Should Authors Just Give Up?

 

“Writers live on hopes and dreams.” 

Warren Adler, author of War of the Roses, once my client, used to say this all of the time. 

He was frustrated by the fame industry. He had over 50 books published, with several of them turned into movies. War of the Roses became a hit movie with major stars: Kathleen Turner, Danny DeVito, and Michael Douglas. 

But despite that success, he never really felt like he broke through. He never had a best-seller. Never sold a ton of copies of any one book. Didn’t always get the big reviews. There was no consistency in his book sales nor in the genres he wrote in. But he penned the stories that meant something to him. He wrote it his way. 

More importantly, few recognized his name while alive, and fewer do today after his passing several years ago. He feared his legacy would not extend a generation, if that.  

Most writers would have killed to have his career, one honored by a New York Times obituary, yet I understood how he felt and where he was coming from. He desperately wanted more than his 15 minutes of fame but it seemed to elude him.  

Still, he never gave up.  That persistence helped him pay the bills and have a long career. 

Writers today feel frustrated on multiple levels. They struggle to find a literary agent or publisher. They are challenged by the daunting prospect of investing time, money, and mindshare into marketing. They are disappointed by low book sales, the lack of reviews and critical acclaim, or the fact that they can’t break through to get the attention of Hollywood.  

And even when they do experience a taste of success, like Warren did, they want more. It is never enough. Success is a drug and all writers are addicted, strung-out junkies who cling to hopes and dreams that rarely are fulfilled. 

Never, ever give up. Take it to heart. 

Do you hear me, you tired, whining, disillusioned, excuse-making, lazy, cheap, and desperate victim of the world?  

Don’t feel sorry for yourself. Don’t get jealous. Don’t blame anyone. Keep at it. Stop bitching and get your ass out there. Grow a pair of big balls (women, too) and have at it. 

Here is what you are going to do: 

·         Write, write, and write.

·         Get an editor.

·         Stop dreaming and take action.

·         Try harder, smarter, different.

·         Network, promote, and push.

·         Hire a book marketer.

·         Pray and hope to get lucky. 

You can give up at any time. 

And you should, if your writing simply is not good, unique, interesting, or noticeably better than others. But if you think you have something special, proceed forward, despite the odds and challenges. 

“Writers live on hopes and dreams.” Truer words were never said.  

To learn more about Warren Adler, kindly consult: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/19/obituaries/warren-adler-dead.html

 

Brian Feinblum, the founder of this award-winning blog, can be reached at brianfeinblum@gmail.com He is available to help authors promote their story, sell their book, and grow their brand. He has 30 years of experience in successfully helping thousands of authors in all genres.

 

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About Brian Feinblum

Brian Feinblum should be followed on Twitter @theprexpert. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog ©2022. Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids, and Ferris, a black lab rescue dog. His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s The Independent.  This blog, with over 4,000 posts over the past decade, was named one of the best book marketing blogs by BookBaby  http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs and recognized by Feedspot in 2021 and 2018 as one of the top book marketing blogs. It was also named by WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.” For the past three decades, including 21 as the head of marketing for the nation’s largest book publicity firm, and two jobs at two independent presses, Brian has worked with many first-time, self-published, authors of all genres, right along with best-selling authors and celebrities such as: Dr. Ruth, Mark Victor Hansen, Joseph Finder, Katherine Spurway, Neil Rackham, Harvey Mackay, Ken Blanchard, Stephen Covey, Warren Adler, Cindy Adams, Susan RoAne, Jeff Foxworthy, Seth Godin, and Henry Winkler. He recently hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America, and has spoken at ASJA, IBPA, Sarah Lawrence College, Nonfiction Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association, Willamette (Portland) Writers Association, and Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association. His letters-to-the-editor have been published in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York Post, NY Daily News, Newsday, The Journal News (Westchester) and The Washington Post. He has been featured in The Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald. For more information, please consult: linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum.