How much is enough?
What is the magic number?
Is it ever enough?
Yes, I am pondering and observing again…
My commute home is about forty minutes, which allows me a time to unwind,
After a ten hour day that begins when most folks are sleeping, peacefully,
That is my thought time,
Usually I’m listening to Jill Scott, Stormy Cleveland, Jaguar Wright, Anthony Hamilton or a combination of types…
Yesterday I pondered the, ‘When is it Enough?”
I thought back to the days of when one gets their first real job,
How it feels that now, finally, you will be on your own two…
Own apartment, own car, can go out to dinner and dancing with friends,
Happy days are here,
Hold up, wait a minute,
It only takes a couple paychecks to realize that the apartment, car and nights out are going to be a bit different than expected,
Especially after taxes, food, and toothpaste is figured in…
But you go on, get raises, move up the ladder, change jobs a few times,
Then one day you see your pay voucher and think,
“Surely that is enough, that is more than all my ancestors earned rolled up in one,”
However,
It really doesn’t feel like enough,
Because on the real,
The studio apartment is now a McMansion,
The hoopty has become a car that cost more than your parent’s house,
And dinner and dancing takes some Benjamins,
Of course you know I was going to tie this to books,
What is your magic number when it comes to books sold?
How many is enough?
Most have a figure, even if they are reluctant to say,
I read somewhere, a person say they would sell ten grand,
First time out or they wouldn’t get out there,
I thought, they probably shouldn’t get out there,
Because...
Ten grand is certainly possible and has occurred for many, but we,
KNOW,
That rarely does that happen out the gate,
Even with the best laid plans and intentions,
Earlier in the year I was at a festival and one of the authors was very honest,
She was traditionally published, had an agent and a publicist,
She said,
“I continue to write the books because hopefully they will catch on, all of this stuff gets very expensive when you are not even breaking even.” So true…
That will probably explain to some why some authors are so prolific,
They know that one isn’t going to be enough, so they do as many as they can,
Praying that there is strength in numbers,
When I started writing,
I didn’t have a single number in my mind,
Strange but true…
My goal was to write what somebody wanted to read,
Start out locally, work what and who I knew,
Gradually working my way into the consciousness of readers,
Who are the greatest force in bookselling, because people talk about and recommend what they enjoy,
Ultimately, having folks wait with some anticipation for the next effort,
So I was writing, trying to get better with each effort and having some longevity,
In this writing game,
Having always been patient to a fault, that worked, is working for me,
Might not work for others,
Because if you have a finite number in your head,
There is a good chance that you might have to change your figures,
Or you might have to spend an infinite amount of time and money,
Truly pushing books in a way that may work in the short term,
But may leave you too tired or broke to go on in the long run,
Or you may simply have to decide that what ever amount you earn,
Is enough for that book and take what you have learned,
Then go back to the drawing (writing) board and take a different approach,
However if enough is never enough…
I don’t know what to tell you,
But I will keep you in my prayers…
Blessings
angelia
7 comments:
You know I never really thought about how many books I wanted to sell. But I knew I wanted a lot of people to read the books and, of course, love the books. I think I thought about that more and still think about that more. I get so nervous with the "Will they like it? Will they hate it?" energy.
But the first part of the post on the jobs and pay checks. I can honestly say that I'm one of those people who seems to never get enough. I was nodding my head in agreement the entire time. And for the life of me I can't figure out why it is that I'm making more money than I ever have and I still feel like I need to be making even more. Or, why it seems like I had more when I was single and living off of my graduate student teaching stipend and paying $400 for rent in my one bedroom apartment in Oxford, Ohio than I have now that I'm married, have two salaries, mortgage, etc. It boggles my mind....
Great post!
Gwyneth
Gwyneth,
that is what most writers want, for the to read it, love it, recommend it. And the reason that there never seems to be enough is because we upgrade our stuff as soon as there is more money, so while living a bit plusher, we are still trying to get more...we start with thin towels you can see through to towels that wrap around three times...it's the stuff...giggling...
Love and Blessings,
angelia
I am not a published author...yet. But I know enough for me is one person reading my creation and loving it, and telling someone else 1)how good it was and 2)give them their copy of my book. I reached two and got paid once for the physical purchase, but twice for the enjoyment that they received in my writing. I made out like a bandit.
Gwyneth...
I can tell you why more money seems like it is not enough and why it seems like you had more when you were single and a student. Unless you were born a millionaire's daughter, your family lived on a budget. You knew how to stretch your dollar, but your mind has not been condition on the right way to handle more money. When you had less you rationed it off better, but because you see more you forget you had more things like the mortgage, children needing clothes and whatever else expenses you have incurred over the years. Time to recondition your mindset. Read some leadership books on how the average joe, became a millionaire, got to happy and spent too much and lost it all. And became less than the average joe. Then had to do it all over again. I hope this helps to explain.
Lovin it mama deep!
I didn't have a figure in mind when I decided to write novels but I knew I wanted the whole world to know who I was (am). That requires longevity...that requires tenacity...that requires at least one novel (or poem) that touch the masses.
Be I alive or dead, I'll reach my goal because I will continue to write until I can no more (and get better every time).
stay peace and thanks for the prayers!
genesis
Thanks Jen,Genesis
Love and Blessings
mama deep
Good question...how much is enough?
I think it depends on the person...each one of us is uniquely made and knows what makes us tick. Some of us tend to be very right brained while others tend to lean more left brained. Some of us are logical to a fault and others rely more on gut. Some of us are planners and others are more faith-based.
I believe that we each find and do what we feel most comfortable with and as long as it works for us then I say embrace, accept and move forward.
xoxo
Yup, Yup, we all are different with different approaches, and my motto has always been the world is big enough to embrace all of us...
blessings,
angelia
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