Don't Expect The Moon With That First Book

I love the enthusiasm of those new writers. There are stars in their eyes and they think the world of their writing. Unfortunately, that excitement is often creating an unrealistic picture of what they really have for them on the other side of "the call". No, this isn't something that is bad, but the thing they forget is this business takes time.

My wife and I had a friend in college that had this same vision. We were sitting in the lobby of the communications office at the school and he came out of a professors office in an uproar. He couldn't believe what this professor had to say. He had just been told that the starting salary for his job would not be that 6 and 7 figure deal he thought it would be. Why???? He was amazing. He was good at what he did!!!

We all laughed.

The reality is, with the exception of a few (and these are those rare cases):

• You will not be sold out in the first week of your book.
• You will not have a contract for a book with a lot of zeros after it.
• You will not be sent on a publishing book tour with an entourage
• Your editor will not be dropping everyone else just to work with you
• You will not immediatly have a following of 30,000+ readers
• You will not have stalkers that "want to be with you"

Instead...

• You will likely have mediocre sales
• You will attend book signings and no one will come
• You will be writing several books before something big happens
• You will have to keep working hard to keep your name in front of the editor and agent
• You will find it to be tough.

There is nothing wrong with shooting for the moon! Go for it! But always remember that it will take time.

Scott