Photo by dr_vaibhavahuja
It doesn’t matter how good you are.
If your face is unknown and your name doesn’t ring a bell, success will be a struggle for you.
Your work will be rejected by editors and gallery owners. Your best blog posts will go unread. You’ll have to work hard to generate leads for your business – and even harder to close the sale.
But if you’re a big name, everything is easier.
Instead of tossing your manuscript into the slush pile, editors vie for your signature. You’re invited to all the trendy gallery openings and schmoozed by the top people.
You’ve hardly hit ‘publish’ on your latest blog post before the comments and Tweets alight on it and the StumbleUpon traffic starts to pour in.
There are advance orders and waiting lists for every product you release. You can name your fee for consulting and cherry-pick the best jobs.
Is it fair? Maybe not. But it’s true – and here’s the proof.
At the height of his fame, the Victorian novelist Anthony Trollope became so intrigued by what he felt to be ‘an injustice in literary affairs’ that he decided to perform an unusual experiment:
It seemed to me that a name once earned carried with it too much favour … I felt that aspirants coming up below me might do work as good as mine, and probably much better work, and yet fail to have it appreciated. In order to test this, I determined to be such an aspirant myself, and to begin a course of novels anonymously, in order that I might see whether I could obtain a second identity.
(Anthony Trollope, An Autobiography, 1883)
In his book Art Worlds, Howard Becker describes how Trollope published two stories anonymously, to see how they were received compared to stories published under his name. As he expected, the stories received praise from the few people who read them, but they achieved ‘no real success’.
When Trollope wanted to publish a third story, his publisher lost patience and refused – it simply wasn’t worth the effort to publish and promote an unknown, compared to the rewards of publishing ‘a new Trollope’.
Trollope reflected that it would be possible to succeed under another name, but it would take an enormous amount of work:
Another 10 years of unpaid unflagging labour might have built up a second reputation. But this at any rate did seem clear to me, that with all the increased advantages which practice in any art must have given me, I could not at once induce English readers to read what I gave them, unless I gave it with my name.
Educated readers might pride themselves on their literary judgement, but their tastes were just as heavily influenced by brand names as shoppers buying pies:
It is a matter of course that in all things the public should trust to established reputation. It is natural that a novel reader wanting novels should send to a library for those by George Eliot or Wilkie Collins, as that a lady when she wants a pie should go to Fortnum and Mason.
Trollope concluded that ‘very much consideration is due to the bitter feelings of disappointed authors’ – since their lack of reputation meant that their work was unfairly overlooked.
But was it really so unfair?
For a famous author, Trollope showed an admirable sympathy for less well-known writers, but he also modestly overlooked the years of ‘unpaid unflagging labour’ that it took him to build his own reputation. We know from his autobiography that for most of his career he got up at 5:30 am to write his novels before starting his day job.
Trollope wasn’t given his reputation – he earned it. Just like Fortnum and Mason:
Fortnam and Mason can only make themselves Fortnum and Mason by dint of time and good pies combined.
In other words, there are no shortcuts to success. One pie doesn’t build a great brand, just as one good post doesn’t build a killer blog. And two excellent stories don’t make a great author. It takes time, effort and perseverance.
It also takes something else. Something many people are reluctant to do.
It takes changing your mindset, letting go of the idea that doing good (or even amazing) work is enough. ‘Build it and they will come’ may work in the movies, but in real life you can end up doing a lot of lonely building.
If you really want your work to be seen, heard and loved – and to bring you recognition and rewards – then you need to see ‘getting it out there’ as part of the job. It’s pretty simple when it comes down to it:
Making + Marketing = Success
Success doesn’t have to be all about money. If you’re doing something worthwhile, it will also involve the satisfaction of making a contribution to the wider world, being recognised for your achievements and creating new opportunities for yourself and others.
And marketing isn’t just about selling. It’s about building your reputation or personal brand, and expanding your sphere of influence.
The good news is that these days there are plenty of tools and opportunities for you to build a stellar reputation from scratch, without having to go cap-in-hand to an agent or spend a fortune on advertising. Things like blogs, Twitter, Flickr, YouTube, Behance, DeviantArt and other networks.
But none of that stuff means doodly squat until you answer yes to this question:
Am I prepared to put my creative energy into promoting my work as well as making it?
Who Can You Be Now?
How do you feel about devoting time and energy to promoting your work?
Have you ever made a conscious decision to work harder at marketing yourself or your business? What did you do? What happened as a result?
What kind of reputation would you like to earn?
About the Author: Mark McGuinness is a poet and creative coach.
Hi Mark,
Great post, as always.
I think one of the biggest problems with self-promotion is the overriding attitude that there is something egotistical and arrogant about it.
I have played and recorded music for almost 10 years but it has taken me so many of them to build the confidence to promote it with real enthusiasm. Some people make you feel almost dirty for getting your name out, becoming your biggest fan, and getting behind your creations.
Thankfully I’ve left those thoughts behind and my next release will be backed up with an abundance of PR and marketing, online and otherwise. Modesty is not tainted by self-promotion.
