I am going to be brave and declare that I am a successful writer. I’m not rich. I’m not famous. But I’ve had my first solo book published and another one is on the way. I’ve been published in Daily Science Fiction THREE TIMES. I’ve had several other stories accepted for publication this year. I’ve just had a Steampunk story accepted for an anthology.
This isn’t what I imagined success would be when I was in my teens. Those unrealistic ambitions are now superseded by a better understanding of the publishing industry. I still would like to be rich and a little bit famous – famous enough that people will buy my books simply because they know they will enjoy them. Rich enough to not have to fret about growing old and being too poor to enjoy my retirement (do writers ever really retire?).
So, I’ve changed my definition of what success means for me. I am successful right now! This doesn’t mean I have no goals. I aim to have stories accepted by Uncanny magazine and Clarkesworld magazine; I broke into Daily Science Fiction with persistence. The Aurealis magazine has published an article by me, but I want very much to place a fiction story with them. Winning an award or a grant would be kind of nice. And I want to be published as an speculative fiction author with an audience of adult readers.
Goals mean you are still hungry. But I am not starving to death.
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