Waiting to be discovered is not a good idea.
You’ve heard the stories.
Alijah Harrison, now an international model, was discovered while stopped at a gas station to get a candy bar. Ashton Kutcher while at a University of Iowa hangout. Channing Tatum while performing in a dance group on the street.
It’s fun to hear stories about regular people plucked out of ordinary circumstances to become famous. It’s romantic and exciting to imagine that we, too, might fall into that sort of luck.
And imagine writers do. We tend to believe that “being discovered” is our ticket to success. We have only to write a good enough story, and surely then an editor, agent, or group of readers will “discover” us and our careers will take off.
Except it’s extremely rare for it to happen this way, and if you’re waiting for that, you’re making a huge mistake.
Don’t Wait to Be Discovered—Discover Yourself
Bowker, the official source of book ISBNs in the U.S., reports that in 2017 there were more than one million books self-published, up more than 28 percent from the year before.
And that’s only the books that were self-published—not counting the traditionally published titles.
The competition is incredibly stiff these days. Thousands of books go completely unnoticed, whether they’re self-published or traditionally published. Getting “discovered” by an agent or editor is no longer enough to guarantee you a successful writing career.
More often than not, the book goes out only to sell a few hundred copies, and then you’re right back where you started.
What many writers don’t realize is that there is a much better way to go about pursuing success.
No One’s Waiting for You
When I first started out, I made the mistake of thinking that if I just wrote a good enough story, I’d be discovered by a publisher, who would then help propel me to success. But after a couple traditional publishing contracts, I realized that wasn’t how it worked.
Whether an author succeeds or not is completely dependent on that author—no one else.
“No one’s waiting for you,” says marketer Adrian D. Parker. “The few people doing the discovering aren’t waiting for you to show up….Instead they look for people who are already doing what you’re waiting to do.”
When I figured that out, that’s when I got busy building my own platform.
“No longer would I wait for someone to discover me,” fantasy author Ron Vitale said on Joanna Penn’s podcast, “I would discover myself.”
The Key to Making Book Marketing Fun
For many of us, coming to the realization that it’s all on our shoulders is only the first step, and it’s not an easy one.
Most of us battle with it. We just want to write. We don’t want to have to market and build a platform and all that.
I know I fought it. I couldn’t even wrap my mind around how I might build a platform or market my work.
It all sounded like something I could never force myself to be interested in—that soul-sucking self-promotion stuff. For the longest time I continued to write and gave up the dream of actually having readers pay attention.
But then I discovered a niche for myself, and everything changed.
If You’re Waiting to Be Discovered, Find Your Niche
Discovering your niche is the key when it comes to building a successful writing career.
I’ve talked to many authors at workshops and networking events who have expressed dismay at the whole self-promotion thing.
It’s hard for most of us. We don’t like shoving our work under people’s noses, and we feel uncomfortable “bragging” about our latest book or short story collection.
It’s why we long for the days when the publisher’s publicity team handled all that stuff. How wonderful it must have been to just write and allow the publisher to manage all the marketing!
But it doesn’t help to wish for a time that’s long gone. In today’s world, authors are responsible for their own marketing. And for many of us, that sounds extremely depressing.
There is this idea that we have to act like car salesmen if we want to sell our work. But that is a myth. The truth is that there are a number of ways you can increase the chances of readers discovering you, and they don’t have to involve feeling pushy and uncomfortable.
Writers with a Unique Niche Aren’t Waiting to Be Discovered—They’re Writing On Purpose
Here’s why finding your unique niche works: it taps into your purpose as a writer.
And that’s something most writers can really sink their teeth into.
After all, if you’re working on something that fulfills your purpose, it feels good. It feels meaningful. No longer are you trafficking products, but you’re putting something back into the world that you hope will make it a little bit better.
I know writers who have carved out a niche based on promoting workplace safety, overcoming childhood abuse, learning how to thrive at work and at home, eating a healthy diet, examining cold cases, delving into supernatural myths, single parenting, world travel, and more.
“Too many people are waiting for an invitation to someone else’s ‘stage’ for their chance to shine” says copywriter Amy Harrison. “If you have something important to say, stop waiting and create your own event.”
Stop waiting to be discovered. Discover yourself. It’s the only sure way to give your work the chance it deserves.
Note: For more information on how to discover your unique niche and supercharge your author platform, see my book, Writer Get Noticed! Now available wherever books are sold.
Have you stopped waiting to be discovered?
Sources
Bowker. (2018, October 10). News 2018 – New Record: More than 1 Million Books Self-Published in 2017. Retrieved from http://www.bowker.com/news/2018/New-Record-More-than-1-Million-Books-Self-Published-in-2017.html
Downs, C. (2017, March 17). 11 Celebrity Careers Launched By Sheer Luck. Retrieved from http://www.vh1.com/news/305331/celebrity-discovery-stories/
Harrison, A. (2011, April 7). Don’t wait to be discovered, reveal yourself to the world. Retrieved from https://women-unlimited.co.uk/dont-wait-to-be-discovered-reveal-yourself-to-the-world/
Maples, R. (2016, January 14). Spirit of the Tri-States: International model discovered at Hannibal gas station. Retrieved from https://khqa.com/news/spirit-of-tri-states/spirit-of-the-tri-states-international-model-discovered-at-gas-station
Parker, A. D. (2018, April 15). What To Do While You’re Waiting To Be Discovered. Retrieved from https://adriandparker.com/2013/03/13/what-to-do-while-youre-waiting-to-be-discovered/
Vitale, R. (2018, July 15). How to Become a Successful Writer and Work Full-Time at a Day Job. Retrieved from https://www.thecreativepenn.com/2017/03/29/day-job/