Thursday, August 16, 2012

The Perpetual Bell Curve Of Becoming A Published Writer

You've all seen a bell curve:


Imagine a smaller bell curve at the very right edge of each larger curve.  This is what the path to publication looks like, and for those who make the population is quite small when compared to the bell curve just before it.

Because that's where the quitters are.

Okay, let's examine each curve.  The first one is quite simple: those on the far end are those who actually want to write and will make the effort to do so--this works with any type of business venture.

Next comes the ideas.  If you make it past that and don't quit, let's write the first draft.

Did you complete it?  Congratulations!  You are a very small minority of people who have taken the time to put down words to paper (even virtually).

How many people have that first written novel in a drawer for years and years, never to see the light of day again?  Many.  Okay, let's take it out and polish it up.  This is called editing.

If you complete that, you've cleared another hurdle and you owe yourself another congratulations.

(Are you seeing a pattern here?  The curve is not the amount of people in that space.  It's a mountain, a hurdle you must cross.  And the more you cross, the easier the next one is to be.)

Once you are past that, you find yourself at the publishing hurdle.  Unfortunately, this one is quite large when compared to the rest.  And this is where most people, if they make it past the rest, stop and quit.

Don't quit.  Do everything you can to get it published.  Or work on another project, which will come easier than the first.

Clear the hurdles.

Do it today.

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