We’ve all heard phrases that approximate “overnight success.” We have “breakout writers,” a phrase that – to me, anyway – implies that this new writer popped up and made it BIG!

Actors talk about their early years all the time: “I was convinced I would be a star within (fill in timeframe here) of moving to Hollywood.”

The people for whom this has actually happened seem to be the exception, not the rule.

Do you want to be a smash hit of a writer? A superstar of the literary world? It’s not luck (or not just luck, because sometimes luck has a hand in it, too): it is work. To take that four letter word and double it, it is actually HARD WORK.

You have to write, arrange editing or do it yourself, figure out cover art or find a good graphic designer to help you (that’s where luck comes in for me: my other half designs my covers), and you have to market market market!

Here’s the thing, though – if you are a writer and you love the craft, this hard work can be fun. Yes, you will feel discouraged sometimes. Yes, you will wonder at how slowly you build an audience. BUT, the rewards of doing what you love for a living outweigh those dark moments of insecurity. Really. I’m not kidding.

Now, can I quit professional writing because I’m making my way up the bestseller lists? Nope. But I can tell you that I feel like a kid on Christmas (plus nerves) each time I’m getting ready for a book release.

I’d love to make it “big.” You know what I don’t love? Readings! Even though I write the words, I do NOT want to stand up in a room full of people and read my own words aloud. Guess what? That’s too bad. Part of my process this week is to begin going around and introducing myself as a writer – not just a major customer – at our local bookstores.

I’m taking the plunge and moving into author event/readings/book signing land.

Am I scared? Oh, yeahhhhhhhh. Am I excited? A little bit. Am I working at all aspects of what it means to be an independent author? Slowly, I am. I may be learning the ropes, but the work ethic part I understand fully.

Don’t quit if you’re not a rock star overnight. Those rock stars began with auditions, and even rejections.

Those who make it are the ones who stick around.

Happy Monday, and blessings to you all…