Everything is a Work in Progress

I’ve seen many people online speculating about what it takes to become a best-selling author. I’ve seen a thousand different strategies and theories. I’ve also seen many fads come and go in my relatively short time as an author. In my opinion, concentrating on the quality of your writing is the best strategy. It’s the foundation on which everything is built. You wouldn’t build a house on a cracked, crumbling foundation, so why would you attempt to build your author career on a poorly written book? Because I can guarantee you this: no amount of marketing in the world will help a poorly written book.

But that’s not to say you should wait for perfection to publish. In fact, I encourage you to publish as often as you can put content out whether it’s in news articles, your blog, short stories, or full-length books because you’re only going to get better through practice. I have a saying that ‘Everything is a work in progress.’ When you consider everything a work in progress, you know it can constantly be improved, so you tend not to worry about perfection.

In my day job, I build websites. During my nearly two decades doing web design work, I’ve learned that no money is made when you’re stuck in a constant pattern of research and development. If you are constantly tinkering with your website or store, attempting to get it perfect before you launch it, it isn’t making any money or serving any purpose. On the flip side, if you go ahead and launch the site, knowing you can make changes later, you are much more likely to make money. In this case, an imperfect public website is better than a perfect one that is still in the developmental stage. I believe it’s the same with books.
I believe writing is about the journey more than the individual books. Not everything you write is going to be perfect. In fact, a lot of your early week may not be that good at all, and that’s okay. Failure and making mistakes are some of the most outstanding teachers there are. Failure teaches us what we need to do to succeed. So, don’t be afraid to get out there and launch that book.

I also wanted to comment on those who feel the need to research every little thing about being an author. I do agree it’s essential to know what you’re doing. However, sometimes, the best lessons are taught by experience. When I was younger, there were numerous times that I was thrust into a new job, assignment, or promotion before I was ready, and at times, it was tough. But getting thrown to the wolves taught me valuable lessons that helped me grow. In each case, I had some knowledge of the job and enough confidence to grow into the role. Because of that, I’ve ended up with another little motto: ‘I’m never ready, yet I’m always ready.’ That phrase has also been helpful in my author life. In almost three years of being a published author, I’ve had many missteps, but they’ve all helped me learn what it means to be an author. Some of those lessons have been difficult, but I’m glad I got to experience them. Because only through experiencing the things I’ve been through can I grow as an author.

So, I hope if you take anything away from this post, it’s this:

1. Always strive to put out the best work you possibly can.
2. A published book will always make more than an unpublished book. So, while always looking to improve, don’t wait for your books to be perfect.
3. Always learn from your mistakes and try to be better than you were yesterday.
4. Never stop learning. The day you think you know it all, you’re done.

The above points aren’t a blueprint for financial success and security. I’m still a growing, learning young author. But I wanted to share them because they are a solid foundation for building your work. If you get some good out of them, I’ve done my job.

Happy writing!

– Ryan