How Successful I Would Like to Be (Really)
Hey.
So a lot of my family, friends and coworkers who know that I have a book that’s soon to be published at times automatically either or both:
1) Assume that it’ll be a bestseller, or
2) Assume that I want to/ or will make a gazillion dollars and replace everyone who’s ever been the top money- earning author of any fictional work that we know of.
While I absolutely love their enthusiasm for what I’ve written and dream of having writing as my sole career (with the monetary ability to do so), I know the odds. I’m not saying that I won’t be able to attain these awesome goals- because I believe what I’ve written is pretty darn decent and entertaining to say the least. I’m saying I’m one hell of a humble individual and that this type of success is not my main focus, not yet anyways.
What I’m saying is- I don’t want to top out right now. I don’t want what I’ve written 2-3 years ago define my whole writing career for now and evermore. I do not want any reviewer offering the pseudo- challenge by saying, “It’ll be hard for Ms. Daniels to complete any story greater than this!” I’d hate that kind of pressure right off the bat, you know?
While that kind of review would definitely help sell the current title that oddly I’ve love nothing more than for every human being (and ape with reading skills) to have read, I don’t want that to be the capstone or ‘Bene Melior Optime’ preceding anything else I may ever decide to put on paper. My mind cannot handle that yet. I’m not yet even fully understanding publishing as a business and authoring as a profession. Up until about two years ago I wasn’t even thinking of publishing anything. You can later thank my friends and co-workers for the encouragement.
For now, I’m a writer. I’m an author. I anxiously apprehensive but wanting everyone to read my work. I’m equally wanting people to actually enjoy it- even if it only gets their attention for a week’s long worth of evening reading. I’ll admit- I’m a novice and I’m excited to be here. I feel honored for you to expend your precious time and I hope at the end, you didn’t feel it was a waste. That’s about all there is to it. I feel like an artist at my very core while I’m sitting here punching at these keys, much the same way you do. My goal is sedentary satisfaction with the exception to those that miraculously are able to exercise while reading (I tried it a few times- it didn’t work so I listen to music). You all are who I strive to please.
As soon as the release date to Affliction is known to me- I’ll likely be the woman dressed in an ivory white garb singing from the mountaintop (or highest hill- I’m in Minnesota) hoping for national media coverage from CNN because of what I described above. Can you blame me? 🙂
