Rise Above the Noise

You know the saying, 'Dress for the job you want, not the job you have?' I think we should apply the same logic to our behavior, especially when building a social media presence. If you want to be successful, it's not just about your skills; it's also about how you present yourself. 

Take inspiration from the people you admire and act accordingly. Although I’m talking about writers’ behavior in this article, you can extrapolate it to any other field. The moral of this story is universal.

Here’s what sparked this article. I’m quite active on X, especially in the writing community and if I learned anything is that authors like to vent a lot. But there are different types of venting. Some will complain about writer’s block, or life getting in the way of their writing schedule. Some will say they get the best ideas in the shower, and as soon as they sit down to write, their mind goes blank. I know the feeling as it happens to me a lot. The bottom line is they talk about their struggles without attacking other writers.

And then there is the third kind of struggling writers who are bitter about the best-selling authors' success. A few days ago, an up-and-coming writer called Stephen King’s writing questionable. Now, just to be clear, I am not debating anyone’s writing in this article—only the behavior. I’ve been following Stephen King for quite some time and I can’t remember a single time where criticized another author’s writing.

How you talk about someone else says more about you than about them

Occasionally, I see a post in the vein of “I don’t get why so and so is so popular”. Free speech is important. No doubt about that. But it’s also important to remember that what you say about someone says more about you than about them.

If struggling writers aspire to be successful authors, they should model their behavior after those who have achieved that success. Show kindness and support to fellow writers, especially beginners. But also, don’t think you can rise above by bringing accomplished writers down. First, it doesn’t work like that. And second, you’ll only embarrass yourself.

On the same topic, a few months ago I commented on a post that said something along the lines, “Does it piss you off when celebrities publish a book they clearly didn’t even write and it instantly hits bestseller list?” I answered the question from my perspective and said something like “No. Life is not fair, but being resentful about other people’s success doesn’t help me grow as a writer. I’d rather focus my energy on things like honing my craft.”

Another struggling writer took it personally and told me that “I would change my tune after a dozen rejections or so.” Being rejected hurts, there’s no doubt about that, but I fail to see how being unpleasant about other people’s success would make me a better or more successful writer.

Keep your eyes on the target. I assume your target is to grow as a writer and, hopefully, to become a bestselling author. If this is the case, why waste time and energy focusing on other people’s success stories? One exception comes to mind - to learn from them. But criticizing their work is not the way to achieve your goals. Also, as if being resentful about other people’s success wasn’t enough, she tried to make me feel the same way, too. Don’t do that. That’s not good for your image. If you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say anything at all.

Accountability in online presence

I’m not saying that we should all like popular authors. But there is a difference between saying “I didn’t like his writing style. His book was not my cup of tea. I didn’t resonate with the characters.” and saying “His writing is bad.” or “She writes drivel.” Or “I can’t believe people like so-and-so. That’s not literature.” Did you notice the difference?

In the first example, I own my opinion. It’s all about my perception of someone’s work and it’s my right not to like it. I can express my opinion without sounding patronizing or criticizing.

In the second example, I don’t take responsibility for my opinion. There’s zero accountability on my part. I act as if it’s been decided what is good literature and what people should like. Notice the arrogance in my assumption that I know what is good literature? That’s not nice.

Here’s the main issue that most people who do this don’t realize: having no accountability negatively affects your reputation.

I'm taking a wild guess here, but I'm pretty sure you want people to buy your books if you're a writer. Imagine someone discovers your social media and reads your posts. How likely are they to buy your books if they see you constantly complaining and dissing or mocking other authors? Is this how you want to be remembered? Out of all the role models available, I don’t think the school yard bully is the best to pick.

Learn from best-selling authors

If I take a good look at my feed, I notice this unappealing behavior from struggling authors only. On the other hand, best-selling authors show a positive and supporting attitude towards those who have yet to reach to fame. I doubt they like everything they read, but they don’t post that on their socials. Why do you think that is? Maybe it’s because they know how much hard work it takes to get there. Or maybe success is not for everyone and only those with a positive attitude made that far.

J.K. Rowling

Becoming successful is a blend of hard work, growth mindset, and opportunity. Before becoming a bestselling author, J. K. Rowling submitted her manuscript to a dozen different publishing houses, only to receive rejection letters. Clearly, Harry Potter was a marketable book, proved by the phenomenal success it achieved, but not all publishers recognized it. But Rowling kept trying.

During this time, Rowling was a single mother living in poverty, relying on welfare to support herself and her daughter. Eventually, someone recognized the potential and published the first Harry Potter book and the rest is history.

Stephen King

Because I mentioned Stephen King earlier when someone called his writing questionable in the same post she was praising her own writing, let’s look at his journey to success.

Like many aspiring authors, he faced many rejections and setbacks before becoming a bestselling author. His first novel, "Carrie," was rejected thirty times in the beginning. At one point, he even threw the manuscript into the trash. Luckily, his wife recovered it, read it and made a few suggestions on how to improve it. It was finally picked up by Doubleday and the rest, as they say it, is history. Carrie became one of Stephen King’s most successful novels and has sold over 350 million copies.

While working on “Carrie”, King and his family were living in a trailer and struggling to make ends meet. He often worked multiple jobs, including as a high school teacher and a laundromat attendant, to support his writing.

King also battled with alcoholism and drug addiction, which took a toll on his personal life and productivity.

If there’s something you should take from this story is that people with ordinary lives, financial and personal struggles became successful through sheer will and hard work.

Brandon Sanderson

Instead of discussing his rise to fame, let's focus on his positive online presence this time. He's well-known for his work in the writing community, guiding new writers, and creating an inclusive atmosphere.

He has actively contributed to building a strong and supportive community within the fantasy and science fiction genres, encouraging collaboration and mutual respect among authors and fans. Also worth mentioning, he consistently promotes other authors and their work. This is the role model we should all aspire to emulate.

Read more in the original article on Medium.