Writing Is About Playing For The Long Haul

I am always talking here on the blog about the issue of time in publishing. I think this is an issue that many present day authors really struggle with, simply because of the current mindset many humans have. When we want something, we want it now. Let's face it! This is part of the reason Amazon has done so well. We could order that book, right now. We can even have it shipped overnight. But, we have to remember, that good things do take time and publishing is no exception.

Writers have to remember that the big money is not going to happen on that first book. Yes, there are the exceptions out there, but for the rest of you, it will take time. Why? For the simple fact that you have to create a following.

These big authors have the big money coming in because there are A LOT of people buying their books. They are selling A LOT of books. And, they are able to do so because of name recognition. It isn't about marketing and it isn't that they have some killer agent out there. They have readers and those readers have money they spend on their books.

For new authors out there, as much as you might love to see that 6 figure deal on the first book, the reality is that you probably won't get it. You have to remember that an advance is a guess the publisher is making. It is a gamble that you are going to sell those books. They like you and are taking a risk on you. But there is no guarantee your book will sell. They hope it does! Heck, we all do! But there are no promises.

But when you start getting a following, and that following is helping you out buy buying your books, THEN you will start seeing the money coming in.

Understand this. All of those big name authors out there did struggle like you. But they held out. They worked through it. And, because they played for the long haul, they are now making that money and getting those contracts. But it took time.