Knowledge
One of the first things I want you to know is this: there is no secret formula to writing a bestselling book.
I am very aware that there are people across the internet who will claim they have the formula, and I really dislike the way they continue to fuel the unrealistic expectations that set people up to believe they have somehow ‘failed’.
‘Bestseller’ is a highly ambiguous term with no defined edges; there are no rules around what constitutes a bestseller.
Even the New York Times is notoriously tight-lipped about how they measure books for their bestseller list… and my guess is that most of those so-called bestsellers are selling less books than you think.
If publishing your story is what you are aiming to do, do it for you first. Don’t set out to write a bestseller because… well, it will likely end in disappointment.
The truth is you can’t make people love your writing. We cannot guarantee certain versions of success. Some people will love your work. Others won't. And that isn't personal; it's just preference.
Capitalism has taught us a single story of what it means to be ‘successful’, which is why it’s imperative to learn how to reframe those beliefs.
The pursuit of personal excellence (i.e., excellence defined on your own terms) is always a valuable endeavour. So many writers give up on their dreams because they’re convinced that their book isn’t worth writing if it doesn’t immediately succeed (get ‘chosen’ by a publisher and create overnight status and financial wealth).
And while we’re on the topic, if you are not writing the stories you want to tell because you believe in some way they’re not good/ interesting enough, please recognise this as the limiting belief it is.
I do not subscribe to the narrative that some genres cough literary fiction cough are better than others.
Every genre has its readers.
Every genre is worthy.
You are worthy.