Sharing the Success

Writing a book - fiction or non-fiction, 25,000 or 125,000 words, serious or humorous - often feels like a lonely endeavor.

To a certain extent, being an author is a solo flight. This can have the unintended side effect of turning writers into one-man-against-the-world individuals.

I need to tell MY story.

I need to sell MY book.

I need to watch MY bottom line.

And while there is some truth to this (if you don't promote your own story and ideas, who else will?), ego is not a healthy driving force for any individual, writer or otherwise.

An individual is healthier when they nurture healthy relationships. I may succeed as a parent, but that implies that I am helping my children succeed. I may succeed as a spouse, but only if I am supportive of my wife in succeeding in her goals.

Authors who really want to be successful should be celebrating the success of other authors, not viewing each published writer as competition.

Yes, anyone who has read these blogs or followed me on social media will see links to The Pride of Central and The Jewelry of Grace plastered everywhere, but I don't want my books alone to succeed. I want writing to succeed. I want reading to succeed.

I want my friends to succeed.

Two of my friends, Laura Campbell and Tiff Aurora, have already been published and continue to work at their writing. But this week, I want to welcome someone else to the published author circle.

Rachel D. Lyne will be publishing her first book, "The Apple," this summer. This is the cumulative effort of years of writing for her. Her book is non-fiction, unlike mine, but her audience may have some overlap with mine. Christian themes from another Central PA author. Some of my potential readers may opt to not purchase my book in favor of hers.

Good.

Not that I don't want people to buy my book. But Rachel's writing may reach some people in ways that my writing does not. And the opposite is true - my book may communicate the same ideas to other readers in ways Rachel's doesn't. But with both of us putting our stories out there, we will certainly reach more people if we both succeed.

Water makes all the boats rise. Let's share each other's success, so that we all can succeed.

Next week: For when I just don't get it...