Competing and Collaborating Between Authors

Avoiding competition as an author is impossible. As soon as you release a book, you're up against your friends for sales and notoriety. 

Competition among authors is just a part of publishing, but that doesn't mean we're all out to get each other. At least, it shouldn't. 

The writing community is a tight knit group. As we work on projects we ask each other for advice, critiques, and ideas. We help each other with everything from plots to back cover blurbs and pitches. We collaborate on just about everything, and most are eager to offer advice and help. We're excited for each other when we land an agent or publisher, or when we take the leap into self-publishing. 

How does that change once our books go live? 

In a perfect world, it wouldn't change anything. We'd still be thrilled to see one of our friends succeed, even if it means they're doing better than we are. Lots of writers are still extremely supportive of their fellow writers and will lend a hand whenever it's needed. Some aren't, and that's their loss. 

But even for the writers who maintain their excitement for their friends' success, sometimes it's tough not to worry that their success will lessen ours, or even be a bit jealous when their rankings jump ahead of ours. We're human after all. 

The fact is... we're all on the same team. Yes, it might be difficult to swallow when you're still working to get your name out there when a friend seems to skyrocket to stardom out of nowhere. You're looking at it from the point of view of competition, not collaboration. 

Just like when your writer friends encouraged you to keep writing or query that dream agent, every book they sell encourages people to read. If they're writing in the same genre as you, even better! Readers who love their books will want more. Don't hesitate to support the authors you're competing against. Most authors return the favor, but even if they don't, you're still promoting reading and literacy and that is ultimately to your benefit, and everyone else's. Every book sold, whether yours or not, builds a love for reading. That's the point, right? 

I'd love your thoughts. Do you think competition derails efforts at collaborating? 

There is a point...

There is a point in most writer's career when they realize... they don't crave that external validation like they once did. 

No, it doesn't come when you hit the NYT Best Seller list. I mean, maybe it does. I haven't gotten there yet, but I'm sure it's an awesome feeling either way. Regardless, it doesn't have to take accomplishing a milestone like that to have it hit you. 

When most writers start out, I think we all have that same feeling of nearly crippling insecurity. It sounds something like this ...

Is my writing good enough? Will anyone want to read it? Will my friends laugh at me if I tell them I'm writing a book? Am I totally crazy for thinking I can write more than my name? 

Then, as you get more serious about writing, it changes to ...

Can I get this published? Would an agent even be willing to entertain the idea of signing my ramblings? Why would anyone ever read one of my books when there are writers like Janet Evanovich out there cracking people up on a regularly basis? 

Then as you start submitting to agents and publishers and the rejection letters begin to pile up and your manuscript is gathering dust, that's when the panic begins to set in. It sounds something like this ...

WHEN will I get published? How do I make agents take me seriously? Why won't someone look at my book? What is wrong with my writing? Why don't people like my stories? Why don't people like me? 

Seriously, you start to feel like every rejection of your book is a rejection of you. You think you must be doing something wrong, but you have no clue what it is. We lose a few fellow writers at this point, but in general we're a persistent bunch, and we keep trying. We think everything will turn up rainbows and lollipops when we finally land our first contract. Then it HAPPENS ...and then we start to sound like this ... 

Why isn't my book selling better? Why isn't my publisher doing more? Who designed that awful cover? Is there an editor alive who actually knows how to edit for real? When will I finally get paid? Marketing sucks! This is way harder than I thought it would be. Noooo! I got a bad review!!! Why doesn't everyone adore my book? 

Writers spend years riding the roller coaster that is the world of writing and publishing. We go from emotional basket cases to deliriously over the moon to spitting mad at everyone involved in producing a book. 

And then that moment finally hits you ... 

There is a point when all of the frustration and agony you have been through suddenly doesn't matter anymore, because you realize you aren't crazy for wanting to be an author, and it doesn't matter if a few people don't like your writing (readers, agents, and publishers included), and you don't need that constant external validation from other people to understand that you know what you're doing. 

You've been at this long enough to know that you're a good writer. Whether an agent thinks your topic is derivative, or a publisher says they already have enough of what you just spent the last year pouring yourself into, or a reader thinks you're just writing Twilight knockoffs, you know that your stories have merit and will have an impact on the people who read it, and suddenly, that's all you need to know. 

Getting praise and great reviews is still fabulous, but being able do what you love is just as rewarding. If a publisher doesn't want your book, that's okay, because you have other options. You don't need them to tell you your book is good. You already know that. 

Everything else is just a bonus.