Comments on: Let’s talk about luck

By: Kaylie

Kaylie — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 05:05:45 +0000

Thank you. I don’t think that’s discouraging at all. It’s nice to know that even good writers get rejected all the time, and it’s nice to read something that helps me keep at it.

By: Micolz

Micolz — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 02:58:57 +0000

Oh, my. You’re preaching to the choir. Your coherent argument is much appreciated.

By: Margaret C.

Margaret C. — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 21:28:44 +0000

Great topic, justine! I’m with Chris S.: Don’t get bitter if you’re unpublished (AND don’t be all superior if you are). Whether you believe in luck, karma, or hard work, you should enjoy the writing first and foremost. If the money and contracts follow, that’s icing on the cake!

But sometimes it’s hard. Yep.

By: Justine

Justine — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 16:14:43 +0000

limeywest: If only pennys were more abundant, and mirrors were made of non-breaking glass.

And people weren’t so superstitious!

Chris S.: It’s important to know what you can control and what you can’t. And not to allow the latter make you insane or bitter.

Absolutely! And that’s true of any industry, though ESPECIALLY of publishing.

By: Chris S.

Chris S. — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 15:45:46 +0000

So true! Some bad books sell zillions. Some good books vanish from sight. On the other hand, some bad books fail miserably, and some good books go nova. If publishers could predict accurately every time, every single book published would be a bestseller.

It’s important to know what you can control and what you can’t. And not to allow the latter make you insane or bitter.

By: limeywesty

limeywesty — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 06:22:34 +0000

If only pennys were more abundant, and mirrors were made of non-breaking glass.

By: Merrie Haskell

Merrie Haskell — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 20:03:27 +0000

The formula I’ve taken to heart is “right manuscript, right editor, right day.” You can write the best MS you can, you can pick the editor to fling slush at with care, but the rest, indeed, is luck. It’s not insurmountable randomness, but still. It’s a factor.

By: barb

barb — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 19:34:16 +0000

It is important to not see rejection as actual rejection. It only means not the right time for that particular publisher.

By: JS Bangs

JS Bangs — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 19:25:00 +0000

Have you read On the survival of rats in the slushpile? The author makes essentially the same point that you do here: that becoming a Big Name Author is essentially a matter of luck, once you get beyond a certain basic level of competence. OTOH, I think that he oversells his point by half, as he tries to conclude that being published *at all* is just a matter of luck, and that writers are better off settling for vanity press or self-publishing.

By: Eric Luper

Eric Luper — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 17:44:06 +0000

Say it sister!!! What you describe is the very true reality of writing. I tell people all the time that the only way to ensure you will not be a starving artist is to get a job that pays enough money to live on.