2 months ago
1
A friend recently asked me what it takes to become a successful author. (Like I am an example…) I cautioned my potential wordsmith that this road is long and painful with little chance for success. My harsh words disappointed my friend and made me realize that I had become jaded. So, I thought it would be a fun exercise to focus on the positive aspects of my adventure, touch on the negatives, and explore some in-between.
I feel it is a privilege to write because I get to express my ideas. Someday, I would like to experience outer space. Look at that. I told the world one of my desires, and it will be digitally stored for all eternity. How amazing!
Being an author boosts my confidence, and I enjoy seeing my mental creations come to life. Also, writing has helped me speak more clearly, visualize my writing, and interact with others. I now pay more attention to how people act, talk, write, dress, and think because I see them as characters.
Writing helps organize my thoughts, life, and projects because, as an author, I need to fully understand the beginning, middle, and end of a story. In addition, my knowledge of Microsoft Word and vocabulary has dramatically improved. And let’s not forget grammar. What an improvement! It certainly shows in emails and work reports. I have also taken a keen interest in new subject matters that I would never have investigated before. Do you know what Chekhov’s gun is? I know all about that subject now, but I would never have looked into it before.
Plus, I examine words, sentences, and paragraphs both consciously and unconsciously. This sentence dissection both improves my craft and helps me better understand what another author did or did not intend to convey.
One surprising improvement is more social interaction. To further my marketing efforts, I joined Facebook and made many online friends. They have been supportive, helpful, generous, and understanding. I have even reached out to people like you through these articles. What a fantastic gift!
The major downside to being an author is receiving criticism. Haters have to hate, and that is part of life. However, I view my books like my daughter, and every parent wants their children to succeed. It hurts when I see my daughter fail, and a critical review feels the same.
Honestly, at first, I did not think there would be major (stinging) criticism. “I will write a splendid book, and everybody will love reading it.” Clearly, I was too optimistic.
To make matters worse, critics point out problems that aren’t there because people make mistakes or are just plain mean. The problem is that these reviews will be online and hurt me (my reputation) long after I have passed.
I imagine each author has their own personal frustrations. For me, poor grammar and spelling top my list. Put simply, I had a weak English educational foundation when I put pen to paper in 2015. I am overcoming this limitation, but it is a slow and painful process with a long way to go.
My other frustration is marketing. I am not a bubbly person, nor do I have a marketing mindset. This means I would never say to a stranger, “Hey, look at me! I wrote a book! I titled it Interviewing Immortality! It’s a great read! You should buy it! Buy it!” Yet, I know that to approach profitability, I must adopt this outgoing mentality. Hence, I coined the phrase, “Writing a successful book is 99% self-marketing and 1% other.”
On that topic, how are my sales? Yeah, moving on.
Other changes come with being an author that I do not categorize as good or bad. Writing made me more liberal because authors must connect with their characters, and to do so, they require compassion. I also spot writing mistakes everywhere, which is a source of anger and humor.
Plus, I critically analyze every book and movie I encounter to the nth degree. Sometimes this makes a “good” one less enjoyable, and sometimes I know how to fix the problem, which makes a “bad” one more enjoyable. And sometimes a movie or book is a complete dumpster fire, and my writing background throws another tire into the burning heap.
Yes, I am referring to the recent James Bond movie. Why did the villain want to destroy the world? How did he pay for his world-ending technology? Why did so many people around him believe in his mad scheme? And then the big one. Why did I pay to see that movie in the theater? Still working on that.
While I have had many setbacks, I would say the experience has been rewarding. Would I recommend this path? Hmm. A person needs to understand what they are getting into before jumping into this pool. The odds of profitability are drastically low, but there are many intangible rewards. And a good review? Wow, that feels amazing.
I am glad I undertook this journey and grateful to my readers. This article was a privilege to write, and I thank you for reading it.
You’re the best -Bill
April 18, 2026
Hey, book lovers, I published five. Please check them out:
Interviewing Immortality. A dramatic first-person psychological thriller that weaves a tale of intrigue, suspense, and self-confrontation.
Pushed to the Edge of Survival. A drama, romance, and science fiction story about two unlikely people surviving a shipwreck and living with the consequences.
Cable Ties. A slow-burning political thriller that reflects the realities of modern intelligence, law enforcement, department cooperation, and international politics.
Saving Immortality. Continuing in the first-person psychological thriller genre, James Kimble searches for his former captor to answer his life’s questions.
Pushed to the Edge of Existence. Just when Kim, Gabe, and Emma’s lives start returning to normal, a mysterious government organization orders them to use their telepathic abilities, and then they travel to an alien planet.
These books are available in softcover and in eBook format.
