Write What You Love or Write What Sells?

The choice is illusory.

Photo by Peter Lewicki on Unsplash

If you have fellow writers in your life — or follow any on social media — you’ll be familiar with the dilemma. Should you write what you love, or write what sells?

It applies in other creative pursuits too. Keep plugging away at your dreams or sell out for a quick payday? It can be a hard choice to wrestle with, but the answer is simple.

It doesn’t have to be a choice.

In fact, I would take it even further: the choice doesn‘t even exist.

The idea that certain specific things sell and others don’t is nonsense. I‘ve spoken before about the “crazy” sounding ideas that made it to print or to screen.

Ignore Your Doubts and Write It Anyway

If you put your heart into something, if you work hard, if you understand your genre, respect your readers and get the marketing right and maybe get a dash of luck then yes, your book can sell.

Think your idea is too unique, too niche? Nothing is too unique, there are billions of potential readers out there. There is a market for…