I've just published a book!

[tippexx]

Congratulations I hope it does well, good luck with the next book.

+1. I wouldn't be brave enough. I'd be terrified of nobody buying it or critics panning it!

Hats off to you matey!

[Agricola]

+1. I wouldn't be brave enough. I'd be terrified of nobody buying it or critics panning it!

Hats off to you matey!

I always think of what Gary Numan said when asked about being panned (something he was used to by that point). I don't recall his exact words but it was something like, "Once you've published your work you've got to become totaly detatched from it, treat it as a seperate entity otherwise you'll start taking negative criticism personally and you can't afford to do that."
Also I believe that if one person reads it and enjoys it then if 1,000,000 critics say it's a turd I couldn't care less, all that concerns me is the one person that gained pleasure from it. Which is quite odd as I'm usually quite the cynic and pessimist myself!

[monkey66]

the creative path is cold and harsh. The level of success is often detached from the quality of the product. All power to anyone who ever puts themselves out there. Without them we would not have our world as we know it

[Drewmidorn]

I think "success" is a difficult word in the creative world. Financial and popular success are often odd indicators. I self finance all my creative endeavours as I've been heavily involved in the "business" side of the creative world and it often (not always) runs very contrary to artistic goals. Many artists were failures in their lifetime and achieved great success that they will never be aware of after their deaths.

For me success is about being content with your own output.... However critical and financial recognition are never to be sniffed at. they are possibly neither realistic nor constructive goals for an artist though.

[larrysputnik]

For me success is about being content with your own output.... However critical and financial recognition are never to be sniffed at. they are possibly neither realistic nor constructive goals for an artist though.

Well said.

And to Agricola: I am enjoying the book. I will be leaving you a review in a short while.

[Agricola]

Well said.

And to Agricola: I am enjoying the book. I will be leaving you a review in a short while.

Thank you very much and I agree with Drew, writing a book for the sole purpose of making money is unlikley to end in satisfaction on any level for the artist. More likely frustration and disappointment, if you write for your own pleasure in my opinion you can't go wrong.