Nathan Bransford, TVWriter™’s favorite publishing know-it-all, has a few words for us about every writer’s nightmare scenario.
by Nathan Bransford
By far the most common question I get when I’m working with authors is “will this sell?” (Spoiler: this is impossible to answer).
The second most common is this one: “Should I keep going? Should I keep writing?”
I’m always extremely sympathetic when people ask me this because I have been there. I have asked this question too! But it’s extremely dangerous.
Don’t ever cede your dreams to someone else
These are your dreams. You’re never going to get a good answer from someone else about whether you should pursue your dreams. You’re the only one who can answer whether you should keep going or change course.
Even the best-intentioned person in the world can very easily blow you off course by projecting their own hopes and/or insecurities onto your situation. (And we’re not always surrounded by the best-intentioned people.)
You have to be the one to answer this for yourself.
Believe me, I understand the impulses behind this question. Writing is extremely hard, positive validation is ridiculously rare and fleeting, the entire process is rife with heartache and rejection. Of course we all want someone to swoop in and tell us we’re amazing….
Read it all at nathanbransford.com
Need help with your book? Nathan is available for manuscript edits, query critiques, and coaching!
For my best advice, check out Nathan’s guide to writing a novel (now available in audio) and his guide to publishing a book.
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