Jason Howell asked K.P. Merriweather:

Hey K.P.... I'm asking this question of several writers, some friends, some strangers... Do you define success for yourself? Or does the culture define it for you? How do you integrate your internal idea of success with the external consensus, and operate accordingly? Thanks.

K.P. Merriweather I now define success for myself because being told what success is and trying to achieve it their way was mentally and physically draining. I was never "good enough" according to Them, and the bar kept getting set higher and higher. I used to have high expectations but it kept getting crushed. Now my expectations are extremely low and I appreciate the small things - like getting book reviews organically. Even if they're poor - I'm happy because the customer bought my work and was moved enough to either praise or hate on it.

I don't let culture dictate what success is, because let's face it - I'm not part of the mainstream and unless I conform, I'll never "make it" by their standards. So I set out to do what I know I can do best - and it's starting to pay off! I only operate by a loose set of rules - they're made to be bent, not followed rigidly or broken. I see it this way - if my works get talked about, whether in a positive or negative manner - I've done my job. So let the haters keep hating. I thank them for it.

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