LB: The #1 Secret to Success as a Writer is…

by Larry Brody

…Knowing how the business side of the medium you’re writing for works and dedicating yourself to working that knowledge with the same amount of diligence (actually, obsession) that you use in your writing.

Why am I finally bringing this up on TVWriter™ after all these years? These two blog articles I ran across this morning issued the wake-up call I needed.


1. Does the Idea of Promoting Your Book Make You Feel Queasy?

by Lizbeth Meredith (@LizbethMeredith) via janefriedman.com

At every writer’s conference, I see fledgling authors roll up their sleeves when told well-established truths on writing:

Writing is important.

Make it a priority….

But…

While a small group of enthusiasts may swap tips between sessions, the attitude of far too many—especially authors who fancy themselves literary—is that the promo piece is unsavory…. (“Isn’t that someone else’s job?”)

Or they’re too introverted. Too icked-out by the idea of becoming a self-promoter.

The problem? Their books join the other million-plus published annually that don’t find their forever home in the hands of the right readers.

Read it all HERE


2. Joe Dator puts a book together

by  via dailycartoonist.com

Q. What do you wish you had known before making a book?

A. I wish I’d known even one single thing about book publishing. It was a massive learning experience, and I started from scratch…For one thing, I found out that what goes in the book is an editorial concern, but the cover is very much a marketing concern…

Another thing I learned is that the book publishing schedule goes something like this: “Slow… slow… slow… slow… and NOW EVERYTHING HAS TO BE DONE YESTERDAY!”

Read it all HERE


The two articles don’t include TV or film writing, but the principle is the same, only maybe even moreso.
IT’S ALL ABOUT
SELF-PROMOTION, SELF-PROMOTION, SELF-PROMOTION
One of the major reasons I’ve been so happily retired is that retirement is self-promotion free. And that reminds me of this secret to another kind of success.
THE SECRET TO SUCCESSFUL RETIREMENT IS HAVING ALL THE FUCK-YOU MONEY YOU CAN KEEP
LYMI
LB

Author: LB

A legendary figure in the television writing and production world with a career going back to the late ’60s, Larry Brody has written and produced hundreds of hours of American and worldwide television and is a consultant to production companies and networks in the U.S. and abroad . Shows written or produced by Brody have won several awards including - yes, it's true - Emmys, Writers Guild Awards, and the Humanitas Award.

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