Before I begin, I want to tell you that this post is not meant as a ‘woe is me’ rant, but as caution to writers about some of the downsides to the early stages of writing success. I was blindsided by some of the things I experienced in those early days, so I’m hoping that by sharing some of those thing, that you will be better prepared than I was.

Decreased Opportunities

For many years, I identified myself as a beginning writer. I had seen a poem or two and a handful of short stories published, and I’d finished well in a number of competitions. I was still a beginner, but I was making progress.

Then, suddenly, it all changed. I won a big writing competition and a short while later, had my first novel accepted for publication. I was flying high for some time. Well, I’m sure you can imagine it: all my dreams seemed to be coming true. The book sold well and I got blisters from patting myself on the back. I may not have been sitting in the front row, but at least I wasn’t at the back any more. It took some time to realise these seats weren’t nearly as comfortable as the ones I’d been used to.

Although I was unaware of it at the time, I later realised that there’s a lot to be said for being a beginning writer. First among these are writing opportunities. There are, for instance, competitions designed just for beginners; classes and books aimed specifically for people at the early stage of professional writing; and a fairly decent amount of support available. The seats of the beginner may be at the back, but they’re very comfy.

High Expectations

At first the changes seemed positive. Now, when someone asked, usually in a snide tone, if I was a published novelist, I could smirk and reply in the positive. I was even asked for my autograph once or twice. But then I started to notice how some people reacted badly to my success. I wasn’t rubbing it in their faces, honest, but when asked what I’d written, and I was able to answer honestly, some people became cranky. As if my success had robbed them of something. Worse were the friends or, I should say, former-friends. There were the ones who made excuses such as, “Oh, anyone can get published these days.” Or, “I’m surprised anyone would want to read it.”

Then there were the grifters. The ones who said, Now you are a published novelist, you must be rich. I need a new house, car, loan… Or the ones who offered me €50 to ghost write their life story. Others gave me their manuscripts and expected me to ‘fix’ them — as a friend, you understand. Oh, and I mustn’t forget the people who asked me to introduce them to my agent / publisher because it\’s all about who you know. You know?

Hitting a Plateau

I’m sure you’ve heard about those second-book woes. It’s no secret that some people who had great success with their first novel, never wrote another. The thing is, if you wait until you got book one accepted to start writing book two, you’re going to be unnecessarily stressed. As much as possible, try to get that second book started almost as soon as you have finished writing the first. I say this now, but I didn’t actually do it myself. After years of sending my writing to various publishers, I was thrown for a great big loop-de-loop when the acceptance finally came. After the parties, the streamers, and the champagne, came the ice cold water of expectation with the question, what do you plan to write next?

Uh…

Earlier, I compared writing success with moving up theatre seats, but a better analogy would be climbing up a long flight of steps. We all begin at ground level, and with each success we move up, bit by little bit. Only a handful reach the top: Dickens and Hemingway, Tolstoy and Joyce. Most of us are stuck somewhere in the middle. I’m not knocking it. There is much to be grateful for, grifters and high expectations notwithstanding. But knowing that there are some downsides — and there are — can prepare you so you don’t feel ambushed when they happen to you.

To be a beginner is to be in a hurry. We are anxious to grab the prize and clutch it to our bosom. But as someone once said, be careful what you wish for.

One final aspect of potential problem to beware of is the unsuccessful self-publishing route. It isn’t just those who have achieved moderate success who are shut out of many opportunities. A friend of mine, against my advice, self-published his novel. He doesn’t have the sort of personality to get out and publicise his work so, despite how good the story was, it didn’t sell. On top of that, he found himself cut off from many of the resources available to new writers. As a result, he hasn’t written anything else. It’s a shame because he was very talented.

Being a published author is a dream come true for many of us. But even dreams end sometimes, and the waking world can be cold and cruel. Being prepared is the best gift I can give you. No, not my publisher’s number…

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