Here's why to read this book: it gives hope to those of us who've been slogging away for what seems like an eternity at our publishing goal—selling a novel to a publisher, getting the memoir noticed, publishing the poetry chapbook. The author took ten years to get his first paycheck for something he wrote; another ten to see his novel in print; and his first produced screenplay was a total bomb of a movie. This is the kind of timeline I—who began writing in 2003 with much early success and in 2015 turned to really, really trying to sell a novel—need to hear. Not just the timeline. Also the admonition not to identify too closely with this "failure." The book convincingly argues writing is what I've been giving to work with in this world, which is a lot bigger than a "yay, I sold a novel!" moment. In the meantime, I've adopted his terminology: I'm writing novels on spec.

Here's why not to read the book: there are lots of jarring anachronisms. And lots of male assumption (sculptress??) And lots of time devoted to arguing in religious terms for the reality of inspiration (and I'm about as religious as you can get.) And lots of jutted-jaw utterances.

If you can get through all that, you might find some hopeful advice in here for yourself. (And it's a low time investment--you can read it in an hour.)