The Perils Of Being A Successful Author

Think being a successful author is the ultimate dream in every writer's life? Have you ever considered that there might be a downside to getting that publishing deal, or seeing your book sales snowball? No? Well, let's entertain the idea for a moment, and consider what the perils of being a successful author might be. 

Being typecast

If you are successful in a particular genre, being able to easily transfer that success to another is much harder than you might expect. Your loyal readers will be clamoring for more of the same and will be disappointed if you don't deliver. If you switch genres, you can expect that the vast majority of your fans will disappear even if your new book is brilliant. You'll have to rebuild your audience from scratch, and that's no mean feat. If you do want to write in a new genre, you will have to consider what is most important to you, sticking to your creative principals or continuing to enjoy success? Changing your author name can be a good idea, or alternatively slowly but surely evolving your writing so that the majority of your readers are gently lead along with you.

A two-book deal with no ideas

Often new authors who are signed will get a two-book contract. However, they may find that when it comes to coming up with a whole new story, they are totally out of ideas. Most authors are just focused on getting their first book finished! When they are then expected to then write another, and a good one at that, the pressure can become too much all too easily.

The pressures of staying successful

Some writers manage to come up with a formula that works for them. They essentially write the same book over and over, and their fans continue to buy them. However, most authors only have a couple of good books in them, at most, and then they start to see their success dwindle. This can be a hard pill to swallow. 

Keeping your fans

Readers are fickle creatures, and keeping your fans loyal to you takes considerable time and effort. Not only do you have to keep producing books that they enjoy, but also engage with them in-between that. This means getting involved with social media, doing book signings, writing blogs, and responding to comments and communications from fans. This can be challenging for some authors who really only want to write!

While landing a publishing deal can be an incredibly exciting time for many authors, it doesn't come without its pressures, expectations, and stresses. So it's a good idea to prepare yourself, and while you deserve to pop that champagne and celebrate, make sure that you are ready for what's coming next!