog” in the house. Writing can be your passion (it certainly is mine), but it doesn’t have to be your obsession.
I’m a little bit different, and I’ll tell you upfront that most authors (okay, pretty much all authors I’ve ever talked to) will disagree with my core writing philosophies. I don’t think anyone can be a writer. I don’t think you can make a career out of this. I don’t think you should strive to write something every day. I think writing conventions and clubs are a waste of time. I think listening to the advice of a best-selling author is the equivalent of listening to the advice of a lottery ticket winner.
“You’re jaded because you’re not a best-selling author yourself.”
No, because well…I kind of am one. In the realm of indie writing, I’ve been blessed with a pretty good level of success. My series, Epic, is the best-selling independent sci-fi series in America (though as soon as my good friend and fellow writer Patrick Todoroff officially becomes a “series” author, that title may change!). I get more than a few requests for writing advice and sales tips, which leads me to believe that, as improbable as it may seem, I must be doing something right.
So take heed! Though I may not be a lyrical poet (I really, really hope somebody gets that), I think I might be able to impart a thing or two. But don’t take my word for it, or anyone’s word for that matter. Writing isn’t a journey. It’s your journey. How you go about it and how you define success are up to you.
In the meantime, sit back, relax, and count the ramblings of a guy who uses words like “couillon” and “peleed” as wisdom. Satisfaction anything but guaranteed. But you already knew that.