A Risk Taker Wins Every Time - The Publishing Risks

Some risks are on the writing side, while other types of risks may be on the publishing side – finding out how best to invest money for your book or who would be best to send your book to stores. Either way, when writing a book for profit, there will be risks. 

You’re not Alone. Believe it or not, you’re not the only one taking a risk when you are getting a book published. The literary agent, if you get one, is taking a risk on whether he or she can get publishers to like your book – and they don’t get paid until it’s sold, either. The publisher is taking a risk on whether the book will sell or not and whether it’ll really hit off with readers. But don’t let it scare you. They are aware of the risks and are willing to take it or they would be in a different profession. You never know it’ll make a hit unless you try! 

Look on Both Sides of Risk. Sometimes you must look beyond the simple act of taking the risk. If you land on the other side, you could get bruised, and that must be a factor of thought. Ask yourself, Is this risk worth the possible failure or the success? However, to get anywhere in your writing, you must take at least some risks. Take risks in writing a page a day. Take risks in writing in the character that makes you cringe. People who made it in this life had to take risks, and some of them paid off. As the famous quote goes: “nothing ventured, nothing gained!” 

Look at Others Who Took Risks: So many people because completely successful after some time, effort and risk. Here are just a few of those you may know quite well: 

• Peter Jackson stuck to his guns when wanting to shoot the film of The Lord of the Rings. Many of the production companies refused to fund him due to his insistence of not making it a one-film production. Even Disney believed it was a frivolous pursuit in the role of fantasy. He took a risk by not settling for less.  
• J.K. Rowling went through 12 publishing companies before one accepted her novel, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. She took a risk by continuing her pursuits of getting her novel published. 
• Walt Disney was rejected by 302 different financers to create Disneyland. He stuck his head out there to bring his dreams to life. Now, he’s made one of the most sought-after attractions in the world. 
• The most famous example is Thomas Edison. He took a risk by attempting to make a light bulb 10,000 times. He led the way for a new generation of technology and science. His name is forever echoed in the halls of schools across America.  

Taking a risk does mean putting your emotions, and possibly your life’s work, on the line, maybe many times. But others before have been in the risk-taking business, and it helped them pursue their dreams. They either learned a valuable lesson, which helped them in risk-taking down the road or succeeded in what they set out to do. Bottom line: research your investments before you make them and go with your gut feeling. Sit in a quiet place. Think about each decision you have before you to help your writing further its course. Which one gives you the most peace? Pick it!

Sources:

Scearce, Jane. "Famous People Who Found Success Despite Failures." Lifehack. Pinterest, n.d. Web. 08 July 2017. 

Perez, Rodrigo. "Peter Jackson Explains How ‘The Lord Of The Rings’ Was Almost One Film Directed By John Madden & How Some Careful Lies Saved The Project In Four Weeks." IndieWire. WordPress, 09 Dec. 2012. Web. 08 July 2017. 

Blank, Dan. "On Risk in Writing." Compose Journal. N.p., Fall 2014. Web. 08 July 2017.

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