by Rebecca Forster
Hindsight is a wonderful thing. Clear, objective, and filled with ifs.
If only I had…
If I could just go back…
If I had made a different choice…
The ‘if only’ lament is particularly apropos to authors. During my 40-year career, if I had known then what I know now, I might have saved myself a few tears and rants. But I’d have missed some fabulous lessons.
Let’s start with naïve expectations.
With my first book, I believed the publisher would send me on signing tours, my books would cover the walls of bookstores, I would be the darling of New York. That bubble burst immediately.
Lesson #1: Publishing is a business.
Publishers pour time and money into authors when they believe they will reap proportionate profits. I had one book, and my editor was bottom of her totem pole, so marketing was my responsibility.
I hit up friends to buy a book, went to talk to my mom’s women’s groups, I taught my toddler to scream, “Mommy, there’s your book,” when we went into a bookstore. My father put my books cover-out, hiding E.M. Forster behind them.
Lesson #2: Humility comes free with every new author gig.
I got a Barnes & Noble book signing at a big shopping center. There was a table outside the entrance, my books piled high, a pen at the ready. People came and went. Finally, a woman approached and pointed to the table.
“Can I have one of those?” she asked.
Delighted, I grabbed my pen and a book. She shook her head.
“No, I want one of those.”
She was pointing to the candy bowl I had brought with me. I gave her all the candy and went home without selling a book.
Lesson #3: Show up because every experience matters.
I was asked to address a writers’ group 80 miles from my home. I reached the high desert to find one woman there. Everyone else had bailed. I could be angry and leave, or I could stay. I stayed and we talked about writing for two hours. She was engaged, eager, and committed. What I had to say was relevant to her and her willingness to listen meant the world.
I worked harder, invested in my career, embraced humility and kept showing up—at libraries, bookstores, community centers, and writing/reading groups. Eventually, I made a mark. For three years I was a speaker at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, sharing the stage with authors such as Michael Connelly. Crowds were big and enthusiastic. Then came bestseller lists, unexpected opportunities, and the sense that maybe, finally, I had arrived.
Lesson #4: Publishing is a game of chutes and ladders.
No one is assured of popularity, love, and loyalty—in life or publishing. When my editor—my champion who had bestowed on me an impressive advance—left for another house and my agent made a horrendous misstep, my publisher dropped me.
My “arrival”, it seemed, was temporary. But I arrived again with the advent of digital publishing, enjoying success I never thought possible. When I did not respond quickly enough to changing markets, I found myself spiraling down a chute again.
Thankfully, I am seasoned enough to realize that no one climbs a ladder easily and that brings me to…
Lesson #5: Understanding yourself as an author is critical.
In the end, all this is about books.
I wasted time jumping genres when I should have committed to one. I tried to echo bestsellers when what I should have been doing is finding my own voice and perfecting it.
Comparing my work to other authors was defeating; learning from their success was smart. You fall down the chute when you aren’t clear about your author voice. You have a better chance on the ladder when your work reflects passion, commitment and focus.
Lesson #6: Success can be inexplicable.
My Josie Bates Thrillers have earned a place in thousands—now millions—of hearts. Josie’s magic stretched over nine books.
While my other books and series were well received, I haven’t been able to replicate whatever it was that made Josie special. I may never be able to. That’s okay because the real gift is having hit the mark once. I’ll keep trying, of course, because that’s what creative people do. Still, all these lessons have grounded me.
I no longer try to chase magic
I work to excel in my craft. I try to work smarter. I keep my head down and my heart open. Most importantly, I try to remember that the writer I was—the one who gave away candy but did not sell a single book—is part of the writer I am today. The highs shaped me as much as the lows.
If I knew then what I know now. . .
I might have relaxed a little. I might have trusted the process more.
Perhaps I would have understood that every setback is temporary, and every victory is too. And I would have recognized sooner that the real success isn’t in the bestseller lists or the big festivals or the publishing deals—it’s in the fact that I tried and succeeded where many would give up.
Success is in the work itself. The proof of that is in the readers—even if it’s just one to whom your words mean something.
Which of Rebecca's lessons resonates most with you? Do you have other lessons of your own to add to her list?
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About Rebecca
Rebecca Forster started writing on a crazy dare and found her passion. Now a USA Today and Amazon best selling author, Forster is known for her legal thrillers and police procedurals. Over three million readers have enjoyed her Josie Bates thrillers in the Witness Series alone. With over 40 books to her name, Rebecca had a long career in traditional publishing before becoming an indie author. Her fast-paced tales of law and justice are known for deep characterization and never-see-it-coming endings.
In an effort to make her work as realistic as possible, Rebecca has graduated from the DEA and ATF Citizens academies, landed by tail hook and spent two days on the nuclear submarine U.S.S Nimitz, engaged in police ride-alongs, and continues to court watch whenever possible.
Rebecca has taught at the acclaimed UCLA Writers Program and various colleges and universities. She is a sought-after speaker at bar and judges' associations as well as philanthropic groups and writing conferences. Rebecca is also a repeat speaker at the LA Times Festival of Books.
Rebecca has just released The 9th Witness, the final book in her acclaimed Witness Series, Josie Bates Thrillers. Find all her books at any online bookstore or here: https://www.rebeccaforster.com/.
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