One of my pen names
released over 150 stories
before it saw
any sort of meaningful readership.
Those 150 stories might not
have earned as much
as I would have liked
when they first released
but, since I’ve gained the readership,
they HAVE turned
a nice profit.
They weren’t wasted stories.
They became a back catalog
new readers could enjoy.
“Picasso died at aged 91
and created
throughout his whole life.
There are estimates that
he created
over 50,000 pieces of art,
only a few of which are
known as masterpieces,
but you don’t create masterpieces
without being prolific
and continuing with the process
of creation over time.
Consider prolific authors like
Isaac Asimov, Enid Blyton,
Nora Roberts or R.L.Stine.
You can probably name
a handful of their books,
but all have written
several hundred each.
You don’t know
what the big stuff will be,
you don’t know
which book will take off.
Angry Birds was
Rovio’s fifty-second game.”
It is unlikely you’ll become
a raving success
with your first product release.
Continue creating.