Before I first put pen to paper (and it literally was a pen and paper!), I imagined the life I'd live as an author. I pictured sitting in cafes for endless hours, words flowing out effortlessly. Endless cups of tea. Pure bliss! And maybe this is how you've imagined authors spend their days (either that or sitting at home with our laptops wearing our pyjamas!) Um, yes, sometimes both of these are true, but let me shed some light on the reality.
Here are five things you might not know about being an author – the challenges, the fears, and what keeps us going.
1. We’re Always Working (Even When It Looks Like We’re Not)
It's hard to switch off as an author. Even when we're not sitting at our computers, or jotting down notes to fix that pesky plot hole, our minds are always buzzing, ready to be hit with that next idea. And believe me, they can come out of anywhere or from anything. It could be a few words mentioned by a friend in conversation, a song blasting from Alexa, or even just walking past someone in the street. Ask anyone who knows me and they'll tell you the amount of times they've heard me say, 'now that could be a plot for a novel!'
I once got the idea for a book when I was out running and saw a sign saying GARAGES TO LET. Hmmm. What could be kept in a locked garage, I wonder?
2. Publishing Requires Patience (A Lot of It)
One thing I wasn't prepared for when I began my writing journey is how slowly the process of getting a book published is. You write your book, send it to your agent, editor or publisher and then wait. And wait. And wait some more. A bit like planting a tree and waiting for it to grow. Only slower. Authors can spend months waiting for responses (you know, the one that's 100% going to be that six figure offer you've been dreaming of).
Even ten years in, I still find myself waiting for emails or calls…
3. We Don’t Always Feel Inspired (But We Write Anyway)
Anyone in a creative industry will know that we don't always wake up overflowing with ideas and creativity. The truth is, some days, I'm winning at life if I've managed to write one sentence! But I've learned to push through these days and just keep writing, even if the words aren't pouring out, and the flow is more like a dripping tap (a very slow one!)
And here’s another thing I've learned: what I need to do is show up, even on those days where my motivation has taken a leave of absence. And maybe some of my best work comes after pushing through the struggle.
4. Book Sales Are Unpredictable
This was a hard lesson I learned early on. In publishing, no one really knows what will sell. You can write a brilliant book, get amazing reviews, and still not see the sales you hoped for. Meanwhile, a book you thought was destined for the recycling bin could turn out to be a huge bestseller.
It’s humbling, frustrating, and completely out of our control. But still we keep writing – not for guaranteed success, but because we just can’t stop telling stories.
5. Readers Mean Everything
And now we get to what makes it all worthwhile - you, our readers! Nothing makes our day more than you reaching out to us to let us know you've enjoyed our books, it makes all the stress, self-doubt, and endless editing worth it.
The life of a writer can be isolating (even if we do get to live in our comfy pyjamas), but knowing that our words have connected with someone? That’s why we do this.
I wouldn't change anything about this rollercoaster of a journey - the highs, the lows, and lets not forget all that wating. But we get to tell stories, and as long as there are people who want to read them, then I, for one, won't stop.
What’s something about the writing life that surprises you? 💬📚
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