What Do I Need to Do to Gain More Success?

The starting point is defining success.

I began writing fiction full-time in 2020, as the pandemic shifted other elements of my world. While before then I’d been doing regular writing, making it my full-time vocation had not quite been achieved.

Because I made this shift, I’ve completed and self-published 10 books since 2020. One is a 4-book clone and conspiracy sci-fi series (Forgotten Fodder), one is a 5-book alien interloper sci-fi/sci-fantasy series (Void Incursion), and a standalone fantasy/Steampunk novel (Infamy Ascending). In addition to these, I’ve also completed the 3 novels of my next sci-fi series, Savagespace. Currently, I’m working on another sci-fi book, have another 4 books for Forgotten Fodder plotted out, and have begun work on two other potential books/series.

That I’ve written so many books in the past 3 years (more like 9 years, as Void Incursion was started in 2015) is grounds to consider myself a success. Not everyone can finish 13 books in such a short time (8 of which were written between 2020 and the end of 2023). To be sure, I’m quite pleased that I’ve made such good use of the past few years to get here.

The success of completing this work is one thing. Now, turning a profit from this to gain more success is a whole other animal.

Realism versus idealism

There is nothing wrong with dreaming big.

For me, that’s seeing a novel series grow exponentially in sales, gain some major traction, and become a bestseller. Then, ultimately, someone comes knocking on my door to turn this into a movie, streaming series, or the like. I get to be part of turning my work into something an even broader audience can enjoy, and from there, other opportunities arise.

That’s idealism and I know it. Yes, it’s possible this could happen. Counting on it, however – or making it the necessary achievement to declare my success – is unhealthy.

Why? Because dreaming big is great. Hinging your success on it, however, is a great way to set yourself up for failure.

This is not me being pessimistic. I’m being realistic here. Yes, ideally, I make this happen. That would rock. But it’s not what I need to call myself a success and be successful. That’s a much more realistic goal.

Realistically, as I produce more books and put them out beyond Amazon (as I’ve begun to do), as well as seeking new connections and other means to increase brand recognition and sales, I start earning my primary living from writing.

Once again, realism versus idealism is important. Would becoming a bestseller and/or making millions of dollars from my writing rock? Hell yes! However, that’s a dangerous benchmark to set success at. It takes a lot of different factors, largely out of my control, to reach this.

Thus, realistically, I’d like to earn enough from my writing to cover editing and cover art, paid advertising, and to earn enough money to adequately contribute to my household with extra for more con attendance, travel, and to enjoy zero debt.

This is not an unrealistic benchmark for success.

success - series as of November 2023 — *Series by the author*

Seeing existing success while seeking more success

Note that I started right off the bat with a modicum of success already under my belt. That’s important because if you set the bar for success too high, you make it unnecessarily difficult to reach.

What’s more, you also create unnecessary frustration, sadness, stress, and discontent. Why? Because when you only see success with the achievement of ‘X’ – rather than ‘X’ as a step to ‘Y’ or ‘Z’ achievement – not succeeding becomes ultimately disempowering.

Living in this fear-based, lack and scarcity-focused society that we do, success is already defined as a challenge. Outside forces everywhere give you examples, expectations, and more for what it takes to be a success.

This can be especially challenging for an artist. We’re defying the “norms” of our world by not doing the standard practices. That can be a cause for all sorts of complexities, and it’s fraught with unique challenges for reaching success on lots of different levels.

The arts are a tough place to make a living. This isn’t because writers, painters, sculptors, and the like are in competition. It’s because how we’re valued is wildly variable.

I’ve been asked to do lots and lots of writing, both fiction and nonfiction, for free. Exposure is your reward, I was told. Other times, in hourly labor terms, I’ve been offered insultingly low amounts to produce content and other writing work. Lots of people do not view writing as work to be properly paid for like more conventional work in an office or laboring in a factory, field, shop, etc.

Hence why the first bar of success, for me, is finishing books. Now, desiring more success is another matter.

Actions for more success are necessary

To this end, I’ve begun to expand the distribution of my work beyond Amazon. This presents new challenges, but putting myself out there in other ways has a lot of potential to build more success for my writing career.

In 2023, I put the entire Forgotten Fodder series and Infamy Ascending out to distributors beyond Amazon. As the year closes, I’ve done the preliminary work to also wide-release my now-completed Void Incursion series at the end of January 2024.

Beta readers have been going over the first book of Savagespace, Alliances and Consequences. They’ve made some good suggestions I’m taking to heart to improve the book before I even send it out to an editor. Books 2 and 3 will be going to beta readers in the near future. Also, I’ve hired an artist to make the cover and produce some other art for promotional purposes (before I attend Farpoint in February 2024).

To further my exposure, I’m looking to possibly attend Awesome Con in Washington, D.C. in March 2024. I’ve also joined a writers’ group and am looking for other networking opportunities to learn what I can to gain more success.

What it all comes down to is taking new actions – and doing new things – to find avenues to reach more success. Wishing and desiring is a start, but you can’t get anywhere without also taking action. As we end 2023, this is where I am with that.

Thanks for reading. As I share my creative journey with you, I conclude with this: