The writing and publishing world can be so much fun! I've met some amazing friends through writing, networking, and publishing. So it always amazes me when I see writers faction themselves off into cliques and start acting as if other writers are nothing but competition...
My question is: why would you compete against your own tribe?
We writers, no matter what genre we write, are all so similar at the core. We are storytellers. We love the written word. Most of us love to read books as much as we love to write them. We greatly hope readers will love our stories, and we try so hard to write the best damn book we can with each manuscript we crank out.
I've always been incredibly supportive of other writers. I love seeing other writers succeed, not only through personal fulfillment of completing a book, but in marketing, in reviews, in sales, etc. When I see other writers doing well, or better than I'm currently doing, I don't get angry. I'm happy for them! I do what I can to help them succeed even more! And I'm wondering why we can't all be like that.
Writing isn't a competition. Just because people read one author's book doesn't mean they will ONLY read that author's books! That's just silly! Just imagine all of the different authors you read and love for different reasons. Chances are, you don't only read one. And every new one you discover and you love, the more fun you have exploring our world of books--am I right?
So to my fellow authors out there splitting off into factions of US vs THEM, I urge you to take a step back and remember that this isn't a sport. We're not out to beat each other like in a football game. My wish is that we could all realize we're in this together and to remember we're all part of the same storytelling tribe. And the next time someone sells more books than you or gets more followers on social media than you, instead of defaulting to feelings of jealousy, try out being happy for them for a change. You might find that it feels pretty good!
XoXo
Scarlett
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I couldn't possibly love or agree with this more, Scarlett. I once had a professor state emphatically 'the more good writers, the more good readers' and it will stick with me always. Well done!
ReplyDeleteGreat advice from your professor!
DeleteSo true! And I love feeling inspired by other writers! When I read something awesome another writer has written, it gets me excited about the process and getting better! And that feeling only comes from other authors. Great post!
ReplyDeleteYes, my feelings exactly! :)
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