Finding Success in the Middle Ground — A response to “The Paradox of Platform”
Sam asked me to write a guest post because of a comment I made to his blog post that challenged him to see his writing career differently.
In that post, Sam speaks as if he sees only two kinds of writing careers: One defined by over-the-top success, or by none at all. A writer either has “800 million followers,” or a career marked by obscurity. What else could there be?
I must admit I know this trick well. Sometimes called “all-or-nothing thinking,” it’s the inaccurate perception that something is either one way, or the complete opposite. So when Sam betrayed his own all-or-nothing thinking, I felt obligated to ask, “But what about everything in between?”
I have a brain that stubbornly resists increments. I’m comfortable when things are either a yes or a no. Then I remember math class, and gently remind myself of the infinitely many points on a line, and in this case, the many degrees of success between the endpoints Sam imagined. Even if we picked more reasonable endpoints of 100 followers and 10,000 followers, it’s easy to find examples of authors writing from the middle ground.
Authors in the Middle
I’m thinking of a few folks I follow on Twitter:
An unagented stay-at-home dad with multiple published books
A newly-agented high school teacher who signed multiple book contracts this year
An author-illustrator of 20 books, one of which has been a NYT Bestseller for 22 weeks
An author-illustrator who is booked with work into 2026
Nobody on this list has more than 6000 followers; some have much fewer. They’ve all built their careers somewhere between the extremes, in the middle. I’m sure they would agree that “success” isn’t about how many followers you have.
“Success” Is a Continuum
When I asked for permission to use these authors as examples, one issued a caution: “Bear in mind that everyone defines 'success' differently. Some folks seek publication, others simply seek readers - so a writer with 10,000 followers and no books might consider themselves successful whereas a published author with only 1000 followers might wonder what they're doing wrong.” Another said, “I have a lot of thoughts on what ‘success’ is, and for me personally it doesn’t have much to do with followers or money.” Defining your own success allows you to consciously set attainable goals. So what keeps authors from seeing success as a continuum?
Maybe It’s Perfectionism.
“Go big, or go home.” “In it to win it.” Be careful not to apply these phrases to your writing career. An author who believes that one can win or lose at writing should allow oneself grace to come up short of perfect.
Maybe It’s About Time.
Nurturing any career is a process. It’s not something that happens at a particular point in time. I got the idea to try writing picture books somewhere around five years ago. On any given day since, I am taking steps toward that end. I joined a critique group—Hooray! I studied the business of writing—Go, me! I learned to revise—Something else to celebrate! Seeing just the end goal disregards the growth points and small wins along the way.
Maybe It’s Comparison.
It goes without saying that I’m not Mo Willems, and you’re not Kate DiCamillo. Instead of letting that discourage you, let it empower you. The world doesn’t need stories that have been told already. It needs our own stories, as only we can tell them.
Success Is Customizable
As mentioned above, success means different things to different writers. Defining your writing career is a very personal task, but here are some things to think about. It helps to read author interviews to learn the varying career paths authors have taken.
Motivation: Do you write to make an impact, to support your family, to bring joy? Knowing what motivates you write helps you stay focused.
Timeline: What are your timeline expectations? When I started writing, I told myself if I didn’t make incremental career progress in two years I was going to scrap it. Every career is built upon compounding experience.
Flexibility: You’ve heard that goals should be SMART, or specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, timely. I say they should also be flexible. Does a particular critique partner offer unconstructive feedback? Find a new one. Are you spending unproductive time on Twitter? Redirect your attention. Monitor progress toward your goals and change tack when needed.
I’ve found that the kidlit writing community is an encouraging place. In the company of writers on a similar career path, I’m confident enough to be a mentor for authors a little behind me, and I’m learning from those just ahead. And we all grow together, cultivating success in the rich soil of the middle ground.
Photo credit for Jessica’s headshot: Nick Gould Photography | Lancaster, PA