Nobody will drag you from your studio to get on stage, no matter how good you think you are. Get out there!
Conor
“Success doesn’t have to be all about money. If you’re doing something worthwhile, it will also involve the satisfaction of making a contribution to the wider world, being recognised for your achievements and creating new opportunities for yourself and others.”
I like this concept as it frees me up to do what I need to do. When I get in this mindset the monetary rewards usually coincide.
I tweeted about your newsletter today! I am a visual artist and I enjoy making a difference in the world.
definitely agree here. your “name” can mean everything in terms of future “success”.
Woah, look at that scapular imbalance, good thing most cameras are in the front. 🙂
Think the people we begrudge are…
1) those that have earned it, but are now trading on their name to serve up empty pap because they’ve got lazy.
2) celebs who haven’t earned it, and only know how to do empty pap
…because they still get talked about despite saying nothing.
I agree with Conor, so many of us have this belief that we should just let our work speak for itself and if it’s good then others will promote it for us. If we have to promote it ourselves, then it must not be any good and therefore foolish and fraudulent.
This is erroneous thinking, because how many people really go out of their way to promote anything? Even if they like it, it might not occur to them to do so, unless others are doing the same. Unless you are lucky enough to get one of those people who are hyper-sharers as one of your first fans, you’ll have to do something to get the ball rolling yourself.
Great post, I really enjoyed it!
At the risk of looking like I’m piling on to curry favor with the signorati (that’s “significant” + “-orati”), I have to say that for some time, this quote by Beverly Sills has been my clarion call:
“There are no shortcuts to anyplace worth going.”
We talk about it in the world of acting (i.e. the 10-year overnight success) and my future ex-boyfriend, Malcolm Gladwell, brought the 10,000-hour rule to broader attention earlier this year in Outliers. (And yes, there’s luck involved—he brought that up, too—but really, it doesn’t stick without the 10,000 hours.)
Finally, I used to get bummed out when I’d hear a song or see a performance or read a post (like this one!) that explained so beautifully something I’d been carrying around in my head and/or heart. Lately, I’ve just embraced the much saner notion of “Hooray! One more thing I can take off my to-do list!”)
Thanks for that.
Great great post. It’s the hidden side of success that frustrates so many of us. The effort piled onto effort required to break through. Thanks for such a thoughtful take, well-researched and all.
Mark,
I a new reader to your blog and I keep returning because you always have something valuable to say.
You are already at a point in your career where others will promote for you via word of mouth, the twitterverse, their own blogs, etc.
But, you can still take @Conor’s advice:”I think one of the biggest problems with self-promotion is the overriding attitude that there is something egotistical and arrogant about it… Nobody will drag you from your studio to get on stage, no matter how good you think you are. Get out there!”
In other words, the squeaky wheel gets the grease! Words we should all take into consideration.
Thanks for the post,
Sara @ iGoMogul
The multiple references to “10,000 hours” to overnight success intrigued me. At 40 hours per week, 10K hrs comes to a little under 5 years.
When I was younger, I spent a lot of time looking for the “big score”, the one deal that would produce breakout revenue. Of course, that’s so rare that it hardly ever happens. “Luck is where opportunity meets preparation.” Hence the 10,000 hours.
If you’re at a crossroads like I am – and a lot of people are because of the economy – thinking about turning away from what we’ve been doing simply because the opportunities seem to have evaporated (temporarily?), maybe it would help to look at what you’ve invested 10,000 hours in (if anything!) and how you can leverage that, instead of running off in some new direction where you’re at square zero and have the 10,000 hours in front of you.
Another solid yet elegant reminder that marketing is half the equation. I’ve been outing myself as someone who as hid – I’ve been successful without putting myself out there and it’s now time – long since time – to put myself out there and I’ve started but boy, it sure is a new muscle to develop.
One key factor: being humble, open and willing to help others as well as not be attached or take it personal if others don’t want what you offer. I’m good at everything but the humble part.
Thanks for writing one of the few blogs I constantly read and learn from.
Cool post and great illustrative story. Point taken, but I still think there is another factor aside from hard work and enjoying what you do. Still working on figuring it out though 😛
I’ve found it harder to make good things real than great things in secrecy. Much of the effort in making things real comes in the form of unpleasant and sometimes distasteful tasks like marketing, politics, “paying your dues,” and ass-kissing.
But beware of seeking fame directly! Better to die in obscurity than live a false life in the name of fame.
Conor — Great to hear you’re going for it with your music. Yes, there are some arrogant and egotistical self promoters out there — but that doesn’t mean promotion is egotistical per se. It helps if you think of it as promoting the work, rather than yourself as a person, which sounds like what you’re doing.
John, Steve, Michael – thanks for the encouragement (and scapular observation).
Robin — Thanks for spreading the word! “it frees me up to do what I need to do” – job done. 🙂
Jon – Good points, fortunately no-one like that reads Lateral Action. 🙂
Tracy – Yep, that’s the kind of twisted thinking we’re trying to untangle!
