The Pursuit of Fame - A Writer's Guide

The Pursuit of Fame - A Writer's Guide
©robparnell

Famous people tell us fame is not so hot. You get mobbed, hassled, your privacy is shot, you’re always having to look your best and perform.

Okay, it’s not quite so bad for a writer. You can hide to a certain extent. You don’t have to put your picture on the jacket. You don’t have to go on Oprah. But…

Increasingly, in our modern age, it’s difficult to become successful if you don’t actively promote yourself, whether by signing books at the mall or doing local radio spots.

And everybody accepts that fame – though not great in itself – is supremely useful as a tool for creating success.

But it’s getting so that you can’t even compete unless you’re willing to promote yourself along with your writing.

This is not such a bad thing.

It’s obviously hard to make a shift from solitary wordsmith to debonair chat show guest. But you’ve probably noticed that the writers that do force themselves into the limelight do sell a whole load more books!

But it’s not the pursuit of fame that really matters. As I’ve mentioned many times before, it’s goal setting that is the key.

The next time you sit down to write a book and short story, go the extra nine yards.

Write down your goals for your work. Do you want it published in the local rag? If you do, and you study what that market requires, chances are you’ll get there. By why stop there?

Why not imagine your story or book on TV or as a movie? Or maybe as a franchise, a series, or even a set of kid’s toys. Look at your work from this perspective and sometimes you can see EXACTLY what’s wrong with it. After all, if you can make your story work in a big way, it will probably make far more of an impression on agents and publishers in the short term, let alone a couple of years down the track.

Don’t be afraid to think big.

Let your imagination soar in your writing, yes. But also try seeing yourself as one of those famous writers you see on TV. Why not? They’re not so different from you. It’s a myth that famous writers are cleverer, wittier and possess some secret you do not.

Have the courage to be the best you can be. Not just as a writer but as a person, and perhaps as a 'personality' too!