Sometimes Quitting is the Smartest Option
Who is up for a quick Vocational Aptitude Test?
Consider the following.
Last year, the publishing industry produced approximately 320,000 books. Around sixteen thousand made enough to break even. Less than three thousand made enough money for the writer to live on the proceeds. Seven made more than one hundred thousand dollars.
The rest spent more money on things like cover design, marketing, and websites than they recovered in book sales.
They lost an average of $3800.
In this new era of self-publishing, book designers, printers, and marketers make more money than writers.
Think about this grim statistic now. The average literary agent receives 20,000 submissions a year. They accept seven. Most have full-time staff whose entire purpose is to send hundreds of rejection letters daily.
While our imaginations go into overdrive when we consider a career as a writer, the stark truth remains. It likely will never happen.
Okay… here is the test.
What are you feeling right now? At this very moment, you are feeling likely one of three things:
Option A:
You are feeling angry. As you are reading, you were thinking about all the ways I am wrong. You could not wait to respond in the Comments section and tell me off, using words like arrogant, or phrases like “who do you think you are?”
Option B:
These statistics merely confirmed something you have been feeling for a while. While your daydreams may have been glorious, you have realized that God just might have other plans for you.
Option C:
As you were reading, you experienced something rare and wonderful. You just knew that I wasn’t talking about you.
All outstanding success comes from this mental state.
You just know.
You know that you have the basic talent needed to reach your writing goals. Sure, there may be a few things you need to practice and learn… but you know that you have what it takes.
You know your idea is a winner and will make an incredible story. You know you can continually go to that well and draw forth fresh material for the rest of your life.
You identify as a writer. It is who you are. It is your calling in life. The divine purpose given to you is to share ideas that enlighten and entertain in this medium. You connected with this purpose at a very early age and nothing else in life fits you better.
You know I was talking about someone else.
How did you do? Which category are you in?
There is no need, of course, to explain the results in greater detail. Option A and Option B people will not make it as writers. That is not arrogance or hubris. These are the plain facts backed up by over a billion dollars of research and dissertations from thousands of PhD candidates.
Those two attitudes simply are unsuccessful in life.
No one has ever experienced long-term success with a chip on their shoulder. The folks in Option A feel they have something to prove.
They want to show to their (parents, teachers, friends, an ex, society) that they are somebody.
An external focus never leads to long-term success.
Option B folks … well, that one is easy. If you know deep down that this is not for you, it really would be best to find a better use for your writing talents. Write uplifting and positive things in emails, newsletters, research papers, advertising, school curricula, articles, blogs, and so on.
You will instantly feel more at peace and more fulfilled when your purpose and your actions are in line. The writing world is a strange, cut-throat, cold, and glorious place. It is not for everyone. It is for very few people. Take a step back from this and assess things honestly and in-depth. Pray for guidance. Talk to others who know you well. The odds are that you just might need to be on a different path. The sooner you are at peace with that, the sooner you can start spending your time on things you can be successful with… on a path that will lead to fulfillment and happiness.
To the Option C folks… congratulations. You have already made it. Success is just a matter of patience. Here is to a successful 2024. I pray that this is the year your hard work and positive attitude pay off.
I am available as a writing coach, editor, and publishing mentor.
