What Is The Best Way To Judge The Success Of Your Writing?

writer success

What is the best way to judge the success as a writer?

Seeing your name at the top of a bestselling list, be it on Amazon, The New York Times, or Goodreads, is a writer's dream.

The reality is, however, that there is only room for one book at the peak of what is a gigantic and ever-growing pyramid of published books.

For most of us, we have to accept that our books are probably going to reside towards the 'fatter' part of this best-selling pyramid.

Measuring your success

But this doesn't mean that a book is unsuccessful, though. Depending on your goals and aspirations, success as a writer can come in many forms.

If your measure is based only on how much money you make from your book, perhaps you might stop reading here, because I won't be mentioning it.

Without a doubt, my most successful book to date for me has been Louis.

I just had to write this story. It is about a man who helped shape my understanding of the world around me as a young boy.

That he had died forty years before I finally wrote it gave me a sense, in an abstract way, of saying thank you to him.

But the success of this book for me was that his wife, who passed away only a few years ago at the age of ninety-nine, was able to read my story about her husband.

If I sell not one more single copy, I'm more than satisfied. Maria, the most important reader in the world for me, read my story about her husband, Louis.

Readers tell you

Success comes in other ways too.

One reader told me about how reading February The Fifth, during a very difficult time for him, brought a laugh while all around him was very grim.

To know you have touched someone like this is worth more than any financial reward for a writer.

Then there are wonderful little remarks such as, 'you gave me such a good laugh,' or 'I can really relate to your characters.'

Sure, you accept any praise gladly. But when words touch people and make them laugh, think, or cry, then the effort has been worthwhile.

Yes, money is nice to have but it so quickly disappears.

There are more important ways in which you can measure your success as a writer.

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