Writing Rewards Don't Happen Over-Night

It is unfortunate, but we are living in a time now of immediate gratification. While there are some things I do appreciate about this time, such as the fact that I can pre-order my Venti Pike from Starbucks and it is ready when I drive through, or the fact that I can immediately, with one click, have my latest romance novel on my Kindle with a click of a button; it is unfortunate that it is training our brains to forget that some things take time. 

A couple of weekends ago, I was a keynote speaker along with Elizabeth Goddard. She gave a fantastic talk to the authors about having to persevere through a lot of heartache and struggle to get to that first sale. For her, like so many other authors out there, success did not come easily or fast.

I get that there are a lot of you reading this who are ready to throw out a lot of authors who "did it over night" and are rockstars now. What those of you are missing is that these authors will still tell you that there is a lot more to the story than you know. 

I tell authors all of the time that when an editor or agent signs you to a contract, it is not about simply that one book. This is a long term arrangement. We are all in it for the long haul because your success is not going to happen overnight. 

But still you are all swayed by the amazing offers that so many "publishers" (and yes, I put this in quotes for a reason) are trying to convince you that being a published author can indeed happen overnight. Companies make statements such as "It starts with a simple upload of your manuscript..." and authors will mysteriously hit the #1 spot on any number of lists.

Sorry, but if you believe this, I have this great elixir to sell you along with a bridge in New York.

It may not be your first book, but more likely your 5th book or more before you get that call. Even then, there is not guarantee that book will do it. You have to keep pushing. You have to keep grinding on. There will be days when things go your way. There will be days when you run around your house claiming your are the ultimate writing genius. 

And then...

There will be days when you are ready to quit. "It all sucks! Why bother!" you scream.

But should you quit? No. 

You grind through.

So please authors, quit listening to those snake oil salesmen out there telling you writing is easy, or you can do it overnight. Quit listening to them tell you "If you use this query letter technique, people will be begging for you." These are all lies. 

Trust your gut.

Listen to your heart.

Take your time.

Learn.