A couple of posts:
A Newbie's Guide to Publishing: How To Succeed
A Newbie's Guide to Publishing: Maybe You Suck
I tend to lean toward Konrath's view on the luck component, though it is hard to know for sure if he oversells it. I say that mainly because I've known some very good writers with traditional publishing contracts who haven't been able to sell enough to make a living, either traditionally or in self-publishing. So I think there is a definite luck element, and I think you certainly help create your own luck by quantity and quality. But I also think it's entirely possible to have quantity and quality and never make a living writing fiction. What do you guys think?
A Newbie's Guide to Publishing: How To Succeed
A Newbie's Guide to Publishing: Maybe You Suck
I tend to lean toward Konrath's view on the luck component, though it is hard to know for sure if he oversells it. I say that mainly because I've known some very good writers with traditional publishing contracts who haven't been able to sell enough to make a living, either traditionally or in self-publishing. So I think there is a definite luck element, and I think you certainly help create your own luck by quantity and quality. But I also think it's entirely possible to have quantity and quality and never make a living writing fiction. What do you guys think?