I have been
thinking about what it means to accept failure in today’s world. We hear
stories of people who failed at their business ventures, failed in their
marriage, failed to succeed with a challenge or adventure. And we hear about
the “failed writer.” But what exactly does that mean? What is failure, and who
determines it? I heard somewhere that a failed author is one who has sold less
than 10,000 books. Well then, that would be me. And what about freelance
writers and journalists? Are they failures if they don’t earn a required threshold
of money for their writing and their investigations? I don’t know.
All I do know is
that I refuse to accept failure in my career. I have been working as a
freelance writer for almost ten years now, and so far, I have not earned anywhere
near a living wage. Some months I might earn a few hundred pounds for some
articles, other months I sell nothing at all. And my lack of book sales is just
ridiculous. I know that I am a good writer. I know that my stories should be
told, and that people do enjoy reading them. My problem is making people aware
of those stories and books that I write. I don’t have a vibrant personality. I am
not the type of person to tell everyone I meet that I have published novels. I do
not light up a room and command attention when I enter it. Most of the time I am
invisible in a crowd. But I am still a writer. And I refuse to give up. Who is
with me?
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