Have you ever wondered how many books are published a year? And what I fear the most, how many FANTASY books are published a year? Well, a LOT. I fear that if i manage to publish a book, it will not "shine". Please encourage me or something xD
There are a million reasons not to do something. Stop focusing on them. If you really love writing, write. The rest will sort itself out.
Write because you love to write. Don't have any fear of not having your book "shine" up there with the other bestsellers. It's like having a basketball player in his early years, he didn't quit playing because that he thought he wouldn't go pro or play in the NBA, he kept at it because it was what he loved to do. Practice makes perfect, everything will come together as time goes by.
Sounds scary, doesn't it? Well, think of your favorite books. Are all of them hugely popular with other people? Probably not. So you don't have to be a bestseller for you to 'shine' for someone.
According to the latest stats: 400,000 new ISBNs were issued last year in the US alone. Not all of them are technically "new" as you have to put an ISBN when you bring anything into print (new versions of old classics for example), but on average there are 1,000 titles per day released onto the market. Yikes!
...and I like to think that, one day, one of those 1,000 books published a daywill be mine... I really try not to think about the pitfalls - I just concentrate on the positive. works for me
If you're writing to achieve fame and /or fortune... forget it! If you write because you have to then ... get on with it. Writing should be the end in itself.
Marcelo, Here is a link to information about the # of fantasy/sf titles published in a year on Locus Magazine's website. It's a place to start: http://www.locusmag.com/index/yr2006/stats.htm Terry
keep in mind that not all of those books 'released into the market' are books the writers were paid for the privilege of having them published... many these days, are vanity-published, of one sort or another...possibly even most, nowadays, with the glut of pods and such going strong...
thanks for those words Yeah, you're right. I love writing, and I will continue to write because of that. Thanks!
100,000 wow, that is a quite a few. I don’t know any bookstores that hold 100,000 books. I do know though online book sites that have search engines that might handle that many. So the reader types “Elf, unicorn, dragon, humor, cow” in search engine, and whoosh your book comes up with two others. all those other well advertised reviewed pumped monoliths are cruised right by, lacking and elf or unicorns or whatever. Don’t write because you want to be rich, but then again don’t stop writing in despair that everything you write will never make any money or fame. One is just as bad as the other.
I don't think writing to be published is necessarily bad. I want to be published - not for money or fame, but just for the simple fact that I decided to set myself a goal and achieved it. I also love writing for my own pleasure.
Oh... the merit of your work is found in the quality of your writing. You are the only you in the entire universe...you are a unique individual. If you love to write more than you fear failure I say hold fast to your dreams and keep at it. I have heard it said that drive and determination is one third of the battle, but I say it is even higher than that...for what good is talent and knowledge, if you have no drive? You hang in there and give it everything you have. All The Best To You!!!
