How would you define a *successful* writer?

A few thoughts about the different definitions of success

I’m just back from a month’s holiday in the UK, a very special time catching up with family and friends, celebrating my mother-in-law’s eightieth birthday, and fitting in some sightseeing and a bit of a literary adventure along the way (more of that in future posts). The last time I went back to the UK I was a solid six-figure author with a TV option on one of my books. This time I was an author whose physical book sales have dipped dramatically (and painfully!) over the last few years, partly due to me taking time off to complete my PhD and publishing my last book during Covid. I’m definitely struggling more to make it all work financially - however, I now have two TV options, a growing Audible fanbase, a chart-topping podcast based on one of my books, and a new book in the bag for next year. Depending on how I present it, my career is either going very well or taking a complete nose-dive!

And that’s the confusing thing about writing. I joked with one of my old friends that while everyone else has been climbing the corporate ladder, the writing and publishing industry is more like playing snakes and ladders. I’m sure all writers can relate. One moment you’ve had a win, things are looking up, you’re riding high. Then there’s an unexpected turn – often completely out of your control. Book sales plummet as the market struggles. Your editor leaves the company. You fall ill. There’s a worldwide pandemic or your book release coincides with a terrorist attack. I’ve been through some of this myself and watched other writers go through all of these and many more adverse scenarios over the past twenty years in the industry. There’s a reason the mental health of authors and creatives is such a fragile thing, because there is little financial security in writing for a living, and it can feel like a demoralising battle of the survival of the fittest. And yet we all know what a privilege it is to tell stories – to even attempt to earn a living telling stories – and my fellow authors are some of the most generous and kind-hearted people I know. I’ve watched many of my writer friends go through the struggle of trying to articulate how incredibly frustrating the industry is before apologising and obviously feeling uncomfortable about complaining. But I always get exactly where they’re coming from, and I think a good moan can be incredibly important and cathartic at times!  

The reason I love my fellow writers so much is that we all recognise the incredible gifts we can give to one another through writing, storytelling and connection. Therefore, we’re all locked into an eternal tussle with our writing journey and our sense of self-worth, because our confidence can easily take a battering from all the challenges and rejection associated with the industry. In the last month alone I’ve heard three established writers say that when they speak to emerging writers part of them wants to say, ‘Stop! Don’t do it!’ and save them the pain and struggle of trying to ‘make it’ as a writer. And yet we will keep on urging new writers to find their voice, while pushing to make the industry fairer, because we know that a world without books and the creative arts is a dark and soulless place. And more than ever, in the uncertain times to come, we will need to be able to locate the lighter, more fulfilling parts of our culture, and seek out deeper, stronger connections with one another.

I propose that there are three types of success we can appreciate as writers. The first are the short-term achievements, which are well-recognised and important: the joy of completing a draft, signing a new contract, getting news of a reprint, a decent royalty cheque, an award or shortlisting. These should all be celebrated – a win is a win! The second is when a reader takes the time to reach out and tell us how much they loved our work. There really is nothing better or more satisfying than that. But a third, more enduring level of success can also be found if we learn to navigate the peaks and the troughs of this rollercoaster industry while staying stubbornly focused on our purpose: which is to connect with each other through our words, continually refining our craft, with growing power and conviction that our voices have value, and we all have something to say.

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My posting schedule went a bit awry recently as I’ve been travelling for a month and I got caught out by illness and the pace we were going! However, I’ll be making up for that over the next couple of weeks with an additional post for paid subscribers and a bumper Author Notes at the end of next week, as well as all my regular posts. I have so much to share over the next few months: on writing and publishing, and my growing interest in the battleground of language and women’s voices, as well as insights into some of our most treasured writers. I’m still figuring out the mechanics of Substack as I go but you’ll always get regular posts whether you’re a free or paid subscriber, and I can’t wait to share more about all these fascinating topics with you!

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