A few years ago,
a list of the top selling writers
was posted.
About 100 of them
earned more than
10 million dollars a year
in sales.
Some of them
I had never heard of.
Why?
Because I didn’t read or write
in their niche
and because these writers made the list
by writing 100s of okay selling books.
None of these books
were blockbuster sellers.
Many of these books
didn’t make any of the big lists.
These writers took the slow route
to the highest selling list
but they DID make it eventually.
“It’s tempting
to decide
to follow the path
that leads to
mass-market stardom,
the top of the charts,
the fame and fortune
that comes to the person
who wins a media lottery.
It’s tempting to build
a mass-market podcast
or a general-audience news site.
It’s tempting to be
the sort of vanilla-but-attractive actor
who can play just about any role…
But it’s far more productive
to focus on stepwise progress
for the smallest viable audience
instead.
It might not make headlines,
but it’s far more likely to work
and more rewarding in the long run.”
Both the slow route
and the path to overnight success
often lead to the same place.
If you can,
strive for both.
If you can’t,
know that both are viable options.