Me too!
And of course fairies, everyone believes in fairies.
For the A-Z Challenge letter O the word is
Overnight success
How many emails hit your inbox each day promising to make you an overnight success. Five, ten or more? And you only thing needed is for you to buy their latest book or subscribe to their latest writing course.
Now don’t get me wrong, some are wonderful and legit. But none are gonna make me an overnight success. At best the good ones can only act as stepping-stones to success.
How do I know? Because I’ve fell for a few.
Now I don’t mean to rain on anybody’s parade because I guess it could happen. I mean people get struck by lightning every day somewhere in the world, I’m sure.
What we can do is take advantage of every opportunity that comes our way. Look around and free and affordable opportunities for a writer. (Hey! Another O word.)
Check with libraries, and writing groups for local events where you might promote your books. Take advantage of these and be patient. This one is hard for me. I’m an introvert and patience has never been a virtue I could brag about.
I have to remind myself that no amount of frantic tweeting, posting, or hours spent on Facebook will blast my book into the stratosphere overnight. Even “going viral,” is here today and gone tomorrow, in our “now” internet age. So, I can’t count on one of my tweets, images or books “going viral” to do much for my success as an author. Of course, I do have some cute grandkids. Hmm….
Nope, overnight success is not gonna happen.
Instead of repeating– I am smart, I am strong, I am pretty, I am brave.
The following is my morning mirror affirmation:
- Building the perfect online brand takes time. Be patient.
- Writing a best seller takes time. Be patient.
- Getting the word out about your amazing talent takes time. Be patient.
- I am brave and not a quitter. I am patient. (Too bad I don’t believe everything I tell myself.)
“Some say I’m an overnight success. Well, that was a very long night that lasted about 10 years. But while I do, of course, now feel the pressure having had books that have been very successful, I just know I have to concentrate on writing for myself. I can’t worry about genres or markets or what might be commercial or not. That never works.” Kate Morton
What’s your experience with “overnight success?”
How long did it take for you to achieve an “overnight success?”
Talk to me, the lights on and comments are now open.
You can find me on Twitter @jeancogdell, Facebook at jean.cogdelland Amazon.com, stop by and say hey! Please remember to click and share this post with your Twitter peeps and Facebook fans.
Want to read what others have to say then click below:
The Myth Of Overnight Success by David Siteman Garland
Why ‘Overnight Success’ Is A Myth by Carolyn Gregoire
How to be an “Overnight Success” by Gary Vaynerchuk
Jean's Writing 
I spotted this on Sally Cronins mentioned in dispatches. I once was sent an e mail asking if I’d like to test and review free samples of face cream… dead sea face cream. Erase your ageing in a pot, free face cream. Well as you would, I signed up and received the jars. Husband then goofled and googled and poked. Small almost non existant print stated “your account will be charged £54 per item per month after six weeks, or until you return the origional unopened pots”! Yes the ones I excitedly opened that would turn back the time, iron out the creases of life and laughter.
The creams came from a post box in Egypt… we had to close my bank account and I still taste the humble pie every now and then. So why was I so dishartened when last month an agent aproached me to submit the first 3 chapters of my wip, and a synopsis for her perusal. I sent it off and to say I was excited, hopeful and was dreaming of my book on a shelf in the library is an understatement. A week past and a pleasant email said “thank you and I will be interested to read the completed manuscript”. I hadn’t become an agented author with hope of overnight success or even had any promise of anything, again why did I think I would be 😯😕😢
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Don’t give up!
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I am a new writer to these sites and writing is important to me as it has been a source of therapy. Any body help me discipline myself to sort out Manuscripts, Poems, Shorts stories and prose. Oh Lord not as much fun as writing. I cant stop writing but it is now getting overload…….
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Yeah it can be overwhelming.
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we are rarely willing to acknowledge the hard work that goes behind every overnight success, i like this post
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Thank you. Not me though, I want people to know when I put sweat equity into a project.
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Great post. It usualy takes ten or twenty years to ecome an overnight success in publishing. Only kidding, but your thoughts are correct. Thanks for sharing them.
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Hope it doesn’t take me that long.
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Same here. Best of luck.
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Overnight success is a myth that never goes away.
Blog: QueendSheena
2016 A to Z Participant
Joy Brigade Minion
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Reblogged this on CKBooks Publishing and commented:
So sad, but so true. What all writer’s need are the three P’s: Persistence, patience and perseverance. If you don’t expect an overnight success, then it will be easier to keep going, one review, one contact, one tweet at a time.
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Can I get those 3 P’s to go, right now?
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