I absolutely LOVE her 7 expectations because they are SO true! Thinking of writing your own book? Then read on for some awesome insight!
My entire life, I had dreamed of being a writer. My books on the shelves of magical bookstores, children with noses buried in pages I had written. My name in print on the front of a beautifully bound novel.
It look many years for this dream to come true, but eventually it did, and I can now visit bookshops and see my two novels sitting proudly on the shelves. “The Woman Behind the Waterfall,” my debut novel, is the story of three generations of women in a Ukrainian village. The second novel, “The Unity Game,” is a speculative science fiction novel laced with philosophy and metaphysics.
Now that I am living my dream, I often contemplate the differences between my innocent expectations prior to publication, and the reality I am now experiencing. So I thought I would share some observations about what has met my hopes and what has not.
Expectation 1: However good you are, writers will never earn much money
Reality: So far, correct! I have two literary fiction novels that are selling well, however in order to pay bills and rent, you need to sell thousands of books a month, not hundreds. Very few writers sell this many books on a permanent basis, and it is almost always unpredictable.
Expectation 2: It is the best feeling in the world to see your own books in bookshops.
Reality: Yes! Entirely true. Seeing novels that have your name on them next to other wonderful writers is incredible. It is like your words have come home to the place they always wanted to be – nestled among the very best stories of the world. I spend far too much time in bookshops gazing at my covers and spines.
Expectation 3: Bad reviews will hurt.
Reality: Not true! I expected that I would be sobbing on the sofa after terrible reviews, but actually I find them fascinating and illuminating. The fact that most people love my work (most of my reviews are 4 or 5 stars) gives me the strength to carefully study the observations of those who don’t, and to understand what I could improve in my books. It is a useful source of feedback and learning. I’m grateful for them.
Expectation 4: Nothing about the writing journey will be easy.
Reality: Not true! While a great deal of the journey is challenging, there are some parts that are wonderfully easy. To name a few – writing the first draft of the novel (or sitting in cafes with a coffee and scribbling stories); networking with other writers; finding great editors and proofreaders; being stocked in bookshops; finding readers.
Expectation 5: Other writers will try to take you down
Reality: Not true! I had imagined the writing community as jealous and secretive. My personal experience has been the opposite. The writers I have met have been generous, thoughtful, friendly, happy to share writing and publishing ideas, excited about their work and the work of others, happy to promote you and do good things for you. Most writers I have met are as excited and happy as I am to be achieving their writing dreams and having their stories on the shelves of bookstores.
Expectation 6: Family and friends will be your biggest supporters
Reality: Not always. Perhaps if you are published when you are 21, then all your family and friends have the time to celebrate you and give their full support, however if you publish later, then you might find that everyone is just too busy to pay attention to your dream coming true. People have children to look after and work to go to, and your personal joy might not register very high in their stressful lives. The bright side, however, is that you do not depend on family and friends for your career development, but learn how to move ahead in a professional and objective way.
Expectation 7: You will have amazing readers who will love your work
Reality: A resounding yes! My first taste of this was a glowing review of my novel on Amazon, and a reader supporting me on Twitter. Following this was an e-mail saying that I was another reader’s new favorite author. Then other readers have posted how deeply my work has moved them. Thanks to social media, I am now in touch with almost all of these lovely readers and it has been such a great experience to be able to share part of the journey with them. If I had to choose my top 3 favorite things about being a writer – this would be one of them.
It look many years for this dream to come true, but eventually it did, and I can now visit bookshops and see my two novels sitting proudly on the shelves. “The Woman Behind the Waterfall,” my debut novel, is the story of three generations of women in a Ukrainian village. The second novel, “The Unity Game,” is a speculative science fiction novel laced with philosophy and metaphysics.
Now that I am living my dream, I often contemplate the differences between my innocent expectations prior to publication, and the reality I am now experiencing. So I thought I would share some observations about what has met my hopes and what has not.
Expectation 1: However good you are, writers will never earn much money
Reality: So far, correct! I have two literary fiction novels that are selling well, however in order to pay bills and rent, you need to sell thousands of books a month, not hundreds. Very few writers sell this many books on a permanent basis, and it is almost always unpredictable.
Expectation 2: It is the best feeling in the world to see your own books in bookshops.
Reality: Yes! Entirely true. Seeing novels that have your name on them next to other wonderful writers is incredible. It is like your words have come home to the place they always wanted to be – nestled among the very best stories of the world. I spend far too much time in bookshops gazing at my covers and spines.
Expectation 3: Bad reviews will hurt.
Reality: Not true! I expected that I would be sobbing on the sofa after terrible reviews, but actually I find them fascinating and illuminating. The fact that most people love my work (most of my reviews are 4 or 5 stars) gives me the strength to carefully study the observations of those who don’t, and to understand what I could improve in my books. It is a useful source of feedback and learning. I’m grateful for them.
Expectation 4: Nothing about the writing journey will be easy.
Reality: Not true! While a great deal of the journey is challenging, there are some parts that are wonderfully easy. To name a few – writing the first draft of the novel (or sitting in cafes with a coffee and scribbling stories); networking with other writers; finding great editors and proofreaders; being stocked in bookshops; finding readers.
Expectation 5: Other writers will try to take you down
Reality: Not true! I had imagined the writing community as jealous and secretive. My personal experience has been the opposite. The writers I have met have been generous, thoughtful, friendly, happy to share writing and publishing ideas, excited about their work and the work of others, happy to promote you and do good things for you. Most writers I have met are as excited and happy as I am to be achieving their writing dreams and having their stories on the shelves of bookstores.
Expectation 6: Family and friends will be your biggest supporters
Reality: Not always. Perhaps if you are published when you are 21, then all your family and friends have the time to celebrate you and give their full support, however if you publish later, then you might find that everyone is just too busy to pay attention to your dream coming true. People have children to look after and work to go to, and your personal joy might not register very high in their stressful lives. The bright side, however, is that you do not depend on family and friends for your career development, but learn how to move ahead in a professional and objective way.
Expectation 7: You will have amazing readers who will love your work
Reality: A resounding yes! My first taste of this was a glowing review of my novel on Amazon, and a reader supporting me on Twitter. Following this was an e-mail saying that I was another reader’s new favorite author. Then other readers have posted how deeply my work has moved them. Thanks to social media, I am now in touch with almost all of these lovely readers and it has been such a great experience to be able to share part of the journey with them. If I had to choose my top 3 favorite things about being a writer – this would be one of them.
