An excellent piece today! I’m one of the lucky ones to have NYT in my bio. I do not take that for granted for a second. It does open doors—but it also raises the level of expectation and if the next book doesn’t hit the list, nor the one after that, your trajectory changes. It’s a great goal, for sure—but it’s much healthier to have goal…
An excellent piece today! I’m one of the lucky ones to have NYT in my bio. I do not take that for granted for a second. It does open doors—but it also raises the level of expectation and if the next book doesn’t hit the list, nor the one after that, your trajectory changes. It’s a great goal, for sure—but it’s much healthier to have goals you are in control of. You have absolutely zero control over the list. But you do have control over your work. Write the best book you can, every time. My goal is finishing. Finishing keeps you in the game — and staying in the game is what makes your career. Not the list.
An excellent piece today! I’m one of the lucky ones to have NYT in my bio. I do not take that for granted for a second. It does open doors—but it also raises the level of expectation and if the next book doesn’t hit the list, nor the one after that, your trajectory changes. It’s a great goal, for sure—but it’s much healthier to have goals you are in control of. You have absolutely zero control over the list. But you do have control over your work. Write the best book you can, every time. My goal is finishing. Finishing keeps you in the game — and staying in the game is what makes your career. Not the list.