The key cartel behind each nice author
Have you ever felt that it is entirely up to you whether you can do it as a writer? That it is all on your shoulders to prove yourself and your talent?
Perhaps you think you have to hide and write in an attic in Paris until you release a masterpiece, a book so good that it can be discovered by a New York publisher who can make all your dreams of writing and publishing come true can be made?
Or maybe you think you have to do all the publishing, printing, advertising and marketing work yourself.
Almost every writer I speak to, especially writers who have problems, tells me, yes, they feel all alone. And that one belief limits the careers of so many writers (maybe yours).
You don't have to do it alone. In fact, if you work with other authors, you will be far more successful. You do this in Write to Publish, our platform and our publication course. Find out more here »
My secret
That is also my story.
I used to think that to be successful I had to live in a hut in Mexico and just write. When I thought of the stereotypical writer, I imagined a quiet, brooding genius who stayed in his own right. A hermit who rarely ventures outside, except to "explore" the life of the subjects of his stories, a whole job of Emily Dickinsons, pale and contemplative.
But the truth is, it didn't look like when I finally "made it" when I finally became a full-time writer, published my first book, and let 80,000 people read my letter in a single year.
In fact, I could never have done it alone.
I've never written about it, but for a long time I was a struggling writer with a bad blog that only five people read. Fortunately, one of these people (besides my mother) was another writer, an author of two books.
I started ours as a reader of his blog first. After a few years of emailing, we became friends. He finally looked after me.
He later hired me for my first full-time typing job and helped me find a typing coach, a former classmate who turned out to be a NY Times bestselling author. He also introduced me to another writer whom he supervised and who published my first book. This writer eventually became a bestselling author of the Wall Street Journal.
The truth is, if I hadn't met him, if I hadn't asked for his help, I wouldn't be writing to you now.
There have been many times I wanted to quit when I was building a writing career, doing all those dirty jobs, doing the craft, and being generous but feeling like nobody was paying attention.
But I didn't quit. I believed in myself. And more importantly, I had other people who believed in me. My mother. My literary mentors. Finally my readers.
And what I learned through this process was not how to be a brilliant writer. It was the case that nobody can do this alone. Everyone needs a team. Everyone needs what I call a "cartel".
What is a story cartel?
A cartel sounds like a sinister thing, but the term only means the following: an agreement between competitors.
You see, you and I could look at each other like competitors. We both compete for the same, limited attention spans. We both try to get readers interested in our writing, build a platform and sell our books.
We could think of the writing business as a zero-sum game. If you win, it means I lose. If I win, it means you lose. I want to win, of course, so it's in my best interest to make sure you lose.
Writers do this all the time and compete for attention, resources, and praise. And frankly, this is one of the main reasons why writers fail because the truth is that this is not a very good way to build a writing career.
A much better way is, instead of behaving like competitors, we could choose to act like allies. By helping each other, you and I can multiply our efforts. I give you access to my audience, you give me access to yours and suddenly we have doubled our efforts.
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Writing is not a zero-sum game. Multiply your audience by helping other writers.
So almost every great writer built his career as a writer
As I learned from the great historians, I found that everyone had cartels.
From Ernest Hemingway to Virginia Woolf, J.R.R. Tolkien to Mary Shelley, almost every famous writer had a group of writers who supported and helped them build their careers.
Do not you believe me? Let's take a look at a writer whose cartel changed everything for him: Ernest Hemingway.
The secret behind Ernest Hemingway's success
Ernest Hemingway was far from a self-made man.
At the beginning of his career as a reporter, Hemingway became friends with a writer named Sherwood Anderson. Anderson became interested in Hemingway and eventually helped him publish his first novel. It was Anderson who persuaded Hemingway to visit Paris and take part in the artist enclave popularized by the film Midnight in Paris.
Hemingway met F. Scott Fitzgerald in Paris, who had just published The Great Gatsby. Hemingway had written short stories, but after reading The Great Gatsby, he realized that his next work must be a novel.
Hemingway was also friends with well-known writers in Paris, including James Joyce, Ezra Pound and Gertrude Stein, writers who, he said, "could help a young writer improve the rungs of a career". It was Gertrude Stein who first called her cartel of overseas artists "The Lost Generation", a term Hemingway found in "The Sun Also Rises", his first novel and the work that was to make him internationally known, popularized.
Great artists have cartels
We think of great writers as silent, brooding geniuses, but the truth is that they all had relationships like Hemingway to F. Scott Fitzgerald and Gertrude Stein. These relationships inspired them and helped them to publish their first works. Far from the exception, Hemingway's story is the rule. Great artists are made by cartels.
The good news is that building a cartel is easier than ever before.
You just have to know how.
Overcome yourself
When I studied the life of great writers, I noticed a surprising pattern. They don't behave like great writers.
- Great writers don't act superior.
- Great writers may be shy, but they are not distant.
- Great writers help other writers.
- Great writers ask for help when they need it.
However, I see so many new authors doing all of this. You criticize other writers. You don't read peers' books. They may not ask for help, but they do not offer it. In other words, they act like narcissistic brats and ruin their careers as writers.
Hemingway did the opposite. In his book A Moveable Feast on life as a young writer in Paris, he talks about how he actively sought advice from other writers he knew. He read all of her books. He offered to edit and compile Gertrude Stein's novel and basically had it published by himself (it would be The Making of Americans). He was generous, not selfish. He was vulnerable and was not stuck.
Isn't it time you helped your fellow writers? Isn't it time you asked for help? This is what you need to start a cartel.
It's your choice
The search for your cartel is not certain.
It is much safer to write on your blog that no one is reading. It's much easier to send your letter to literary agents and publishers and then criticize them if they reject you.
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Writing in isolation is less scary because what if you read your work and realize that you are not a great writer?
Creating a cartel is dangerous and vulnerable work. It is also the fastest way to be successful as a writer. If you want to make your literary dreams come true, it may be time to stop playing it safe.
Are you ready to find your cartel?
Building your cartel alone is difficult. For this reason, we created Write to Publish, the online course with which you can build your platform, publish your texts and, above all, connect with a cartel of other authors.
The course is about the timeless way of being successful as an author. This is about going back to the basics of what publishing and writing is all about.
In the eight-week course, you will learn the proven process to get in touch with readers and influencers and to live your vocation as a writer.
When you're ready to find your cartel, this is the best way to get started. More information about Write to Publish can be found here.
It's time to build your cartel and publish your letter. You don't have to do it alone – join Write to Publish and get the guidance, support, tools, and encouragement you need.
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What about you? Did you find your cartel? Let us know in the comments.
WORK OUT
Finding your cartel starts with sharing your letter and giving feedback to other authors. Do you have a blog post, short story, or article you would like feedback on? Share the link to your contribution or a (short!) Section of your short story or novel in the comment section (750 words or less, please).
Then read the work of the other authors who shared them and give your feedback. Try to mention two things that you liked and one that you didn't like about your play.
Then smile. You are one step closer to finding your cartel.
Joe Bunting
