1-11-10

To conclude this discussion on becoming a bestseller, let's return to the comment that sparked this discussion, which, in case you're just tuning in, began with the November 27 post:

"A Perelandra College writing student recently commented she wants to be a bestselling author so she can enlighten or awaken people."

In the film Citizen Kane, Kane's oldest friend comments that getting rich is no big trick; all it takes is to want money more than anything in the world.

What that means for this discussion is, the more passionately you want to succeed and are willing and able to sacrifice, the better your chances. Nothing can guarantee you'll become a bestseller. But your odds will increase to the degree that you:

• prioritize writing above all other pursuits

• study the craft

• study the elements of the bestsellers you most admire or want to emulate

• find a genre with whose priorities and essential themes you agree

• determine what draws readers to that genre and use that knowledge in planning and composing your stories

• pinpoint the readers you believe will become fans of your work, and discover ways to reach them

• find time and energy to study book marketing and apply what you learn

• diligently seek the right agent and publisher

Or, you could just sit down and write what comes naturally and get lucky. It happens. I've heard at least a dozen bestselling authors attribute their success largely to luck. But they may only say that to sound humble. When you hear fiction writers talk, keep in mind we're professional liars.

My wife and a friend have a thriller idea they want to explore. Neither of them have written any long fiction. They talked about their chances of making a fortune with this story, and her friend remarked, "I mean, it's not rocket science."

When she passed that remark on to me, I said, "Yeah. He's right. It's probably harder."

Most of us aren't going to become bestsellers, but that's no tragedy unless that ambition is the only reason we write.

I could list a number of reasons I've spent my adult life as a novelist. You've got your own reasons you might want to list. That way, you won't be disappointed if you don't succeed in reaching some goal you never even set as a goal.