What You Can Control In Your Writing Career

On publishing’s gambling problem, and 5 things writers can control throughout their publishing journey

Writers hear this all the time: So much of publishing is outside of your control. 

And it’s true.

You can’t control whether your dream agent signs you. Or whether a publisher buys your book—or how many copies it sells once it’s out in the world.

The list can go on and on. So much of publishing is outside of your control. 

And it’s not just writers— the entire publishing industry faces this unpredictability. It’s precisely why so many of us in the industry liken publishing to professional gambling. 

You might have read Tajja Isen’s recent piece inThe Walrus that specifically addresses publishing’s gambling problem. Isen raises some great points about how hard it is for writers to break into this market and how publishers often rely on incomplete data and track records to make “safe” bets. 

Though there’s a lot more context to the examples Isen gives than the article leads you to believe, the point of it stands true: It is hard enough to get published to begin with, and it is even harder to sustain a career in an uncertain market.

Publishing lacks a degree of certainty that we’re all constantly yearning for, and the result is not only an industry that often feels unfair, but also a culture that loses out on potential. 

But that is capitalism, baby. 

So what do we do with this knowledge? 

If you felt defeated and cynical after reading Isen’s article, you wouldn’t be alone. But I think Isen’s article is only looking at one slice of the pie— mainly because looking at the larger picture is outside of the scope of the piece. So I’m here to say what my therapist is often urging me to consider: yes, and.* 

Yes, luck, timing, and systems of privilege (let’s not forget that one!) do play a role in what books get published and how well they do. And you can be empowered and make choices that affect your success in this business.  

Only looking at the publishing industry through the lens of what you can’t control, and frankly what’s terrible about the way it’s run (that, too, is a long list), and labelling successes and failures simply as “the luck of the draw,” is a very limiting, often defeatist, and somewhat reductive way to look at an entire industry or career. 

So, what can you control? Here are five areas of your writing career where your choices and actions do make a difference: 

1. The editorial quality of your work 

This is the foundation of any book’s success—whether you’re self-publishing or going the traditional route.

You can’t control whether an agent offers you representation or if your book sells 30,000 copies. But you can control your craft. 

Your writing is the foundation of your entire career; it’s what brought you to this business to begin with. You can work at it, improve it, hone it, and nurture it.  

2. Your brand and platform

You don’t have to be on social media, but you do need a brand. Your author brand is essentially your identity as a writer: what you write, how you write it, what you stand for, and how you connect with your audience. You control what that brand looks like and what its output is.

You also get to decide what kind of platform you want to build alongside your brand. Your platform is how people discover you and your work. A simple way to think about platform is this: platform = demonstrable audience. 

Yes, social media is one tool to build a platform, but it’s certainly not the only tool. You can build and grow an audience through other ways too. You might prefer owned media channels (that’s a marketing term for you!) like a website, newsletter, or blog that you can have complete control over and can build regardless of changing algorithms or industry trends.

You might be the type of person who prefers building a platform through media bylines, speaking engagements, or guest features. Or you might be someone whose audience comes from a writers’ organization, a local community, or a professional network. 

But here’s what’s important: you get to choose how to build your brand and platform, and in what ways.

You don’t need to do everything or be everywhere, but done well, your brand and platform don’t just help you market your book—they help you connect with the right readers for the duration of your career. And they are tools within your control that you can use to demonstrate numbers to a publisher and, where possible, stack the deck in your favor. 

3. Your network

Relationships matter in publishing. A strong network can be instrumental in your publishing journey. I don’t mean this in a transactional, “who can help me climb the ladder” way, but rather, in a community-building way. 

You control how much you engage with other writers and publishing professionals, whether online or in person.

Join a critique group. Participate in writer communities. Attend conferences. Build real connections. 

Chances are, people in your network have been through similar experiences and can help you navigate them. They can offer emotional support when your friends and family don’t quite understand why you’re so upset over a scene in a fictional world. They can also open doors for you that you didn’t know existed. 

4. How you show up for your community

Success in publishing isn’t just about your books. It’s also about how you show up for other writers. I know sometimes we get so caught up in our own selves that we forget to step outside of our heads and touch grass and remind ourselves why we’re in this to begin with.

Do you lift up your fellow writers? Celebrate their successes? Offer them your knowledge when you’re able to? 

Showing up for your literary community with integrity and kindness is something you can control. And good relationships help build careers that last. 

Often, those you lift will return the favor. And hey, if nothing else, at least you were a good literary citizen! Don’t forget that we all benefit from more people buying more books. 

5. How and what you invest in your business 

Publishing is a business (You knew I was going to say it! Have I ever put out a blog post without saying this?). Like any business, it requires investment— of time, money, or both. 

You get to decide how to invest your time and your money (when possible, and within reason). You control how long you sit at your writing desk, how many craft books you read, and how much time you spend on building your platform. 

It’s up to you whether you pay for workshops, conferences, or marketing and publicity services. You get to choose what to invest in based on the goals and metrics you’ve set for your writing career. And often, your investments will pay off. 

Final Thoughts

My advice? Make room for both— what you can control and what you can’t. Otherwise, you’ll find yourself either blindly delusional or woefully cynical, neither of which is conducive to succeeding in publishing.

The truth is: we are all operating in a creator economy, and capitalism is our king. Publishing is simply operating within the same economic system as other media and entertainment businesses. We can’t expect a business not to… business. You know what I mean?

But the key is finding a balance— understanding the possibilities (both the good and bad), while continuing to show up, do the work, invest, and believe in your own art and potential. Know where you have power, and don’t underestimate those areas.

* Footnote: For the record, I am not criticizing Isen’s article; I’m simply expanding on it. I’m a big fan of her coverage of publishing and often recommend her journalism in my newsletter!