Over the last few years, I've self-published three books under pseudonym and have had some of my short stories, a poem and a creative nonfiction piece published under my own name. Not bad. But I don't feel successful as a writer. Which has led me to ask: How does one define success as a writer?
Obviously there's no one right answer to this question; it depends on the writer, why they write and what their goals are. For today's guest, Kristen Strassel, "[s]uccess is a moving target." By the end of the year, Kristen will have published seven books, with more on the way next year. This on top of a demanding day job. What drives her and when will it be enough? Read on to find out.
How do you define success as a writer?
This is a great question, and it’s not easy to answer. Every writer is going to have a different answer. For me, right now, it’s to have people reading and enjoying my books.
But that wasn’t always the answer. As I worked on the first book, it was to just get it done. I’d tried so many times to write a complete book and failed about a quarter of the way through. After that, it was to get it out in the world. Writing the book the fun part. It’s after you finish the first draft that the rules kick in. Revisions and editing. Traditional or Indie? I’ve become a very strong advocate of independent publishing. It was the right path for me.
This week's interview is with my friend Kristen Strassel, whom I met on Twitter. Kristen is one half of The Undead Duo who runs deadlyeverafter.com, the other half being Julie Hutchings, whom I interviewed back in July.
I love Kristen not only because she and Julie helped introduce me to some important writing communities on Twitter and have supported my writing on their blog but also because her tweets are interesting and often hilarious. Unlike some authors on Twitter who are just there to push out tweets about their writing, Kristen engages with people and interacts as a whole, real person.
And so it brings me great pleasure to present Kristen's interview, in which she talks about her books, her unorthodox approach to self-publishing, her marketing strategies, her writing process, and more. Enjoy!