Colleen – Yes Malcom’s right about the luck + 10,000 hours. Another part of what makes it ‘sticky’ is the creative marketing involved in emphasising the number 10,000 – so much more memorable than ‘hard work’.
Sara – Dave Trott has a great post about the squeaky wheel. His website’s down at the moment but when it comes back, go to http://www.cstadvertising.com/blog and search for ‘squeaky wheel’.
River – “maybe it would help to look at what you’ve invested 10,000 hours in (if anything!) and how you can leverage that” – repurposing or repackaging your current skills could well deliver more value and opportunities than starting something new from scratch.
Jennifer – Thanks for the great feedback. Re “being humble, open and willing to help others as well as not be attached or take it personal if others don’t want what you offer.” – this might help take some of the sting out of it:
Nathan – Thanks. “I still think there is another factor aside from hard work and enjoying what you do” – indeed there is, which is why I put it in the article: marketing. Which can involve just as much creativity as the making.
Duff – “I’ve found it harder to make good things real than great things in secrecy.” Surely we should be aiming to make great things real?
“Better to die in obscurity than live a false life in the name of fame.” When you put it like that, it’s hard to disagree. 🙂 I know where you’re coming from, but I don’t think the choice is typically as black-and-white as that. I think it’s far more common to find people who are really good at what they are doing, but neglecting the marketing side of things. Which means they and their work don’t get the support they need.
I’m also reminded of the example of Stephen King writing as Richard Bachman…
As mentioned by @Conner and several other posters, self promotion seems to have that nasty aftertaste associated with it. I guess it would be because people’s first thoughts are to the worst forms of self promotional (vain celebs, telemarketers/in your face people, etc).
Also I believe that most people don’t jump into self promotion because they don’t believe their product is ready. What would be more embarrassing than finally getting that big break or that important person’s attention only to not have anything worth showing. That fear combined with your internal critic can prevent you from ever truly recognizing your capability to succeed.
In regards to the 10 yr overnight success, I recently stumbled upon a great analogy for achieving success as a writer (http://bradrtorgersen.wordpress.com/2009/06/23/the-writers-bathtub/). Having to fill a giant clawed bathtub, the peaks and troughs of the water inside and the need for a constant stream of output, I think really hits the nail on the head.
Thanks again for another fantastic article.
Thanks for another thought provoking post Mark. I agree with your assessment.
I express the truth of this poetic injustice of the creative life this way:
You get what you deserve, whether you deserve it, or not.
Mark,
I just got an email notice that you’re now following me on FriendFeed, so I went to check out your Twitter account (where we already follow one another) and figured I should catch up on your blog.
Yes, self promotion is just as important as doing good creative work. Sometimes my wife thinks I’m crazy, spending the amount of time I do on my blog, and un-paid side projects, and SEO for my website, and all the research I do about my industry. She used to point out that “you don’t get paid for doing any of that,” but over time the effort has led to other things and she seems to get it now (to some degree).
“Nothing in the world can take the place of Persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan ‘Press On’ has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.”
—Calvin Coolidge
I just signed up for your email newsletter.
cheers,
Chris
I used to think that seeking my own greatness without an audience would suffice. After all, I’ve only followed the unrelenting drive of pursuing my passions for the art because I can’t imagine being myself or living at peace with myself without them. But you are right. It’s not how good you are but who you are that matters more to others. And discarding others, living like an unknown talented hermit if you’re an artist in every sense of the word is like shunning your audience or the purpose for having those talents to begin with. The artist himself cannot be his own audience alone. Art is a form of communication, and communication does not only include oneself but others. Realizing the importance of this now, I regret my stubborn idealism in the past about just working to develop my abilities without marketing myself. Thank you for your article. As always you have done a wonderful job at informing and lifting my sagging spirits at the same time. It’s never too late to start the marketing part.
Mark — so who does Richard Bachman write as? 🙂
Gabriel – “self promotion seems to have that nasty aftertaste associated with it”. I know what you mean. I find it easier to think about promoting the work/ideas than myself. That probably makes it more effective as well. Nice bath tub analogy.
Dean — “You get what you deserve, whether you deserve it, or not.” 🙂
Chris — Excellent quotation! Thanks for sharing. I wish I’d said it that pithily.
Maris — “I regret my stubborn idealism in the past about just working to develop my abilities without marketing myself.” You and me both. 🙂 Yep, there’s still time to get started …
Fabulous article (and comments). So glad to see that it isn’t just me! I am in the process of a personal project where I am creating a self-portrait every week for 40 weeks – to celebrate turning 40.
Even though there is really no financial incentive for me, I still really, really struggle in promoting myself or the project.
Must be something in the artist DNA!
Larry
http://www.lourceyphoto.com/4040project.html
Thanks Larry. Interesting project! Maybe I’ll write a poem a week when I turn 40. 🙂
I think the first step towards promoting yourself/your work is accepting that it’s important enough to make the effort. Once you do that, it becomes much easier to approach it like any other creative project, and invest the necessary time and energy.