I was a small-town girl with big dreams. I always wanted to be a successful, published author, and by the time I got serious about catching that dream, I was 57 years old. Honestly, I knew I could do it. Up until that point, I had never truly invested in myself. And by that, I mean emotionally, financially, and actively taking my dream out of the chasing stage and going all in with an investment in my biggest asset – me. But deep down, I was a writer, and all I wanted to do was write. So, I did.
Becoming an Author and Turning Dreams into Reality
Once I set my sights on that treasured end goal and made writing that book my number one priority, there was no stopping me. I pounded the keys tirelessly day and night the entire summer of 2023, and the end result was a darn good romance-suspense novel. Thanks to a last-minute decision to change the ending, my stand-alone novel instantly became a duology in the making, and I had more work to do. And because I couldn’t leave well-enough alone, my one great novel ended up being a four-book series. I’m a writer. I write.
Reality Hits
When I began writing the first book, Deception & Consequences, I was sorely misguided when it came to my expectations following its completion. I really thought my work was finished when the writing was done.
What? Do you mean there’s more? Oh, okay. It gets published, but that’s not me. Someone else does that. I’m done, right?
I hate to admit it, but these naïve thoughts were running through my mind at that time. I was truly bewildered that I just authored a great book and that wasn’t enough. Again, I’m a writer. I write. Please don’t overwork me!
Some people might be thinking what I used to think, that writing and being an author is not a business. I was wrong, and so are they. Books are an exploding market, and everything about them is big business. According to the article 23 Gripping Book Industry Statistics [2023]: How Many Books Were Published in 2022 – Zippia, romance is the most popular genre in the US with over 332 million print copies sold in 2022. In all, the book industry raked in 28.1 billion in revenue in the same year. Is there competition? Yes! But is the market ripe for what I bring to the table? Absolutely!
But still, all of the details are exhausting. Oh, how wonderful it would be if writers only had to write. But just like everyone else who’s hustling out there, doing what you’re great at is just the tip of the iceberg. We all have to do so much more to ensure our success. In that respect, I’m no different than any other entrepreneur who’s struggling to shine like a diamond and catch people’s eye. It’s not luck or chance. It’s doing the work and then hopefully reaping the reward.
Beyond the Fun Part
As I had painfully overlooked at the onset of my journey, writing was the fun part, but beyond that is a whole different world. What I once treasured as an outlet for my creative soul became a monster when I went about monetizing my love child. But what good is a great book if no one reads it? What good is that phenomenal love story if no one experiences it? I needed validation for my efforts, which meant working beyond the fun part.
According to Most Books Do Not Sell Only A Dozen Copies a book that sells 1,000 copies hits the industry standard. Really? I couldn’t help but dream bigger. I now had to work harder to get my book under people’s eyes. No one is safe from the looming duties and extras that a business needs to get going, keep going, and thrive. Like everyone else in business, beyond the part I love, I must tackle social media; make decisions surrounding branding; find photographers and videographers; make decisions about advertising; promote myself by writing articles; make money by setting up vendor sales; lure podcasters and influencers by scouring the internet; create and maintain a website; develop an email following and social media followings; stick to a budget— I could go on, and on, and on, but you get the point. Like everyone else in business, my days are filled with tasks unrelated to what I do best – write.
Summarizing
I was definitely naïve thinking I would just draft the great American novel, sell millions of copies, and rake in the cash. The story goes more like this: write the novel, work your tail off promoting it in a flooded market, have a little success, pivot your approach, write some more novels, and do it all over again. But that’s all okay with me because I’m a writer. I love to write, and now I understand everything else my passion entails.
I’m living proof that it’s never too late to catch your dream. Just make sure you know what you’re getting, or at least be willing to roll up your sleeves and do some more work when you thought you were finished.
Yes, I’m a writer. I write. Even though I now know I have to do more to ensure my success, I’ll do it because I love it. I caught my dream. You can, too.
About the Author
Name: Marcy Bialeschki
Professional Title: Author / Entrepreneuer
Bio: Marcy Bialeschki is an award-winning, 1 bestselling author, and entrepreneur. A retired English and speech teacher as well as a school counselor, Marcy worked in education for 36 years before becoming a full-time author. Marcy has published numerous online articles, and a four-book romance suspense series titled The Vengeance Series. She is also the founder of Tastefully Sexy by MarcyB, an online business that coincides with her world of fiction.
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