How to Succeed in Writing

Last week I mentioned an article by Hill and Power about the characteristics of people who succeed in writing. One of these has to do, essentially, with luck:

They Faced A Key Turning Point There's no denying that luck and timing play a vastly important role in literary success. Most bestselling authors had a key turning point in their career, a time when someone influential in the publishing industry got behind their career and helped them get to the next level. In other words, they found someone who championed their work in the marketplace. This person might have been an agent, an editor, or could have been a member of the media who first introduced this author's work to thousands of potential readers. The scary part is that the author has no control over when--or whether--this favorable turning point will occur.

This is a point many newcomers to the craft don't want to face, and some seasoned writers refuse to acknowledge: success as a writer depends on other people, not entirely on an author's writing skills. Good luck and networking are keys to scaling the heights of the field. This is especially true when it comes to selling a novel manuscript to a publisher, and even to obtaining a good agent. (It's as easy to get a bad agent as it is to publish your book yourself.)

One rubric about luck is that it happens at the intersection of preparation and opportunity. I can't give you details for your particular situation, but I urge you get up, go out and stand anywhere you might think that location might occur.