What is success?

Being happy as a writer

Welcome to the free newsletter of David (D. V.) Bishop, author of the Cesare Aldo historical thrillers set in Renaissance Italy. This time: what does success look like for authors…

Is enough ever enough?

There are many challenges to becoming a published author. You have to write a great book which can take years, yet the journey is somehow only beginning. If traditional publication is your goal, you’ll need a literary agent. Even if you secure representation, that does not guarantee your book will get a publishing contract.

But let’s assume you’ve achieved all of the above: does that equal success? Or are you already imagining the next achievement? Because there is always something more to do. Seeing your novel on the shelf of an indie bookshop or on a table at Waterstones. Being reviewed in a national newspaper, perhaps featured on radio or TV.

What about a signed edition? How about sprayed edges? Will your book be longlisted or shortlisted for a prize, might it even win? Do you imagine your book on a bestseller list? What about foreign language editions? Might someone want the film and TV rights? Have you fantasy cast your main characters already in your head?

Photo by Nik on Unsplash

These are all wonderful things to imagine, but where does it stop? When does enough become enough? I certainly wouldn’t say no to all of the things above happening to my Cesare Aldo series, yet would this make me happier? Perhaps. But there is a more important question to ponder if you’re a writer: what is your definition of success?

Let’s start by stating the obvious: everybody is different. Just as there is no one perfect way to write a novel, so is there no single answer to the question What is success? Some authors may use sales milestones as a measurement of joy. Their book sold a hundred copies, 10,000 copies, a hundred thousand or a million or more. Great! Well done.

For other writers, success might be represented by the acclaim of others. That can be winning prizes or having a book included on best of the year lists (there are a lot of those around in December). It might be driven by reader reviews, and how a book is rated on Amazon, Goodreads, Storygraph or other sites.

Toxic tendencies

The problem with those things? They are outside a writer’s power to change. All an author can do is write the best book you can and hope for that to be recognised. But sales, prizes and reviews – all are beyond your control as an author. Try as you might, a writer can’t do that much to boost sales or alter how their book gets received.

Worse still, there is always somebody else doing better. Their book is selling more, it got the sprayed edges special edition you crave, they won the prize you coveted, their rave reviews keep piling up, and their beloved book seems to be featured everywhere. Comparison is the thief of joy someone once said, and it is so very true!

Photo by Andriy Nestruiev on Unsplash

There was a great comment piece on The Bookseller this week by Silé Edwards (you may be able to read it here, paywalls permitting). One sentence in particular stood out: there is a toxic tendency to tie our self-worth to our work because of how passionate we are about it. That applies to a lot of careers, but especially those in creative industries.

I believe it is problematic for a writer to measure their success mostly via validation from others. Yes, praise is lovely, but it can also be addictive, making you crave more – and that can lead toward unhealthy behaviour. Better (if possible) to measure success by writing the best book you can in your circumstances. Then the rest is a bonus.

If you can, celebrate the achievements of others, rather than grinding your teeth in frustration. Happily, publishing is not a zero sum game. Someone else having big sales does not preclude readers from also buying your book or borrowing it from a library. Jealousy is cancer of the soul, and it definitely won’t bring you joy.

I’d like to say I practice what I’m preaching here. In truth, I am as base and venal as everyone else (if not worse). I crave acclaim and bestseller status and prizes. Having a sprayed edge special edition of the next Cesare Aldo novel Carnival of Lies or seeing it featured on BBC2’s Between the Covers would be a dream come true.

But I also know that I am a storyteller, so most of all I write to be read. Simply putting words on page or screen isn’t enough, I have to share them. If I’m writing stories that other people want to read, that make readers want to turn the page and find out what happens next, then that is success for me. Everything else is a bonus.

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