Cailin Riley Books

One of the biggest things I’ve struggled with as an author is figuring out my own definition of success.

It’s probably no surprise to share that most authors out there don’t find instant success. Even many now widely successful authors had to publish many books and face lots of rejection before they got their big break. But even then, most authors will never find themselves in Barnes and Noble or on the bestseller list. The truth is that there is just too much content out there.

When you come to terms with those facts as an author, you start to think about what success truly feels like. Will you only feel successful if you get an agent and a publishing house takes your manuscript? Or will you consider it a success simply to self-publish your own book, no matter how many wind up reading it?

For me, success looks like coming to terms with sharing my stories, no matter their reception. By that, I mean that I’m not sure I’ve found success yet.

I know that I would still write and share stories even if I knew I would never become a famous author. That said, it’s one thing to realize that fact and another to fully embrace it. Right now, I’m still in the phase of accepting that I do want to keep writing, no matter what the outcome is.

My goal is to get to the point where I’m simply happy to see any sales of my books, any shares online, or any interactions that show that someone enjoyed my content. It really does make me so happy whenever I see someone shared this blog or wrote a positive review of my books. That stuff means the world to an author!

If you’re also a writer, I would really encourage you to dig deep and think about what success means to you. It doesn’t have to look like a book deal with Penguin Random House! It can be just sitting down and writing when you feel like it, publishing if you feel like it, and feeling warm and fuzzy when others support you.

That’s enough.