The Courage to Fail


An acquaintance allowed me to post his thought on why some folks won’t write.

“Through the years I have noticed a curious phenomenon. People who are experts in literature, who know grammar, who can discuss the intricacies of plotting, characterization, setting, pacing, etc., people who seem to have all the equipment necessary to succeed at writing, rarely try it. Although these people sometimes have PhDs in English and literature, they seem quite content watching hacks like me turn out numerous successful novels. I’m not complaining, you understand, but I have a theory about why this is so. These folks would be satisfied with nothing less than writing a masterpiece, and since they know that is highly unlikely, they write nothing. They are afraid they will fail. On the other hand, I have no ambitions about masterpieces–I just want to write fun books that entertain people and make a living doing it. I want to write the kind of books that I like to read. So I write and the experts read.”

So, dear reader, develop the courage to fail. But remember, the only real failure is one who doesn’t try. So sit down and begin writing that story that’s been on your mind. You will be glad you did. And you will surprise yourself to find that you can …

Write Creatively.

That’s Hard to Believe!

A friend – I’ll call him Jim – called and asked me to meet him for coffee.

After taking a sip, Jim got right to the point. “How long is it supposed to take to get a book published?”

He seemed a little aggravated. “What’s up, Jim?”

“I’ve tried to contact several publishing companies, but most don’t accept phone calls. Other online services won’t give the information I need unless I answer a ton of questions, and even then, the answers are conditional. I finally got someone to talk with me, but I wasn’t happy with the answers. Will you tell me straight up, how long it will take for you to publish my book, and what it will cost?”

“Okay, Jim, here it is. If you have the document complete and edited to your satisfaction before giving it to me, I can have it completed and back to you for review and approval in less than a week – perhaps in 3 days. If you do not request changes, I can have the manuscript uploaded into the Amazon/KDP system within 24 hours after your approval. It then will enter Amazon’s 72-hour review; however, it often takes around 48 hours. Altogether, from the time we start the process, your book can be ready for purchase in less than two weeks. And the cost? P&L Publishing and Literary Services’ fee of $750 gets you a print book of up to 500 pages and an eBook. A book cover is included at no extra charge. Is that straight up enough for you?”

“Wow! That’s hard to believe!”

Blogger’s note: we published his book. And by the way, he did …

Write Creatively.