Famous people tell us fame is not
so hot. You get mobbed, hassled, your privacy is shot,
you’re always having to look your best and
perform.
Okay, it’s not quite so bad for a writer. You can
hide to a certain extent. You don’t have to put your
picture on the jacket. You don’t have to go on
Oprah. But…
Increasingly, in our modern age,
it’s difficult to become successful if you
don’t actively promote yourself, whether by signing
books at the mall or doing local radio spots.
And everybody accepts that fame – though not great
in itself – is supremely useful as a tool for
creating success.
But it’s getting so that you
can’t even compete unless you’re willing to
promote yourself along with your writing.
This is not such a bad thing.
It’s obviously hard to make
a shift from solitary wordsmith to debonair chat show
guest. But you’ve probably noticed that the writers
that do force themselves into the limelight do sell a
whole load more books!
But it’s not the pursuit of
fame that really matters. As I’ve mentioned many
times before, it’s goal setting that is the key.
The next time you sit down to
write a book and short story, go the extra nine yards.
Write down your goals for your
work. Do you want it published in the local rag? If you
do, and you study what that market requires, chances are
you’ll get there. By why stop there?
Why not imagine your story or
book on TV or as a movie? Or maybe as a franchise, a
series, or even a set of kid’s toys. Look at your
work from this perspective and sometimes you can see
EXACTLY what’s wrong with it. After all, if you can
make your story work in a big way, it will probably make
far more of an impression on agents and publishers in the
short term, let alone a couple of years down the track.
Don’t be afraid to think
big.
Let your imagination soar in your
writing, yes. But also try seeing yourself as one of
those famous writers you see on TV. Why not? They’re
not so different from you. It’s a myth that famous
writers are cleverer, wittier and possess some secret you
do not.
Have the courage to be the best
you can be. Not just as a writer but as a person, and
perhaps as a 'personality' too!
