What Makes a Successful Author

Before I was published, I had a clear idea of what success meant: get published. Then I learned more about the publishing industry, and I had new goals: be published with a decent advance at a publisher from one of my favorite books. And that dream was surpassed!

And in the two years before publication, I learned even more about the industry and dreamed of things like NYT list, and being in Target or being chosen for a Barnes and Noble book of the month, or getting a starred review or two or three and getting on the Indie best seller list. 

The deeper into the industry you get, the more ways there are to be successful (or not).

Because that’s the thing: while most of these “measures of success” never happen to most people, they happen to enough to make them feel attainable, possible. 

But I’m very practical. I would rather be reasonable in my goals and content than disappointed, or worse: bitter. That means managing my expectations and reigning in my dreams. 

Even so, it’s hard not to let that little balloon of hope drift into the air, and when the inevitable moments of doubt come, I like to remind myself of why I actually do this, what my real goals are.

Because when I think of all the achievements listed above, I can’t put my finger on why I would actually want them. To say I had them?

I know none of those achievements guarantee any level of continued success. I know how quickly books that achieve these feats fade into the abyss in the publishing world. So  what do I really want from my publishing life? What are my real measures of success? 

I want to be authentic and sincere. That means I want to maintain my priorities and not have any part of my writing career harm my mental, emotional, spiritual, or physical health, or my family’s.

I want to enjoy the writing process and discover new ways to challenge myself.

I want to write books that represent me, my family, and the values I live by.

I want to be able to keep teaching and engaging with students in meaningful ways. 

And right now, all of this is happening.

I’m a successful author.