We all heard about the 'instant success' of some bestselling authors, who wake up one day to find out they are famous and their first novel is selling like crazy.  Some of us probably also heard of the fact that such an instant success is never that instant, and is preceded by years and years of rejections and hard work.  And that this 'instantly famous' first novel is usually not the first book these authors have written and shopped around.   Heck, even for J.K. Rowling, the author of Harry Potter, it took years of hardship to sell her first book.

To imagine what it's like, it always helps me to look at the numbers.  I heard that some famous authors spent ten years or more before selling their first book, and that others had to shelf four or five perfectly good manuscripts before making their first sale.  I was always terrified by this kind of statistics... until I learned what it can really be like. 

Many aspiring authors have never completed a manuscript in their lives.  Many think completing one is a major achievement one should be commended on.  It's true, each completed novel is a major thing.  Can you imagine having to complete five before your first sale?  

How about seventeen?

A discussion about this recently came up in my writing workshop, and a workshop member Jodi Meadows, who recently made her first sale, shared with us a guest blog post she wrote on the subject.  I found it not only informative, but very moving, a real look at what kind of strength, dedication, and perseverance it takes to gain this hard-earned success.  I wanted to share it with everyone.  If you are an aspiring author, or a reader who is wondering what it takes to publish a book, I encourage you to read it at this link .

I am extremely happy for Jodi, and hope her novel ERIN INCARNATE sells millions and millions of copies when it comes out from Harper Collins in 2012.  And, I feel that her example will always be my guiding star.

 

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