on Writer UnBoxed:

If there’s anything I’ve learned in the thirteen years I’ve been writing and in the seven novels published, success isn’t linear. Not in this field. It’s about as up and down as it can possibly be, twisting and turning with exhilarating highs and devastating lows.

Trends come and go. Editors, agents, and publishers come and go. One of your books is hot, another is dead-on-arrival. (Most are lukewarm)

But a career author gets this—they know they have to play the long game. Ride the waves as they come and keep putting words on the page, keep trying new ideas and new ways of getting their stories out there. Not only because they need to eat, but because they know that every single project can’t be the game-changer or the end-all, be-all.

There are hits and misses.

They also grasp that everyone has their own path to publication so there is no right or wrong answer.

That said, there are some things you can do to help yourself along the way (and some things to avoid to keep your career afloat).