August 22, 2008
If at first you don’t succeed…
Written by RobynDeHart in Jaunty Post
Recently in an interview gold medal record holder Michael Phelps was quoted as saying, “I think that everything is possible as long as you put your mind to it and put the work and time into it.” And when you watch the Olympics, you can clearly see the talent and drive from all of those athletes - the winners and the losers. So much tenacity, it makes you believe that anything you put your mind to you can accomplish.
If you’re an aspiring author and a member of Romance Writers of America, you’ve probably heard something similar. Something like, the only way you won’t sell is if you quit. It sounds nice, but in reality it’s simply not true. And neither is what Phelps says. At least not completely. I mean could anyone become a truly great swimmer just by working hard at it? I’m fairly certain no matter how much time I spend in a pool, I’ll never be able to even swim laps (did I mention I never had swimming lessons?)
The same is true about writing. There are over 9000 members in RWA and only about a quarter are published. When I heard what Phelps said it did remind me of a conversation I had at RWA’s conference this year with another published author - we talked about how RWA preaches that mentality that anyone can sell and yet statistically speaking so few actually do and even fewer who sell continue to sell. The realities are grim. The market is ever tightening, the shelf space decreasing, let’s face it, publishing is stinking hard to break into. And then there’s the whole bit about talent. That’s a big part of the whole scenario - yes, you have to be determined and you have to hone your craft and you have to learn the business, all of that is important, but without talent, where does that leave you?
Okay so why am I Miss Mary Sunshine today? I don’t say all of this to frustrate anyone or make it seem like your dreams are futile. Quite the opposite actually. I think we need optimism and hopefulness and faith in dreams that just might not come true because for some the unthinkable happens and that dream is seen to fruition. Had I not joined RWA and heard the message of “don’t quit” I might have given up when the road got particularly challenging. We need to think about the possibilities, when we’re questioning so much - our own abilities, our dedication - we need people around us telling us we can make it, that the dream is within grasp. Let’s face it, no one makes you sit down at your computer and write when you’re unpublished, you have no deadlines, no contractual duty to do it, yet so many sit down every day and pour out their stories on the page. Will they all sell? Probably not. But some of them will. And what if that someone is you?
Think back to the Olympics - those athletes are the best of the best and yet there are still really stellar athletes left in their home countries that didn’t qualify. And then there are those who don’t medal, yet they also do a bang-up job. I mean think about the times in the swimming races, those who came in last were often mere seconds behind those who won. Aren’t they still winners to some extent? They made it to the Olympics for Pete’s sake!
So what about writers and those who won’t sell? Well, I think many who aren’t really cut out for this life will eventually quit, they’ll decide they don’t want it that badly or they find something else they love more than telling stories. But for those of you out there who are still struggling, those who have been struggling for years and you continue writing book after book and all that’s happened is an ever growing file of rejection letters, I say to you - don’t give up, keep writing, keep honing, keep focusing on the writing and remember everyday why you do this, why you love stories. Someday your phone just might ring and on the other end will be an editor with an offer for your masterpiece. Because someone has to write the books in the stores, why not you? All you have to do is not quit.
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Mary M Says:
Of course another difference is sometimes you say, what a lousy book, I can’t believe it got published but you never say what a lousy athlete, I can’t believe he or she won a gold medal, lol.
Margo Maguire Says:
LOL, Mary - that’s so true! Everybody thinks they can write a book (all kinds of people tell me about the book they’re going to write when they *have the time*). But I don’t hear anyone ever saying - hey, I could have done that marathon in half the time!
Shana Galen Says:
Good blog, Robyn! I wanted to quit so many times (still do some days).
Emily McKay Says:
Yes, sometimes I still want to quit somedays too. But I am also one of those people who spouts the “don’t give up” message. I feel like there’s such little you can control in this business, but one of the things you can control is whether or not you give up.