When I first considered seriously writing a novel, many years ago, someone in publishing told me an axiom of the industry she called the 5% Rule. I have no evidence to prove how factual it is, but it's certainly believable and if taken as a parable on how difficult it is to become a successful writer, rather than as evidence itself, then it does ring true. With a lot of paraphrasing, the rule follows that: If there are many thousands of people who think they could/should/will write a book, only 5% of them will actually sit down and begin to do so. Of those who start, only 5% will complete the book. Of those that complete it, only 5% will finish it to a good standard and try to find a publisher/agent. Of those that try to find an agent/publisher, only 5% will do so. Of those that do find one, only 5% will make any money at all from their book. Of those that do make money, only 5% will make enough money to consider writing their full time job. Of those, o...
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