On Failing and Being a Failure

“You fail only if you stop writing.” ― Ray Bradbury

I hear so much about failing. In the startup world, in the tech world and in the writing world. I feel I have to address the topic. Look, there is no failing. It’s all in your head. Failing is just succeeding at a smaller scale. You can quote on me on that.

Writers we suffer from great deal of insecurity. So what if you didn’t sell as many books as you expected? Write another book and promote it more. Your next book will sell better. Believe me. Didn’t it sell more? Write another book and start again.

When thinking about success don’t think in absolute terms. Did I sell as much as that indie author sold with his first book? That’s a self-selecting, useless question. Think in relative terms. Did your first book sell? At all? That’s a success. After your second, third book look back. Did your overall earnings exceed your first book? Yes. So that’s a success as well.

Again, when thinking of about failure don’t think in absolute terms. Think about the investment concept of compounding. Success compounds. It doesn’t come overnight but it is built on top of all the efforts that came before it.

Same thing applies to that favorite, self publishing author you admire. That first success of them is not their first effort nor their first try. It is only the first success that we talk about.

Success is nothing but the golden child of failure.

Look at your own efforts and work as you would look a career. You wouldn’t expect a student of law to win a trial after his first semester of classes. Nor after his second or third. Not even his first trial after graduating. You are that student. You are on a path, success is at the end of the path, not at the first crossroad.

You won’t succeed until you have failed many times before.

Hustle your ass and good luck.

“Dream Big and Dare To Fail” —Norman Vaughan

Final words

Here is where I bring the heavy artillery. If you ever feel overwhelmed with failure, remember to never give up and just let Janelle remind you of the power of yet: