Proving Yourself Takes Time

I am always talking about how much time it takes in publishing. There is the time it takes to get responses back from agents and certainly the time it takes to get that contract. But time also plays a huge role in establishing yourself as an author. It takes time to prove yourself to everyone out there.

First of all, it takes time for your readers to warm up to you. Sure, your first book may be amazing, but often, readers want to see if your 2nd, 3rd and even 4th book is going to live up to that reputation. There are simply a lot of "one-hit-wonders" out there so be aware that your first book may just be average in sales, but that doesn't mean the book is bad. You are just getting introduced to a lot of new readers.

Secondly, it is going to take some time to prove yourself to those editors and agents. Although you might want to be a part of that continuity or that upcoming anthology, the editors are simply not going to toss that project your direction right from the start. They want to see how well you work. They want to see how well you take feedback. And they want to see where your writing is really going in terms of your voice. You might feel your voice fits with that project, but the editors might see it another way.

Finally, even your agents need time to warm up to you. They may spend a lot of time micro-managing your career in the early stages, but, as you prove yourself, they may back off and see what you can do.

Again, this takes time.

So enjoy the ride. Your time will come. I promise you!