Quick Tips from a Tightrope

The other day, I posted this sobering message on my Facebook and Twitter feeds:

New writers don't want to hear it, but staying published is the hard part. Like trying to walk a tightrope in lard-slathered socks.

The publishing biz had just given me another such reminder, with my former publisher (and holder of my entire in-print backlist) deciding to go all digital, at least in the near future and whittling down its editorial staff to nearly nil in response to dwindling sales. But even in the best of economic times, it's a huge challenge to keep one's career alive long enough to build an audience and prosper, especially for the grand majority of authors, who survive on the mid-list. (Big-time bestsellerdom has its own perils, but that's another post.)

Yet somehow, I remain if not wildly optimistic, perpetually hopeful. Over the years, I've seen some very talented authors crash and burn with the fortunes of lousy covers, a line's or publisher's demise, or an editor's departure. In the eleven years since I began publishing, I've survived each one of these, and I've seen a good number of authors not only squeak out of bruising, white-knuckled escapes but come out of the debacle far more successful than when they started.

Here are a few things to keep in mind when you're in a career crisis.

1. Sh*t happens. To nearly everybody, in the long run. You don't get an exemption due to luck or smarts or talent or because you're a good girl who always makes her deadlines, and disaster doesn't make you a bad person or a talentless hack. Get past blaming yourself or blaming others, and move on as quickly as you possibly can.

2. Survivors adapt and prosper. Those who remain entrenched perish. Publishing is forever giving authors second chances. But not if they insist on continuing to do the same thing that wasn't working. Look to the market, look to your strengths, and pay attention to where they potentially intersect. Sometimes, you'll find yourself astonished at the new scenery that opens up before you.

3. Stow your pride and polish off your work ethic. If you insist you're "above" any honest writing work, or worse yet take it on reluctantly and give it only a half-assed effort, you're marking yourself as a malcontent, a prima donna, and possibly a hack. If you agree to do something, honor it, give it the very best you have to offer, and watch your commitment earn you both respect and greater opportunities. If you stick your nose up at writing work you feel beneath you, well, it was nice knowing you.

4. Understand that any change has a learning curve and an unknowable timeline. While some writers very quickly land on their feet (a good agent can certainly help) the majority go through a period of struggle as they learn what works and what doesn't in a brand new market. I've seen writers lay fallow for many years before breaking out in a very big way. I've seen others decide the struggle isn't fun any more and turn their energies to less frustrating or more rewarding endeavors. There's no shame in that choice because life's too short to spend a large chunk of it unhappy. But if you're a fighter who has something to say to the world, stay true to your course. Even unrealized, the struggle has its rewards.

I hope these quick tips from my eleven years-plus on the tightrope prove helpful. If you don't need them at the moment, you might want to bank them. Because chances are you could face some of the same issues in the future.

Does anyone else wish to share some tips for long-term career survival?