Thursday, June 17, 2010

More on Success

Tip of the Day: Kate was talking on Monday about the need for more funny YA books. I found this great list of funny YA books here.

I was all set to blog about something entirely different today and then I read Deena's post from yesterday. And it was great! The line that I liked the most was the last one:

"And with or without a publishing contract, I am a YA/MG novelist."

And it's true. I've read a bunch of Deena's books and she is most certainly a YA/MG novelist (a great one at that!). And I love that she says it proudly to the world. Here's why. I remember before selling that first book I never told people I was a fiction writer. Like, I thought I wouldn't be believed if I didn't have a book in my hand to show as proof or something. My own family (not my husband but everyone else) didn't have a clue that I even wrote fiction books until I told them I signed with a literary agent. Why did I do that? I don't know but I know a lot of writers do that when instead we should be open and tell people.

And then you think after you sell that first book you'll be forever content because you finally made it after all that hard work, and don't get me wrong, it is awesome. But then, at least for me, I find I'm always comparing myself to other authors now. I want to sell more books. Sell more foreign rights. Sell movie rights. I want to sell a series. It just goes on and on and on. So when do you officially call yourself a "success"? What's the line?

I'm going to agree with Deena on this topic-- we each have to make our own definitions of success.

Kristina, Miss See Me on the Shelves

1 comment:

DeenaML said...

Aw, thanks Tina! I am finally reading this post after a week of family craziness (bro and sis-in-law were my first new house guests!).