Envy is the art of counting the other fellow’s blessings instead of your own. – Harold Coffin
I bet you can think of at least five movies with envy as the central theme, and many more books. It’s pervasive. Some might say, unavoidable. Though I don’t agree with this last part, pervasive is an apt description. It’s what drives us to endless consumption, isn’t it? We have a desire to have what others have. We’re not content. And, in some cases, we want to skip all the necessary steps to achieve what we believe we want (because someone else has it,) not realizing how important those incremental steps are.
Let’s look at the classic movie, “Fatal Attraction,” as an example. Alex wants the successful, established man, house in the suburbs, and kids, without building any sort of foundation. She simply skips from single to “I’m pregnant and we belong together” in a matter of days. When she realizes that she can’t have what the wife has, what does she do?
Being an author is about taking small steps to achieve our larger goal. Someone will always sell more than you do, or receive more attention than you do. But, contrary to what you might be telling yourself, authors aren’t competing with other authors. It’s not as though readers will only ever read one book in a particular genre. While we might have a favorite hardware store or restaurant, as readers, we tend to have several favorite authors, and follow more than one genre. There’s room for every author worth their salt.
It’s okay to watch the pros and borrow a few plays from their playbook, but remember, you aren’t them. You still need to pay your dues, bring your best work to the table, and define success on your terms. You might discover that their version of success doesn’t actually fit you.
I would love to sell as many books as Grafton, Muller, and Evanovich. And, in time, I might. But, for now, I have to put in the work to get me there. Allowing the green monster to take over isn’t an option because, in the end, it won’t get me, or you, anywhere.