Increments of success

Winston Churchill one said that "Success is not final, failure is not fatal." And for a writer there are no better words of encouragement. Success and failure are but terms we apply to outcomes, battles, but they don't apply to life as a whole. I've had plenty of failures, rejections, bad sales days, even days when I felt like giving up. Luckily I'm as stubborn as a mule and refuse to stop. Luckily, I've had a smattering of success along the way and that only fuels my fire.

I've sold tons of books, I've had people call me their favorite author, I've been recognized at events, and I've come close to winning a few awards. All of those are successes to me. But the biggest success comes when my readers like my work, leave a good review, and go out and buy another one of my books. To me that is the highest praise an author can ask for.

Considering there are around 10 million books on Amazon and we small fish are swimming upstream against the likes of Stephen King, Nora Roberts, and many, many more great authors, success looks different for us. Perhaps one day some upstart will be saying the same thing about me. One can only hope.

I recently had the opportunity and blessing to talk to a group of high school writers. Seeing the hunger in their eyes, I'm sure that you'll soon be hearing from more than one of them. But for me it was another increment of success. Five years ago, no one would have asked me to come and speak to their group. No one did. Five years ago I was stumbling along blindly getting ready to publish a collection of short stories entitled Southern Gothic. Today, SG is still one of my favorite books and remains one of my best sellers, especially on Audible.

Success comes in stages, like stairs, each to be cherished for its own merit. There was my first ever book signing, my first royalty check, my first Number 1 (however short-lived) and my first opportunity to mentor young writers, and I hope there will be many more of each. For me, each step is moving me in the right direction and progress, no matter how small, is still progress.

And through it all, there are you, my dear readers. If I've entertained you, made you gasp, or even cry, then I've been successful, for the worst thing that can happen is that I do not move you in one way or another. If you get a chance to visit me at an event, please do. Even if you don't buy a book. just drop by and say hello, let me know you enjoyed one of my books. For me, that is the only measure of success I need.

-John