Yesterday I wrote about the ingredients needed to make a novel a blockbuster success.

Of course, the various ingredients are as follows:

1. Who the hell knows?

2. There is no #2

Having said that, there are things one can do to ensure they at least have the chance of succeeding in the writing business.  But be aware, the dreams of being independently wealthy off your writings must be met with the cold hard reality of the number of books you’re going to be competing against.

According to Bowker, there are a little over 1 million books released each year.  Want to get even more depressed?  Steven Piersanti, president of Berrett-Koehler Publishers, offers the following depressing…

10 Awful Truths About Book Publishing

I won’t go over everything Mr. Piersanti writes, but suffice it to say there are two very big truths regarding books today: 1) The market is oversaturated and 2) Because of this your novel will face very long odds getting any –any– recognition.

So what’s a poor book writer to do?

Keep working… at least as long as it is economically feasible.  Look, I’m like most writers out there.  My dream was/is to be successful at what I do and, hopefully, be able to live off my work.  In the years I’ve been doing this I’ve managed to sell books and have had positive reactions to them but, like everyone else, I’m competing with a tremendously large market.  I happen to have enough financial security -and whatever free time I can carve out of the day- to work on my novels.

However, if you’re facing financial difficulties, you absolutely need to take care of that first and foremost.  If it means putting aside your writing dreams, you have to do this.  Find the free time to follow those dreams after you work and after you get money to pay rent and groceries.

In other words, set your priorities straight.  If things change and you’re able to live off your writings, then you can focus on them full time.

Now here comes a bit of very hard news:  If and when you get your novel done and you manage to get it released, either through a “professional” imprint or independently, DO NOT expect the world to beat down your door and proclaim you the next Stephen King.  In fact, you should expect the exact opposite, that the world will by and large ignore your baby.

Don’t be angered by this reaction!

Again, you’ve just released one novel of over a million released in a year.  What you should do is figure out a strategy to advertise the book, do this, and then get to work on your next novel.  Then your next, then your next.

I suspect new readers feel far more comfortable investing in an author with many works -and hopefully some positive reviews of said book(s)- under their belt versus someone who releases a single book.

Again, don’t be discouraged but approach the writing business realistically and soberly.

You may be that one in a million writer who shatters that very high ceiling and your book becomes a sensation.  This is possible and it has happened to others.

But please, don’t count on it.

Writing is hard work and success, like in so many other fields, is not guaranteed.