What you’ve got there is an insider’s perspective on the before-and-after misconceptions and pitfalls that accompany being published. Some great insight here, plus he blasts holes in the buckets of several common rumors.
Hard truth waits to ambush you here, I will warn you. As a sample:
Most people who write a book will never get it published, half the writers who are published won’t see a second book in print, and most books published are never reprinted. What’s more, half the titles in any given bookshop won’t sell a single copy there, and most published writers won’t earn anything from their book apart from the advance.
And then there’s:
Remember the 10,000-hour rule. That’s roughly how much work and practice it takes to become accomplished in any field, whether it be sporting, creative or professional. 10,000 hours is 5 years of full time hard work. To become a virtuoso, triple that.
I find this mirrors the idiom that everyone has a million words of crap they have to get out of their system before they can get to anything of value. Irvine also has a gritty self-analysis to run through, should you be facing rejection after rejection.
As you, hopefully, advance in your career, moving from rejection to acceptance to publication and beyond, his advice shifts to help you keep things in perspective, like how to understand your advance, how to appreciate an editor’s wisdom, the book production line, and how to get involved in the post-pub promotion efforts. You should probably read this whole (huge) article a couple of times, focusing on a different section each time to absorb everything he has to say.
For anyone who is wondering, I don’t post resources and links like this to try and depress you, even though that can be a side effect. After all, his final lesson is titled “Anyone who can be discouraged from writing should be.”
It is sobering, but my belief is that a lot of people flounder in their writing and pursuit of publication because they aren’t as educated as they need to be about the standards and processes involved. So if you’re dedicated to writing, then full speed ahead; but if this article raises some tough questions, it’s worth asking yourself if these are the kind of sacrifices you’re willing to make in the long run. The more you know, the more you can be prepared for as you chase after the dream, and the more you can shield yourself against disappoint, so when bad things do happen you can take the hits, shrug ’em off and keep trying your best.
I see that smile.