“Life is a journey, not a destination.” You know the quote, but have you ever thought about how it relates specifically to your life as a writer?
If you’re like me, being a writer is a large part of who you are. I’ve written professionally for more than 20 years as a journalist, freelance author, and government communications specialist. In my off hours, I write novels. This non-paid writing is what’s closest to my heart, and is also where I get most distracted by outcome over process.
Don’t get me wrong–writing fiction is a lot of fun, but sometimes it seems that concentrating on the destination takes precedence over enjoying the scenery along the way. For me, the destination is traditional publication, that is, having my work represented by a literary agent, sold to a publishing company, and appearing on the shelves of my local bookstore.
Not that there’s anything wrong with wanting that. Most novelists I know feel the same way, and many of those will choose to self-publish just to get their work into people’s hands. Having a book published is more than just holding a paper or virtual copy of your work, however. It’s a huge self-confidence boost. For traditionally published books, it means an agent liked your manuscript enough to take you on as a client, and was willing to put their time and effort into selling your work to a publishing house. It means the publishing house agreed with the agent’s belief in your story and feels that the public will be willing to pay for the privilege of reading your words. How amazing is that?
Even more amazing is the thought that you might actually make money from your passion project, or that your story is powerful enough to make a meaningful difference in a reader’s life. Money…influence–it’s heady stuff. No wonder so many of us keep our eyes on what we see as the prize. There can’t be any harm in that, right?
Wrong.
Not to be a downer, but the odds of having a novel traditionally published are only 1 to 2%. Meaning, if that’s the route you want to take, the odds are unfortunately not in your favour. What makes it more frustrating is that the reason your book isn’t chosen may have very little to do with the quality of your story or the clarity and strength of your writing.
Like a lot in life, whether a book is published or not often comes down to money. Agencies and publishers are businesses, after all, and they need to turn a profit. To do this, they tend to keep a close eye on the trends, or what’s selling at the moment in each genre. For example, in the romance genre, it wasn’t that long ago that paranormal stories were a big deal; now the hot trends seem to be dark romance and romantasy. In mysteries, yesterday’s readers couldn’t get enough of psychological thrillers; today, the trend is everything cosy. All this to say that if your story doesn’t fit into a currently popular subgenre, getting published may not be in the cards, at least not in the near future.
In short, the publishing industry is incredibly fickle. After all, unless you plan to self-publish, the only control you have over conquering the traditional publishing world is to make sure your manuscript is interesting, well written, carefully and professionally edited, and ready for submission–and even after doing all this, your novel may only get as far as an agent’s slush pile.
Basing your hard work on something that is constantly changing not only doesn’t make sense, it can hurt both your creativity and your soul. Seeing your work only through the lens of what will sell is stifling. Writing what you love, on the other hand, may not make writing your manuscript easier, but it sure will make it more joyful. And, as an added bonus, enjoying what you’re writing will keep you writing more often, which will help you find your unique voice, hone your craft, and improve your writing skills–oddly enough, possibly even improving your chances of eventually getting published.
Ways to stay focused on the journey
Here are a few ways to prioritize joy over outcome:
Make a list of the top 3 reasons why you love writing: Once you’re done, put the list somewhere accessible and read it frequently
Research your favourite writers: Read biographies / autobiographies, visit websites, listen to podcasts, listen or watch interviews. Learning about the journeys of those you admire–and finding out how they overcame challenges–can be incredibly inspiring
Join (or form) a writing group: Giving and getting support from other writers is motivating and it will improve your writing
Consider working with a creativity coach: Working one-on-one with a creativity coach is a great way to map your unique journey, improve your confidence, and transform your storytelling abilities.
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